Night School: Resistance (Night School 4)

Eloise was slowly thawing towards her – Allie wondered if the librarian somehow knew that she was the one who’d accused her of being the spy. But she was afraid to ask. She was just glad she didn’t look so afraid every time she saw her now.

One afternoon she was alone at one of the tables, working with only desultory interest on a science project in the glow of the green-glass desk lamp, when someone dropped into the chair across from her. She looked up, into Carter’s dark gaze.

‘Hey.’ His tone was casual, as if they always chatted like this.

‘Hey back,’ Allie said, and she saw the flicker of surprise in his eyes.

That was how they’d always greeted each other back when they were friends, before everything happened. It was a weighted phrase. A Carter and Allie code. It meant, ‘Everything is OK. I care about you.’

Allie swallowed hard, her chest felt suddenly tight. She didn’t know why she’d said it. Their relationship was such a mess, especially now. She waited for him to shut down, to withdraw. To walk away.

Instead he leaned forward, one hand sliding halfway across the table top towards her.

‘I’ve been wanting to talk to you,’ he said, ‘about the other night.’

Allie steeled herself for more criticism. Carter had kept his distance ever since that night and she was certain he was angry at her.

But he wasn’t.

‘I want to tell you I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I should have warned you what they were planning. I let Raj and the others talk me into it.’ He held her gaze with steady eyes. ‘I was wrong.’

Allie let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. There was no way for him to know how much this meant to her. She’d felt so lonely ever since that night. So conflicted.

‘Thank you,’ she said with real feeling. ‘That means a lot.’

‘You have every right to make your own decisions,’ Carter held her gaze. ‘Don’t let anyone try and talk you out of what you think is right. Not even me.’

Heat rose to Allie’s face. Every word he said was like a balm to her soul. But she had things to apologise for, too.

‘I still think I was wrong,’ she said. ‘The way I just made the decision about the parley without asking you and the others what you thought. I felt like it was my decision to make but you guys are in this, too. It’s going to be dangerous. I should have talked to all of you first. It should have been a group decision.’

All the tables around them were empty, and the rest of the library was in shadow. Allie knew Eloise was somewhere in the back, shelving books. But here, in the dome of light cast by the desk lamp, it felt safe and private.

‘I think I owe everyone an apology. Including you.’

Carter’s eyes darkened. ‘No one should blame you for that. Isabelle should never have put you on the spot like that. It wasn’t fair to you.’

Their eyes met and held. Carter’s dark gaze was limitless, conflicted. He looked as if he wanted to say something else. Then he straightened, withdrawing his hands from the table in a movement too casual not to have been deliberate.

The spell was broken. Hurriedly, Allie picked up her pen and toyed with it as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen.

‘I’ve got to go find a Gertrude Stein book for that English essay,’ he said, pushing back his chair. ‘Although I don’t really see the point. Her poems make about as much sense as a fish with a shotgun.’

She forced a smile. ‘That’s cool. Luckily, I have the wonderful world of physics to keep me company …’

Her tone was light but her voice was thin. As he walked away, she watched him from beneath lowered lashes. His long, loping stride was as familiar to her as her own breath.

She felt lonelier now than she had before he sat down.



Allie was so confused about what she wanted and why she wanted it, she didn’t know what to do. She longed to discuss all of this with Rachel but things between them were too fragile right now.

That was another thing she needed to fix. Somehow.

So she’d have talked about it with someone else but … who was there to talk to? Nicole was still angry at her.

And Zoe was … Zoe. She’d just look at her like she was mad.

There wasn’t anyone else to ask. In the world.

Not any more.

Oh God, Jo. I miss you so much.



Gathering her books she made her way to the common room, hoping to find more focus. But she was just as miserable there as she’d been in the library.

She was so deep in self-pity she didn’t hear Katie walk up to her.

‘God. All my teachers are such bastards,’ she announced, dropping on to the other end of the sofa without waiting for an invitation. ‘I wish they’d get real jobs.’ Barely glancing at Allie, she pulled out a text book and began flipping through the pages. ‘They will work us to death.’

Tapping the end of her pen against her chin, Allie eyed her speculatively.

She’s probably still inherently evil. But nobody in this school knows more about boys.

Glancing up, Katie caught her staring.

‘What?’ Her green eyes narrowed. ‘Do I have something on my face?’