‘Consequences?’
‘Yes, consequences,’ said the teacher, a brief flare of anger in her eyes. Miss Holden sighed and folded her arms. ‘Look, April, I know your background. At this moment you might only be interested in music and boys, but the facts remain that you’re intelligent, pretty, grounded, you’re an all-rounder and I’m sure if you apply yourself you’ll do just fine.’
April looked down at her hands, embarrassed.
‘But there are kids here who simply can’t do anything else. Maths, physics, science, these students are brilliant in their fields, but they are specialists. Put the biology student in an English class and they are average at best, so imagine what life’s going to be like for them if they don’t get where they’re supposed to be. And think of the bigger picture - if that happens we might be denying society a cure for cancer, or the ability to breathe on the moon.’
She regarded April for a moment, seemed to be weighing up something in her mind. ‘And, more importantly, we need to make sure they don’t fall under the wrong influences.’
‘The Russians?’
Miss Holden burst out laughing. ‘No, April, not the Russians,’ she said with a wry smile. ‘The Soviet threat is well and truly over, dear.’
April could feel her face go bright red as Miss Holden turned serious again.
‘But you can appreciate that students with such incredible potential are very vulnerable. We need to keep you all from being corrupted too early - it’s part of our job.’
April thought she might be joking, but she looked completely straight-faced.
Why do adults always spend so much time worrying about our morals
? she wondered, eyeing the teacher’s beads and sandals.
Like you’ve never rolled
a
joint in your life, you hypocrite
.
‘And speaking of corrupting influences, it’s also an unofficial part of our jobs to keep an eye on you and the people you’re spending time with.’
April looked up, suddenly feeling angry. Had she been spying on her? ‘I think you know who I’m talking about.’
‘Caro?’
‘No, not Caro,’ said Miss Holden impatiently. ‘Caroline Jackson may have discipline issues and a unique way of looking at the world, but she’s fairly harmless. I’m talking about the so-called “Faces” and their self-appointed leader in particular, Davina Osbourne.’
April could barely believe her ears. How dare a teacher tell her who she could and could not hang out with?
‘I thought your jurisdiction ended at the school gates, Miss Holden,’ said April defiantly.
‘No, April, it goes a lot further than that. And I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know or sense: Davina Osbourne is bad news. I’m merely pointing out the obvious - that if you continue to spend time with her and her friends, you’re going to find yourself in trouble. And trouble seems to be following you, doesn’t it?’
‘That’s not fair,’ said April. ‘It’s just bad luck. I can’t help it if something happens right in front of me, can I?’
‘Can’t you?’
April started. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘We make our own luck, April, both good and bad, and you have to be aware of your own power to influence events.’
‘What, you mean I should have done something different? What? What was I supposed to do?’
April felt a bubbling anger towards the teacher. How dare she? Was she saying that April should have run back into the cemetery and fought a mad killer with her bare hands? It was ridiculous! She was only a sixteen-year-old girl, not some superhero.
‘Are you saying that if I’d done something differently,’ asked April, barely controlling her voice, ‘that girl Isabelle wouldn’t be dead?’
Miss Holden didn’t speak. The teacher shook her head slightly and stood up, smoothing her skirt down. ‘Just be careful, April, that’s all I ask. As you mature into an adult, you’ll have choices to make. Some of them will be very important, more important than they may seem at the time.’
Condescending
cow, thought April. But she knew that arguing with a teacher would only land her in yet more unasked-for trouble, so instead she stood up and forced a smile.
‘Thanks for the advice, Miss Holden,’ she said, trying her best not to let sarcasm drift into her words. ‘I’ll think about what you’ve said.’
Miss Holden touched her arm. ‘Do,’ she said. ‘Please.’
Note to self
, thought April as she closed the classroom behind her.
Never daydream in class again.
She walked down the corridor and out through the main entrance, feeling the bite of the cold air in her lungs.
‘Hey, sweetie,’ said a voice. April almost jumped out of her skin.
She turned to see Davina right behind her. It was almost uncanny, given that Miss Holden had just been warning her to stay away from her. Well, she wasn’t about to let that cow tell her what to do. April was so mad with the teacher, if she’d told her not to play in traffic she would have run across a motorway.
‘Davina,’ she breathed. ‘I didn’t hear you.’
‘I get that a lot,’ said Davina, smiling. Standing next to her was a Chinese girl with shoulder-length hair and glasses.
‘This is Ling Po,’ said Davina. ‘She’s a new girl too, aren’t you, Ling? I thought I’d introduce you two as you’re both in the same boat.’
The girl smiled awkwardly, casting her eyes down.
‘She’s shy,’ said Davina, ‘but we’ll soon cure that, won’t we, Ling? Anyway ...’ Davina linked her arm through April’s and led her towards the gate. ‘What kept you? I was waiting for you after History. We were worried, weren’t we, Ling?’
‘Oh, Miss Holden wanted a chat,’ said April.
Davina paused a beat. ‘More questions?’
‘No, something about how I’m holding everyone back because I’m not hanging on her every word.’
