Two-Faced by Mandasue Heller Page A

been dragged loose and the red marks on her throat, Michelle said, ‘Are you all right?’
    ‘Get off!’ Mia hissed. ‘And what have I told you about talking to me in public?’
    ‘But you’re hurt,’ Michelle murmured.
    ‘No, I’m not,’ Mia sneered, linking arms with Laura.
    Gazing after them as they walked away, Michelle clenched her teeth when Lisa came over and said, ‘She well deserved that. And she’s lucky it wasn’t me, ’cos I would have ripped her head off.’
    ‘Good job it wasn’t, then, isn’t it?’ Michelle retorted frostily, stalking out into the yard.
    Ignoring her friends when they called out to her from the safe spot below the headmaster’s office where they congregated at break times, Michelle sat down on the wet grass and hugged her knees to her chest. Mia had brought this on herself, because anyone would have reacted like Sandra just had if someone had nicked their boyfriend off them. But why had she had to go and pick on the hardest girl in school? That was just stupid. And, all right, so Darren Mitchell was good-looking, but he was a thug and an idiot, so he wasn’t worth getting battered over.
    Sitting there until the bell went, Michelle got up and dusted the back of her skirt down. But just as she was about to go inside she saw Mia coming out with the nurse.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, running up to them as they headed towards the staff car park. ‘Where are you going?’
    Mia clutched at her ribs as if she was in agony and gave her sister a rare smile. ‘It’s okay, don’t panic. Mrs Drake’s just taking me home so I can get some painkillers.’
    Presuming a closeness between the two girls that didn’t exist, the nurse said, ‘Don’t fret, she’s just a bit bruised, that’s all. You can go home with her if you like. I’m sure Mr Ainsley won’t mind.’
    ‘ No! ’ Mia blurted out. Then, tempering her tone, ‘I’ll be fine by myself. Anyway, you’ve got English this afternoon, and we all know how much you love English – eh, Shell?’
    Frowning, Michelle slipped her hands into her pockets. Mia was still smiling, and Michelle would have loved to believe that it was genuine. But, sadly, she suspected that it was purely for the nurse’s benefit.
    Telling Michelle that she would see her when she got home, Mia continued slowly on to the car. Still standing where they’d left her when they drove past a minute later, Michelle sighed when Mia raised her hand as if to wave but stuck two fingers up instead.
    Kim was lying on the couch watching Jerry Springer and she leapt up when she heard the car pulling up outside. Fearing that it would be the man from the gas board again, she peeped cautiously out through the nets. He’d already been twice this morning, making a holy show of her in front of the neighbours by shouting through the letter box about how he knew she was in, and how she’d better let him read the meter – or else. But she couldn’t let him in – not while the meter was still rigged to go backwards.
    Bloody Eric and his stupid ideas! But he hadn’t shown his face since she’d had a go at him for having sex with her when she was out of it last Friday, so there was nothing she could do but wait for him to stop sulking and come round. Then he could put everything back the way it was supposed to be.
    To her relief, it wasn’t the gasman, it was Mia. But she wasn’t alone; a strange woman was holding her arm as she hobbled slowly up the path.
    ‘What’s happened?’ Kim demanded, rushing to the door.
    Using the weak voice that she’d adopted on the journey over, having decided that she’d get more time off school if she made out like she was more badly hurt than she actually was, Mia said, ‘I’m all right, mum.’
    The nurse stepped forward and said, ‘Let’s get her inside, then I’ll explain.’
    ‘Who are you?’ Kim asked.
    ‘School nurse,’ Mia told her, trying to convey with her expression not to kick up a fuss and delay Mrs Drake