GREEN FLAGS
Friendship Edition
• They celebrate your successes and they love it when you achieve something.
• You can always talk about whatever’s on your mind.
• No criticism if one of you changes or develops.
• They show understanding for the boundaries you set.
• They understand that friendship has closer and less close phases.
• They ask how they can help if something’s wrong.
• They want the best for you, regardless of whether it’s also the best for them.
• They are able to apologize and admit it when they’ve made a mistake.
23
SINCLAIR
Mr Acevedo’s taken me back. I’d imagined my conversation with him being more dramatic than it was. I didn’t have to argue, he just gave me this knowing look and said the stage was all mine.
Somehow it annoys me that he must have secretly known I’d be back. But I’m just too happy that he’s given me another chance, because after I admitted to Tori and myself that I do actually want to be in the play, I was more than a wee bit scared that Mr Acevedo would turn me down. Then I learn from Eleanor that he continued rehearsals with the cast unchanged for the last week and a half, which means I feel mildly taken for a ride.
But, fine, that’s just how it is. The main thing is that I get to act. And the other main thing is that Tori’s there too. I think she’s feeling better, even if she’s still often pale and tired. If her voice isn’t loud enough at rehearsals, I call for quiet on her behalf so that she can say her bit. It’s teamwork; it’s amazingly successful. But all the same, I can feel that she doesn’t find it easy to see me on stage with Eleanor.
I toyed with the idea of telling Tori about Eleanor and her girlfriend, but a promise is a promise. Eleanor gave me a contented glance when I set everyone else whispering by kissing Tori hello. Sooner or later, the news about us would have gotaround anyway. At least, most people in our form seem to know already. And I guess the same goes for the upper sixth. And it bugs me that I’m even thinking about this, but I hope Valentine won’t cause any more problems when he bumps into Tori. And at the same time, I hope he’s still fucked off about it because that would mean she actually mattered to him in some way.
I’d like to speak more to her about how she feels after everything, but I get the sense that she’s not ready yet. And maybe I’m not the person she wants to talk it all over with. Normally, I’d hope she’d confide in Olive, but those two still aren’t talking. And I can tell that bothers Tori. Whenever she sees Olive, this worried expression comes over her face. Sometimes, it seems like the rehearsals are the only time in the day when she can forget all that for a while. That’s how it is for me, anyway, and I spend whole days longing for the next rehearsal. It’s almost ridiculous that not so long ago I was sure I never wanted to act again. I do, I really do, and, best of all, it’s working. Tori seems chilled and happy while she’s walking from one to another of us on the stage. My dream isn’t her nightmare, even if I’d been afraid it might be.
TORI
It takes me almost another week to feel properly back in the swing of school life, and to have caught up with what I missed. I really don’t recommend being ill for so long, and just as I think I’m finally up to date, I realize before maths that I’ve forgotten an important piece of homework.
‘Shit, Henry, can I copy yours?’ I whisper, as I follow him into the classroom. He eyes me a moment, not reproachful, just slightly amused, as he pulls his iPad mini from his back pocket and opens a document.
‘But put a few mistakes into it,’ he says, handing it to me.
‘Thanks.’ I sit down at my place and pull out my own tablet. ‘I’ll look at it properly later. Study hour or something . . .’
‘Never, then,’ remarks Emma, cheerfully, turning up beside us. ‘We all know that one.’
I laugh. ‘Yeah, OK, let’s not kid ourselves.’
I manage to slip the iPad back to Henry unnoticed before Ms Ventura comes in and walks around the class, to see everyone’s homework.
Later on, Charlie has Latin and I’ve got Enrichment with Ms Barnett. At the start of the class, she tells us to get into pairs and fetch some paints from the cupboards at the back of the classroom. I soon see I’m going to have to work with Olive. Everyone else has already found a partner.
‘Shall we?’ I ask hesitantly. Olive nods silently, but doesn’t look quite as frosty as I’d feared as she walks to the back to fetch the paint. Meanwhile, I head over to Ms Barnett’s desk, where she’s prepared an array of items for us to collect to create still lifes.
For a while, Olive and I work in silence. In the old days, we chatted so much during pair work that teachers were always having to tell us off. Now, we can hardly look at each other.
I’m just getting set up, and I budge closer to the table, when I catch something with my elbow. It’s the water jar, and it lands in Olive’s lap.
‘Crap, I’m sorry,’ I exclaim, as Olive grabs it and I see the stains on her pale trousers. Like me, she hadn’t put an apron on.
