What Goes Around

chapter FIFTY FIVE

‘I don't want to go back.’

Charlotte is lying on her bed face down. Everything's been sorted. Felicity has been suspended for five days, she won’t even be there, yet Charlotte can't stop crying and she doesn’t want to go back.

It wasn’t my neighbour who gossiped.

Charlotte told Felicity herself.

She knew her dad had a girlfriend.

I guess she needed someone to speak to.

A friend who would understand.

She just made a poor choice with Felicity.

‘I don’t want to go back.’

She says it again.

But she loved that school. Or was it me that loved it?

I honestly don’t know.

They teased her at the sleepover apparently and my heart aches for how badly I handled things that night and for all she has had to deal with. ‘You break up for half term in a couple weeks,’ I tell her. ‘Things will settle down over the holidays…’

‘I don't want to go back.’

My hand is on her shoulder but I can feel the resistance beneath. Maybe it's best just to leave it, in a couple of days she’ll come around. She has to go in tomorrow, or it's going to be a problem.

‘I don't fit in.’ She turns on her back and finally she looks at me.

‘Well, that’s not your fault,’ I tell her. ‘It’s hereditary.’ I get a glimpse of a smile. ‘We’ll work something out.’

I’m polite when Simone rings and apologises.

Cool, but polite.

I don’t sit all night wondering what Luke’s thinking.

I don’t start manically vacuuming either.

Or dash to the shops for a vat of ice cream.

I just go to bed with Adele and have a little cry.