“Congratulations.” I jump as I hear Olive’s voice. “Satisfied now?”
My blood runs cold as she walks past me.
“Livy,” murmurs Grace. “Stop it.”
“Does she think she can come here and just push her way inbetween everybody? First Tori, then you and Henry. I’m sick of it. Everything’s changed since she started.”
“Well, that’s down to you.” I don’t know where Tori sprang from, but her voice has never sounded as chilly as it does now, as she steps to my side. “I am quite capable of deciding for myself whom I want to spend time with, and I guess Henry is too.”
Olive exhales, and Grace tries to pull her away.
“And yeah, breakups are shit, but there wouldn’t be the tiniest problem between us two if you didn’t keep turning everything into one.”
“Wow, good to know it’s all my fault,” Olive hisses, vanishing into the crowd. Grace follows her after a brief glance in our direction.
“Sorry.” Tori sighs. “But you shouldn’t take it personally.”
“I didn’t want this,” I blurt. “I didn’t want to come between you, and I didn’t want Henry and Grace to...”
“Emma, there are two sides to everything.” Tori glares warningly at a bunch of younger kids, who actually walk away now. Even so, I still feel like the entire corridor’s looking at me. “Come on.”
She takes my wrist and pulls me after her. I want to cry as I follow her, despite the drizzle, into the inner courtyard. The air is chilly and heavy with rain, and I force myself to take some deep breaths as I stand with Tori under the narrow eaves, which shelter us from the wet.
“So it’s true then?” I ask her. “They broke up?”
Tori nods. “Henry finished with her. On Saturday. Sinclair told me so.”
Saturday... So the day after we were in Glasgow. I shiver.Henry’s face right next to mine, his warm breath on my lips; I can still feel it.
“You went out together on Friday, didn’t you?” says Tori.
I don’t answer, stare into space. The dark cobbles are damp and glistening. A couple of hyperactive juniors run through the rain in their blue Dunbridge jackets. “Yes,” I admit. “We were in Glasgow. We almost kissed.”
To my surprise, I don’t hear a shocked intake of breath from Tori. In fact, I don’t hear anything. When I turn to her, there’s just a slight smile on her lips.
“But he pulled away before anything could happen.” Everything in me is fighting not to say the words out loud. Because it’s so damn humiliating.
“He’s Henry. He always has to do everything right,” Tori remarks, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “He’s the most Cancery Cancer I’ve ever met.”
“No, you don’t understand,” I mutter. “It was horrible. We didn’t say a word to each other after that. I know he regrets it.”
“Emma, the guy’s crazy about you. Sinclair says the same. And we’ve known him forever, so trust me.”
All the same, I don’t dare believe what she’s saying. I can’t allow myself to hope. It would hurt too much.
“Have you seen each other since?” Tori asks.
I shake my head. “No.”
“Maybe you should talk.”
I say nothing, but just the idea almost turns my stomach. I can’t talk to Henry. I smashed up his relationship. I came to this school and caused nothing but chaos.
“You have to talk,” Tori repeats.
I nod to keep her happy, because what have I got to say to Henry? That he’s made the wrong choice and ought to ask Grace to take him back. They’re made for each other. They’re the perfect couple; everybody knows that.
But my heart keeps racing. I’m weak at the knees. Henry and Grace have split up.
