Chapter 12

Wednesday

Marissa

Why can't he just leave me alone? It's been nearly four years, we were fourteen year olds for Christ's sake. We broke up then because he was a shit, why can't he just leave me alone? I don't remember the fight, I don't remember Dr Adams talking to us, I just remember Alban's quiet voice afterwards — I can't remember what he said, just that he was talking — and Kirsten and Isobel holding me.

The bell seemed to bring everyone to their senses, the crowd disappeared only a little faster than Dr Adams, leaving the group of us waiting.

"Class-time, guys, we're in enough trouble as it is already." Alban stepped in and took charge as usual.

"Why are we in trouble?" Kevin wondered.

"Because Adams is a dick." Was Connor's succinct summary of the situation.

"As good a reason as any..." Alban carried on. "Pete, you're heading past the languages block, right?" Pete nodded. "Could you drop in and let Mrs Carson know that Marissa's probably going to be late. Issy and I are going to be late for biology, too."

"Sure." No argument, nothing. Just 'sure', like it was delivered on tablets of stone from the heavens.

"Why am I going to be late for French?" I muttered.

"Because you're still shaking. You're cold, you're pale, and I'm taking you to the first aid room." He said, quietly. "Issy's coming because I'm supposed to take someone else in there if ever I need to use it."

"You're authorised to use the first aid room?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, there's I think eight of us. There're signs up on the notice board in each building about who the designated first aiders are, staff and students."

"Ah... see, they don't do Braille noticeboards." She pointed out. And then they were all gone, just Alban, Issy and Kirsten.

"Kelly and Evan can make my apologies." Kirsten explained, when we looked at her. "Issy'll end up taking you back to class when we're done, and Alban'll need back-up when he goes to see Dr Hibbert."

"Are you going to see the Head?" I turned to him, and he nodded.

"Got to outflank Adams somehow."

"What has he got against you all?"

"I have no idea." He offered his hand, helping me up off the bench. I was shaking, I realised, I only really noticed when he took my hand. That seemed to open something up, I don't know what, I was just crying suddenly, quiet little weeping sobs from nowhere. He swept his coat around me again, scooped me up in his arms, and just carried me out.

"It's OK, Marissa." Issy kept trying to tell me, but it wasn't. I'd moved schools to get away from it all, not him, but what he represented, and then he followed me when everyone else went to college. I already had one reminder of him forever, he just wasn't going to go away.

The first aid room, at least, was warm, and tucked away in there away from all the prying eyes I could wrap the coat around myself and cover up for a while. Alban sat me gently on the bed there, and squatted down on his heels in front of me, Issy and Kirsten near the door.

"Did... did he do anything?" Alban finally asked, quietly, breaking the silence.

"No." I managed, wiping the tears away. "But he will."

"No, he won't." Alban took my hand, sweet man that he is, and moved his head until he was in my field of vision. "I promise, he won't."

"You can't stop him. He doesn't even have to be there... its inside that he's doing... I'm doing things. It's me... my feelings."

"Well... look, so long as you're in this stupid programme, at least let me help? Keep him off your back while you sort it all out?"

"Thank you." The tears dried up, I felt a little silly sat on the bed in someone else's coat, crying like a little girl.

"What is it with the two of you?" Issy asked, and Alban shot her a look that she just ignored.

"There's nothing with us, I'm just helping a friend, that's all."

"No, not the two of you... Her and Andrew." Issy elaborated.

"It's just, the way he said 'it's not like you've not done this before'..." Kirsten pointed out. "Sounded like he knew..."

"Do you guys have any sense of privacy at all?" Alban cut in, before I could answer. He had plenty of time, I didn't have the first clue how to respond. I can't tell them, ever — they're both smart, really smart. How stupid would I look then? I know it's just shame, pride comes before a fall, and all that... doesn't matter.

"People talk, Alban. Real people, you know... that's how you deal with things. You get your friends to help." Issy told him.

"If she wants to tell you, she will." He pointed out.

"Has she told you?"

"If she wants to tell me, she will."

"She" Kirsten cut in, archly, "is still here." Both of them looked slightly abashed at that, which made me smile a little.

"We should get back to class." I pointed out, which was true. It was bad enough me missing French, but they shouldn't all be missing out on their lessons, too.

Alban

"You've been a lot more outgoing this week." I observed, as Issy and Marissa headed up the stairs to their next lesson. Kirsten just shrugged, that knowing smile back on her face. "And happier, too..."

"I'm preparing myself, I figure I'm up next week."

"Why's that?"

"I was supposed to be up this week — wrong time of the month, though." That wasn't something I felt comfortable talking about.

"So how come you're following me around, then?"

"I want to see how you deal with it. Of the four of you, you're the closest to being like me."

