Novel where teens can communicate telepathically & explore space by leaving their physical bodies

Question

I had to read this book as part of our English curriculum back in 2001-2002 (year 7/8).

The story revolves around a female protagonist in her young teens, who meets this guy a few years older than her who appears to have Psychic powers. I seem to remember a scene where Government-types were after him, so he made some game machines in an Arcade display a 3D tiger or something to distract them.

At some point he teaches her how to communicate telepathically, and also how to leave her physical body and go exploring the universe. I remember her describing the ability to turn by moving her eyes, and feeling like a magnet was pulling her back into her body (which got less powerful the further she was away from Earth). They used the 'magnet sense' as a guide to return to Earth and their bodies.

At the climax of the story, the two meet some aliens in space who had discovered the same abilities. They offer to take them both back to their world, however the protagonist's 'magnet' was already very weak, and she didn't like the prospect of never returning to Earth.

Her friend goes with the Aliens, and she returns to Earth. I don't think she ever hears from him again in the end, but continues to explore the universe in search of him.

Answer 1

Found it, on my old school library's website of all places:

Megan’s Star

by Allan Baillie:

The kids at school think Megan is strange. But she has more important things to worry about. A baby brother whom she has to look after, a mother who is always tired and always shouting, and a father who has left them all. Strange? Megan feels depressingly normal, with very ordinary problems.
But suddenly things are strange. Megan hears a desperate cry for help that no one else can hear, and extraordinary things start to happen. Two men are cruising her suburb and she finds a boy trapped in a ruined house.
Kel is strange. He has rare powers and he knows that Megan has them too. Together they explore their powers, until Megan realizes that if she goes any further, she must give up everything she knows, for there will be no turning back.