Glittering Fortunes by Victoria Fox

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    Olivia had a recollection of her final term at Taverick, during which Addy had been discovered by Head Matron having frantic moonlight sex with one of the sixth formers in a broom cupboard. She remembered wanting nothing more than to wallow in a tepid bath of her own teardrops, and then possibly drown to death in them. To this day she was tortured by the idea that it could have been one of the Feenys.
    ‘Well?’ pressed Thomasina. ‘ Do you like him?’
    ‘Bye, you two!’ called Beth.
    ‘Seeing as you ran off to London .’ Lavender caught up and joined the assault. ‘Men are so sensitive, aren’t they, Tommy ?’
    Thomasina nodded gravely. ‘Leave it with us,’ she said amiably. ‘Who knows, maybe we could organise a double date? You and Addy, me and Cato...’
    Lavender was wounded.
    ‘You’ll have to have the other one,’ Thomasina explained snippily. ‘Cato already has a girlfriend. You’re not equipped to deal with that.’
    ‘With what?’ Beth spluttered. ‘Stealing other people’s boyfriends?’
    Thomasina ignored her. ‘Just think about it,’ she finished, with a little quirk of the head. ‘Promise?’ She pulled the reins; Lavender followed suit. The girls turned on their steeds and sashayed off across the cobbles.
    ‘Can you believe them?’ Beth asked in wonder. ‘As if you’re dumb enough to fall for that.’ She peered sideways at Olivia. ‘And you’re definitely not dumb, right?’
    ‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’
    ‘You won’t like me saying this but Addy’s just as bad as they are.’
    ‘He is not!’ she protested. ‘You just don’t get him like I do.’
    ‘I get that all he’s ever done is make you feel like shit. He’s aware how you feel about him and he loves stringing you along.’
    ‘You don’t know that.’
    ‘You’re right, I don’t. But I do trust my instincts and I’ve known you both long enough. I don’t trust him, Oli, and neither should you.’
    The first of Beth’s students arrived at the gate.
    ‘I’ve got to scram.’ She crossed the yard, calling back, ‘Catch up tonight? Come to mine. We’ll have pizza and you can talk to me more about Cato’s pants.’
    Olivia smiled. ‘Sure.’
    ‘Don’t do anything stupid in the meantime. The Feenys are full of it, and so is Addy. Forget them. You will forget them, won’t you?’
    ‘Already have. Thanks, Mum.’
    Beth smiled sweetly. ‘Always a pleasure.’
    Olivia put her hand to Archie’s muzzle. She sighed.
    Beth was right: the Feenys were poison.
    But not Addy—Addy was different. He wasn’t like that. He was her friend, her partner in crime, her hero; he was the blond-haired soldier crashing through leaves in autumn, the boy who had taught her to surf.
    Her head refused to believe a word that came out of the Feenys’ mouths.
    If only she were able to tell her heart the same.

Chapter Seven
    C HARLIE LAID THE paper in the tray, tipping it gently so the thick-smelling solution washed across the undeveloped image. He liked how the photograph revealed itself piece by piece, an outline here, a detail there, silver greys that became stark blacks, and whites that stayed as pure and bright as the gloss beneath. Ever since his father had given him his old Minolta Maxxum, he’d been hooked. Years ago it had been the magic of bottling everything he saw. Now, it was what he didn’t see that captivated: moments that slipped by too quickly the first time, things he’d missed—people he missed—-contained on a sheet, for ever unchanged.
    The darkroom was an extravagance he knew he ought to get rid of. Penny had encouraged him to build it after their first trip together; her hand in his as they had strolled the canals of Amsterdam, taken bicycles to the flower markets and marvelled at the brave, raucous colours. She’d been happy, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as they had lingered outside cafés and talked about the future.
    You should do this properly , she’d told him