"I'm not dealing with it, I'm avoiding it like the plague." I pointed out. Never mind the fact that she was nothing like me, really.

"You do know they're going to get you — Adams, for sure, is gunning for you."

"I know."

"Do you know why?"

"Because, as Connor so admirably put it, he's a dick."

"You're smarter than that, there has to be a reason."

"It doesn't matter what the reason is. He's interfering, he's poking his nose in where it's not wanted, and he won't leave it alone."

"Of course it matters what the reason is. What if he thinks he's helping?"

"Then he's wrong, and it's still interference, and he should just trust me when I tell him I'm fine and he can leave me alone."

"Like you do."

"I don't go anywhere anyone asks me not to." I pointed out. "People have to want to be helped, you can't change them for them — it's their life to live."

"What about the people who really don't realise they need the help?"

"What, like Connor used to be?"

"I suppose so." She grinned, but I wasn't sure at what.

"Then you explain you're helping, and why, and hope they get it. I never ran Connor's life for him."

"Hmmm."

"What's 'hmmm' supposed to mean?"

"It means we're here." She pointed, and sure enough we were in that cosy little waiting area outside the head's office. I knocked.

"Come in." came the muffled voice. "Ah, Alban... and Kirsten?" Dr Hibbert seemed surprised to see her, but my turning up wasn't a surprise at all.

"Dr Adams has already been to see you, hasn't he?" I asked.

"He was just explaining a few things." He gestured across the room, and I leant around the door to see where he was sat. "I understand you and your friends stepped in to help Miss Wright at lunch." I nodded — that wasn't how I'd expected Dr Adams to pitch it. "So, what was it that you came here for?"

"Just to..." Dr Hibbert and I got on well, we both wanted to help people, and I'd gotten where I was with him by telling him the truth. "I didn't think Dr Adams was going to report it quite so much in our favour — I wanted to be sure you had our side of the story." He actually smiled at that — honesty sometimes is the best policy.

"I think I got the full situation, relatively well. You'll be pleased to know that it has been made clear that none of you escalated the situation at any point."

"Although there are some questions about someone seen running on the roof of the kitchens." Dr Adams pointed out.

"Fastest route from the..." I nearly let slip that we were in the library, there. Last thing they need is Adams poking around... "fastest route there. Only route there, given that Phil and Mikey had the door held shut."

"I trust you saw to Miss Wright's welfare before you came here." Dr Hibbert smiled again, I think he was actually trying not to laugh.

"Yes..."

"Good. If there's nothing else, then?"

"I... no, I guess that's it."

"I shall see you at three twenty, then, Mr Darch." Dr Adams added, as we turned for the door.

"Why, if you acknowledge that we weren't in the wrong?"

"It isn't about right and wrong, Alban." Dr Hibbert cut in. "There was a fight in one of the changing rooms of our school. Whomever started it, the tension is obviously there, and we need to find a way to relieve that tension. We're trying to find a solution, not a scapegoat."

"Then why is the meeting with him?" I heard Kirsten suck her teeth at that, maybe it was a bit too far. Too late now.

"I think, Alban..." Dr Adams began, but the head cut him off.

"Alban, you've been given a lot of leeway at this school because you've always shown yourself to have a level head, and you've shown respect in the proper places at the proper times. This is the first time — and I hope the last — that I've had to talk to you like this. Dr Adams is the school counsellor for a number of reasons, one of which is that he has over numerous years earned my trust. I'd like to think I've earned yours, too — would you give me a little credit for my judgements?"

He was a good judge, usually. He made sense — I even like his spiel about looking for solutions, not blame, but Adams was invasive. He went where he didn't belong. Dr Hibbert got it right, it was about respect, and Adams just didn't seem to have any. I didn't want anyone poking around, it's my history, my life, my head, my choices.

"I'll try." I owed him that much, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Kelly

We just about managed to get to music on time, Evan and I, though he wasn't particularly talkative.

"You alright?" I asked him, as we stopped at the bottom of the stairs to catch our breath.

"Yeah... skinned one of my knuckles a little, but nothing serious." He jested.

"I didn't mean physically... you're not usually this quiet."

"I'm worried — Adams is after something from Alban..."

"What can he do?"

"I don't know... that's what worries me."

"If you don't know, don't worry. It doesn't help anything."

"True." He acknowledged. "Come on, we're late — you know you've missed yet another chance at relief, don't you?"

"I know... I'll just have to wait until tomorrow in English. I'm on a promise from Issy."

"Suddenly, I wish I took English." That's better!

"Oh, you like that idea, huh? Getting you all hot under the collar is it? Suddenly I wish we were on time for Music." I smiled back. It was little forced, from both of us, but there was an effort there.