‘She won’t.’
‘I still don’t see . . .’
I sighed. During term-time, Harry and I had this conversation at least three times a week.
‘Harry, you know how I get teased if my friends see you driving me. I get all kinds of comments about having feet which are too precious to touch the pavement or I get asked when I’m going to have my wings fitted and all sorts. I’m not in the mood to be teased – not on my first day back.’
‘I know but . . .’
‘Please?’
‘Oh, all right then.’
‘Thanks, Harry.’
‘If I get into trouble . . .’
‘You won’t. I promise,’ I smiled.
Harry turned into Cherry Wood Grove, a couple of streets away from Heathcroft, my school. I hopped out, dragging my school bag off the white leather seat.
‘See you later.’
‘Yes, Miss Sephy.’
I waited until Harry had driven off and was out of sight before taking a step. He’d caught me out like that before – pretending to drive off and then doubling back when my back was turned. As I ambled along, I heard a strange, rumbling sound – like someone playing a radio really loudly, but far enough away so that I couldn’t make out exactly what was being said. As I approached the corner, shouts like an angry wave rolled up towards me. But even that couldn’t prepare me for what was about to happen next. I turned the corner and . . .
And.
At the far end of the road, there was a huge crowd outside my school. And they were shouting and chanting. I froze for a moment, then started to walk towards them. Then I started to run. What on earth was going on? It didn’t take me long to find out.
‘NO BLANKERS IN OUR SCHOOL. NO BLANKERS IN OUR SCHOOL.’
The slogan was shouted out over and over again. Callum and three other noughts were surrounded by police officers who were trying to push their way through the crowd to get to the school entrance. More police stood in an arm-linked line trying to push the crowd of Crosses back into two orderly groups. I ran faster, but the closer I got, the less I could see. I pushed and elbowed my way through the crowd.
‘Callum! CALLUM!’
‘NO BLANKERS IN OUR SCHOOL . . .’
The police officers were still trying to push through the crowds of adults and Heathcroft pupils who in turn were determined not to let them pass.
‘BLANKERS OUT . . .’
I forced my way up the steps to the school entrance ahead of the crowd and the police, watching as the police battled to hold back the crowd, watching as Callum and the others looked neither to the right nor the left but straight ahead without even blinking.
‘NO BLANKERS IN OUR SCHOOL . . .’
I spotted Julianna and Adam and Ezra in the crowd, all of whom were my good friends. But worst of all I saw my own sister Minnie in the crowd. And she was shouting just as hard as all the others.
‘NO BLANKERS IN OUR SCHOOL . . .’
There was a roaring in my head which matched the roaring all around me. I was in the middle of chaos. Callum and the other noughts tried to make their way up the steps to the school entrance. The crowd surged forward at that, the palpable wave of their anger hitting me almost like a punch. Suddenly a cry went up. Callum’s head dipped down, followed by the heads of the police officers.
‘One of them is hurt!’
Callum . . . it wasn’t Callum, was it?
‘A blanker’s hurt.’
The news spread through the crowd like a virulent disease.
‘HOORAY!’ Spontaneous cheers filled the air. The police lines trying to hold the crowds back were knocked to the ground as the crowd rushed forward like air into a vacuum. I was on the very top step looking down at it all. And I’ve never felt such fist-clenching, teeth-gritting fury. A policewoman stepped to one side and I saw Callum squatting down by a nought girl who looked like she was in a bad way. Blood trickled from her forehead and her eyes were closed.
Mr Corsa, the headmaster, emerged from behind me. He stared at the crowd – the mob before him – looking shocked and ashen.
‘Mr Corsa, we have to help that girl,’ I pointed. ‘She’s hurt.’
Mr Corsa didn’t move, even when I repeated what I’d just said. I was caught up in a hurricane, with all the noise and madness whirling round me until my head was about to explode.
‘Stop it! Just stop it!’
Nothing.
‘STOP IT! YOU’RE ALL BEHAVING LIKE ANIMALS!’ I shouted so hard my throat immediately began to hurt. ‘WORSE THAN ANIMALS – LIKE BLANKERS!’
The sounds of the crowd slowly died away. ‘Just look at you,’ I continued. ‘Stop it.’ I glanced down at Callum. He was staring at me, the strangest expression on his face.
Callum, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t mean you. I’d never mean you. It was just for the others, to get them to stop, to get them to help. I didn’t mean you . . .
six. Callum
She didn’t say that. She couldn’t have. Not Sephy. I’m going to wake up in a moment. Wake up from this chaos, this nightmare. Wake up and laugh – or bawl – at the tricks my mind’s playing. She didn’t say that . . .
But she did . . .
I’m not a blanker. I may be a nought but I’m worth more than nothing. I’m not a blanker. A waste of time and space. A zero. I’m not a blanker. I’M NOT A BLANKER.
Sephy . . .
seven. Sephy
The waves lapped up onto the beach. It was a lovely autumn evening, a beautiful end to a lousy day. I couldn’t remember when I’d felt so miserable, so wretched. Callum was sitting right next to me but he might as
