‘You’re in Erin’s crowd, aren’t you?’ Pam said.
Why did they always say that? Just once I wanted Erin to be in my crowd, but pointing that out seemed like some kind of betrayal, so I said nothing to correct her. ‘Erin’s my best friend,’ I said.
Pam sniggered. ‘Do the other two know that?’
I pushed my way out the door, half expecting Sonya to be lying in wait for me. But it was Heather who was there. ‘I heard that,’ she said. ‘Thanks very much. Erin’s your best friend, is she? Not me.’
I put my arm around her shoulder. ‘I only said that because they were talking about Erin.’
But it was a lie. Erin was my best friend. She and I were special. Soul mates, me and Erin. I tried to make it up to Heather as we walked to class.
There was a crowd round the school noticeboard and we pushed our way to the front. ‘Hey, look what they’re putting on for the school summer show! Grease!’
Everyone loved the school summer show, except maybe Wizzie and her lot. People like her, the low lifes, wouldn’t have anything to do with the school show. But we loved it. It was always such a laugh.
‘We must tell Rose. She’d be brilliant playing Sandy.’ Rose was a really good singer. She had dreams of going on the stage one day. She’d been in the show the year before. She’d definitely be up for this one too.
Suddenly, Heather burst into song. ‘Summer lovin’, I came in last …’
I joined in, totally off-key. Didn’t know the words either. ‘Summer lovin’ … Wizzie got gassed …’
We laughed ourselves silly as we walked up the corridor, hurrying to tell Rose about the auditions. Erin caught up with us and joined in. I noticed Sonya and Lauren watching us. Surely it was envy I saw in their eyes. What else could it be? Who wouldn’t want to be one of us?
Chapter Seven
There was a fight coming. We could all sense it. Nothing was said, but the tension was there. And it was coming from Wizzie’s crowd, the Hell Cats. I said it was probably BO and we all laughed.
Even the teachers sensed it.
Mr Hammond, the teacher who produced the school show, called us together one day and asked us just what was going on.
‘Nothing, Mr Hammond,’ Erin said, before I had a chance to speak. She looked round at us. ‘We don’t know what you mean.’
Heather looked blank. Not a difficult thing for Heather. Rose just looked bored.
Mr Hammond spoke directly to Erin. ‘Don’t think if there’s any trouble you won’t get the blame. Just because you lot manage to avoid it most of the time.’ He was one of the few teachers who didn’t give us any slack. He thought we were every bit as much to blame for trouble as the Hell Cats. ‘You think because you live in a better area you must be better than they are. Actually, that’s what makes you worse.’
We all looked at each other as if he was talking Chinese.
‘What are we supposed to have done wrong?’ I managed to get his attention at last. He turned to me.
‘You were on that train too. Don’t think I don’t know it. And I know how it works, Hannah. They got the blame, so Wizzie will get back at you for it. I know Wizzie and I know you lot. And you’re all trouble. Not one of you any better than the other.’
‘We keep back from trouble, sir. You ask anybody.’ I was all wide-eyed innocence. I could see that was really annoying him.
As he finally stomped away from us, I whispered to Erin, ‘But if trouble comes to us, we don’t turn our back on it.’
And trouble was coming. But when? I didn’t feel scared thinking about it. It was more like excitement I felt. Every time I passed Wizzie or her mates in the corridors I tensed, expecting them to lunge at me, expecting a fight at any moment. I even imagined it happening. And I’d win. Then I’d go back to Erin and tell her. ‘Sorted.’ I’d sorted it. Me. Hannah. I wanted to be the one who sorted everything.
I walked into the canteen and there they were, at their table. Wizzie was lying along it on her belly Lauren and Sonya were sitting on it. Big Grace had her feet resting on it. Why couldn’t they ever just sit at a table like normal people? I wondered.
I decided I wasn’t going to wait for them to come to me. I barged up to them instead. ‘That’s very unhygienic,’ I said, pointing out Wizzie’s bare midriff. I noticed she’d had her belly button pierced. It had a ring attached to it. Even more unhygienic. ‘Especially since it’s your belly that’s on the table.’
Wizzie sat up. Did she have a fresh scar on her neck? Red raw, I was sure she did.
‘Cut yourself shaving?’ I asked.