Daisy shrugged, looking away and biting her nails as she did so.
Robyn paused, throwing the sixteen-year-old a sympathetic glance. ‘Look, can you not see how much easier it will be for all of us once the exams are out of the way?’
‘S’pose.’ Heads began to nod in agreement. ‘We won’t have to be leaving early from rehearsals to get home to revise,’ Lucy Earnshaw said.
‘Absolutely.’ Robyn could feel the kids coming round to her way of thinking. ‘And,’ she went on, ‘because my three Year 11 classes will have left, I’ll have a good five or so extra hours during the day to rehearse with you.’ Robyn smiled. ‘You’ll be able to stay in bed until midday and then come along at your leisure in the afternoon for rehearsals.’
‘I’ll have to be up at five as usual to sort my paper round,’ Seb, the Year 10 who was playing Danny, put in.
‘She doesn’t mean you lot further down the school, you moron.’ Lucy tutted, rolling her eyes towards Seb. ‘You’ll have to wait until next year to do that.’
‘And your Sorrel will still be Sandy?’
‘Yes, I will. The new London school promised.Wepromised.’ Sorrel had come in quietly, joining the others in front of Robyn. ‘And who knows,’ she went on somewhat airily, ‘I might be able to persuade Susan Yates herself to come up and do a bit of talent spotting as we perform.’
‘Ooh, really?’
‘Yes!’
‘Bloody hell.’
* * *
‘You do know there’s absolutely no chance of Susan Yates personally coming up to our amateur school production, Sorrel?’ Robyn said once the kids, now on a high, had dispersed.
‘Of course I know that.’ Sorrel laughed. ‘Why the hell would she or anyone from her school come up to this arse end of the country?’
‘Oi, language,’ Robyn censured. ‘You’re still on school premises.’
‘Yes, but only for a few more weeks. Actually, Robyn, I’m getting really nervous about going.’
‘Sorrel, the minute you’re in London, learning so much more than anyone here can teach you, you’ll never want to come back…’ Robyn broke off as the drama studio door opened and closed. ‘Oh, Joel?’ Robyn’s eyes widened in delight. ‘What areyoudoing here? Should you be here? Are you allowed? Not breaking any bail conditions, are you?’
‘It’s fine, Ms Allen.’ Mason Donoghue had followed Joel in. ‘Ms Waters and I arranged that he should come back for final revision sessions and then be here to sit the exams. Different syllabus over in Castleford apparently.’
‘How’ve you got here, Joel?’ Robyn asked as Sorrel, pink faced and appearing suddenly shy, seemed unable to utter a word.
Robyn felt herself almost knocked over by the crackling tension between her little sister and this exceptionally good-looking sixteen-year-old now standing politely in front of her.
‘My youth justice worker brought me over. She’s going to wait until the end of the afternoon and then drive me back to Castleford.’
‘Oh? You’re going back? Can’t you stay a bit longer?’ Sorrel pulled a face.
‘Listen, you two, you’ve probably got some catching up to do.’ Robyn gave Mason a warning glance as he stepped forwards. ‘Bell’s not for another fifteen minutes. See you in English lit, Joel? Got your H. G. Wells?’
‘I bet I know it more than you do, Miss.’ He grinned, showing perfect white teeth.
More than likely, Robyn thought. She hatedTheWar of the Worlds. ‘Got a minute, Mr Donoghue?’
‘You wanted me?’ Mason followed Robyn out of the drama studio and up the stone staircase towards the main hub of the school.
‘Nope,’ Robyn said cheerfully. ‘I just wanted to give those two kids some time together. Sorrel’s not seen Joel since January.’
‘I don’t want them getting up to anything,’ Mason said worriedly, on the point of turning back. ‘Not on school premises when I’m supposed to be supervising him.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mason, how much can they get up to inten minutes?’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Sorry, got to dash. Got 7BW for English: creative writing. It’ll be like pulling teeth.’ She made to move off, but Mason called her back.
‘Hang on two minutes. You, erm, appear to know George Sattar? Gossip in the staff room… As inknowhim…’
