‘Hmm!’ Gib’s smile faded.
He sat down on the floor. I sat opposite. Our heads on our hands, we both had a long, hard think.
Chapter Nine
THE NEXT MORNING a dull-grey, cloudy sky threatened rain. Chaucy arrived at our house around a quarter to eight to walk to school with Gib. I had the misfortune to be the one who opened the door for him. Immediately, he started grinning at me. His constant grin was really cheesing me off. I glared at him. ‘I’m glad you can find something funny in all this.’ I had the satisfaction of seeing the smile slip off his face.
‘Victoria, I wasn’t laughing …’
Ignoring him, I went back into the kitchen to finish my breakfast.
‘Gib’s upstairs in his room,’ I said when Chaucy followed me into the kitchen.
Chaucy danced uncomfortably from foot to foot as he watched me.
‘I wasn’t laughing because I think what you and Gib are going through is funny,’ Chaucy said.
Then what were you grinning like an idiot about? I thought frostily, spooning cornflakes into my mouth. I thought if I ignored him, he’d bug off.
‘You don’t … like me much, do you?’ Chaucy said quietly.
Surprised, I turned to face him. ‘Like you? I … well, I …’
‘Why not?’ Chaucy asked.
I’d never seen him looking so serious. My face fell as I watched him. All of a sudden I felt really uncomfortable. Really nasty. I began to squirm on my chair.
‘You don’t like me much either,’ I defended myself.
‘Yes I do,’ Chaucy replied immediately.
It was just as well I was sitting down when he said that or I would have keeled over from shock. My whole body went hot – even my fingernails.
‘You do?’ I whispered.
Chaucy nodded.
For a brief second I believed him. Until I remembered all the times Chaucy and Gib had stood side by side, laughing at me. He was probably on a serious wind-up now. This whole act was probably something he’d set up with Gib.
‘You don’t fool me, Alexander Chaucer. I know you’re just pulling my leg,’ I said with disgust.
‘I’m not,’ Chaucy protested.
‘All right then. If you like me so much, why are you always laughing at me? You’re always making me feel really stupid.’ I glared at him to let him know that I knew what he was up to. This was a wind-up if ever I saw one.
‘I never laugh at you.’ If the shock in Chaucy’s voice was put on then he deserved an Oscar.
I sat back in my chair. ‘I’m not daft you know,’ I said angrily. ‘I have eyes. I only have to look at you before you start grinning. Do I really look that funny?’
‘I’m smiling at you. I’ve been trying to show you I like you for ages,’ Chaucy said. His face was a deep shade of beetroot now.
I stared at him. Even his neck had turned fiery red. I didn’t know what to say. He looked so embarrassed that I knew he was serious. I got even more angry with him.
‘Take a tip from me then,’ I offered. ‘Don’t grin at me. Your smile is not your best feature.’
‘I’ll remember that,’ Chaucy smiled, then quickly stopped. For the first time he looked almost sane. Only then did it sink in. Chaucy liked me. An embarrassed silence fell between us.
‘I … I … er … I’ll go and find Gib,’ Chaucy stammered, and he tore out of the kitchen as if he’d been shot from a cannon.
I couldn’t get over it. He liked me. But he was still a prize twit!
Ten minutes later, I was up in my room, writing out a fresh envelope for Miss Hiff’s letter that I’d brought home. Mum was having a late lie-in and Dad was downstairs watching telly after helping Gib and me prepare our breakfast. Dad was in a very sombre mood. He tried to pretend that the break from work was just what he needed, but anyone with half an eye could see he was missing it. Now was obviously not the best time to hand over Miss Hiff’s letter. Yesterday evening, I had waited for the ideal moment to arrive, so that I could explain what had happened at school. I’d waited … and waited. Deep down, I knew that there would never be an ideal moment. If it carried on like this, I’d never hand over the letter and then Mum and Dad would hear all about it from Miss Hiff instead of me. And I certainly didn’t want that. I couldn’t risk Miss Hiff trying to phone Dad at home, or worse still, at work. She wouldn’t do anything today though (fingers crossed!). I reckoned she’d wait all day to hear from Dad. So I had one more day, at the very most. Tonight. I’d do it tonight. Not now though. The thought of it had my heart pounding.
