the boys’ dormitories. I’d just reached the back staircase that led down to the ground floor when I heard a muffled cry coming from the storeroom at the top of the stairs. I paused. The light was on inside the room – a glowing strip at the bottom of the door.
The cry came again – like an animal in pain. I threw open the storeroom door. The two people inside both jumped – Billy Martin and a boy I didn’t know. Billy’s face was vicious – screwed up with anger. The other boy looked terrified. Billy’s hands dropped to his side and I realised that the other boy was holding his belly, like he’d just been punched.
‘What’s going on?’ I said.
Billy swore. ‘This loser just started in my Spanish class and he speaks and writes it perfectly.’
I looked at the other boy. He had thick, sand-coloured hair and blue eyes. He was tall, too. Taller than either me or Billy. But there was something gentle about him. Something just asking to be picked on.
‘So you’re beating him up because he’s better than you at Spanish?’ I narrowed my eyes. ‘Or are you just annoyed’cos Ketty dumped you?’
‘She didn’t dump me,’ Billy snorted. ‘I didn’t want to go out with her – all she ever does is go running. And she’s butters.’
‘Don’t call her that,’ I spat, fury boiling up in my chest.
‘Er . . . I think I’m going to go,’ said the new boy.
‘No.’ Billy put out his arm to stop the boy walking past. The boy flinched. I gritted my teeth. The truth was I didn’t particularly care about this new boy – but I was itching to punch Billy. What had Ketty seen in him?
I pointed at the new boy. ‘So what’s he done to you then, Billy?’
‘I asked him really nicely to do my homework for me . . .’ Billy clenched his fists. ‘But the tosser said no.’
I glanced at the new boy. He must be the one Fergus had mentioned in history, earlier. He was standing perfectly still, his head bowed, like he was waiting for me and Billy to decide his fate.
I looked back at Billy. ‘He shouldn’t have to do your homework,’ I said, my hands curling into fists. ‘In fact, I’m telling you now, he’s not doing it ever. ’
‘Or what?’ Billy squared up to me.
I glanced round the storeroom, searching for a weapon. There was a mop in the far corner. Maybe I could make that fly towards me. I caught the new boy’s eye. He frowned at me, as if he could see I was planning to grab a weapon – and didn’t approve.
‘Or what ?’ Billy said more loudly.
‘Or this. ’ I shoved him in the chest. Billy stumbled back a step, then lunged forwards. I darted out of the way, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
‘Leave him alone, or I swear I’ll make you sorry.’ I wrenched at Billy’s arm.
‘Ow! Stop . . . you’re hurting me!’
‘I’m not hearing you promise you’ll leave him alone . . .’ I twisted Billy’s arm further up his back.
That’s for saying Ketty’s ugly.
‘Okay, okay, I promise.’
I released Billy’s arm. He rubbed it, then stormed out of the storeroom. Panting, I looked over at the new guy.
He was still staring at me. ‘Thank you,’ he said, his face breaking into an eager smile. ‘Thank you . . . thank you . . .’
‘I’m Nico,’ I said, mostly to stop him from gushing on.
‘Edward.’ He held out his hand.
I shook it – just for a second. It felt a bit awkward . . . I wasn’t used to boys my own age being this formal.
‘So, did you start here today?’
‘Yeah, my parents thought I’d be . . . better off at a boarding school.’
I grimaced in sympathy. From what I’d seen of Edward so far, he wouldn’t be better off anywhere this side of a home school. What with his gentle, geeky air and his eager-to-please face, he might as well have Beat Me Up stamped across his forehead.
‘You’re Mr Fox’s stepson, aren’t you?’ he said.
‘How d’you know that?’
‘He told me about you earlier.’ Edward paused. For a second he
The cry came again – like an animal in pain. I threw open the storeroom door. The two people inside both jumped – Billy Martin and a boy I didn’t know. Billy’s face was vicious – screwed up with anger. The other boy looked terrified. Billy’s hands dropped to his side and I realised that the other boy was holding his belly, like he’d just been punched.
‘What’s going on?’ I said.
Billy swore. ‘This loser just started in my Spanish class and he speaks and writes it perfectly.’
I looked at the other boy. He had thick, sand-coloured hair and blue eyes. He was tall, too. Taller than either me or Billy. But there was something gentle about him. Something just asking to be picked on.
‘So you’re beating him up because he’s better than you at Spanish?’ I narrowed my eyes. ‘Or are you just annoyed’cos Ketty dumped you?’
‘She didn’t dump me,’ Billy snorted. ‘I didn’t want to go out with her – all she ever does is go running. And she’s butters.’
‘Don’t call her that,’ I spat, fury boiling up in my chest.
‘Er . . . I think I’m going to go,’ said the new boy.
‘No.’ Billy put out his arm to stop the boy walking past. The boy flinched. I gritted my teeth. The truth was I didn’t particularly care about this new boy – but I was itching to punch Billy. What had Ketty seen in him?
I pointed at the new boy. ‘So what’s he done to you then, Billy?’
‘I asked him really nicely to do my homework for me . . .’ Billy clenched his fists. ‘But the tosser said no.’
I glanced at the new boy. He must be the one Fergus had mentioned in history, earlier. He was standing perfectly still, his head bowed, like he was waiting for me and Billy to decide his fate.
I looked back at Billy. ‘He shouldn’t have to do your homework,’ I said, my hands curling into fists. ‘In fact, I’m telling you now, he’s not doing it ever. ’
‘Or what?’ Billy squared up to me.
I glanced round the storeroom, searching for a weapon. There was a mop in the far corner. Maybe I could make that fly towards me. I caught the new boy’s eye. He frowned at me, as if he could see I was planning to grab a weapon – and didn’t approve.
‘Or what ?’ Billy said more loudly.
‘Or this. ’ I shoved him in the chest. Billy stumbled back a step, then lunged forwards. I darted out of the way, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
‘Leave him alone, or I swear I’ll make you sorry.’ I wrenched at Billy’s arm.
‘Ow! Stop . . . you’re hurting me!’
‘I’m not hearing you promise you’ll leave him alone . . .’ I twisted Billy’s arm further up his back.
That’s for saying Ketty’s ugly.
‘Okay, okay, I promise.’
I released Billy’s arm. He rubbed it, then stormed out of the storeroom. Panting, I looked over at the new guy.
He was still staring at me. ‘Thank you,’ he said, his face breaking into an eager smile. ‘Thank you . . . thank you . . .’
‘I’m Nico,’ I said, mostly to stop him from gushing on.
‘Edward.’ He held out his hand.
I shook it – just for a second. It felt a bit awkward . . . I wasn’t used to boys my own age being this formal.
‘So, did you start here today?’
‘Yeah, my parents thought I’d be . . . better off at a boarding school.’
I grimaced in sympathy. From what I’d seen of Edward so far, he wouldn’t be better off anywhere this side of a home school. What with his gentle, geeky air and his eager-to-please face, he might as well have Beat Me Up stamped across his forehead.
‘You’re Mr Fox’s stepson, aren’t you?’ he said.
‘How d’you know that?’
‘He told me about you earlier.’ Edward paused. For a second he
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