Worse Than Boys(30)

‘Mrs Driscoll,’ the head said when he could get a word in edgeways. ‘I don’t like the gang culture in this school. Especially amongst the girls.’

‘They’re worse than boys,’ my mother said loudly.

Worse than boys. How chuffed I had once been to be told that.

‘We intend to do something about it. As for Hannah being bullied –’

‘I’m not being bullied –’ I tried to tell them but he wouldn’t let me finish.

‘We will be dealing with that too.’ Mr McGinty looked at me then. ‘I don’t ever want you to be afraid to come to school, or afraid while you are here. But you have to let us know what’s happening. As for this fight, I’m not going to let this pass without a word. And if anyone is threatening you they are going to be in big trouble.’

I wanted to plead with him to forget my mother had ever been here. But I knew it was too late. Wheels had been set in motion and things were going to get worse.





Chapter Twenty-Seven


I stormed from the office without even looking at my mum. She tried to touch me, to pull me round to face her, and I jerked myself away from her angrily.

‘I’m only trying to help,’ she said.

How could she possibly think this was helping?

Everyone knew she’d come to the school. Lots of people had seen her barging in and demanding to see the headmaster. The word had gone round the school like a bushfire in a drought.

At break they were all round me in the yard. ‘See if you’ve got us into any trouble, Driscoll,’ Rose pushed herself against me, ‘you’re going to get it.’

‘I haven’t … I didn’t.’

‘So, what was your mother doing here?’

I tried to think of an answer, but my hesitation was answer enough.

‘Have you got to tell your mother everything?’

‘Leave her be,’ Erin said with a sneer that didn’t flatter her. ‘Her mother’s as useless as she is.’

And suddenly, Mrs Tasker was there, pulling me from them. It was as if she’d been sent there to look after me, to save me from them.

‘I want to see all of you immediately after break. In Mr McGinty’s office.’ Then she looked at me. ‘You can come with me, Hannah.’

I could hear them snigger as I walked off, safe with the teacher.

It wasn’t only Erin and the others who were summoned to the head’s office. Wizzie and her mates were there too.

They were all there when I walked in with Mrs Tasker. Every one of them glared at me, blaming me, and I couldn’t argue with that. I would have blamed me too. Blamed my mum.

Everyone else had to stand. Only I was allowed to sit down, beside the teacher. It was humiliating. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Wizzie lean back against the wall. Grace was biting at her nails and Lauren was sighing noisily as if she was bored stiff. Erin was standing as straight as if a board was rammed up her back. There was anger in the way she stood. Anger at me. Heather was drumming her fingers on the head’s desk, a daring deed for Heather. Mr McGinty brought a ruler sharply down on the desk inches from Heather’s hand. She jumped and Sonya giggled.

‘I believe there was a fight outside the school the other day.’ I must have looked guilty. No one would ever believe now that I wasn’t the one who grassed. ‘Well, the school won’t have it. We won’t put up with these fights any more. We’ve had enough visits from the police to last a lifetime.’ His gaze went directly to Wizzie. ‘People have been hurt.’

Wizzie shrugged her shoulders. ‘Wasn’t us,’ she said.

Mr McGinty roared at her. ‘Don’t you dare talk back to me! A bunch of silly little girls acting like the mafia, causing nothing but trouble. Not caring who they hurt? I don’t understand your mentality.’ He looked directly at Heather. ‘Why are you in a gang, Heather?’

Heather pursed her lips and looked sweet. ‘I’m not in a gang, sir. I just go about with my friends.’

‘And what about you, Wizzie? Why are you in a gang?’

‘I’m not in a gang either. Better ask the Lip Gloss Girls about going into gangs.’

‘Do you get a kick out of everyone doing what you say?’

Wizzie laughed. ‘Nobody ever listens to me, sir.’ She nudged Sonya. ‘That right, Sonya?’

Sonya pretended she hadn’t heard. ‘Did somebody say something there?’

That set them all laughing, but it only made the head even angrier. ‘I can’t understand you. You get yourselves into these stupid gangs and then you can turn on a friend just like that.’ He snapped his fingers. Everyone knew he meant me. If I’d had the nerve I would have crawled out of the room.