‘I hear it was your sister who caused the accident?’
‘It was your Sorrel? No!’ Colleen McCartney, Head of girls’ PE, with whom Robyn had never had much of a relationship, turned, animated. ‘Shewas there?Shewas to blame? Have the police questioned her then?’
‘What? Oh, for heaven’s sake, Colleen, what’s the matter with you?’ Robyn threw the woman a disgusted look.
‘Well, John’s just said it was your sister! And I assume she’d been at one of your rehearsals after school?’
‘Blane killed himself!’ Jo Cooper, coming into the staff room, glared at Colleen and John in turn. ‘In a terrible accident.’
‘Well, the rumour is that your sister had something to do with it, Robyn.’ John Vaughn wasn’t letting it go.
‘Sorrel was with me all evening,’ Robyn said angrily.
‘Well…’ Colleen’s eyes were wide.
‘My big sister, Jess, if it’sanythingat all to do with you, Colleen, was in her van waiting for Sorrel and me…’
‘Andsheknocked him off his bike?’
‘No, Colleen, let’s get rid of this rumour once and for all before it’s all the way round Little Micklethwaite…’
‘Yes.’ John Vaughn nodded sagely. ‘And his OCG gang come looking for her to get their revenge for her taking out their most prolific drug pusher.’
‘What? Oh Jesus, you’re all as bad as each other.’ Robyn had had enough and turned, heading for the door.
‘…and if this big sister of hers was parked on double yellows – well, that has to tell you something, doesn’t it…?’ Colleen McCartney’s whining voice followed Robyn as she left.
‘Fuck’s sake,’ Robyn muttered furiously under her breath, striding quickly towards the drama studio, wanting only to put distance between herself and the staff room.
‘Miss?’
Robyn whirled round, embarrassed to be caught swearing.
‘Oh, Seb. What’s up?’
‘Can I have a word, Miss?’
‘About Blane?’
‘Blane? No, about me.’
‘What is it?’ Robyn asked, running a hand across her forehead where she could feel a headache starting.
‘Me dad says I can’t be inGrease no more.’
Robyn stared. This was the last thing she’d been expecting. ‘What! But you’re Danny! We can’t go ahead without you! You’re Year 10, not GCSE year. Your dad can’t be worried about you not doing revision?’
‘No, it’s not that, Miss.’
‘What then?’
‘He’s booked a holiday for us. We’re off to Benidorm for two weeks. He didn’t realise you’d changed the dates.’
‘But you can’t go!’ Robyn realised she was pleading. ‘We just can’t do it without you, Seb. Let me have a word with your dad – what’s his phone number? – get him to change the date?’
Seb shook his head. ‘Tried that, Miss. It’s the cheap season. You know, still in school time. The weeks after that are double the price, he says. And, if he cancels, he’ll lose the lot unless one of us ends up with a broken leg or summat…’ He trailed off, not looking at Robyn, and she felt she could quite happily oblige the breaking of any number of legs, but particularly those of Seb’s dad.
‘Well,youdon’t have to go,’ Robyn pleaded. ‘You could stay with your granny…’
