‘My little problem? What the heck are you talking about?’
‘You know what you do. Toni told me last night about what happened in the changing rooms. If you carry on you’ll end up in trouble with the police. I don’t want to see it happen.’
‘You what? You don’t believe the rumours about the bag, do you? That’s rich coming from you, seeing you’re always borrowing stuff without asking!’
Gina frowned, the comment not hitting home. She looked like she had never heard of such a thing. ‘I’ve worked hard on the course to get myself into a good place. No offence, Raven, but my course tutor showed me that you’re a negative influence. I must surround myself with only positives if I’m to succeed. Mrs Bain agrees. I must stick to my new resolutions so the good work isn’t undone.’
‘What kind of negative influence?’ Raven felt sickened. It was happening again: her foundations crumbling from under her.
‘To succeed in life, you must seek the best, emulate the most worthy examples, strive for excellence.’
‘What is this crap? Who’s got you believing lies about me?’
‘And avoid all displays of low behaviour, like swearing.’ Gina did up the buttons of her jacket. ‘I know it’s hard—hard for us both—we were so close before it all came out, but if you just pack your things and go without a fuss, your grandfather will move them to your new room this morning during classes. Mrs Bain thinks it best if you have a room on your own. She’s moving Hedda in with me.’
‘Do you even realize you what you are saying? You don’t even like Hedda!’ Raven pushed back the covers and grabbed Gina’s arm to shake her. ‘It’s me—Raven. I am your friend. You are my friend. That has to mean something, surely?’
Gina’s eyes skated away. She wasn’t enjoying this confrontation any more than Raven but was determined to see it to the end.
Raven began to feel frightened as she grasped that Gina wasn’t going to stop wrecking their friendship. ‘Remember how I was there for you when you split up with Nathaniel?’
‘That was stupid of me to get so upset. Relationships that divert energy away from the goal of personal success are also a mistake.’
‘Stop talking like that. It didn’t feel like a mistake at the time—you said it felt like the end of the world. You cried. I cried for you.’
‘Indulging in emotional displays over minor adolescent dramas is selfish and detracts from the positive drive forward.’
‘I hope this is some sick joke of yours. If it is, Gina, I’m gonna kick your ass for this!’ Raven sounded fierce, but she hurt.
Something flashed in Gina’s eyes. Raven had the weird impression that her friend—ex-friend—was scared of her. ‘If you attempt any physical abuse, you’ll be immediately reported to the school authorities. Now, I have a meeting to go to. I hope you can be packed up before breakfast?’
‘A meeting? At this time?’
Gina walked out without replying. Raven stared after her, stunned. Cold. Had that been real or was she dreaming? How had the wheels just come off that relationship so spectacularly?
There came a soft tap on the door. It would be Gina. She’d come back in and say ‘Fooled you!’ or something like that. Raven would hit her with a pillow until she made an apology and they’d be OK again.
‘Yes?’
Her grandfather poked his head round the door. ‘Sorry to disturb you so early, Raven, but I’ve been asked to take your things to a room in D corridor. Can you box them up for me?’
Tears rushed to Raven’s eyes. She brushed them away, reaching for anger to help her through this. So it wasn’t a joke; someone had poisoned Gina against her. ‘Granddad, what the heck did I do wrong? I don’t get it: why doesn’t Gina like me any more?’
He looked down. ‘I’m sure it’s not your fault, sweetheart. How can anyone not think you are wonderful?’
She couldn’t worry him; he was supposed to avoid stress in case it brought on another heart attack. ‘And you’re not biased?’ She smiled sourly.
‘Exactly. Come here. I need a hug even if you don’t.’
She got out of bed and dashed into the sanctuary of his embrace.
He patted her back affectionately. ‘You know girls of your age, Raven—mood swings, petty squabbles—all part of growing up. Gina’s just got a bee in her bonnet today and Mrs Bain thinks it best to separate you. It seems a big deal now but in a year or so you’ll laugh about it. Do you want a hand packing?’
