appeared. My fists clenched. ‘There’s no-one there,’ I said, not very convincingly.
Miss Falippi swung round, her eyes even more crazed than before. ‘I know your type,’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘You girls will stop at nothing.’
I tried again to get through to her. ‘It’s just Olive, Miss Falippi. I’m not sure what’s happened but maybe I can –’
Miss Falippi stepped away from me, her hands outstretched, her face purple with rage. ‘Get away from me,’ she shrieked. ‘Leave me alone!’
She turned and stumbled off through the undergrowth, coughing and moaning. I didn’t follow. She’d made it pretty clear she didn’t want my help. I was taking some deep breaths
when Ralph bounded out from behind a bush, looking pleased with himself. From the way he smelled it was clear he’d rolled in something disgusting.
‘Oh, Ralph,’ I said, nearly bursting into tears at the sight of his sweet, silly face. ‘Look at you. Come on. Let’s get out of here.’
When I got home Mum and Toby were still out, so I splashed water on my face and shoved down a round of meds. Had I taken any that day? Sometimes when I was tired I lost
track.
I called Ami and when she turned up almost instantly, I nearly cried again – but then the anger came crashing in. ‘Where the hell were you?’
I knew it was unfair, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like she’d let me down. Ami took one look at my furious expression. ‘What’s happened?’ It was a relief to let
it spill out – the horrible noise of Miss Falippi’s breathing, her paranoia, the madness in her face. My voice shook as I described the feeling I’d been unable to shake, that
there was someone else in the forest.
Ami listened the way she always did – not interrupting, just hearing me out. ‘You did the right thing,’ she said when I’d finally finished. ‘You tried to help and
she wouldn’t let you. What else could you do?’
I nodded slowly. It was the reassurance I’d wanted. But I still felt freaked. Ami squeezed my arm. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘Let’s clean up Ralph before your mum sees him.
I bet you by the time that’s done, you’ll have forgotten all about Miss Falippi.’
Usually I hated cleaning Ralph. His long fur tangled easily around gunk and burrs, and he had a habit of escaping from me while still wet and romping around, spraying water everywhere. But that
evening I threw myself into the task with the sort of dedication I usually reserved for making Luxe posters.
Ami sat on the edge of the bath, pointing out the bits I’d missed and generally trying to take my mind off what had happened. And it worked. Pretty much. By the time Mum and Toby came home
and Ralph was burr-free, I’d gotten close to convincing myself that what had happened in the forest was no big deal at all.
In the morning Mum had yet another rush of orders to deliver, so I got Tobes ready and took him to school.
I hadn’t slept well. Every time I’d closed my eyes, Miss Falippi’s manic face had appeared in my mind. You girls will stop at nothing , she kept saying over and over.
Throughout the night, her expression morphed from fear to fury, then back to fear. I was relieved when morning came so I could plod through the things I needed to do. This task, then this task,
then this one. They kept me distracted.
The bell had long since rung by the time I arrived at school. My footsteps echoed as I hurried across the deserted quad, making deals with fate as I went.
If Miss Falippi is all right, I’ll hand in my work on time for two weeks, I decided. As I reached the main building where all our classrooms were, I ramped up the deal. I’ll pay attention for a month. All the doors in the corridor were shut except one. Ours. It was obvious from the noise drifting out that there was no teacher in there. My hands were
damp. If Miss Falippi is OK, I’ll be a perfect student for a year.
I could feel Lachlan watching me as I walked in, but I focused on
Miss Falippi swung round, her eyes even more crazed than before. ‘I know your type,’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘You girls will stop at nothing.’
I tried again to get through to her. ‘It’s just Olive, Miss Falippi. I’m not sure what’s happened but maybe I can –’
Miss Falippi stepped away from me, her hands outstretched, her face purple with rage. ‘Get away from me,’ she shrieked. ‘Leave me alone!’
She turned and stumbled off through the undergrowth, coughing and moaning. I didn’t follow. She’d made it pretty clear she didn’t want my help. I was taking some deep breaths
when Ralph bounded out from behind a bush, looking pleased with himself. From the way he smelled it was clear he’d rolled in something disgusting.
‘Oh, Ralph,’ I said, nearly bursting into tears at the sight of his sweet, silly face. ‘Look at you. Come on. Let’s get out of here.’
When I got home Mum and Toby were still out, so I splashed water on my face and shoved down a round of meds. Had I taken any that day? Sometimes when I was tired I lost
track.
I called Ami and when she turned up almost instantly, I nearly cried again – but then the anger came crashing in. ‘Where the hell were you?’
I knew it was unfair, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like she’d let me down. Ami took one look at my furious expression. ‘What’s happened?’ It was a relief to let
it spill out – the horrible noise of Miss Falippi’s breathing, her paranoia, the madness in her face. My voice shook as I described the feeling I’d been unable to shake, that
there was someone else in the forest.
Ami listened the way she always did – not interrupting, just hearing me out. ‘You did the right thing,’ she said when I’d finally finished. ‘You tried to help and
she wouldn’t let you. What else could you do?’
I nodded slowly. It was the reassurance I’d wanted. But I still felt freaked. Ami squeezed my arm. ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘Let’s clean up Ralph before your mum sees him.
I bet you by the time that’s done, you’ll have forgotten all about Miss Falippi.’
Usually I hated cleaning Ralph. His long fur tangled easily around gunk and burrs, and he had a habit of escaping from me while still wet and romping around, spraying water everywhere. But that
evening I threw myself into the task with the sort of dedication I usually reserved for making Luxe posters.
Ami sat on the edge of the bath, pointing out the bits I’d missed and generally trying to take my mind off what had happened. And it worked. Pretty much. By the time Mum and Toby came home
and Ralph was burr-free, I’d gotten close to convincing myself that what had happened in the forest was no big deal at all.
In the morning Mum had yet another rush of orders to deliver, so I got Tobes ready and took him to school.
I hadn’t slept well. Every time I’d closed my eyes, Miss Falippi’s manic face had appeared in my mind. You girls will stop at nothing , she kept saying over and over.
Throughout the night, her expression morphed from fear to fury, then back to fear. I was relieved when morning came so I could plod through the things I needed to do. This task, then this task,
then this one. They kept me distracted.
The bell had long since rung by the time I arrived at school. My footsteps echoed as I hurried across the deserted quad, making deals with fate as I went.
If Miss Falippi is all right, I’ll hand in my work on time for two weeks, I decided. As I reached the main building where all our classrooms were, I ramped up the deal. I’ll pay attention for a month. All the doors in the corridor were shut except one. Ours. It was obvious from the noise drifting out that there was no teacher in there. My hands were
damp. If Miss Falippi is OK, I’ll be a perfect student for a year.
I could feel Lachlan watching me as I walked in, but I focused on
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