Looking down at the envelope, I sighed and wondered what Gib and Chaucy were doing. If Chaucy had been winding me up after all then I’d never speak to him again! Never, never!
There was a knock at my door. It had to be Mum or Dad. Gib had never knocked in his life. Hiding the envelope under my pillow, I said, ‘Come in.’
It was Chaucy, closely followed by Gib who closed the door behind him.
‘What do you two want?’ I frowned, ready to laugh back if I was laughed at first.
‘I told Chaucy about what we did yesterday,’ Gib said.
‘I want to help,’ added Chaucy.
I wondered if there was anything Gib wouldn’t tell his best friend?
‘What can you do?’ I asked Chaucy.
‘I don’t know. I just wanted you to know that I can help if you need it,’ Chaucy said.
I shrugged. ‘OK.’
‘Are you coming to school now?’ Gib asked.
‘No, I’ve got something to finish,’ I replied, holding up the envelope.
‘What’s that?’ Chaucy asked.
I tapped my nose. ‘See you at school,’ I said and turned back to my envelope.
I was walking with Gayle and Maggie on our way to the canteen for lunch when Miss Hiff passed us in the corridor. I lowered my head and walked faster, but it was no use.
‘Ah, Vicky, I was looking for you,’ Miss Hiff said from behind me.
Grimacing, I stopped in my tracks and turned slowly.
‘Hello, Miss Hiff,’ I said faintly.
Miss Hiff nodded at me. ‘When can I expect a call from your father?’
‘Er … some time today, miss, I w-would think,’ I said.
‘I hope so.’ Miss Hiff frowned. ‘Otherwise I shall be phoning him at work first thing tomorrow morning.’
‘No, Miss Hiff,’ I panicked. ‘He’ll phone you. He said he would.’ The last thing I wanted was for Miss Hiff to find out that Dad had been suspended from his bank. The headmistress eyed me suspiciously.
‘Tomorrow, Victoria,’ she said at last.
‘Yes, miss.’
I dug my hands deep into my jacket pockets, terrified that Miss Hiff would see the letter with a brand-new envelope in my right-hand pocket. I’d wanted to leave it at home, but what if Mum or Dad found it? Bringing it to school made me break out in an ice-cold sweat every time I walked past a teacher, but so far so good. I’d never done anything like this before – and never again!
I’d dug a hole for myself by reading the letter and I could see no way out of it. Miss Hiff drew herself up to her full one metre nothing and marched on.
‘What was that all about?’ Maggie asked curiously.
I sighed, then shrugged. ‘The maths exam last Friday,’ I said, plumping for the truth.
Goodness! That was only three days ago. Such a lot had happened since then. I felt like I was spinning and spinning and I couldn’t stop. Everything was happening at once and I couldn’t control it.
‘Yeah, I meant to ask you what all that was about. Did you cheat?’ Gayle asked.
Shocked, I stopped walking and looked at her. I was dangerously close to forgetting that Gayle was one of my best friends.
‘What do you think?’ I asked angrily.
‘I would say not, but you never know …’ Gayle trailed off as she looked at Maggie.
Maggie glanced down at her shoes, a slow flush creeping over her face. I frowned at both of them
. Then I remembered Maggie with her nose deep in her pencil-case during our maths exam. If I’d seen her then maybe Gayle had too.
‘Anyway, they don’t think I was cheating in the exam,’ I explained. ‘Someone stole the answers beforehand and they think it was me ’cause I finished so quickly.’
‘Whereas we all know it was the Hacker Supreme.’ Maggie grinned.
‘So that’s what the fuss was all about,’ Gayle breathed. ‘Someone actually fleeced the answers?’
‘Yeah, only I didn’t do it,’ I said fiercely. ‘The trouble is …’ Just then someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Gib.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked, ignoring my friends.
‘For some lunch,’ I replied. Since when was Gib interested in my eating habits?
‘We can use a PC in the science block,’ Gib said pointedly.
‘For what?’
