you put some Twisties on the back porch?’
‘How do you know Wiki likes Twisties?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘Just a guess.’ Felix shrugged. ‘I can help you look for him if you like.’ Ellen definitely wasn’t the same in this world, but maybe if they hung out together, they’d reconnect.
‘If he saw you coming, he’d probably run,’ said Ellen, walking away.
Felix watched her, stung. Being rejected by your best friend was not a good feeling.
‘Watch out!’ yelled someone who suddenly came flying around the corner, nearly knocking Felix to the ground.
Felix regained his balance. ‘Oscar?’
Trent and Dylan appeared around the same corner in fast pursuit. They pushed past Felix and sprinted after Oscar, disappearing down a lane.
Felix sped after them. Oscar might not be his brother in this world, but he could still help him.
He found Oscar being cornered by Trent and Dylan at the end of the lane. ‘Hey, leave him alone.’
Dylan and Trent ignored him. Dylan held Oscar against the brick wall while Trent went through his schoolbag.
He opened Oscar’s lunch box and shoved a jam doughnut in his mouth. ‘Tell your mum we much prefer chocolate doughnuts, Oscar.’
Oscar squirmed under Dylan’s hands.
Trent pulled a toy spaceship out of Oscar’s bag.
‘Would you look at that? The weirdo has a little toy.’ He placed the spaceship on the ground and hovered his foot over it.
Oscar wriggled desperately. ‘Please don’t. It’s a Valtirian …’
‘Leave him alone!’ said Felix, more forcefully.
Trent turned and gave Felix a long once-over. ‘You hear something, Dyl?’
Dylan shook his head and Trent’s foot came down on the spaceship.
‘That’s what you get for being such a freak, freak! ’
Felix felt the anger rising up in him. It was one thing, people calling him a freak. But his little brother?
He launched himself at Trent. ‘Don’t call him a freak!’
Trent and Felix hit the ground. Trent grabbed Felix’s arm and twisted it behind him. Felix brought his knee up hard, right into Trent’s groin.
Trent yelped with pain and his grip on Felix’s arm loosened. ‘Get him, Dyl!’
Dylan loosened his hold on Oscar as Trent rolled into a ball.
‘Run, Oscar! Run!’ yelled Felix.
Oscar sprinted away as Dylan advanced menacingly on Felix.
Felix stuck his foot out and Dylan tripped over it, landing with a thud on the cobblestones. Before Dylan could work out what had happened, Felix jumped up and sprinted down the laneway after Oscar.
Oscar was quick. When Felix finally caught up with him, he’d nearly made it all the way home.
‘Wait up, Oscar,’ Felix called. ‘They’re not coming after you.’
But Oscar didn’t seem to hear him. He turned into their driveway, ran up the path to the front door, bounded up the steps and slammed the door shut just as Felix reached it.
Felix banged on the door, but there was no answer. ‘Oscar?’
A muffled voice came from behind the door. ‘Go away.’
‘Oscar, let me in. Come on.’ Felix swiped at a bee that was buzzing insistently around his head.
‘Just leave me alone.’
‘Come on! I just saved you.’
Oscar opened the door a crack and looked out. ‘You didn’t save me! You just made them hate me even more. Normally I’m number four on their hit list but after today I’ll be number two. Above Mikey Parker – and he brings a stuffed unicorn to school. So just leave, okay? He slammed the door shut.
Felix listened to Oscar’s footsteps recede.
Great. That had worked out really well.
A bee dive-bombed his head.
Felix flicked it away, annoyed. What was with these bees?
Another one came at him, and then another.
Now half a dozen bees were circling him. Felix suddenly realised what the strange humming noise he’d heard before was. Bees.
He watched them warily.
Right. He had to go into the house, whether Oscar liked it or not.
He looked at the old elm tree in the front yard. There was a branch that led directly to
‘How do you know Wiki likes Twisties?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘Just a guess.’ Felix shrugged. ‘I can help you look for him if you like.’ Ellen definitely wasn’t the same in this world, but maybe if they hung out together, they’d reconnect.
‘If he saw you coming, he’d probably run,’ said Ellen, walking away.
Felix watched her, stung. Being rejected by your best friend was not a good feeling.
‘Watch out!’ yelled someone who suddenly came flying around the corner, nearly knocking Felix to the ground.
Felix regained his balance. ‘Oscar?’
Trent and Dylan appeared around the same corner in fast pursuit. They pushed past Felix and sprinted after Oscar, disappearing down a lane.
Felix sped after them. Oscar might not be his brother in this world, but he could still help him.
He found Oscar being cornered by Trent and Dylan at the end of the lane. ‘Hey, leave him alone.’
Dylan and Trent ignored him. Dylan held Oscar against the brick wall while Trent went through his schoolbag.
He opened Oscar’s lunch box and shoved a jam doughnut in his mouth. ‘Tell your mum we much prefer chocolate doughnuts, Oscar.’
Oscar squirmed under Dylan’s hands.
Trent pulled a toy spaceship out of Oscar’s bag.
‘Would you look at that? The weirdo has a little toy.’ He placed the spaceship on the ground and hovered his foot over it.
Oscar wriggled desperately. ‘Please don’t. It’s a Valtirian …’
‘Leave him alone!’ said Felix, more forcefully.
Trent turned and gave Felix a long once-over. ‘You hear something, Dyl?’
Dylan shook his head and Trent’s foot came down on the spaceship.
‘That’s what you get for being such a freak, freak! ’
Felix felt the anger rising up in him. It was one thing, people calling him a freak. But his little brother?
He launched himself at Trent. ‘Don’t call him a freak!’
Trent and Felix hit the ground. Trent grabbed Felix’s arm and twisted it behind him. Felix brought his knee up hard, right into Trent’s groin.
Trent yelped with pain and his grip on Felix’s arm loosened. ‘Get him, Dyl!’
Dylan loosened his hold on Oscar as Trent rolled into a ball.
‘Run, Oscar! Run!’ yelled Felix.
Oscar sprinted away as Dylan advanced menacingly on Felix.
Felix stuck his foot out and Dylan tripped over it, landing with a thud on the cobblestones. Before Dylan could work out what had happened, Felix jumped up and sprinted down the laneway after Oscar.
Oscar was quick. When Felix finally caught up with him, he’d nearly made it all the way home.
‘Wait up, Oscar,’ Felix called. ‘They’re not coming after you.’
But Oscar didn’t seem to hear him. He turned into their driveway, ran up the path to the front door, bounded up the steps and slammed the door shut just as Felix reached it.
Felix banged on the door, but there was no answer. ‘Oscar?’
A muffled voice came from behind the door. ‘Go away.’
‘Oscar, let me in. Come on.’ Felix swiped at a bee that was buzzing insistently around his head.
‘Just leave me alone.’
‘Come on! I just saved you.’
Oscar opened the door a crack and looked out. ‘You didn’t save me! You just made them hate me even more. Normally I’m number four on their hit list but after today I’ll be number two. Above Mikey Parker – and he brings a stuffed unicorn to school. So just leave, okay? He slammed the door shut.
Felix listened to Oscar’s footsteps recede.
Great. That had worked out really well.
A bee dive-bombed his head.
Felix flicked it away, annoyed. What was with these bees?
Another one came at him, and then another.
Now half a dozen bees were circling him. Felix suddenly realised what the strange humming noise he’d heard before was. Bees.
He watched them warily.
Right. He had to go into the house, whether Oscar liked it or not.
He looked at the old elm tree in the front yard. There was a branch that led directly to
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