Raven reminded herself that he was in an awkward spot, being both grandfather and employee obeying orders. Bottom line was she knew he was on her side. She leant back and tapped his chest to show she was OK. He could let go. ‘I’m fine. It won’t take long. And if Gina doesn’t want me, I sure don’t want to be near her.’ Act brave and maybe the feelings inside would match one day: that was her motto.
He nodded. ‘That’s the spirit. Foolish female will see sense soon enough. She’ll be apologizing tomorrow.’
She switched on her sass. ‘Abjectly? On her knees?’ How could Gina think she was a thief?
‘Naturally.’
‘Love you, Granddad.’
‘You too, sweetheart.’ He picked up her fist and knocked his knuckles against hers. ‘Don’t let the blighters get you down.’
Her mouth wrinkled up at the corners. ‘Thanks. I won’t.’
‘It’s too late, you know.’ Hedda shoved her tray in Raven’s back as they lined up by the cereals.
Raven took a deep breath and decided to ignore her. Cornflakes or muesli? Choices, choices.
‘We all know you stole them.’
OK, so maybe she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t heard. ‘What have I stolen this time? Do tell. I so enjoy your little fantasies.’
Hedda put her tray down, hands on hips in a commanding gesture. She made sure she had the attention of everyone in earshot. ‘All those things you stole last term? They turned up in reception this morning with a note saying you wanted to return them to their owners and were very sorry for having taken them.’
Adewale barged past, making her stagger. ‘I thought you were OK, Raven, but it turns out you’re a dirty little thief. You knew how much that watch meant to me.’
‘Hey!’ Raven called after him. He’d always been her friend before. A nightmare—she was stuck in a daytime nightmare. ‘I didn’t steal anything!’
Hedda gave a vicious smile of satisfaction. ‘See, everyone knows now that you stole from them.’
‘Impossible—as I didn’t take anything from anyone. Your logic is way off, Hedda.’
‘Pretend all you like, but we know the truth.’ Hedda picked up her tray and stalked past. ‘No wonder even Gina doesn’t want to share a room with you.’
‘It wasn’t me,’ she called after her.
The little crowd around her broke up, no one meeting her eyes. She stood staring at the cereals, reeling from Adewale’s hurtful accusation. She felt horribly alone. It was like reliving how she felt being dumped in a new school after her dad’s death, battling the rumours put about by her foster brother that she had the morals of a drugs slut. It had taken months of fighting to kill off that gossip; would she have to do the same here?
‘I think muesli is the healthier option.’ Kieran put a packet on her tray, steering her on to the next counter. ‘What was that about?’ He looked past her to where Joe was putting his tray next to Hedda at the table over which she presided. Adewale was sitting with Gina.
‘Your friend gone over to the dark side too?’ Raven asked bitterly.
‘No, Joe just likes to get on with everyone.’
‘Good luck to him then.’ She searched for a spot where she would receive a welcome.
‘I like this place here.’ Kieran nudged her towards a small table half hidden by a cutlery stand. He watched her toy with her packet. ‘Not feeling hungry?’
‘No.’ She felt sick—sick of everything.
‘You need to eat.’ He opened her muesli for her and tipped it in the bowl. She said
nothing to stop him so he then sliced half his banana on top and poured on some milk, his jade green eyes flicking over to glance at her. ‘There: the perfect breakfast. Nutritionally balanced. Eat.’
‘My friend, Gina, is back,’ she blurted out, much to her own surprise. Something about his refusal to probe helped free her up to speak.
‘And how is she?’ A strand of his chestnut hair swung on to his forehead as he dipped his head to concentrate on stirring his mug of tea. He brushed it back irritably, expression now fixed on his drink as if he was reading the secrets of the universe in the surface.
‘All right—if you think “complete bitch” is acceptable. She’s had me kicked out of our room on the top corridor.’
‘I see.’ He extracted the teaspoon, tapping it on the edge with two precise knocks to shake off the drops. His carefulness in table manners was that of a scientist at a workbench, each movement calculated.
