Night School

Allie stepped back in surprise. ‘What do you mean “again”?’


‘Jo used to do this sort of thing all the time. It’s why her parents sent her here in the first place. She just snaps sometimes. Drinks too much, does drugs, then nicks someone’s Porsche, gatecrashes a stranger’s wedding … You know. The usual Mummy-doesn’t-love-me thing.’ He didn’t look sympathetic. ‘It’s why I broke up with her. All that drama queen crap. It gets old.’

‘Do you think they’ll kick her out?’ she asked.

Lucas laughed as if she’d made a joke. ‘No way. Her parents are so connected and so loaded. She could kill somebody and they’d still let her stay until graduation and throw her a little party on her way out.’

Before Allie could respond he continued, ‘Anyway, at least that explains where Jo and Gabe are – she’s in trouble again and he’s trying to help, poor sod. But where’s Carter?’

Allie gave him the short version of how she and Carter had broken curfew the night before. ‘I hope he’s not in too much trouble,’ she said as she finished the tale.

‘Oh Isabelle will get over it, don’t worry. She pretends he’s just another student but everyone knows she loves him like her own child.’ He glanced at her appraisingly. ‘So, what’s up with you two anyway? Are you an item now?’

Blushing, Allie shook her head. ‘No, of course not. We’re just mates.’

‘Mm-hmm.’ Lucas didn’t seem convinced. ‘Mates who sneak out after curfew to be alone in the woods. The best kind of mates.’

His tone was teasing, and Allie felt her colour rise further.

‘Don’t be daft,’ she said. ‘Anyway, I don’t know where he is now.’

‘I hope Sylvain isn’t giving him a hard time. He’ll be so jealous about you spending time with Carter now that you’ve dumped him.’

Allie had been staring at the floor to hide her red face, but now her head shot up. ‘How do you know I’ve dumped him?’

Lucas smiled again. ‘Allie, there are no secrets at Cimmeria – especially when it comes to relationships. Katie Gilmore’s been annoyingly happy ever since Friday night, and she’s telling everyone that Sylvain dumped you,’ Lucas said. ‘Given that he’s being a miserable git we all assumed that, actually, you dumped him. I’m guessing we’re right?’

Allie nodded.

‘Good. He can be a complete dick. That’s what happens when your parents are billionaires and you’re their only son.’ Lucas smiled wickedly. ‘He’s not good enough for you. Carter’s much cooler.’

As Allie tried again to insist that she and Carter were only friends, he laughed and talked over her. ‘Listen, I’ve got to go. I’m going to see if Carter’s made it back to the guys’ dorm. Or Phil or anybody, really. I’m so bored. I might be forced to study if something doesn’t happen soon. Total nightmare.’

As he was saying goodbye, though, a tall, graceful girl walked over. ‘Did I hear you threaten to study, Lucas? Please don’t. The earth might stop turning and we’re having pasta for dinner tonight. I don’t want to miss it.’

‘Fine then,’ Lucas replied. ‘I’ll find something else to do – wouldn’t want you to miss your spaghetti.’

Allie and the girl looked at each other expectantly for a moment before Lucas noticed. ‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t realise you two didn’t know each other. Allie Sheridan, this is Rachel Patel. Rachel meet Allie. You should talk. You might like each other. You’re both freaks.’

‘Arsehole,’ Rachel said affectionately.

Feeling left out of their friendly teasing Allie studied her shoes, but after Lucas walked away, Rachel turned to her with a wide smile that showed off perfect white teeth and dimples. ‘Lucas is cool. He’s that guy I’m such good friends with that we can never date. Have you got one of those?’

She had golden-brown skin and almond-shaped eyes, and her long, curly dark hair was held back with a thin, braided silver band. Her smile was irresistible and Allie found herself smiling back easily.

‘I guess everyone does,’ she said, thinking about Mark back in London.

‘Totally. It’s like a rule of nature.’ Rachel studied Allie for a moment. ‘So at last I meet the famous new girl everyone’s been talking about.

Allie liked her voice – it was almost honeyed, with the faintest hint of a northern accent.

‘Nobody talks about me,’ Allie said, embarrassed.

‘’Fraid they do. You’re actually in my history class, you know,’ Rachel said.

Allie tried to remember seeing her there, and summoned up a vague image of a serious girl who always knew all the answers to Zelazny’s questions. ‘You wear glasses,’ she said, her tone inadvertently accusing. ‘And you’re super-smart, right?’

Rachel pulled a pair of stylish, dark-framed glasses out of her skirt pocket just long enough for Allie to see them. ‘Guilty. I’m a total geek. I can’t help it. And I only wear these to see the projections.’