‘The ejones proof,’ he replied.
I understood at once.
‘Gayle, Maggie, I’ll catch up with you later,’ I told them.
‘Vicky …’ Gayle protested. ‘It’s jam tart for afters.’
‘I’ve got something important to do,’ I said quickly. ‘Honest.’
‘Oh, all right then,’ Gayle said, in a voice that said it wasn’t all right.
I left them to it and walked with Gib to the science block.
‘Chaucy’s holding a PC for us,’ Gib explained, ‘so we can try to get the proof we need that Eric put that money in Dad’s account.’
‘How do we do that?’
‘I haven’t a clue. I was hoping you’d know that,’ Gib replied.
Typical!
‘Look, now isn’t a very good time to hack into the bank’s system,’ I said. ‘I’m far more likely to be discovered by one of their operators if I use it now.’
‘We can’t use the computers here tonight. The evening computer courses go on all week and we can’t use the same excuse twice. That tutor, Rosa, is bound to ask us more questions this time,’ Gib pointed out.
‘I suppose so …’ I conceded.
I stopped in my tracks and stared at Gib. It was as if a light bulb had just been switched on in my head.
‘Gib, I’ve got to do something,’ I told him.
‘What?’ he frowned.
‘Something,’ I said impatiently. ‘Are you going to be in Room Twenty-two or Twenty-four?’
‘Room Twenty-two,’ Gib frowned.
I started to run back to the canteen.
‘But Vicky …’
‘I’ll see you in a few minutes,’ I called out to him.
I raced to the canteen. One single thought kept hammering in my head and I couldn’t get it to go away. There was something I had to find out. I caught up with Maggie and Gayle, who’d been joined by Carolyn, just as they were sitting down with their lunch trays.
‘Maggie, can I talk to you?’ I puffed.
‘Go on then,’ she said, surprised.
‘Outside,’ I said.
She frowned at me.
‘It’s important. I’ll be quick,’ I told her.
Slowly, Maggie stood up and I followed her out of the canteen to stand just outside the door. I waited until a group of five from another class walked past us into the canteen before speaking.
‘Maggie, how … how did you know the name of the person who stole Mrs Bracken’s maths answers?’ I asked.
‘What’re you talking about?’ Maggie frowned.
‘You heard me,’ I said carefully. ‘How did you know the person’s name?’
‘I didn’t. I don’t. Unless you told me just now.’ Maggie shrugged.
‘I didn’t say one word about the person’s name,’ I said.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘I’m talking about the “Hacker Supreme”,’ I said coldly. ‘That’s the first thing you said when I told you why I was hauled up in front of Miss Hiff.’
‘It’s just an expression. I didn’t mean anything by it,’ Maggie scowled. She tried to walk past me back into the canteen. I pushed the door shut to stop her.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ I said. ‘You’re the person who pinched the exam answers.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Maggie said furiously.
‘I’m not. There’s no way you could know what the real culprit signed at the bottom of the message left for Crackly Bracken unless you’re that person.’
‘Listen, I know nothing about someone breaking into Mrs Bracken’s PC and leaving messages,’ Maggie said, her eyes narrowed.
I folded my arms across my chest. ‘How did you know the real thief broke into Mrs Bracken’s PC? I never said that. I said the exam answers had been pinched.’
Maggie’s mouth dropped open. ‘You said something about a hacker …’
‘No. You said it, I didn’t. It was you,’ I said.
‘Go to hell.’
‘No I won’t!’ I hissed. ‘You got me into dead serious trouble. Miss Hiff is talking about suspending me for hacking into Mrs Bracken’s file, and it wasn’t me – it was you.’
‘You reckon all this just because I said Hacker Supreme?’ Maggie said scornfully.
‘That and the fact that you knew about the message being on Crackly Bracken’s PC. I didn’t mention that bit just now.’
‘Move, Vicky,’ Maggie ordered. ‘My lunch is getting cold.’
‘It’s going to get a lot colder,’ I told her. ‘I want you to tell Miss Hiff that it was you and not me who pinched the answers to the maths exam.’
‘I’ll do no such thing,’ Maggie said indignantly.
