Burning Secrets by Clare Chambers Page A

he would say if anyone walked in on them.
    â€œHere!” she was saying with a triumphant air, holding out a bundle of belongings rolled up in a greyish towel. “Are these yours?”
    He could see at a glance that the towel was his. Bewildered, he took the bundle from her; clothes, trainers, wallet, contents of wallet – bank card and four ten-pound notes – all untouched. “Yeah, this is it,” he said, still mystified. “Where was it?”
    â€œOn a bench in the showers. Someone must have moved it for some reason. Is it all there?”
    â€œWell . . . yes. Apart from the bag, but that doesn’t matter.” He was so relieved to have his clothes back, and his money, which he’d never expected to see again. Besides, he could hardly kick up a fuss about a bag which he had nicked from a bin in the first place. He felt stupid that he hadn’t noticed his stuff on the bench, but there had been lots of other kit lying around then, and he’d been looking for the blue bag rather than its contents.
    Ramsay, pleased to have defended the honesty of her fellow students so successfully, was enjoying the double benefit of having been both right and helpful. “No, no, don’t thank me, it was a pleasure,” she said wryly.
    He looked up sharply and saw she was smiling. “Thank you,” he said with heavy emphasis. “I was thinking it; I just forgot to say it.” He sat down on a bench and pulled off the rugby boots as a preliminary to getting dressed. Was she going to stand there and watch him? “I’m going to get changed,” he hinted.
    She held out a hand. “I’ll have my lab coat back then.”
    Daniel was surprised and pleased to find Ramsay leaning against the wall waiting for him when he came out, dried and fully clothed, a couple of minutes later. He no longer felt at quite such a disadvantage. They walked out of the school together at a slow stroll towards the village, without actually discussing where they were going.
    â€œYou didn’t come to the party,” said Ramsay. It was a statement of fact rather than a criticism.
    â€œNo,” he agreed. “I thought I wouldn’t know anyone.”
    â€œHow else are you going to get to know people?”
    â€œYeah, you’re right. Next time I’ll come. If you ask me.”
    â€œOK. Do you want some Leaf ?”
    Ramsay produced a crumpled paper bag from her blazer pocket and offered him what looked like a bunch of wilting dandelion leaves. Daniel looked around nervously. Was she really offering him drugs in the middle of Stape in broad daylight? While he hesitated she took a pinch and began to chew them dreamily, a tiny bubble of green liquid frothing at the corner of her mouth.
    â€œWhat the hell is that stuff ?” Daniel asked. In spite of everything he’d seen in Lissmore he was shocked. Ramsay was the last kind of girl you’d expect—
    â€œIt’s just Leaf,” Ramsay protested, taking in his disapproving expression. “It’s not a drug .” She began to laugh at his misunderstanding. “It’s just a herb-type thing that grows here in summer. Like rocket or parsley. But it’s totally delicious: try some.”
    Daniel looked doubtful. “It’s not hallucinogenic or anything?”
    â€œOf course not! No one here takes drugs.” She sounded genuinely offended – just as she had done at the suggestion that someone at school might conceivably steal.
    Wondering why on earth he trusted her, Daniel took a small withered leaf from the bag and sniffed it suspiciously. Ramsay folded up laughing. “What is wrong with you? It’s like . . . salad. You do eat salad, don’t you?”
    â€œYeah. But not out of a paper bag. And not for fun,” Daniel replied.
    Ramsay’s laugh rang out again as Daniel put the scrap of foliage in his mouth. A foul bitter flavour like nothing he’d ever tasted