Kate watched Molly take a sip of her takeaway coffee, recalling how her heart had warmed at the sight of her buying Cassie a hot chocolate at the Pier café just before boarding. Molly’s gesture had been very sweet, but it hadn’t stopped Cassie from casting glances back at the coastline so often that Kate worried she’d jump ship to swim back to her mother. Now, as they docked at Lords, Cassie looked up the hill at the statue of St. Joan with enough dread to rival Lexi’s.

It was only a few minutes’ wait for Colin to tie off and help them lift their bags onto the pier before the group of ten was heading to the convent van, the suitcase wheels clonking across the thick wooden slats.

“Oh my God!” Emma groaned. “Seriously, Lexi, you just rolled your suitcase right over my toe!”

“Well don’t get right up behind me while I’m trying to walk!”

“It’s not me, you’re under my feet! Christ!”

Kate pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. “Hey! What are you two, five years old? Cut it out!”

“She cut me off!”

“Hey!” Kate snapped. “Does it look like I give a toss? You’re going to give me a migraine before the day’s out.”

“She’s a migraine,” Emma said.

Lexi scowled. “You’re a migraine.”

Up ahead, Molly turned. “You’re both a migraine.”

With the sisters occupied inside the convent, Lockie was the only resident waiting to meet the girls when Kate pulled the van into the driveway. Molly and Cassie stayed outside with him, following him down the path and into the convent garden to his collection of tennis balls. A handful of Year Nine boarders disappeared into the convent, promising to be back to unload their bags from the van after they said hello to the sisters.

“God, it’s so quiet in here…” Lexi murmured as she followed Kate and Emma through the heavy double doors of the boarding house.

“It was,” Kate said, “until you arrived.”

Kate followed the girls up the grand staircase, the wheels of their cases loud against the marble. “Lift, don’t drag, please!” she berated.

“Em, I have to make a confession,” Lexi said, already falling behind from the effort of carrying her heavy case up the two flights.

Emma turned on the stairs and stopped. With a huff, Kate moved around her.

Lexi drew a deep breath. “I watched some more of Stranger Things without you.”

Emma quirked an eyebrow. “How much?” The corner of her mouth twitched.

Lexi visibly swallowed. “All of it.”

“All of season one?” Emma clarified hopefully.

“And two.”

Emma’s suitcase slipped to the next step of the grand staircase. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Language!” Kate sighed.

“We stopped it at exactly episode six and you promised you wouldn’t watch any more until we got back.”

“I’ll rewatch it with you!”

“It’s not the fucking same, Lexi! It’s not the fucking same!”

“Excuse me!” Kate said.

“You’re a fucking traitor, Lexi.”