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Back What I Never Told you Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Dawn Goodwin
  3. WHAT I NEVER TOLD YOU
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Dedication
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. Acknowledgements
  55. About the Author
  56. An Invitation from the Publisher

She knew the booze was probably a bad idea. She had homework and revision to do, but some days she just felt lost, adrift, unsure of everything.

And now she had her mother to worry about too.

12

THEN

Eloise is waiting for me by my locker and scowls as she sees me walk in with Tracey.

“You weren’t on the bus,” she says, completely ignoring Tracey’s presence.

“No, Tracey’s dad gave us a lift this morning.”

She glares at Tracey, looks her up and down as though she is a science experiment, then says, “You hair looks cute, Tracey. That ribbon is very… fetching. It really stands out, what with your colouring and everything.”

“Thanks,” Tracey says with a big smile, but I know from El’s tone that she isn’t being kind.

Right now, I hate Eloise. This girl who has been my friend for as long as I can remember, with her perfectly peachy skin and luscious hair, her privileges and prejudices. She would never understand the simple pleasure of wearing a ribbon in your hair because your little brother gave it to you.

I want to say something to her, tell her to leave Tracey alone, but the bell is ringing and the corridor is filling up rapidly, bodies rushing to class, shoving and bumping. One of them is Brian, who links arms with El and leads her away. He looks over his shoulder and sneers, “Ridiculous ribbon, Tracey, what are you? Like, three?”

Their laughter bounces off the walls as they walk away.

Tracey looks bereft and reaches up to pull the ribbon from her hair, but I say, “Ignore them, I think it’s lovely and so does your brother. Who cares what they think?”

She smiles weakly at me, but leaves the ribbon in place as we head into class.

*

At lunchtime I have a dilemma. I know Tracey will be on her own, but if I choose not to sit with El, it will make things harder for Tracey in the long run. When El gets someone in her sights, she can be unrelenting. Just before the lunchtime bell, I write Tracey a hasty note and pass it to her as she walks past my desk when I am packing up. The note explains that I can’t sit with her at lunch, but asking if she wants to stay at my house tonight.

She reads it quickly, then smiles and nods, before whispering, “I’ll talk to you later. Walk home from school together?”

I nod, just as El sticks her head over my shoulder and says, “Are you coming or what? Tracey, I’m sure you have somewhere else to be, don’t you?”