Olivia and the Great Escape by Lyn Gardner Page A

right, Eel, I’m not really going to kill anyone! Yet…”

Chapter Eighteen
    Alex and Eel were alone in one of the music rooms.
Eel’s face was red with anger. “It had to have been you, Alex Parks!” she cried. “You are the only other person who knew that Jack was ill. None of the others would dream of giving away any information about Jack’s stunt. They’re too loyal to do something so nasty. I would never have told you if I’d realised that you were going to use the information in such a terrible way. I only mentioned it because you seemed so interested in Jack’s stunt and so admiring of what he’s doing. I thought you were on his side. I thought you could be trusted.”
    Alex smiled at her patronisingly. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Eel,” he said. “Of courseit wasn’t me. Who would I tell, anyway? I don’t have any interest in who wins some silly high-wire competition. It could have been anyone. If you knew, lots of people must have known.”
    Eel considered this. Perhaps he was right? She’d been eaten up with guilt since the piece about Jack had been published, convinced that it was her babbling to Alex that had done the damage. He had seemed so genuinely interested in what Jack was doing. But it was true, lots of people talked carelessly, and maybe she was being unfair in accusing him like this.
    “OK,” she conceded. “Maybe I was wrong. I’m just so worried about my dad. I’m sorry.”
    “Apology accepted,” said Alex, with a smirk. “It could have been one of his team, or one of Livy’s friends. They’re always in the café across the road, gossiping and talking about each other. Georgia’s got a big mouth. She probably let something slip and it was overheard by a journalist or something.”
    “Don’t talk about Georgia like that!” said Eel, hotly. “Everyone loves Georgia, and she really likes you.”
    Alex raised an eyebrow. “Georgia! I’m out of her league, and anyway I’ll talk how I like.You still owe me, Eel Marvell.”
    There was an edge to Alex’s voice that Eel didn’t like. She wished that she’d never got Alex involved in her secret scheme to audition at the Imperial. She’d been taken in by his lazy smile and open admiration for Olivia. But now it felt as if he had some kind of hold over her. Still, she wasn’t going to let him see that she was rattled.
    “Look, Alex,” she said as sweetly as she could. “I did what I promised I would. I tried to put in a good word for you with Livy, but it was a complete waste of time. She so clearly wasn’t interested in you.”
    Eel didn’t say it out loud but inside she was thinking what a good thing it was, too. Alex clearly wasn’t half as nice as he made out. Or maybe his pride was just so dented by Olivia’s disdain that he’d become some kind of monster.
    Livy had briefly confided in Eel what had happened between her and Alex and sworn Eel to secrecy.
    “I tried to let him down gently, Eel,” she’d said. “But I think I made a terrible hash of it. I can still feel him looking at me, but his gaze is cold and hostile. I wish he’d stop coming to high-wire but it’s like he’s trying to prove something.I was loving
Dream
rehearsals but now they feel spoiled. I wish Tom was playing Demetrius and wasn’t just the understudy.”
    Eel had tried to soothe her sister, but she could see why a boy like Alex might find it hard to be turned down by a girl he was keen on. In fact, she had the evidence in front of her eyes. The Alex in front of her now didn’t seem anything like the Alex who’d been so eager to help her try out for the Imperial.
    “Of course, I could let your gran know what you’ve been up to?” said Alex softly.
    Eel’s stomach did a somersault, but she wasn’t going to let Alex see how worried she was.
    “You could,” she said, trying to sound completely unfazed, “but of course if you did, you’d be in as much trouble as me.”
    Alex shot her a look of fury and spun on his