Night School

Jo was choosing a notebook. ‘Dunno. He said he had something to do and would do his paper later.’


‘Weird,’ Allie said. ‘The teachers are being so tough but Sylvain and Gabe don’t seem to mind.’

Jo shrugged. ‘Nobody’s telling me much about what’s going on. Gabe and I had a row about it and we never row.’

‘Boys are rubbish,’ Allie said, opening her book.

Having finally found the right notebook, Jo was now focused on finding something it contained, and she rustled through its pages as she spoke absently. ‘All I know is all the Night School guys are out every single night, and I’m sure it has something to do with the other night. But it’s top secret.’

Allie stopped and stared at her, a brittle, yellowing book page still gripped between her fingers.

‘Wait. You know who’s in Night School?’

Jo froze, guilt spreading across her expression. ‘No. Not really. I mean, I kind of … guessed. Anyway, a few are pretty obvious about it.’

‘Like who?’

‘I don’t know, really,’ Jo said carefully. ‘I mean, just guessing, it could be Sylvain, and Phil, maybe Lucas, and, possibly Gabe and Carter, I mean, but who knows?’

She was lying so badly Allie would have laughed if she hadn’t been so surprised.

‘You mean, you think your own boyfriend is in it, but you’re not sure?’ she said.

Jo looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention to them, then leaned towards Allie and lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘Look, it’s really super-secret, you know? You get in a lot of trouble if anybody finds out you’ve said anything about it. I mean, a lot of trouble.’

‘So, we really shouldn’t be talking about it now?’ Allie whispered.

‘No,’ Jo hissed.

Allie returned to her book, turning one slow page after another, but her mind was still whirling around what Jo had told her.

She leaned forward again. ‘No girls?’

Jo gave her a significant look.

‘Maybe Jules,’ she mouthed. ‘And Ruth.’

Allie’s eyes widened. ‘No way,’ she said, disbelieving.

Jo raised her right hand. ‘Swear to God.’

For half an hour after that they worked in silence, save for the sound of notes being scribbled and pages turned. Then, without warning Allie’s head popped up.

‘That explains the way Carter reacted last Saturday,’ she said, as if their conversation had never paused.

Jo looked intrigued. ‘Why? What? And … when?’

Allie explained about Carter chasing her away from the second floor.

‘Interesting,’ Jo said when she finished. ‘I didn’t know they actually ever met in the building, though. And during the day? That’s kind of weird.’

Allie twirled her pen again, getting ink on the side of her hand. She rubbed at it futilely. ‘What exactly is it that they do anyway?’

Jo didn’t look up from her book. ‘No idea.’

Allie was still rubbing at the ink on her hand. ‘I’ve always had the feeling that Carter knew what was really going on. So this would explain why.’

Jo gave her a look.

‘What?’ Allie asked, cocking her head.

‘Nothing.’

Allie picked up her pen, but Jo was still looking at her.

‘What?’ Allie said again, giving her a light shove. They both giggled.

‘Well, it’s just … You know. You and Carter.’

Allie stopped laughing. ‘What about me and Carter?’

‘I don’t know. He just sort of always picks on you.’

‘Yeah, I’ve noticed,’ Allie said dryly. ‘That would be because he’s a psycho.’

‘No. I mean … I don’t know. Something about how he picks on you interests me.’

Allie frowned. ‘Jo, what the hell are you talking about?’

‘Oh it’s nothing. It’s just that I thought for a little while there he liked you, and I know you liked him, and now it’s like you two hate each other.’

Allie shrugged. ‘It happens.’

‘Hmm …’ Jo’s voice was doubtful.

‘There’s no hmm about it,’ Allie said. ‘All he does is order me around and tell me what to do and not do. He’s good looking and everything, but I don’t like him.’

Jo drew a squiggly line on her notepad and then drew over it again until it was bold. She gave it a forked tongue.

‘You know, all that stuff Gabe and I said about Carter?’

Allie nodded.

‘Well it was true. But he’s been different since you came here. I haven’t seen him with any girl since then.’

Allie smiled broadly. ‘What? In two whole weeks? I mean, seriously. What restraint! He must be totally in love with me.’

They dissolved into a fit of giggles.

‘Anyway, in more sane news, Sylvain asked me to meet him tomorrow night after dinner,’ Allie said. ‘I think it’s kind of a date.’

‘Ooh, a real date,’ Jo smiled. ‘Seriously, forget everything I said about Carter. I’m just being silly. I’m so excited that you’re the one who’s going to bagsy Sylvain. All the girls will be so jealous of you.’

‘I’m sure that will make them all be very nice to me.’ Allie’s tone was sarcastic but Jo arched an eyebrow knowingly.