Me! I actually got in!
I was too scared to write in here before, but I was actually shortlisted and invited for an interview last month. It was terrifying. Mum came with me and I had to talk to all these super-posh people about my art and what I wanted to get from this university experience and even famous artists I knew and admired. I was so nervous I was sure I had messed it up entirely, so I didn’t want to write anything in here in case I jinxed it. But I didn’t mess it up! I GOT IN!!!
Mum and Dad and Wendy absolutely screamed when I rushed downstairs and told them.
“I knew it!” Wendy gloated, thumping me on the back. “I knew you’d get in! What did I tell you? You’re amazing!”
“We’re so proud of you!” Dad said. He was actually crying! “We’re celebrating tonight!”
And we did. We went out to this mega-expensive restaurant in the centre of town that I’ve never seen the inside of before, even though it was a school night, and Mum and Dad even let Wendy and me have a tiny glass of champagne each when we toasted to my future. I had this huge steak for dinner and it was incredible, but the best part was the massive slice of cheesecake I had for dessert that I wouldn’t share with anyone, not even when Wendy regretted her chocolate fudge cake and asked to swap.
It felt surreal walking into school the next day. I was absolutely buzzing with excitement to tell Miss Wersham and the rest of the class, but I managed to hold it in until the afternoon when it was our lesson. After we all got settled I told everyone I had an announcement to make.
“What is it, Poppy?” Miss Wersham asked, looking hopeful.
I couldn’t wait a second longer. “I got into Slade! I’m going to go to London and do art and become a famous artist!”
“Oh Poppy, that’s incredible!” Miss Wersham gasped.
Even the rest of the class are super impressed and happy for me.
“Poppy, that’s amazing!”
“Wow, you actually did it!”
“London! You’re so lucky!”
Only Ollie didn’t look particularly pleased for me. I knew he had gone for an interview to Slade too. He’d actually been shortlisted before me, and I remembered how awful I felt when he came in bragging about his interview. I was so sure it was all over for me, but then a few days later I was invited for an interview too.
Once I’d calmed down and everyone had stopped talking, I reached out to grab his arm and try to be comforting. “Don’t worry, I bet you’ll get your offer in a few days too.”
He scowled at me and pulled his arm away. “Actually, I got my rejection two days ago. They didn’t want me. My application was unsuccessful.”
My face turned bright red and the class went deadly silent.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sally asked. “We would have made you feel better!”
“Exactly!” Jayla added. “I didn’t even get an interview with them, so don’t worry.”
He shrugged, but he was just as flushed as me. “I didn’t want to. Who cares about Slade anyway?”
But I knew he did care. He was just as excited as me chatting about it. We’d even talked about living in the same accommodation together so that we had someone we knew in those first few weeks. It was almost like we were becoming real friends.
That wasn’t going to happen now.
“They said I was being put on a reserve list if someone else dropped out or didn’t accept their place,” he said. “But who is going to do that?”
Not me, that was for sure. I don’t know anyone who would give up their place at Slade.
“Well, there are plenty of other universities who would be lucky to have you,” Miss Wersham said. “Well done, Poppy, and Ollie, I’m sure you’ll get a place somewhere else soon and you’ll like that one just as much as if you got into Slade. Getting into your first choice isn’t always what’s best. Things can work out in mysterious ways.”
But I knew her words weren’t going to mean much to him. I knew I’d be devastated.
I tried catching up with Ollie after the lesson ended.
“Hey Ollie!” I called. “I’m sorry about earlier. If I’d have known you were rejected I wouldn’t have come in talking about it like that.”
He wasn’t in the mood though. He turned to me, scowling, and practically hissed at me. “Back off, Poppy! You’re making it worse. I don’t want to talk to anybody, and especially not you. Now go away.”
It hurt, but I knew it was because he was hurting. And I knew from experience time to yourself could help.
I’m not going to let him dampen my mood though. I got into Slade! I’m actually achieving my dreams.