‘You might but I don’t. Maybe she bought into Hedda’s mad accusations that I’m a thief—that was what that little scene was about just now.’
He replaced the banana peel on his tray, making the edges match so it looked as if it had never been opened. That could have been annoying but oddly this morning she found it reassuring. She had the crazy idea that if she spent long enough with him he would sort things out and make the messy parts of her life as neat and tidy. She still didn’t know why he paid her any attention: maybe he saw her like one of his puzzles that needed solving?
‘I’m not, you know. Not a thief.’
‘Of course not.’ His calm acceptance was a huge help. ‘Tell me what Gina said.’
‘Do I have to?’
He shrugged. ‘Only if you want to.’
‘She wasn’t her old self at all—kind of like an evil twin had taken her place, one that believed every bad thing about me.’ Raven frowned, reviewing what she remembered. ‘It is her, isn’t it?’
‘I don’t know—I’ve not met her yet.’
‘It has to be her—physically at least. But it’s like she’s had her personality removed. She’s suddenly become a neat freak and using words that don’t seem her own. She spouted some nonsense about having to separate herself from negative influences. That would be me, apparently.’
‘And she’s never acted like this before?’
‘Never. She was always so funny. We dubbed ourselves “Westron’s screw-ups”, you know, like, one for all and all for one, the messed-up musketeers. She even gave me a jewellery box with that inscribed on the lid.’
Kieran smiled.
Encouraged, she continued. ‘We would get into trouble together and she’d laugh about it—in fact, she was the one who caused most of it. She was always, always untidy, scatterbrained, would swear like the rest of us. This morning she was Miss Prim, butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth.’
‘Why are you the one having to move if she’s had a change of mind about sharing with you?’
‘Good question but the answer’s simple. Mrs Bain has never really liked me and if one of her paying pupils has a problem, the scholarship student has to give way.’
‘Interesting.’
She scooped up a mouthful of cereal, plucking up the courage to ask. ‘Can I hang with you today, Kieran? You and Joe, I mean?’
‘Why would you want to do that?’
O-K. Not a very flattering response. Kieran seemed perplexed by the request, not gushingly pleased as she would be if he had said the same to her. She wished she hadn’t asked, as she had just revealed that she needed someone: weakness always invited a kick in the teeth. ‘Forget I asked.’
‘No, explain.’ He trapped her hand under his large palm, long fingers stilling her attempt to leave the table, then quickly pulled back. It was like brushing against an electric fence, the tingle shooting up her arm.
‘It’s just that I … er … I seem to be rather short of allies at the moment.’
‘I see. And having allies is important to you?’
She almost smiled. ‘Kieran, most people like to surround themselves with friends. You know, Woody and Buzz, Frodo and Sam, Batman and Robin?’ Why was she languishing after a guy who didn’t get the basic need for companions? It was like a fish longing for a giraffe: a relationship doomed from the start.
‘I’ve always found people to be very unreliable.’
‘I’m with you there, Ace, but that’s the chance you take.’
‘If you don’t mind risking it, then of course you can “hang” with us—though I find that phrase a bit unfortunate, recalling the fate of partners in crime on the scaffold.’ His eyes twinkled with amusement.
‘Don’t agree if it’d be a bore.’
‘No problem. I’d say having you “hanging” with us would be entirely our pleasure.’
Mine too, she thought.
After breakfast, Kieran snagged Joe’s arm before they went their separate ways for class. He gave him the quick headlines of Raven’s news.
Joe rubbed his newly shorn hair—he’d met with one of Isaac’s colleagues at the barber in town at the weekend to collect his car keys and was still getting used to the cut. ‘So she thinks her friend’s acting like a different person?’
‘There’s definite change, like in the other cases I mentioned. With Gina, it’s from messy to neat with the added twist of turning against her old friend. I guess she’s also going to apply herself to her studies more than she has in the past. I’m wondering just how they’re getting the students to change and why.’ Kieran glanced at his own hair in a window, wondering if he should ask Joe if he needed a haircut too. He rarely thought about such things but he didn’t want Raven to think him scruffy. ‘Let’s find a quiet corner—I don’t want to be overheard.’