‘If you don’t, I will. I’m not a snitch but I’m not going to get suspended for you. No way,’ I fumed.
Maggie’s fists clenched at her sides. My body went stiff. I dropped my arms, ready for her.
‘I thought you were my friend,’ Maggie said.
‘I am. But if you were my friend you wouldn’t let me take the blame for you,’ I replied. ‘I’m going to see Miss Hiff. Right this minute.’ I turned to march away from her. Maggie grabbed me by my arm – hard.
‘Vicky, you can’t. Not that I’m admitting for a moment that I did it,’ Maggie added quickly.
‘Then why grab my arm?’ I asked frostily. ‘We’ll just see what Miss Hiff has to say about all this.’
‘Vicky, please. You … you don’t understand.’ Maggie was close to tears now. ‘My dad’s just started his own business and I have to type all his letters and invoices because he can’t afford a proper, full-time secretary. I haven’t had time to do my homework or revise or anything. Mum and Dad have been arguing about it for months. If I say anything, Miss Hiff will call my parents up to the school and then things will just get worse.’
Maggie looked absolutely miserable. I didn’t know what to do.
‘Why don’t you tell your dad that you can’t do his work and your own as well?’ I suggested.
‘What? And give Dad and Mum more to quarrel about? Things are bad enough at home as it is,’ Maggie replied. Her eyes were shimmering, her lips turned down.
‘Maggie, I’m sorry. I really am. But I’m not going to let myself get excluded from school for you or anyone else.’
I felt like a right cow saying that, but what choice did I have?
‘Please, Vicky. I’ll make it up to you. I swear I will,’ Maggie pleaded.
‘No, Maggie. I’m sorry but I can’t.’ I shook my head. ‘Why on earth did you leave that message at the bottom of Crackly Bracken’s file anyway? It was a stupid thing to do.’
‘It … I was just showing off, I suppose,’ Maggie said unhappily. ‘It seemed like a funny thing to do at the time.’
‘Well, it wasn’t, it was stupid,’ I replied. ‘You should never have done it. You should never have cheated.’
‘Vicky, please …’
‘No, Maggie,’ I said firmly.
‘If you tell on me, I swear I’ll never speak to you again. And what’s more, I’ll make sure that everyone knows wha
t a grass you are. No one will speak to you,’ Maggie threatened.
She shouldn’t have said that. I’d been feeling really bad up until then and wondering if maybe there wasn’t a way to keep Maggie out of it and get away with it myself. But when she said that …
‘Go ahead – if you think you’re bad,’ I replied.
Maggie drew herself up and gave me the filthiest look she could. She took her time over it too.
‘Get out of my way,’ she said, pushing me.
‘Fight! Fight!’ someone called out from inside the canteen. Looking at Maggie, I knew she wanted me to push her back. She wanted to fight. I was really tempted to push her back. I was just in the mood for a fight myself. But I didn’t. She pushed me again, before walking past me back into the canteen. I watched her as she walked towards her table. I saw her point at me as she started to speak to Gayle and Carolyn. I turned around and went to the girls’ loos. I put the toilet lid down and sat.
‘You had no choice, Victoria,’ I tried to tell myself.
It didn’t help. Now I wished I had pushed her back. Inside, I was raging angry – at everything and everyone. All the anger and the hurt sat inside my chest like a concrete football. Burying my head in my hands, I wished myself away on another planet in another galaxy. I just wanted to be as far away from school and home as possible.
I mean, what did Maggie expect? How could she possibly make it up to me? Detention was one thing, getting excluded was something else entirely. Over and over, I kept going through my reasons for not taking the blame. Each one was valid, reasonable. So why didn’t they make me feel better? Maggie had been my friend since we were in Infants together.
What was I going to do? If I told on Maggie, I knew she meant it. She’d never speak to me again.
Chapter Ten
‘WHAT HAPPENED TO you this lunchtime? Chaucy and I sat like lemons waiting for you.’
Gib barged into my room after the barest knock. I’d been avoiding him all afternoon at school. I’d been avoiding everyone, but I knew he’d catch up with me eventually.