Chalk by Paul Cornell

Author:Paul Cornell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

Twenty

As we got off the buses and headed into school the next Monday, Drake walked right into me. His chest pushed me against the wall. He spat into my face, grabbed me by the collar and threw me down. ‘Fucking twat,’ he said. ‘Rove’s dad thought that video was mine! You thought we were your mates. Fucking fooled you. Fucking poof! Fucking girl!’

I had left Elaine alone that morning. The rest of the bus had been amazed at the silence. I’d looked at the ground. They’d started talking about other things. Elaine remained silent and still wouldn’t look at me.

As I lay there, spat on, I felt a little better. I had no idea why.

* * *

Drake’s lot were split up onto different desks in the form room, with Waggoner on his own beside me, again. I hadn’t heard anything else about what had happened that night at Mr. Rove’s. My mum and dad never said anything more.

We had English that day with Mrs. Frenchmore. She had once locked herself in a cupboard during class, by accident, I think. Mrs. Frenchmore never shouted at anyone; she never sent anyone to see Mr. Coxwell. We’d once read 1984 in her class. She said we should like it because it was like Star Wars. Which made Drake’s lot start using it as a weapon. ‘You love Big Brother, don’t you?’ Blewly had said to me. Mrs. Frenchmore’s weakness terrified me. It made her classroom into a space where anything could happen.

Mrs. Frenchmore set us an essay as homework. The title was ‘The Contents of a Suitcase’. ‘You find a suitcase that contains (there followed a list of objects). Write a story about the exciting and interesting things that happen concerning your use of one of these objects.’ English wasn’t one of my best subjects. My essays were minimal, functional.

At first break, I went back over to my lot, to Surtees and Cath and Fiesta. They let me and Waggoner walk straight back into their circle without a word, and we started talking about stuff without any mention of where I’d been in the meantime.

I watched Angie’s lot go past. Louise these days always had a strange look on her face, like she was trying to remember something. She looked ill. I kept wondering about that chalk. I don’t think any adult ever realised she and Selway had been going out. She managed to keep that secret. Angie stopped and actually nodded to me. She reached up to her collar and rubbed at something under there. She held up her hand and I saw ink on her fingers. She’d erased something she’d written there, and wanted me to know. Then she was gone again before I could work out what that was about.

* * *

That night, I opened my English essays book and squatted against my bed, my head curled over my body, the book on the ground. I always tried to do my homework immediately. I couldn’t start.

I stood and walked around a bit.

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