hope was dashed as soon as I entered the school grounds. Approximately three million eyes turned to stare at me – or at least that was what it felt like.
I walked slowly across the quad, trying to keep my gaze down, away from the curious faces, until a large group of girls barred the way. I stepped left, so did they. I stepped right, so did they.
‘Excuse me,’ I said. The middle one, who I recognized as a friend of Caroline, folded her arms and put her head on one side, her long earrings jangling in the breeze.
‘It looks like there’s not enough room on this path for everyone, doesn’t it? I suggest you go the long way round.’
I sighed. The long way round was a ten-minute walk.
‘Isn’t this a bit childish?’
‘Look at it how you want. But this path is too small for all of us. And, frankly, so is this school. I don’t know what they’re like in London ,’ her voice dripped sarcasm, ‘but in Winter we don’t have much time for boyfriend-stealing bitches.’
I sighed again and turned away, and there was a snicker of satisfied laughter behind me. One of them called out a word I’d never heard used in school before, not even in London. My eyes blurred but I kept going even though I could barely see the path. I was not, I was not going to let them see me cry.
Suddenly I felt my arm seized.
‘Listen,’ hissed Seth’s voice beside my ear, ‘turn around, Anna. Those,’ he choked, so angry he could barely speak, ‘those silly little girls are going to beg your pardon and let you through before I’m done.’
‘Seth, please don’t. Please, just leave it.’
‘No. You can’t turn back; your life will be a misery at Winter if you give in now. You have to let me help you.’
He was right; I knew it. I turned wretchedly around and Seth spoke coolly to the leader.
‘Hi, Jess.’
‘Hi, Seth.’ Her voice was guarded, as if she wasn’t sure what she’d taken on.
‘Anna would like to get through. I suggest you get out of her way.’
Indecision mixed with fury flickered across Jess’s face and eventually she stood aside. But Seth didn’t move.
‘And perhaps you could say sorry for blocking the path so rudely.’
I cringed inside, but Seth had my arm in an iron grip. I could barely move, let alone slink away. Jess’s face hardened.
‘Perhaps. But I don’t really want to.’
‘I’m waiting.’
‘Look, Seth, I’ve got no problem with you,’ she said in a low voice.
‘If you’ve got a problem with Anna, you’ve got a problem with me.’ His voice was equally low, and full of menace. ‘Beg. Her. Pardon.’
‘Seth …’ Jess looked over his shoulder at the large crowd that had gathered at the hint of a showdown. I saw Caroline over the heads of the crowd, her face dark with fury.
I felt Seth come to a decision beside me. He put his arm around me and turned to face the crowd, raising his voice.
‘OK, let’s get one thing straight. Whatever happened with Caroline and me, Anna had nothing to do with it. But she’s a good friend of mine and anyone who wants to be on speaking terms with me had better realize that. If you want to pick a fight with her, pick it with me first. Is that clear?’
I’d never felt so humiliated in my life. There was a murmur from the crowd and he turned back to Jess.
‘Jess? I haven’t got all day.’
She tossed her hair and muttered something under her breath. Seth leaned forward.
‘I didn’t catch that.’
‘Sorry!’ Jess practically shouted. ‘All right?’
She turned and stormed away. As she left I saw her shrug her shoulders at Caroline.
I shrugged ungratefully out from under Seth’s arm, trying my best to ignore the myriad students staring at me. Their expressions ranged from amusement (most of the boys) to green-eyed envy (at least half the girls – the more stupid half in my opinion). My cheeks were burning as I slipped as inconspicuously as possible into South Building. So much for things being back to normal.
I slunk into
I walked slowly across the quad, trying to keep my gaze down, away from the curious faces, until a large group of girls barred the way. I stepped left, so did they. I stepped right, so did they.
‘Excuse me,’ I said. The middle one, who I recognized as a friend of Caroline, folded her arms and put her head on one side, her long earrings jangling in the breeze.
‘It looks like there’s not enough room on this path for everyone, doesn’t it? I suggest you go the long way round.’
I sighed. The long way round was a ten-minute walk.
‘Isn’t this a bit childish?’
‘Look at it how you want. But this path is too small for all of us. And, frankly, so is this school. I don’t know what they’re like in London ,’ her voice dripped sarcasm, ‘but in Winter we don’t have much time for boyfriend-stealing bitches.’
I sighed again and turned away, and there was a snicker of satisfied laughter behind me. One of them called out a word I’d never heard used in school before, not even in London. My eyes blurred but I kept going even though I could barely see the path. I was not, I was not going to let them see me cry.
Suddenly I felt my arm seized.
‘Listen,’ hissed Seth’s voice beside my ear, ‘turn around, Anna. Those,’ he choked, so angry he could barely speak, ‘those silly little girls are going to beg your pardon and let you through before I’m done.’
‘Seth, please don’t. Please, just leave it.’
‘No. You can’t turn back; your life will be a misery at Winter if you give in now. You have to let me help you.’
He was right; I knew it. I turned wretchedly around and Seth spoke coolly to the leader.
‘Hi, Jess.’
‘Hi, Seth.’ Her voice was guarded, as if she wasn’t sure what she’d taken on.
‘Anna would like to get through. I suggest you get out of her way.’
Indecision mixed with fury flickered across Jess’s face and eventually she stood aside. But Seth didn’t move.
‘And perhaps you could say sorry for blocking the path so rudely.’
I cringed inside, but Seth had my arm in an iron grip. I could barely move, let alone slink away. Jess’s face hardened.
‘Perhaps. But I don’t really want to.’
‘I’m waiting.’
‘Look, Seth, I’ve got no problem with you,’ she said in a low voice.
‘If you’ve got a problem with Anna, you’ve got a problem with me.’ His voice was equally low, and full of menace. ‘Beg. Her. Pardon.’
‘Seth …’ Jess looked over his shoulder at the large crowd that had gathered at the hint of a showdown. I saw Caroline over the heads of the crowd, her face dark with fury.
I felt Seth come to a decision beside me. He put his arm around me and turned to face the crowd, raising his voice.
‘OK, let’s get one thing straight. Whatever happened with Caroline and me, Anna had nothing to do with it. But she’s a good friend of mine and anyone who wants to be on speaking terms with me had better realize that. If you want to pick a fight with her, pick it with me first. Is that clear?’
I’d never felt so humiliated in my life. There was a murmur from the crowd and he turned back to Jess.
‘Jess? I haven’t got all day.’
She tossed her hair and muttered something under her breath. Seth leaned forward.
‘I didn’t catch that.’
‘Sorry!’ Jess practically shouted. ‘All right?’
She turned and stormed away. As she left I saw her shrug her shoulders at Caroline.
I shrugged ungratefully out from under Seth’s arm, trying my best to ignore the myriad students staring at me. Their expressions ranged from amusement (most of the boys) to green-eyed envy (at least half the girls – the more stupid half in my opinion). My cheeks were burning as I slipped as inconspicuously as possible into South Building. So much for things being back to normal.
I slunk into
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