Читать книгу Head Kid - David Baddiel - Страница 17

“No, but what are you going to do?” said Dionna as they walked home together. Dionna lived a few streets away from Ryan.

“I don’t know yet. There’s an Open Afternoon for parents next week, isn’t there?”

Dionna didn’t answer. She was looking away.

“Are you OK?” said Ryan.

“I will be in a minute,” said Dionna, tight-lipped, still not looking at him.

Ryan glanced down the road. “Oh,” he said. “Oakcroft.”

Oakcroft, the grand towers of which Ryan could now see in the distance, was a school that tended to do considerably better in the OFFHEAD reports than Bracket Wood. It was private and mainly attended by children from rich families, except that Dionna, who was not – but who was clever – used to go there, having got a scholarship.

She had left, though, halfway through Year Five. Dionna didn’t much like to talk about her time at Oakcroft. And she never looked happy when she caught sight of it. Ryan didn’t exactly know why, but he was a smart kid and knew that if his friend didn’t like to talk about her last school, there was probably a pretty good reason for it.

“Why don’t we go another way to your house?” said Ryan, pointing left. “We could avoid the school if we take that road there.”

Dionna looked at him now. “But that would mean you having to go miles out of your way.”

“Not miles. And it’ll give me a chance to tell you what my plan is … for the Open Afternoon.”

Dionna’s face changed from a nervous frown to a thankful smile. “OK! Thanks, Ryan.”

They turned a corner and Ryan began.

“So … I may need to borrow some stuff from you.”