And do you know what I did when I got home from school?
The house was empty. Mum and Dad were still at work and Wendy had after-school revision. I went to my bedside drawer, took out that piece of mirror, wrapped it in some tissue paper, and put it in the kitchen bin downstairs.
Because I don’t need it anymore.
I’m going to make the most of these last few months at home and school. I know I’ve been difficult lately, and moody, and okay, that’s not entirely my fault, but I also need to move on. Annabel, Chloe, Esther, and Tanya won’t be able to hurt me for much longer. I’ll be free of them forever.
My A Level art portfolio is shaping up well. I’m sticking to the rules. Miss Wersham has approved all of it. There’s just the final exam in May, a huge eight-hour-long creation of something completely new, and then I’ll be done. I’ll get my A grade, and I’ll get out of here. As much as I would like to, I’m not taking any chances. Everything has to go exactly right, and then I can escape.
I can’t believe it. I’m writing this diary entry with a big stupid smile on my face.
Things are finally looking up.
Twenty
Annabel
May 21, 2023
“It has to be one of us,” Esther says. “One of us did this.”
Tanya opens her mouth to protest this again, then closes it. We’re all starting to think it. There are no other options. We’re on a private island in the middle of the ocean with the mainland miles away. No one else is here, and there’s no way off until Robin comes tomorrow with the boat.
My mind strains to remember last night, but it remains a stubborn blur of images. Why did we get so drunk? What were we thinking? To drown our sorrows, I suppose, after everything. What a mistake.
But then we were also discussing what we were going to do to Poppy . . .
“If someone confesses to murdering Poppy, maybe we can help you cover it up.”
We all turn to stare at Tanya.
“What do you mean cover it up?” Chloe says. “Cover up a murder?”
Tanya juts her chin out, defiant in the face of our obvious disgust. “You can all look at me like that for as long as you want. You know it makes sense.”
“How on earth does it make sense?” Esther spits. “You’re talking about hiding the fact someone was killed. By someone here!”
“Well, you wouldn’t know the first thing about hiding something, would you, Esther?” Tanya snaps. “You love to spill people’s secrets, even if that means them losing their jobs.”
Esther’s face darkens. She glances at me, and I give a tiny shake of my head, begging her not to say it.
Chloe steps between them. “Now isn’t the time for this. Look, maybe covering it up isn’t such a bad idea.”
“You got a confession to make, Chloe?” I say. It comes out more forceful than I intended, and she holds her hands up in surrender.
“I’m not saying that! It wasn’t me. But we’re on an island. We have time to clean the blood. We can tell Robin that Poppy went for a swim and never came back.”
Esther shakes her head. “Cleaning blood is more difficult than you think. It’s not as simple as giving it a wipe-down. That stuff stays. What if they did a full-blown investigation? The first place they’d check is the main lodge, and oh look, there’s all her blood. And then we’d all be implicated. We’d all be proven liars.”
“And how do we explain the broken phone and missing flares?” I say. This idea is complete insanity. “Not to mention the fact that back home right now, everyone is witnessing Poppy’s revenge.”
Tanya takes a deep breath. “So what do you suggest, Annabel? Come on, you were always the ringleader in our little schemes at school. Pray do tell us how we should proceed from here.”
“Maybe Poppy is still on the island,” I say desperately. “Maybe we’re all jumping to conclusions.”
“Ah, yes, she’s just picked herself up after all that blood pouring out of her and taken herself for a nice little walk.”
“Stop it, Tanya.” Chloe starts to pace back and forth. “What is going to happen when Robin comes back? What are we going to say?”
“Whoever did this is going to have to come clean.” I make sure to look each of them in the eye. “We were all angry at Poppy. We all had our reasons to hurt her. We’ll understand it was just a moment of madness. But you need to tell the truth now.”
“But it’s like you said,” Esther says. “We were all angry. We’re all suspects. Why would whoever did it come clean now?”