Davina laughed. ‘That’s typical of that witch. She’s always sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted. Don’t let her get to you, she’s just jealous of us.’
‘Jealous? Of us?’
‘Clever, pretty girls like you and me, April. And Ling, of course,’ she added, with a glance back at the girl trailing along behind them. ‘I mean, have you seen what she wears? Like some old hippy throwback, and not in a good way. She’s old before her time and she hates to see fabulous young people having fun.’
‘I suppose ...’ said April, not exactly surprised that the dislike between them was mutual.
‘I’m telling you. Old and bitter. Anyway, talking of beautiful people having fun, that’s why I was waiting for you. Milo’s parents are away this weekend so we’re throwing a Halloween party on Sunday.’
‘Sunday?’ said April, knowing what her parents would say about going out the night before a school day, but Davina wasn’t listening. Clearly that sort of thing wasn’t important in her rarefied world.
‘It’s going to be so amazing I can’t even begin,’ continued Davina. ‘Only the best people will be there and everyone’s going to look stunning - dress code black, of course. Say you’ll come?’
April nodded. ‘Of course, I’d love to if I can. Why don’t you text me the details, my number—’
Davina held up a sleek black phone. ‘Already got it!’ she sang.
April smiled to herself. How could Miss Holden have thought these girls were dangerous? Davina was an airhead, yes. A little smug too, and she certainly didn’t have any problems with her self-esteem: Davina clearly thought she was just about perfect. April hadn’t seen her in any classes, but there must be a brain underneath the socialite act, otherwise she would never have qualified for Ravenwood, no matter how rich Daddy was. Or maybe her speciality was gossip and social networking? Either way, to suggest that the Faces could be a malign influence was crazy. They just weren’t that clever.
‘I can’t decide what to wear,’ gushed Davina, as if to prove April’s point. ‘I’m thinking about a gorgeous chiffon Dolce minidress I saw in Harvey Nicks, but maybe I should go for something more grand like vintage Dior or even a McQueen ball gown. What do you think? And then there’s shoes and bags and I’m going to force Mummy to lend me her Cartier earrings for the night. Oh, it’s going to be such fun!’
‘I can’t wait,’ said April, and was surprised to find that she was telling the truth.
‘She said I was
harmless?’
‘
Fairly
harmless,’ corrected April.
She suppressed a smirk as Caro spluttered with indignation. They were sitting in the Americano Coffee Bar on Highgate High Street and April had just related the story of her encounters with Miss Holden and Davina earlier in the day.
‘Fairly harmless? That’s worse than plain ordinary harmless! ’ she shouted. ‘Like I’m even mediocre at being harmful! What do I have to do to be seen as disruptive?’
April laughed. ‘I suspect you’re going to have to rethink your plan of anarchy.’
Caro shook her head in disbelief. ‘It’s just not fair. You find a dead body—’
‘A dead fox,’ said April.
‘Whatever,’ continued Caro, ‘and just like that you’re edgy and cool. I’ve been cultivating this image of the school rebel for years, then you come along, fall asleep in a lesson and all of a sudden you’re Che Guevara. There’s no justice.’
‘You could always fall asleep in
more
lessons, or stink-bomb the staff room,’ suggested April.
‘Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?’ She sighed. ‘If I thought it would look good on my Oxford entrance papers, I would.’ She stared morosely into her coffee. ‘So, on the subject of disruption, any plans for the big night?’
‘What big night?’
‘Halloween,’ Caro said, lowering her voice an octave.
April shook her head. ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m going to go.’
‘What? You have to go!’
April frowned. ‘I thought you were going to forbid me to mix with all those fakes and give me a lecture about going over to the dark side.’
‘No, no, don’t you see? You
have
to go over to the dark side. It’s the only way we’ll ever find out what’s going on!’
April laughed. ‘Not you too,’ she said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Miss Holden. She seems to think the Faces are some sort of dangerous paramilitary organisation hell-bent on world destruction.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t underestimate their desire to crush everything before them,’ said Caro. ‘But mainly through withering put-downs rather than out-and-out violence.’
‘So you don’t think they’re dangerous?’
‘No, but their friends and relatives are. The party is at Milo Asprey’s house and his father is hot stuff in the energy industry. He’s also super-tight with Davina and Ben’s daddy, Nicholas Osbourne, who heads up Agropharm International, no less.’
‘Agropharm?’ April whistled. ‘Even I’ve heard of them. They make aspirin, don’t they?’
‘Aspirin, paint, plastics, explosives, chemical weapons ...’
April’s mouth dropped open.
‘But don’t get Mr Osbourne wrong - he’s not all bad, he does a lot of work for charity. He’s the chairman of Airlift, the big charity for refugees and war-zone relief. He gives with one hand and takes away with the other, just like all good politicians.’
‘How do you know all this?’
‘I have my sources.’
‘Is this part of your conspiracy thing?’
Caro shrugged. ‘I said it before, there are no records of who runs the educational trust behind Ravenwood, but Mr Asprey is very active in fund-raising for the school and best of friends with all the governors, who seem to be in awe of him.’
‘That doesn’t necessarily make him Mr Big, though, does it?’