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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

He rang it one more time, then gripped it tightly in his fist, the metal cold against his warm palm, before dropping it back on the table and heading upstairs.

14

THEN

I take my time packing up after the last bell, but Eloise is hovering, wanting to talk about plans for the party on the bus home.

“Hurry up, Hels, or we’ll miss the bus!”

“Oh, I’m walking again today.” I don’t meet her eyes.

“What? Why? It’s raining.”

“I know, but if I want to get into a new bikini, I need to start doing a bit more exercise, so I think I should walk every day for a bit.”

El is watching me closely and I’m sure she is about to say that I’m lying, but she says instead, “Yeah, you’re right. You could do with losing a few pounds. Especially here.” She reaches out and prods my waist. “Fine, I’ll call you later to talk through some more party ideas, like where we are going to get the booze from.”

“You can’t!” I practically shout after her.

“What has got into you? Why not?”

“Erm, because my dad has called an emergency meeting tonight to discuss my grades and stuff. He’s really on my case about it and he’ll be really mad if I’m on the phone to you tonight instead of pretending to study.” I roll my eyes, but it doesn’t feel convincing. “Besides, we don’t want him to get even more mad with me in case they decide not to go on their trip.” I hold my breath, hoping she’ll take the bait.

“They wouldn’t do that though, would they?”

“He has been pretty mad with me.”

She thinks about it for a moment, her mouth gurning as she chews on her lip.

“Yeah, you’re right. You need to keep your nose clean until they leave. Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll make notes and we can talk then.” She sweeps from the classroom and I exhale.

I wait a little longer until I am sure the bus will have left before emerging into the rain. Tracey is sitting on the wall by the school gate under the shelter of a tree, but she is still quite wet by the time I join her.

“Sorry, Tracey, I got held up.”

She looks annoyed at me, but says, “That’s fine. I wasn’t going to wait much longer though.”

El would’ve had a right go at me for making her wait.

She slides off the wall. I pull my hood up. The rain pelts my face.

“Um, so you know Eloise?” I say.

“Yeah, she hates me, doesn’t she?”

I shrug. “I think she just doesn’t know you.”

“She hasn’t tried to get to know me.”

“She can be… prickly I guess, especially with new people.”

“Especially new people like me.”