Allie didn’t look up. She didn’t need to – she’d know Katie Gilmore’s voice anywhere.
‘Get out of her way or you die next,’ somebody else said and they all laughed.
Fighting the urge to punch Katie in the face, Allie kept her eyes on the floor, counting each step under her breath. The numbers soothed her as they grew.
… fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-n…
‘Allie.’
She jerked to a halt, eyes fixed on the pair of soft, cream-coloured sheepskin boots in her path.
Slowly, she raised her gaze.
Jules, the girls’ prefect, stood in front of her, razor-straight white-blonde hair just brushing the tops of her shoulders, arms crossed disapprovingly. ‘Isabelle sent me to look for you.’
Allie’s heart skipped a beat. Unconsciously her hand drifted to her skirt pocket, where it clutched the stolen phone.
How had she already found out?
Somehow though, despite the adrenaline racing through her veins, her voice was steady. ‘What does she want?’
Jules gave her a strange look, as if she hadn’t expected that question. ‘I don’t know. She just said she was looking for you, and if I saw you to send you to her office.’
Relief washed over Allie like cool water. Isabelle doesn’t know about the phone. Yet.
The realisation made her bolder. ‘Right. Well, you’ve delivered your message, Jules, so your job is done.’ She took a step towards the prefect. ‘Isn’t your boyfriend waiting for you or something? Shouldn’t you be with him?’
Jules didn’t flinch but a red flush stained her neck, creeping to her face.
Ever since the winter ball, Jules and Allie’s ex-boyfriend, Carter, had been an item – the Cimmeria power couple. Allie had got used to seeing them walking down the hall with Carter’s arm draped loosely across her shoulders; his dark hair juxtaposed strikingly against her blonde head. Like chess pieces – the black king with the white queen.
It still made her stomach churn each time she saw them.
‘I don’t want to fight with you, Allie,’ Jules said evenly.
‘Oh good. Well, I’m going to my room for a second then I’ll run right downstairs to talk to Isabelle, like a good little girl.’ Allie knew it was petty to be bitchy to Jules but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She wanted a rise out of her – she longed for a screaming match. Or a fist-fight.
But Jules refused to engage and, shoving past her, Allie hurried on to her room, closing the door with a bang. She didn’t have much time. Isabelle was bound to notice her phone was missing and it wouldn’t take long for her to figure out who’d taken it.
The room was in chaos. Dirty clothes lay strewn on the floor, along with papers, bedding and rubbish. When she’d got out of the infirmary Allie had told Isabelle she didn’t want the cleaners in her room and the headmistress had reluctantly agreed. Now the place was a tip.
Just the way Allie wanted it.
Kicking off her skirt and sensible, school-issued shoes, she yanked on a pair of black skinny jeans. She’d lost weight after Jo’s death and they hung a bit loose on her but they’d do. Hastily lacing her red Doc Martens up to her knees, she grabbed a dark coat from the wardrobe and rummaged through the clutter on the floor for her hat and scarf. She was still shrugging on her coat as she dialled a familiar number.
‘What?’ The voice that answered her call was aggressive. But to Allie the thick London accent sounded like home.
‘Mark.’ Her voice was urgent but low. ‘It’s me.’
‘Allie?’ His tone changed. ‘Holy… How the hell are you?’
‘I’m in trouble.’
The pleasure left his voice. ‘Where are you? Are you at home? Is it your parents?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m at school. But something’s happened. Something bad.’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘What do you need?’
She looked out of the window where the daylight had begun to fade. ‘Want to run away with me?’
The road was quiet at this hour. Picking up a stick, Allie threw it hard into a darkening pasture, listening for the faint thud as it landed on the rich soil, out of her sight.
There were no streetlights, and the only houses were in the distance – she could just make out their lights twinkling across the fields. But she felt better out here, without trees blocking the ambient light. In fact, the further away from the school she got, the better she felt.
Her left knee was a bit numb but it was taking her weight. She thought it would hold out until she got into town.
Lost in thought, Allie tripped over a stone on the edge of the road and only just stopped herself from falling.
Focus, Allie, she chided herself. Break your leg now and you’ll end up back in that stupid infirmary.