Return of the Ancients

Chapter 28 Grape, His Favourite

Arn was sitting on the bus, wearing a new shirt. The collar was too tight, and it chafed uncomfortably. He hated it when new shirts did that.

He saw Becky get up from her seat. She turned briefly to wink at him, and then began walking down the crowded aisle between the other students and towards the doors. He tried to get up from his seat to follow her.

It hurt. Every time he tried to stand, he was dragged back down, and his collar chafed even more. Steve Barkin was pinning his hands behind his back. It occurred to him that he should tell someone, but Edward sat beside him, absorbed in his comic book. Typical — when he was engrossed in his fantasy world, nothing else mattered to him.

Edward stopped reading to sip from a can of soda — it was grape, his favourite.

Arn had never felt so thirsty in his life. ‘Can I have a sip?’

Edward ignored him.

‘Can I have a sip there, buddy?’

Nothing. Nothing but the chafing of his neck, Steve Barkin pinning his arms, and that relentless, diabolical thirst.