Tina was in no mood for more of this kind of behaviour today. She’d just left one moody teenager at home, she didn’t need another pecking her head at work. ‘There is no need to speak to me like that. You’re clearly upset. Do you want me to ring your parents?’

‘No! Just leave me alone!’ Amelia screamed at the top of her voice and banged her head against the brick wall behind her. ‘Nobody can help me, and certainly not them. Go away and just leave me here, I need to be alone.’

Tina was concerned and intrigued in equal measure. The kid never really caused any trouble in the school, usually just kept herself to herself. Sure, she had a bit of a reputation, but so did half the other girls in the school. Tina stood for a few seconds thinking.

Judging by the state she was in there was clearly something very wrong. And given her age it was going to be a safeguarding issue. As the lead safeguarding officer at the school she knew she couldn’t just walk away and leave the girl on her own. What if she went missing? What if she harmed herself? No, she had to stay.

‘Can you at least come inside where we can have a proper chat? Honest, if I stay here any longer, I might puke. I think that’s a dead rat over there. Come on, let’s go inside.’

Amelia lifted her head up to see the brown furry rodent on its back not far from where she was standing. If there was one thing she hated, it was rats. ‘I feel sick.’ She jumped to her feet. Her cheeks filled up like she was holding a ping pong ball in each side. She sprinted out of the alleyway and straight into school, making for the toilets. Tina wasn’t far behind her, though she could barely breathe. Bleeding hell, the school day hadn’t even started yet and there was drama and an unwanted workout.

Rita was stood in the corridor; she watched Amelia and the deputy head rush by, trying to get a better look at what was happening. Amelia didn’t look good. She was pale and sweating and liquid began to spray from her mouth even before she made it through the door. Tina blocked the toilets off while she was dealing with this emergency. That was all she needed – an audience. Given half a chance, the kids would be all over it, making things ten times worse than they already were. Gossip spread round a school like wildfire.

Amelia raised her head weakly from rim of the toilet bowl. ‘I’ve been like this for days. When will it ever stop?’ Tina was trying to clean the floor while getting her breath back. This job was grinding her down, drama after drama every bloody day.

‘Have you eaten something that doesn’t agree with you?’