The Above & Beyond Series, Book 3

 

UNTRAINED EYE

 

TEASER

 

 

The buzzer sounded.

“Matt, you need to take my hand. It’s not safe.” I reached out, hoping he would listen. The wind buffeted me about as I tried to keep my balance.

Matt, a weedy kid with red hair, shook his head. “You said you’d deal with me.” His beady eyes tracked over my arms as he swayed in the wind.

“Well, it’s either me or the vice principal. You want to explain to him why you attacked someone?” I edged closer.

He edged back.

The wind whipped around us. He was too near the edge. His foot slid but he rescued it in time. We were five stories up on a baking roof, trying to keep upright in the vicious blasts of wind.

I glanced down. There was only a small row of stonework around the roof edge.

“I need the notes!” Matt’s eyes were wild, panicked. “They won’t accept me if I don’t have them.”

Kids poured out of the buildings below. I heard someone call out. Matt must have too as he turned and wobbled. His foot slid again. He scrambled to keep his balance.

“Look at the drop, Matt. We need to get you down. We can talk about this. There’s another way.” I didn’t know about him but the sun was so hot that I had sweat dribbling off the end of my nose. My hands weren’t much better.

“You’ll tell them if I come with you.” Desperation pulsed from his every movement.

I edged closer, my sneaker squeaking as it slid under my weight. Matt backed up again. A blast of wind hit us. His eyes widened. His foot went from under him.

I threw myself forward, clattering across the tiles, one hand reaching to catch hold of him, the other trailing behind with the hope I could catch the stone to stop myself. I caught his wrist as I dropped over the side, my clammy hand got a grip on the stone edging.

We smashed into the wall. My breath pounded out of me. Renee was gonna kick my butt. I felt the stone shift under the weight. I hung there, Matt squirming, praying I could hold on. What was it with me and dangling from ledges anyhow?