‘I know just the place.’
Joe took him through a little used back door. They sat side by side on a bench by the old servants’ entrance. Two ducks waddled over the gravel towards the wet patch under a black iron pump.
‘What did you get from Hedda?’ asked Kieran.
‘Other than a stomach ache?’
Kieran smiled. Yes, eating with that girl would do that to anyone with any sense.
‘Oh, she is on some personal vendetta to assassinate Raven’s character. It seems as though she’s a hot button for Hedda. Other students are joining in, including Adewale who I had down as a good guy. But I think Raven’s greatest sin is that she is perceived as being “not one of us”.’
‘Why? It can’t be a prejudice thing—they are from all sorts of nationalities—Hedda’s Swedish, Toni is Angolan, Adewale Nigerian and there’s at least one Chinese, two from the Indian subcontinent and an American in the group.’
‘I think it’s social status. Class and money—that’s what they have in common. I pass thanks to my mega-rich godfather showering me with Rolexes and funding my education. That speaks of serious connections.’ Joe’s watch had actually come as a reward from a jeweller in Switzerland when they had foiled a plot to rob the vault two months before. Kieran had one too. He had noticed other students checking out his wrist but hadn’t realized until now the watch was treated as proof of good credentials. ‘They like you, thanks to my little rumour about your classy family.’
‘I wish you hadn’t started that.’
‘You rarely tell any of us the truth about yourself so you shouldn’t have a problem concealing it from an outsider.’
True, he did not share his private life with many, only those in the YDA with a need to know. Joe had been told some of it but even he hadn’t heard the full ugly story. ‘The class thing though: it just makes matters complicated with Raven.’
‘But don’t get too hung up on the girl, Key. Odds are we’ll be shifted to another mission in a couple of months. This won’t go anywhere and you can’t have a serious relationship on a job, you know that. Flirting is OK; falling in love, majorly bad.’
‘I’ve said she can spend time with us.’
‘And that fits with our mission how exactly?’
&nb
sp; Kieran knew he was acting out of character; he didn’t need Joe’s bemused look to tell him that. ‘Not when we’re talking to Isaac, obviously. Just she’s being victimized and I don’t like it.’ It offended his sense of justice; that was the only reason he would acknowledge.
‘Kieran Storm, the caped crusader, flying to the maiden’s rescue.’ Joe clapped his chest in a mock ‘you’re-my-hero’ gesture. ‘I am so going to have to put this on the Yoda message board.’
‘You will not. Anyone would have said the same to her.’
‘But you wouldn’t have—not before meeting Raven. You would have looked straight through her and told her to toughen up. Your ratings with the girls will rocket when they realize you have developed a soft spot for one of them.’
Kieran gave a dismissive snort.
‘Face it, Kieran. You are attracted to her and you’ll have to admit it sooner or later. But remember, my friend, as you just pointed out yourself, everything she knows about you is false. If she discovers that, she might not forgive you. That’s part of the reason we are told not to have serious relationships on a mission—too much damage all round.’
‘I’m not going to make a hash of it. I’ll keep my … my relationship with Raven in one compartment and the mission in another. I won’t get serious.’
Joe shrugged. ‘Your funeral, pal. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’ He headed off to lessons leaving Kieran in sole occupation of the bench.
Kieran closed his eyes, enjoying a brief break in the sunshine. The last few years, since dating had begun in earnest, he had watched his friends turn into total idiots over the girls they fancied; he had been a little smug about it, always believing himself above such illogical behaviour. He never argued with the girls he’d dated, hadn’t felt that burning urge as he did with Raven: every other conversation with her ended up in a blazing row; the other half resulted in an overwhelming desire to kiss her.
She was distracting him. He should be thinking about the patterns, not about the fact that he was taking a step into the unknown with her. Focus on your mission, Storm. Concentrate.