Checkmate by Malorie Blackman Page B

dragon. The dragon tried to eat him but Lucas was so tough and gristly that the dragon spat him out, unfortunately without biting him to death first (Ella came up with that bit). Then Lucas's sister and her best friend (we're best friends now!) set off on an epic adventure to rescue him. We acted out the whole thing with our puppets and put on different voices for the different characters. It was so much fun – except for Lucas standing there the entire time, watching us. Now and then, he'd ask if he could join in but Ella always said no. I would've let him play rather than have him just stand in my room, watching.
    At last Ella's mum called her and Lucas downstairs. Lucas ran out of the room immediately – thank goodness.
    'Let's pack this stuff away,' said Ella, surprising me. I would've thought she'd want to play some more.
    'We can carry on for a little while longer,' I said.
    'No, we can't. Mum said that if I didn't come the first time she called me, I couldn't come here again,' Ella whispered.
    We put all the puppets back in their boxes and packed away the puppet theatre before leaving my bedroom. I didn't miss the stern look Ella's mum gave her as we headed downstairs.
    'Ella was helping me put away my puppet theatre,' I quickly explained. I didn't want Ella to get into trouble.
    I glanced at Lucas and didn't miss the way he was looking at me either. He had the same puzzled look on his face that he'd had in my bedroom.
    'Mum, what's wrong with Rose?' Lucas whispered loud enough for practically the whole street to hear.
    I frowned at him. And what was he talking about? There wasn't anything wrong with me.
    'Nothing – as far as I know. What d'you mean?' asked his mum.
    'Why didn't Dad want Ella to come here and play with her then?' asked Lucas.
    'Nonsense.' Nichelle's voice was sharp as pins. 'Your dad never said that.'
    'Yes, he did,' Lucas argued. 'I heard you two talking last night. He said he didn't want Callie Rose setting foot in our house and he didn't want Ella playing with some dirty halfer.'
    The whole world stopped. The house stopped. My breath stopped. My heart stopped. My heart froze solid. Just for a moment.
    'Lucas, that's quite enough,' his mum hissed like an angry snake.
    Lucas looked at her, bewildered.
    'Your dad never said that,' Nichelle said, really cross.
    'But I heard him . . .' said Lucas, even more puzzled. 'I heard you and Dad talking last night. But Rose isn't dirty. I don't get—'
    'Lucas, don't you say another word. D'you hear?'
    I thought Nichelle was going to slap him. I turned to look at Ella on the stair beside me, but she looked away from me. She didn't say a word – which said a lot.
    'We have to go now. Ella, get down here,' Nichelle ordered.
    I stayed put halfway up the stairs. I looked at Lucas; he didn't take his eyes off me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nichelle snatch up Ella's school bag.
    'Ella, what d'you say to Rose and her mum?'
    'Thank you for having me,' said Ella politely.
    'Don't mention it,' Mum replied quietly.
    Nichelle opened the door and ushered Ella outside. Lucas was still watching me.
    'Lucas, move!' Nichelle ordered.
    'Bye, Rose,' said Lucas.
    I didn't answer.
    'Bye, Rose,' Lucas repeated.
    'Bye.'
    Making sure he smiled at me first, Lucas left, followed by Ella and Nichelle. Mum shut the door quietly behind them before immediately turning to look at me.
    'Mum, what's a halfer?'
    'It's an ignorant word said by ignorant people to mean someone whose Mum was a Cross and whose Dad was a Nought or vice versa,' said Mum quietly. But each word came out clipped and precise.
    'I thought that was it,' I said.
    'You shouldn't've had to hear it now,' Mum said.
    'Why doesn't Ella's dad like me?'
    'Ella's dad doesn't know you. And some people . . . a lot of people are afraid of things they don't know.'
    A grown man scared of me? That didn't make any sense at all. 'What's he afraid of?'
    'Change,' Mum replied immediately. 'A lot of people are terrified of changes.