I didn’t hear everything that Mum said to my teacher because they were locked in the principal’s study, but judging by the amount of time she spent talking compared to Mr M (the closed door kept most of the sound in – most, but not all), I reckoned she was unimpressed with the school’s track record of keeping me and Aiden safe. Getting over the fence to go to the park, then the disaster at camp and now this. I was worried Mum might not be so supportive of Mr M this time. I got the impression she thought once might have been accidental, twice was getting careless but three times was downright negligent. Anyway, I sat on a chair in the corridor and listened to the rumble of their voices, trying to make out the words but really thinking about my brother.

I wished he’d stop getting himself in trouble. And look after his head. Was that too difficult? Apparently it was. I’d have a good talk to him about that when he got back from the clinic.

The car returned and Mum and I finally drove home. She’d told Mr Meredith that we wouldn’t be in for the last day of school, all things considered. Mr M promised that Mum and Dad would get a copy of the incident report that he would compile and that, unfortunately, he couldn’t see an alternative to Aiden being suspended for some days next term. Of course, similar punishment would apply to the other boy involved. But Mum didn’t seem to care about any of that. I wondered if maybe we were destined for enrolment at a different school or even, God forbid, another round of homeschooling.

Mum made me go over the whole thing once more on the ride back. I stressed that Justin had provoked Aiden and that it was Justin who’d started the fight.

‘But Aiden was going to finish it, by all accounts,’ said Mum. ‘He was trying to punch that boy in the face before you got involved. Is that a fair summary?’

‘Yeah, but …’

‘And he punched you, too.’

‘He didn’t punch me, Mum. His hand caught my mouth, that’s all. He was so upset when that happened. And that gave the other boy the chance to hurt him. He got punched in the head because he was trying to protect me.’

‘Hmmm.’ Mum just pursed her lips. But she stopped the questions and just stared out of the window for the rest of the trip. I was glad. My mouth hurt and I think one tooth was a bit loose, but I wasn’t going to complain. Anyway, it gave me time to worry about my brother.