To Sir, with Attitude by Street Vivien

Author:Street, Vivien
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen Road Publishing
Published: 2023-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Toni was perched on the stool at the side of the stage, her head bent over a copy of Romeo and Juliet. For over an hour, she’d followed the script, dutifully reading out words or entire sentences when the actors forgot their lines. Every now and then Ms. Gibbons interrupted the action to give direction, and during those moments, Toni took the opportunity to check on Josh—she had been keeping a closer watch on him since lunchtime.

Ms. Gibbons was re-blocking a small section of the scene when Toni once again lifted her gaze to the boy standing in the wings opposite her. This time, she saw him reach for his phone. He glanced at the screen and a worried look appeared on his face. After a quick, furtive look around, he shoved the phone into his pocket and stepped out of sight.

Toni frowned. Something was up. The boy had appeared distracted all afternoon. Peeking beyond the curtain, she saw his shadowy form moving quickly toward the back of the auditorium.

A glance at the man occupying a seat in the second row told her he hadn’t noticed Josh’s departure, his focus, as usual, on the laptop balanced on his knees. Hurrying to finish his novel so he can turn his back on the school and resume his celebrity lifestyle, no doubt. The cynical thought flitted through her mind as she closed the script and dropped it in her bag. Closing the zip with an annoyed yank, she hoisted the bag onto her shoulder, then left her seat to follow Josh.

“Can we have the beginning of Friar Lawrence’s speech please, prompter?”

Dang! Toni stopped and unzipped her bag. Pulling out the play, she began rapidly flipping through its pages in search of the speech.

“Top of page thirty-three,” Ms. Gibbons called.

“Bless the woman,” Toni murmured and quickly turned to the page.

She read out the first line and when the actor on stage took over the speech, she shoved the play back inside her bag and slipped away.

Praying Alex wouldn’t look up from his screen, she moved swiftly up the outer aisle of the dimly lit auditorium. Her escape made, she hurried through the foyer then out the main doors, and into the fading daylight.

Josh, of course, had long gone, but this time she knew where she was likely to find him. Phone ready in her hand, she hurried toward the street. With luck, she might catch the drug-pushing gangster in the act.

It was during the lunch break that she’d sensed something was troubling the youth. They’d gathered at the end of the field; the usual bottles of soda and bags of chips handed around, plumes of cigarette smoke and vape cloud, and a jangle of competing voices. Only Josh remained silent. Sitting at the edge of the group, he’d taken no part in the jostling and joking, the quick-fire volleys of banter. Instead, he’d stared at the cigarette in his hand, and every now and then, lifted it to his lips and sucked in a long drag of smoke.

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