Back to Chapter One RELUCTANT KNIGHT TRILOGY
KNIGHTFALL -
THE
RELUCTANT KNIGHT-
CHAPTER
ONE. OPTIONS.
"Stop
that!" exploded Sarah.
"Huh?"
said Simon. "Stop what?" He was sitting in a yoga position called
'The Lotus' and his ankles ached like mad. "I'm not doing anything
much."
"That's
the point!" snapped Sarah. She took a deep breath, and continued
more quietly; "you never do do anything much. Not like Reba."
Sarah
was Head of Boronia High. Reba was her daughter, the bossiest girl in the
school. Boys ran from Reba, they trembled in their socks when she bounced along
the corridors. They cringed if she walked past in woodwork, they dropped their
eggs if she looked at them in cooking...
What
boy would live with Reba? Certainly not Simon, but Dad had married Sarah so now
he had no choice.
"There
must be something you'd like to do?" said Sarah.
"Like go to the Grand Final? See Pearl Dragon
live?"
"Something
creative," said Sarah. "However!"
Simon
sighed, and grabbed his toes, because his foot was aching.
"You
have three options," said Sarah.
Oh-oh.
"#1.
Find a useful job for the holidays."
Simon
shook his head. Useful.
"#2,"
continued Sarah. "Take up a team sport."
Simon
wrinkled his nose. Sport.
"#3,"
said Sarah. "Join Reba's swimming club tomorrow. I expect your decision
immediately after breakfast."
Groan. Simon unfolded his ankles and
rocked onto his hands and knees. He lifted one leg out behind him. tucking his
chin to his chest.
Sarah
gave him a very cross look and went out.
Reba
bounced in, all tossing curls and blazing orange shirt.
"If
that's the Pose of the Dog," bossed Reba, "you lift your leg like this."
She grabbed his ankle and hoisted his leg in the air.
"Let
go!" Simon's arms gave way and he bellyflopped onto the carpet.
Reba
seized his arms, pulled his cuffs over his hands and knotted the sleeves
together. "Pose of the Strait-jacket," she announced and gave a nasty
smile. "I know lots of yoga. What do you say to that?"
"Goodbye!"
was what Simon said to that. He bolted out the door and down the yard to the
toolshed. It took four whole minutes to get his sleeves untied and rearranged,
and when he had finished he moaned aloud. She'd got to him again.
Simon
and Reba were both thirteen, but Reba was bigger.
"Of
course I'm bigger," said Reba. "I'm more mature than
you."
"Cool,"
said Simon. "Mature. Like very old cheese."
"I've
always wanted a little brother," cooed Reba.
Now
Simon sat on the lawnmower considering Sarah's options. The holidays stretched
ahead like a very bad smell.
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