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.Head still spinning, I checked the surrounding tables, trying to work out how much of a scene I’d made.There were a couple of curious stares, but it looked like Mr Weir’s wheelchair had mostly blocked me from sight.‘We should get out of here,’ I said, giving Luke a nudge.He slid across to the end of the seat.Mr Weir narrowed his eyes, and I half expected him to try and stop us, but he looked like he’d used up all his energy on that first outburst.He spun around and wheeled away without another word.‘Sure you’re okay?’ said Luke, watching him go.‘I’m fine,’ I whispered.‘He could be trouble, though, if – Great.What now?’Peter was charging up to us.Mike, Cathryn and Tank watched from the table behind him, wearing matching looks of confusion.He was almost running by the time he got to us, face wild with anger.‘What the crap do you think you’re doing?’ he demanded, heading straight for Luke.‘Peter, quiet,’ said Luke.‘You’re going to –’‘Stay away from my dad!’ snapped Peter.‘What, you don’t think they’ve done enough to him already? You want to get him killed?’‘Yes, Peter, that’s exactly what I’m doing.I’m trying to get Shackleton to kill your dad.That what you want me to say?’ Luke’s voice was low, but we were still attracting attention.‘Listen,’ I hissed, desperate to placate Peter before he lost the plot completely, ‘your dad came up to us, all right? And we denied everything.If you’ve got a problem, go take it up with him.’Peter’s mouth moved again, but no sound came out.His shoulders dropped and he said, ‘Oh.’‘Yeah,’ I said.‘So why don’t you get back over there and get on with what you’re supposed to be doing?’If Luke had spoken to him like that, Peter probably would have punched his face in.But if there was an upside to Peter’s obsession with me, it was that he was actually willing to hear me out from time to time.‘Right,’ he mumbled, turning back.‘You’re right.Sorry.’He headed back to his friends, and Luke and I finally escaped the food court.We started making our way to the other end of the mall, where I was supposed to be meeting Mum to give her a hand with the groceries.I kept glancing backwards to make sure we weren’t being followed.Between my latest vision thing and being tag-teamed by Peter and his dad, it was a miracle we hadn’t been dragged away to the security centre by now.‘Twice in one day,’ said Luke.‘Huh?’‘Peter.That’s the second time he’s blown up at us over nothing.I think he’s getting worse.’He stopped walking.Officer Barnett and another guard were patrolling back in our direction.We veered across to Rebirth and pretended to look through a rack of shirts out the front.‘Getting worse?’ I said, leaning close to be heard over the pounding music.‘You think Peter is – You think this is like my visions, or Jeremy’s hand, or –?’I cut myself short, avoiding saying Georgia’s name, still not ready to admit that yesterday was anything more than a creepy one-off.‘I dunno,’ said Luke, picking up a shirt from the rack as Barnett came past.The two officers spotted us standing there and paused.I took a couple of steps further into the shop, faking interest in clothes only Cathryn would wear.Eventually, they moved on.‘Maybe it’s just stress,’ I said.‘His dad and everything.’‘Yeah.Maybe.’He put down the shirt and we left the shop.‘Either way, though,’ he said, ‘if this keeps happening – I mean, if he keeps losing it like this, we could have a problem.’‘Yeah,’ I sighed.‘It would really suck for us to have a problem.’Luke looked like he didn’t know whether to smile or say something reassuring.Before he had time to do either, a high voice cut across the mall.‘Jordan!’Georgia was running over, grinning.She always seemed to pick the most random days to be excited to see me.Mum was out the front of the supermarket, getting a trolley.She narrowed her eyes, like she was debating whether to call Georgia back or not, but in the end she just let her go.I noticed the puddle on the floor too late – a knocked-over Coke cup that the cleaners hadn’t got to yet.I called out to Georgia, but her foot had already come down on top of it.She slipped, sprawled forward, and hit the marble floor.Hands first, then her head.A second of dazed silence, and then the crying started.Mum and I both ran across to help.But before either of us could reach her, two hands came down and scooped her up.Arthur van Pelt.He hoisted Georgia into his arms and started patting her on the back.I broke into a run.Let her go, you –I reached them just ahead of Mum.Van Pelt was rocking Georgia back and forth, whispering into her ear.‘Shhh … Hey, c’mon, you’re all right.You’re all right.Look, here’s Mum!’Georgia’s a tough kid, and she was already calming down.She turned around in van Pelt’s arms, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand
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