Chapter Eighteen

Harri wrote on a piece of paper, then he folded it over three or four times, so no one would open and read it, then he wrote Ryan’s name on it.

When Mr Davies turned to the whiteboard and started pointing out how the semicolons were being used in a poem, Harri nudged Megan and gave her the message.

The message slowly worked its way across the classroom. From Megan to Lexi to Ben to Rhys and finally to Ryan.

Ryan looked round and frowned. He unfolded it and read the message under his desk. His head jerked round. His and Harri’s eyes met. Ryan looked … scared? Guilty?

‘Would you like to share that with the class?’ said Mr Davies, who had quietly sneaked up on Ryan and whisked the message from his hand.

‘Let’s see, what does it say?’ Mr Davies read the message, then he repeated it out loud to the class. ‘I — know — your — dad — knows… Hmmm. That’s very interesting, Ryan. What exactly does your dad know?’

The rest of the class giggled. Ryan turned bright red. In his confusion he couldn’t think what to say.

‘Ryan’s dad knows everything!’ Ben said, cheekily.

The class erupted in laughter. Ryan was almost in tears.

Mr Davies looked uncomfortable. He hadn’t meant to humiliate Ryan.

‘Now now!’ he called the class to order and handed the message back. ‘Put it away now, Ryan. What have I said about passing messages in class?’

‘No passing messages in class, sir,’ the children chorused.

‘Exactly!’ Mr Davies turned back to the whiteboard to take the focus off Ryan. ‘Now who can tell me why the poet uses a semicolon in the third line down?’

After school, Harri waited for Ryan at the gate. The boys ambled down the street, side by side, until the pack of mums and dads and children had dispersed and they were alone.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Ryan finally broke the silence. ‘He tricked me, see? You don’t know what my dad’s like. He knew about Tân already — he’d seen you feeding him worms on Saturday and worked it out.’

Harri knew Ryan’s dad too well. They had been battling each other for years, not one to one, but through Ryan. Through Ryan’s homework, and projects and all the other things that Ryan’s dad did to make sure Ryan came first or top of the class.

Ryan’s dad had always been really nice and friendly, helpful even. But then, he’d never lost before.

‘Dad’s gone a bit weird,’ Ryan said. ‘He spends all his time locked up in the garage. I don’t know what he’s doing in there. I wish Mam would get back from America. It feels like she’s been away for ever. She’d sort him out.’

Ryan stopped and stared at the ground. ‘I don’t think he’s going to be happy until he’s paid you back for shooting down his plane.’

Harri felt his stomach lurch. That wasn’t fair! He was just a boy. How could he defend himself against a grown man?

‘I hope we can still be friends?’ Harri said quietly.

Ryan looked up. A tiny smile of hope spread across his face.

Neither of them had to say a word. Neither of them knew what to say anyway. But something unspoken had created a new and stronger bond between them. Something deep and magical. Maybe it was something to do with being around dragons?

After all, Ryan had spent quite a lot of time with Tân. He must have been affected by dragons too.