CHAPTER 10

Caine and co. stayed the night but it didn't bother Cleo as she had promised herself she wouldn't have anything more to do with them. Not that they'd spoken to her once since the whole encounter with Caine. Cleo sighed as she lay on the uncomfortable metal bed with the lumpy mattress and scratchy sheets looking up at the ceiling for some sort of miracle. She'd never been religious, but since the beginning of the FAYZ she'd probably prayed more times than a monk does in a lifetime. She'd prayed to God, Allah, Hari, Buddha and any other god she could remember from the RS classes she never paid any attention in. The morning light was seeping through the broken blinds but Cleo had no intention of getting up. Getting up meant running the risk of running into someone and every single one of Coates Academy's current inhabitants was screwed up. Cleo supposed she fitted into that category too; although so did everyone in the FAYZ. But the Coates lot? They took screwed up to a whole new level…anyone who could cement 50 or so kids' hands together, starve them half to death and then not show any remorse for it was wrong in the head. Cleo sighed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep but knowing it wouldn't come. Although sleep wasn't exactly a way out, on the rare occasion that Cleo did manage to make a trip over to the land of nod, her dreams were only a reflection of the reality of the FAYZ, and sometimes more horrific if that was even possible. Nope, sleep wasn't the answer, nor was War and Peace or the other arduous books that occupied Truman Richardson (according to the name on the door)'s large bookcase. No, the answer was to get out of and as far away as possible from this horrible school. That was the first thing. Then she'd take it from there. But with a bunch of psychopaths boarding with her, that was easier said than done.

By 10 o'clock, Cleo was bored out of her mind and after not eating since breakfast the day before her stomach could take it no longer. She climbed reluctantly off Truman's bed and set off on the long trek downstairs. As she was eating her stale cornflakes, Cleo heard a commotion from outside and after ignoring it for a few minutes, curiosity finally overcame her and she dropped her spoon and walked tentatively over to the door that opened the canteen onto the school field. She gasped at what she saw and ran over to the group of people out on the lawn.

"CAINE? What are you DOING?" She screamed trying to run over to her former classmates. But Caine held up a hand casually when she was next to him and she was held in place by his telepathic powers.

"Oh hello Cleo, how nice of you to join us. Actually how convenient, why not join your little friends over there?" And, using his 4-bar power, he levitated Cleo and dropped her next to Edilio Escobar in the queue to be plastered. She bit her lip as her eyes filled with tears at the horror that awaited her, but as Edilio slipped her hand into his and squeezed it comfortingly, and as she looked across the line at the heroes she stood with, she realised something. She'd rather live the upcoming nightmare with these guys, than watch on with the monsters who stood opposite. She gritted her teeth and blinked back the tears, she was gonna face this with a brave face, just like Edilio, just like Astrid, and just like Sam.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly the cement disappeared. Just vanished. Like the adults did on the first day of the FAYZ. Cleo gaped but Sam was already in action, as a bright green light shot from his open palms and, judging by the sudden cries of pain, hit Drake Merwin. Looking around, Cleo realised that the cement didn't just disappear from the Perdido Beach kids' hands, but from everyone Caine & co. had been holding captive, and they must have noticed, because with one look at the load of angry freaks, and at Drake's now blackened arm and they all ran to the safety of the school. Sam didn't waste any time, turning to everyone.

"C'mon, follow me, let's get out of here while we can." And then he power-walked away, everyone else following him like his disciples. Edilio, ever the hero, turned to Cleo with a concerned look as they walked off.

"You alright Cleo?" He asked.

"I am now." She replied.