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Authors: Cathy Hopkins
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Bath.’
‘And we just happen to know most of them,’ said Clover.
They were doing their best to make me feel better but it was too late. I felt exposed and insecure.
One thing I do know for certain though
, I told myself,
and that is that I’m
going to avoid Niall Peterson for the rest of my time in Bath
.
Later that day, Tasmin went off to Clover’s house. I didn’t want to outstay my welcome and be a Miss Tag-Along so I went home and up to my bedroom. I noticed the
Songs for Sarah
CD lying where Tasmin had left it on her chest of drawers. I put it in the player and lay back on the bed to listen.
Sometimes on a crowded street, I see someone just like you.
I want to call out, ‘Hey, hello,’ though I know it can’t be so.
You’re far away, my lovely friend, the space between us never ends.
Allegra. She was my far-away friend. The words of the song brought tears to my eyes.
Chapter Nine
New school. New nightmare. April the eighth. It was a day I’d been dreading ever since I’d heard that I’d be changing schools, though part of me had blocked
it out as far as I could because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Tasmin and I got up the next morning, had breakfast, then got a lift with Uncle Mike who teaches music at the same school. Tasmin was in the black-and-white uniform of the school with her skirt
hoiked short as usual. I’d been told I was OK to wear my own clothes until I got the uniform but I’d dressed in a pair of black trousers and white shirt so that I didn’t stand out
as the newbie too much.
I felt removed from what was going on like it was happening to someone else and any moment I’d snap out of the numb state of mind I was in, wake up and things would be back to normal. The
last few weeks would all have been a bad dream. As I sat in the back of the car and looked out of the window at the cars and buses filled with pupils heading for the same school, I felt my stomach
churn with anxiety.
Once we’d arrived at Queensmead and Uncle Mike had dropped us off at the front, we saw Clover waiting for us at the tall glass door leading to reception. Even in school uniform, she
managed to look cool with her hair pulled back flat on top of her head and rolled up at the back in a nineteen-fifties type bun. The style suited her and highlighted her lovely heart-shaped face.
She linked arms with me. ‘You OK?’ she asked.
‘Not sure,’ I replied as we followed Tasmin inside. Changing school was not part of how I’d seen my year unfolding back on December the thirty-first when Allegra and I had made
our new year’s resolutions and talked over our plans, but there was no going back. It felt like someone had a very firm hand in the small of my back and was propelling me into this new and
unfamiliar chapter.
I also felt that I couldn’t really talk to anyone about it, and that was difficult too. I definitely couldn’t open up to Mum and Dad. They were struggling with their own adjustment
and I didn’t want to add to their worry. Tasmin and Clover had been kind and sympathetic and, because of that, I didn’t feel I could open up to them either. They might think I thought I
was too good for their school or that I was always miserable, and so not want to spend any time with me. I didn’t want to blow the beginning of the only friendships I had so far. The only
person I’d confided in was Allegra and she’d sent me a text early in the morning with three kisses. It was sweet of her but hearing from her only reminded me that she was on her own way
into school, the school back in London where I belonged and knew my way around.
‘It will be fine,’ said Tasmin, as if picking up on my thoughts. ‘Most people are OK here. Come on, we’ll do a quick tour and show you where everything is before
lessons.’
We pushed our way through corridors busy with pupils bustling and hustling to get past each other, greeting friends, getting to the hall or a classroom. A cacophony of
‘And we just happen to know most of them,’ said Clover.
They were doing their best to make me feel better but it was too late. I felt exposed and insecure.
One thing I do know for certain though
, I told myself,
and that is that I’m
going to avoid Niall Peterson for the rest of my time in Bath
.
Later that day, Tasmin went off to Clover’s house. I didn’t want to outstay my welcome and be a Miss Tag-Along so I went home and up to my bedroom. I noticed the
Songs for Sarah
CD lying where Tasmin had left it on her chest of drawers. I put it in the player and lay back on the bed to listen.
Sometimes on a crowded street, I see someone just like you.
I want to call out, ‘Hey, hello,’ though I know it can’t be so.
You’re far away, my lovely friend, the space between us never ends.
Allegra. She was my far-away friend. The words of the song brought tears to my eyes.
Chapter Nine
New school. New nightmare. April the eighth. It was a day I’d been dreading ever since I’d heard that I’d be changing schools, though part of me had blocked
it out as far as I could because I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
Tasmin and I got up the next morning, had breakfast, then got a lift with Uncle Mike who teaches music at the same school. Tasmin was in the black-and-white uniform of the school with her skirt
hoiked short as usual. I’d been told I was OK to wear my own clothes until I got the uniform but I’d dressed in a pair of black trousers and white shirt so that I didn’t stand out
as the newbie too much.
I felt removed from what was going on like it was happening to someone else and any moment I’d snap out of the numb state of mind I was in, wake up and things would be back to normal. The
last few weeks would all have been a bad dream. As I sat in the back of the car and looked out of the window at the cars and buses filled with pupils heading for the same school, I felt my stomach
churn with anxiety.
Once we’d arrived at Queensmead and Uncle Mike had dropped us off at the front, we saw Clover waiting for us at the tall glass door leading to reception. Even in school uniform, she
managed to look cool with her hair pulled back flat on top of her head and rolled up at the back in a nineteen-fifties type bun. The style suited her and highlighted her lovely heart-shaped face.
She linked arms with me. ‘You OK?’ she asked.
‘Not sure,’ I replied as we followed Tasmin inside. Changing school was not part of how I’d seen my year unfolding back on December the thirty-first when Allegra and I had made
our new year’s resolutions and talked over our plans, but there was no going back. It felt like someone had a very firm hand in the small of my back and was propelling me into this new and
unfamiliar chapter.
I also felt that I couldn’t really talk to anyone about it, and that was difficult too. I definitely couldn’t open up to Mum and Dad. They were struggling with their own adjustment
and I didn’t want to add to their worry. Tasmin and Clover had been kind and sympathetic and, because of that, I didn’t feel I could open up to them either. They might think I thought I
was too good for their school or that I was always miserable, and so not want to spend any time with me. I didn’t want to blow the beginning of the only friendships I had so far. The only
person I’d confided in was Allegra and she’d sent me a text early in the morning with three kisses. It was sweet of her but hearing from her only reminded me that she was on her own way
into school, the school back in London where I belonged and knew my way around.
‘It will be fine,’ said Tasmin, as if picking up on my thoughts. ‘Most people are OK here. Come on, we’ll do a quick tour and show you where everything is before
lessons.’
We pushed our way through corridors busy with pupils bustling and hustling to get past each other, greeting friends, getting to the hall or a classroom. A cacophony of
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