Worse Than Boys(60)

‘In your case we’ll make an exception,’ someone called back.

Here I was, once again, being blamed for something I didn’t do. But this time, at least, I had my friends with me, and they knew I wasn’t guilty.

We were left alone. When we walked in somewhere, everyone else walked out.

‘Good!’ Wizzie yelled after them as they all stomped out of the toilets. ‘Prefer privacy anyway!’

She laughed, and was annoyed because none of us joined in. ‘Come on, you’re always telling me to lighten up … Well, I have.’

‘Lighten up, Wizzie? This is serious! Nothing to joke about.’

‘Nobody got hurt. Wasnae that bad.’

I couldn’t believe she’d said that. ‘Nobody got hurt? Wizzie, Erin’s living in a hostel. Her family have lost everything. They had a lovely house, lovely things.’ I remembered how proud Erin’s mother had been of her house. The ornate cornices on the ceiling, the beautiful marble tiles in the close. How the living-room wall was dominated by photos of the family she was so proud of. All gone now. The thought of it suddenly made me feel sick.

‘Material things. Don’t matter. They’ll be insured anyway.’

Why was she saying these things? I felt like I didn’t know Wizzie at all. ‘Is that why you did it?’ I had to say it. She drew her eyes up to mine.

‘What did you say?’

‘She said, “Is that why you did it, Wizzie?” ’ Lauren stood beside me.

‘Just because your family knows every insurance scam in the world, doesn’t mean everybody else does.’ I couldn’t believe Sonya dared to say that to Wizzie.

Neither could Wizzie. She turned on us all. ‘I’m telling you I had nothing to do with that fire.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure.’ But there was something in her face, in the way she said it. She looked guilty. She sounded guilty. I didn’t believe her. I was sure none of the others did either.

No one said a word.

‘Do none of you believe me?’

I was the only one who stared right back at her. ‘I don’t think we do, Wizzie.’

She kicked at the sink. ‘Doesn’t matter what I say. You don’t believe me. Some mates you are.’ Her voice was breaking she was so angry. ‘Who cares? Who needs you lot? I’m way past you anyway. I’ll get better mates than you.’

And she stormed out of the toilets.

Lauren began to cry softly. ‘I can’t believe she just said that. Not Wizzie.’

Sonya cried. ‘My mum says I’ve to keep back from Wizzie from now on.’

‘My dad’ll kill me if I run about with her again,’ Grace said.

We all thought it had been Wizzie, running with another gang. So why was I the one who felt guilty? Because she did it for me. That was why. I’d wanted revenge. Wizzie got it for me.

It was a day I would never forget. There was disgust for us in everyone’s eyes. We couldn’t be suspended because there was no real proof against us, but the pupils didn’t need proof. They had tried and sentenced us all. The whole school had taken Erin’s side and I couldn’t blame them.

Wizzie was the only one who didn’t seem to care. After that incident in the toilets she ignored us. She acted as if she enjoyed the glares and the comments. She just glared right back at them. But there was anger in her too. I’d never seen such anger. Anger at us, her mates. Because we didn’t believe her. But how could we? She was hiding something, and we all knew it.

There was something else too that really bothered me. I could read it in their eyes as they watched Wizzie warily. Now people really were scared of her.

Because if Wizzie could do this … what else could she do?





Chapter Fifty-Three


I walked home alone that day. Lauren went off to rehearsals though she didn’t want to. But big Anil came and called for her and he walked with her to the auditorium. ‘At least someone doesn’t think we’re guilty,’ Sonya said.

For once, Grace hit the nail on the head. ‘No, he doesn’t think Lauren’s guilty.’

But then, I don’t think a lot of people did think Lauren had anything to do with it. Since she’d started rehearsals for the school show she was different. She looked different. She wasn’t one of us any more. Everything was changing.

When school finished, I trudged round the corner towards my tenement, and there, standing at the mouth of my close, was Heather. I glanced around, sure Erin and Rose would be somewhere nearby, ready to pounce.

‘I’m on my own,’ Heather said, her voice trembling. In fact, she was trembling all over. I thought it was with anger until I came closer and saw the tears in her eyes. Big fat tears. And I knew then it wasn’t anger I heard in her voice. It was fear.