“No, you know her, the model of discretion.”
“Aye, right, how could I forget?”
“She seems to know his mum, though.Think she must have owed her one.She doesn’t normally take anyone partway through a year.And if she does, as an exception, they’d start after Christmas or at Easter.”
“So I guess I can count myself lucky I’m not the only newbie crashing halfway through term,” I muse sarcastically.
“So that’s settled then?”The suppressed hope in Tori’s voice nearly tips me over the edge.“You’re repeating the lower sixth.”
I swallow.“They didn’t give me much choice.”
“But surely your parents understand that you’d rather...”
“Tori,” says Grace quietly.
“No, I’m not having it, OK?”Tori looks like she’s about to jump up, but Sinclair puts his hand on her knee.“Livy belongs with us.We need to do our A levels together.”
“Mum and Dad don’t see it that way,” I mutter.“And neither does Mrs.Sinclair.”
Tori turns to Sinclair.“Talk to your mum.”
“I don’t think she’d take kindly to me interfering,” he says.
“But it’s our last year together.”Tori turns back to me.Her voice is so choked up that I’m fighting back tears myself.
You.Will.Not.Cry.
Not again.
But it’s so bloody hard being in a room with your favorite people when you have to face the fact that everything’s going to change.Everything.It was finally perfect.I’d patched things up with Tori, she’d got together with Sinclair, Emma had accepted my apology, we’d put on our performance ofRomeo and Juliet, andwe’d fought for greater equality at school.And then Fate came along and battered me over the head.
“We’ll all still be here,” Grace says quietly.I’m sure she means well, but it’s only making things worse.“Won’t we, Tori?”
She nods cautiously.“At least we’re all on the same floor.I’m just next door.”
I blink.“Great.”
“We’ll see each other here in the wing, at mealtimes, at midnight parties.It’ll only be classes where it’s different, but that’s not the end of the world.”
Don’t make me laugh.
“Everything will be the same really,” Tori promises.
I shut my eyes.If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that nothing stays the same.Nothing at all.Especially not if you wish for it with everything you’ve got.
Colin
A closet.A tiny hole with shabby furniture and they have the nerve to call it aroom.I couldn’t believe my ears at the meeting with the head when Mr.Acevedo, who was introduced as my houseparent, our resident adviser here in the dorm wing, said that I have to share it with somebody else.This has to be a sick joke, but Mom doesn’t even bat an eyelid when I turn to her.
“Nope, not a chance,” I say once Mr.Acevedo gives us a bit of space.“No way am I staying here if I don’t even get my own room.”
“You’ll deal with it.”Mom glances at her smartwatch.I knowwhat’s coming before she even speaks.Even so, my gut churns as she looks up.“I can’t leave the car waiting any longer.Want to come back down?”
I clear my throat, then shake my head.Maybe I’m being childish, but I can’t deal with it anymore.I guess I should be glad she even came up after we talked to Mrs.Sinclair.That she took this detour to Edinburgh instead of staying right there in London, where she’s heading back later for dinner at the Shangri La with some industry folks before flying to New York again.Without me.
“No, let’s get it over with.”Everything within me tenses as I take a quick step toward her.I hug her for as short a time as possible, hoping that will make her think.But on the contrary.She seems pleased that I’m not showing any uncomfortable emotion.She might even be relieved that I’m not making a big deal of saying goodbye.Hey, it isn’t a real one.“Have a good flight.Talk soon.”
“I hope you’ll make the best of your time here, Colin,” she says.A chill spreads through my chest as she turns away.“See you soon.”
