‘He knows who pushed in, but he won’t say,’ the fifth former said to the older boy, who in turn looked up as if to say, ‘who cares?’ then continued eating.

‘He should say if I ask him,’ the fifth former complained.

‘Do you know, Harper?’ the sixth former asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Why didn’t you tell?’

‘It’s disloyal, sir.’

Laughter broke out at the table.

‘You don’t call me sir,’ the sixth former said. Then turning to the fifth form boy asked, ‘Are you happy with that?’

‘He shouldn’t have answered me like that.’

‘He’s right, Harper, you got that?’ the sixth former said.

‘Yeah, creep,’ someone whispered.

‘That you, Dillon?’ the sixth former asked and continued eating.

‘Yes.’

‘Yard duty after lunch. You make sure he does it,’ he said to the fifth former who nodded his approval. The third former, Dillon, gave the boy a threatening grimace.

The sixth former wrapped it up with, ‘Harper, straight after lunch you get your brother and wait for me on the steps.’

‘Yes.’

*

As soon as the students were dismissed, the boy scurried between chairs to where his brother sat. He rapidly said what was required. His brother looked back miserably and nodded bleakly. They stood several yards apart on the steps outside the dining hall. The sixth former eventually approached them and signalled them to stand together so he could talk to them.

‘I want the name-calling of your brother to stop.’

The boy’s brother looked back hopelessly, ‘What can I do?’

‘Don’t you think it offensive?’ the sixth former asked.

His brother tried to avoid the question with movements of his body and head. He eventually said he didn’t think he could stop the name-calling. The sixth former looked out into the quadrangle where a few boys wandered the paths while others were in the shade of the cloisters. The two brothers stood in a wretched state before him.

‘Do you want it to stop, Harper?’

With a shy look to his brother the boy replied, ‘I don’t care.’

‘Still, it shouldn’t happen. I’ll see what I can do,’ the sixth former said.

‘Sometimes that makes it worse,’ the boy piped up.

The sixth former nodded his head, ‘I’ve seen. You try and ignore them then. But I can’t have it said in my presence, understand?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yes,’ his brother echoed.

‘Right, off you go.’

The brothers walked down the steps, separating to walk opposite ways. His brother turned.

‘Who’s the worst?’ he called.

‘Third formers.’

‘Who?’

The boy shrugged his shoulders.

‘Give me one name,’ his brother demanded. The boy knew it meant his brother would have to fight the boy, which was demeaning, as his brother was in fourth form.

‘I don’t know their names.’

His brother looked back with understanding then asked, ‘What are you going to do?’

‘I think it’ll stop,’ the boy replied.