“Why?” My eyes fall on a shadow on the wall and I jerk. Is it moving?
“She’s done this to you with her horror stories. I should have been stronger that day, when it all started for you. I should have taken you away.”
Staring through the dawn-brushed window I realised I was looking at the spot the ghost had occupied for those three weeks after Mum’s funeral. During the final week I didn’t eat or sleep. Dad considered hospitalising me, I know he did. But finally he relented and let me out. Luckily the killer had been easy to find and Mark, even for a young teenager, so the Darkness hadn’t taken me. It had been close though. Everywhere I looked the shadows had been trembling.
So I had around three weeks to find Justin and get him to take me to his killer.
The school corridors were quiet once more. Hush reigned where usually there would have been pre-class chaos. One of the boys from the lower school jostled me as he ran through the common room. I caught him with a frown, but he had already stopped dead with one foot raised in ridiculous apprehension. He licked his lips as he slowly put down his foot and edged between the static groups. I watched him break into a self-conscious jog as soon as the double doors closed on his back, then turned as Hannah closed her hand around my elbow.
“You’re here early.” She dragged me towards an unoccupied table. “You missed the police yesterday. They talked to us in assembly, then Tamsin went home.” She lowered her voice. “Justin's missing. Isn't it awful?”
I nodded as we skirted the news-thrilled whisperers. Then I stopped, pulling Hannah short.
Tamsin had leaped to her feet and now stood over her hags. Her blonde hair was in its usual perfect waves, but her make-up was just that little bit off, giving her face the expression of a plastic doll left too long by a roaring fire. The reddening of her cheeks added to the effect of heat-blast Barbie.
“What would you know about it?”
She slammed her hand down on the table, making books jump. Her girlfriends avoided her eye and one in particular leaned from her wrath, so unbalanced it looked like she’d fall off her chair any second.
Tamsin spun to face the rest of us. “You’re all thinking it, aren’t you? That he’s run away and it’s my fault because he was my boyfriend. Well, you’re wrong.” She tottered away from the table, fists clenched. “Anyone else want to say it? Come on.” Her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on Hannah and me: somehow the only others standing in her eyeline. “How about you, Oh?” She angled towards me, propelled by fury. Her face thrust against mine, her hot breath slightly sour. This close I could see how the whites of her eyes had become yellowed and bloodshot. They were eyes I’d seen in the mirror often enough. She had been crying. A lot.
“You want to say something?”
For once I stepped back, my instinct to provoke dead in my throat. Tamsin placed both hands flat on my chest and tensed to shove. I raised my hands and Hannah spoke over my shoulder.
“We don’t think it’s your fault, Tamsin.” Her soft voice soothed. “No one does. They’re just trying to make sense of what’s happened.”
“You’d have been the first to say it if it was someone else,” I snapped. So maybe the bitch was still kicking in there. Behind me Hannah groaned.
Tamsin snarled and raised a hand. I knew the slap was going to land and had barely a second to brace myself for head-spinning contact. But it never came. I blinked to see Pete standing with one hand around Tamsin’s wrist.
“Get off me.” Tamsin wheeled on him. “I’m going to kill her.”
Pete tilted his head meaningfully. Behind him James stood with his arms folded, Harley at his side.
“This isn’t the time.” James’ eyes raked me from head to foot and I shuddered, feeling as if I needed a shower. “Pull it together, Tamsin.”
Slowly she nodded and Pete released her. She stepped into James’ orbit. “You’ll get yours.” Her lips twitched and James curled a big hand around her shoulder, holding her still.
“Mr Barnes wants to talk to us.” He spoke to Tamsin, but remained looking at me. “Let’s go.”
The whole common room watched as the four headed towards Mr Barnes’ office. Breathless silence persisted for a moment, only the rustling of paper and nervous clearing of throats filled the air. Then heads closed together and the gossip started up more persistent than before. Where was Justin Hargreaves? Why would he have run away? Had something sinister happened?
Only I knew that he wouldn’t be coming back. And I very much needed to speak to the dead bastard.
“Your eczema’s bad again.” Hannah poked at my glove. “Is that why you ditched school yesterday?” Her tone held a gentle accusation.
“I’m sorry, Han. It came on really fast.”
“It always does.” She rubbed her fingers through her dandelion hair. “I just wish you’d let me know. I looked for you all morning. After that assembly, I was worried.”
“I didn't realise.” I shouldered my bag. “I really am sorry.”
“You could have answered your phone, or replied to my texts. I couldn’t even concentrate on
I nodded, thinking of my phone turned to silent in my pocket the whole time I was breaking into the mariticide's house. It was late when I'd picked up Hannah's worried messages, too late to get back to her. “I can't say it won't happen again, but I'll try harder.” My heart played a panicked staccato; Hannah couldn't be mad at me.
Hannah sighed. “It’s just been happening a lot lately. I wish you’d–”
“What?”
“I wish you’d tell me what’s going on. I could do something to help.”
I exhaled slowly. “Is this about Pete?”
“No.” We stopped outside the classroom. “Maybe. I shouldn’t let him get to me.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” I squeezed her arm inside mine and pulled her to one side as our classmates pushed to get through the door. Finally the black rings round her eyes registered with me. “A
Hannah sagged. “She made me clean the house before Carl finished his shift. The Winchesters kept me company.”
“What about your homework?”
Hannah shrugged. “I did it after.”
“Damn it, Han, what did your mum do while you were cleaning her mess?”
Hannah’s mouth curled bitterly. “She went down the pub then passed out in front of
I squeezed her tighter; there was nothing else I could do. “Bet Carl was pleased.”
“They had a fight when he got in. Then they made up. Loudly.” She winced and I pressed my lips together. Sometimes I wished I could kick Hannah’s mum, but there was always this tiny traitorous voice inside saying, “at least she still has a mum”. I squashed it into silence.
“You should come over after school.”
Hannah nodded. “Your dad won’t mind me staying?”
“Does he ever? So… what colour this time?”
Hannah grinned. “I’m working my way through the neons. What do you think?”
“Love it.”
Her hair had long turned into a frizz, but it was the one thing her mum couldn’t take away. I understood that. Hannah had control over her hair and she made it glow.
I glanced back down the corridor towards Mr Barnes’ office. Tamsin and the others were still inside. “I forgot something in my locker, see you in class?”
Hannah looked alarmed. “You aren't skipping out on me again?”
I shook my head. “I'll be back before bell. Save me a seat.”
Hannah inhaled and didn't move.
“Honest, Han, I'm coming back.”
She glanced at my gloved hand.
