Donny continued. ‘So, if anyone is found dumping rubbish then they’ll have me to answer to. Also, let me tell you now, smoking weed at breaktime will not be tolerated in this school. If needs be, I will get every single one of you drug tested to find out who the blazers are. If the test proves positive, then I will ring the police and your parents. The staff here were not born yesterday, and they know when someone is stoned, so, you have been warned. Now, moving forward, we have some great new lessons for you lucky lot. You can start MMA or gym classes this week or if that’s not your scene you’ve got dance or our brand-new health and beauty sessions. The tutor, Alison, has come in from Parkside College and she can help you achieve a level two qualification. Is Alison here, Mrs Davies?’

Tina put her head round the door into the other room and asked the tutor to come and meet the students. They should have dressed her in body armour and given her a baseball bat. Did she even know what she was letting herself in for? Alison had short brown hair with copper highlights and sharp style. Black shoes with five silver buckles on each side of them, and a chain hung from the pocket of her black jeans. Her makeup was dark too, deep shades of eye shadow smudged on her lower eyelids. The lads looked at each other and you could hear them whispering – probably something sexual because they were sniggering behind their hands when they looked over at her.

‘Sir, what’s MMA?’

‘Mixed martial arts, Chelsea. It might be a bit rough for the girls, so maybe stick with the dancing for now.’ He’d picked the wrong person to try that on – Chelsea loved a debate.

‘That’s sexist, sir. We should have the same rights as these halfwits in here. What do you say girls, do you think we should be able to go to MMA too?’

A few of her supporters joined in. ‘Yeah, you’re always going on about equal rights, sir, and how everyone should be treated the same, so sort it out!’ shouted Jennifer Williams.

Frankie leant back, his chair balanced on its two back legs. He was the spokesman for the male students. He nudged Liam, tipped him the nod. ‘If you girls want touching up then just say the word. You don’t have to come to MMA just to get a roll with me.’ The lads roared laughing. Liam carried on. ‘You’d love being touched up, wouldn’t you, Chelsea? They’d have to tie a plank to my arse, so I didn’t fall in your fanny if we were fighting.’ A low blow. Anywhere else he’d have been escorted out of the room and put in exclusion for that last comment. But this was Second Chance, and it was nothing new.