State of Grace
Page 23
I’m about to start telling Luke all about it when I work out there’s someone behind us.
I turn sharply.
Guy.
‘It’s risky you two being out here,’ he says. ‘If someone from Shepherd saw you …’
He stops. He doesn’t need to say any more. If anyone knows what’s risky, it’s Guy. I mean, he and Alex faked his entire implant procedure. And then Guy spent a full year in a Shepherd facility acting like he believed in Dot, wearing special contact lenses to give him the authentic big-eyed look.
He had the job of watching how Grace really affected us, and keeping us safe if the drug turned anyone a little loopy. Which was why he stuck so close to Gil, and also why he noticed that the drug seemed to be wearing off me.
‘We know,’ I say. My sticky hand finds Luke’s. ‘We’re coming.’ I don’t want Guy to think we’re not grateful for his help. It’s because of the Circle that the two of us are safe right now. And otherwise we could never have got Dennis back to his Mum and his brother Nathe.
‘Anyway,’ Guy says. ‘There’s something I want you guys to see. There’s an ad for Grace out. It’s all over my device.’
He can barely keep from shuddering. Right now, Guy’s life is pretty much totally about trying to tell the world what Grace can do to some people.
‘Yeah?’ Luke’s keen to see it, I can tell.
If it weren’t for me, Luke would probably join Guy and Alex and everyone else. He’d hang around here and help out with their campaign. I guess Grace reminds him of Repton and all of that.
Mind control, he calls it.
I’m no huge fan of Grace either. I mean, I can’t tell you how sick I felt when I found out that Fern and Gil had put themselves on the waiting list to buy the first commercial batch of Grace.
How they’d already decided they couldn’t deal with normal life and weren’t even going to try. And how no-one was going to stop Gil buying Grace, even though they knew what it did to him.
It’s just, I’m not convinced that stopping Shepherd is what I want to do with my life. At least, not at the moment.
Right now, all I really want to do is be with Luke and, when it’s safe, get on my device and call my mum and tell her I love her.
To say sorry for running away like I did.
The wind is blowing. If I still had my long hair the way the Books said I should, it would have been whipping my face right now.
But my hair’s all gone, cut off by Luke on our very first night of freedom. So now I can feel the wind on my neck, the old scar and the scab of the new cut. And anyone who chooses to look can see them too.
I won’t be hiding that Grace is part of me. I just won’t be making it my whole entire life.
Luke’s hand feels warm and heavy in mine. Guy’s walking ahead of us, keeping his distance and giving us space.
‘Okay?’ Luke asks me.
‘Yeah,’ I tell him. ‘Just thinking.’
‘Just having a Viva moment,’ Luke supplies.
‘That would be it.’
‘I like Viva moments,’ Luke tells me. ‘I like Viva, too.’
Inside I feel this quavery thrill. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yup.’
I forget about Grace. I forget about Guy and Fern and Gil and Lainie Shepherd. I forget about everything apart from me and Luke and this actual moment.
The only thing I’m aware of is this crazy desire to jump on Luke’s back and put my arms around his neck and just cling on to him forever and ever.
Luke looks across at me, dark eyes all intense, dreadlocks gone, just this gleaming brown cap of hair in their place. He does his mouth thing, twisting sideways and down.
‘How do you feel about Viva?’
I tell him the absolute truth, because that’s how I want it to be between us from here on in.
‘I’m only just getting to know her,’ I tell him. ‘But you know what? I actually think she’s pretty okay.’
Author photo by David Mitchener
Hilary Badger has written two series for middle-grade readers, including Space Scout and the best-selling Zac Power books. She is also the author of Giving His Best, a biography of Australian cyclist Cadel Evans for younger readers.
State of Grace is her first Young Adult novel.
Hilary has no spare time, but if she did she would fill it reading, cooking and hanging out with her family.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to everyone at Hardie Grant Egmont for supporting State of Grace so enthusiastically. In particular, I am so grateful to Hilary R for guiding me but also letting me find my way. And for never once asking why the manuscript was taking so long!
Thanks to Arma and Arpa for being there, minding the children and believing I could do literally anything.
And to Rob, Caspar and Romy … I love you.
State of Grace
published in 2014 by
Hardie Grant Egmont
Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street
Richmond,Victoria 3121, Australia
www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au
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eISBN 9781743582589
Text copyright © Hilary Badger
Illustration and design copyright © Hardie Grant Egmont
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