She doesn’t see. I’m losing my mind. She walks into the sick bay and I stare up at the ceiling. All I can think of is Tori’s body burning up, the way she crumpled in my arms. Like she was a puppet and someone had cut her strings.
Henry doesn’t even ask if we should go to the dining room. He just waits with me until Mum walks down the corridor towards us. She’s looking serious.
‘And?’ I walk up to her, try to read her face, gauge how serious it really is.
‘There’s flu going around the juniors and Dr Henderson thinks that’s what Tori’s caught. She’ll soon be back on her feet.’
How can she sound so calm? Didn’t she see the way Tori fainted?
‘Is she awake?’ I ask. ‘Mum?’
The look in her eyes makes me feel like my knees might give way. ‘Not just now – she’s got a high temperature, but Dr Henderson is looking after her.’
I feel sick. ‘But . . . shouldn’t she be in hospital?’
‘Charles, I’m quite certain that Dr Henderson is best placed to judge how serious the situation is,’ Mum says. ‘They’re givingher fluids and something to get the fever down. She’ll be better soon.’
‘Can I see her?’ I say, without much hope.
‘She needs rest.’
‘I’ll be quiet,’ I say at once. ‘Seriously, I just need to . . .’
‘Charlie, we don’t want anyone else to catch it. The sick bay is almost full as it is. It would be irresponsible of us.’
My eyes are welling with tears of rage and helplessness. Because Mum doesn’t understand how urgently I need to see her. It’s truly important to me, OK? I have to see that Tori’s all right. I kissed Eleanor for real, on purpose. Because I wanted to hurt my best friend. Was she already feeling ill? Yesterday evening? And I didn’t notice because I was too busy raging and getting revenge? I’m the world’s biggest arsehole.
‘Hey.’ Henry puts a hand on my shoulder. I can’t bear it.
‘Mum, please,’ I whisper, but she shakes her head. I hate how much she has to be the head teacher as soon as we’re at school.
She takes a step towards me and I want to flinch. But I don’t. I feel the hot tears in my eyes as she puts her arms around me. Normally I’d be embarrassed to cry in front of her and Henry, but right now I have other worries.
‘I’m sure it looked worse than it was, pet,’ she says quietly.
‘She just fell over, Mum,’ I whisper.
‘Lucky you were there, huh?’ She looks at me and I wonder where she’s getting all the horrible sympathy. Am I blowing this out of proportion? Maybe . . . But I can’t help it. ‘I’m sure that Tori will be doing much better in a day or two. Then she’ll be able to have visitors.’
She lets me go. Henry is discreetly studying some kind of invisible message in the flooring, and he only looks up again when Mum continues: ‘I’ll tell Tori’s parents. You two, please get to class.’ She gives Henry a look that presumably means something likeTake care of him for me.He nods at once. ‘And ifeither of you starts feeling ill in the course of the day, please tell your houseparent at once. Got that?’
I want to argue, but I have to face the facts – making a scene wouldn’t do any good. Then they wouldn’t let me see Tori at all. I gulp, but the stupid lump in my throat won’t disappear as I glance at the door between me and Tori. Everything within me wants to go back to her, just to convince myself she’s OK.
‘Coming?’ Henry’s voice makes me jump.
I nod absentmindedly.
‘Sinclair, she’ll get better,’ he says, as we walk down the corridor. He has no idea.
‘I kissed Eleanor,’ I say.
Henry stops.
‘Yesterday,’ I continue.
‘What?’ He’s looking at me like he didn’t hear properly. But he did. I can see it in his face. ‘Just like that?’
‘For the play. Not just like that. But . . . I went too far – I kissed her an extra-long time because I knew Tori was watching. Because I was raging and wanted her to feel like I felt.’
