‘Not really,’ he lied. ‘She said she needed a break, not a breakup, just a break. I got the impression she was working through some stuff.’

‘She could have told me anything,’ Principal Holmes said sadly, and Wren knew it was time to go.

‘I’d better go. I didn’t tell my mom where I was going – she’ll be worried.’

‘Thanks for coming round. Olivia would have appreciated you checking in on me.’ His voice was thick with pain and Wren said goodbye hurriedly, picked up his bike and left.

Wren’s mom offered to drive him to school the next day, but he refused, saying that he’d rather catch the bus. He knew that she felt him pulling away and it would upset her, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to be touched or pushed gently to confide in her like he always had. This was a situation that he’d never been in before. As he hopped on the bus, all conversations ceased and he guessed that Olivia had been the topic of conversation. He didn’t care. He took a seat and they resumed talking around him. He heard his name a few times, but he tuned it out. It was all background noise, white noise: they didn’t matter. He needed to talk to someone that actually mattered. He needed to find Justin.

It wasn’t hard to find him. He and Wade were in the courtyard, talking to a small group of friends.

‘Wren! Been looking for you,’ said Justin.

‘Well here I am, motherfucker.’

Justin’s eyes narrowed. ’Scuse us.’ He grabbed Wren by the forearm and dragged him away from the group, who watched on with interest. Wade followed them.

‘What the fuck is your problem?’ demanded Justin.

‘What’s my fucking problem? What do you think? Olivia killed herself.’

‘I heard. Good for us – now she can never tell what we did. We’re home free. Stupid bitch.’

‘You mean you’re safe. You and Wade, I didn’t do shit.’

‘Sorry, buddy, but you were there too and didn’t stop it. You’re just as responsible as us.’ Justin sneered. ‘I’ll just tell people that you let us have sex with her.’

‘At least call it what it was, Justin. Rape. You and Wade raped her and then she killed herself.’

‘Calm the fuck down, Wren. You want people to know what we’re really fighting about? Remember, we’re in this together.’ Justin’s eyes blazed with anger, Wren’s with righteousness.

‘I’m not with you at all. Just forget you know me.’ Wren glared at Justin, then at the silent Wade.

22