“Fucking hell, Richard, you are so gross.” Abigail smacked him away and crossed her arms.

Richard laughed and followed me to the back. “So, did they, like, lock you up?” he asked, perching on my desk. “Were you in a straitjacket? Everyone said you overdosed. Or slit your wrists. Or both.”

“Oh my God, Richard, shut up,” I hissed.

A grin spread through his acne.

“Did you take pills so it didn’t hurt when you cut yourself?”

“Honestly, you sad pervert, shut the fuck up,” I said. “Maybe I’d rather kill myself than look at your fucking face every day.”

The class rippled with laughter, revealing they’d all been listening in.

Richard held both arms up. “Oooerr. Don’t go all psycho on me.”

“Oh piss off, you giant VIRGIN.”

Hilarity descended as Richard called me a fucking bitch, then slunk into his desk chair, just as Mr. Dudley blustered through the door in a cloud of teacherly obliviousness.

“Right class, settle down.” He clapped for attention. “Welcome to your English GCSEs. The good news is, you’re about to read one of the best novels ever written.” Mr. Dudley got us to hand out hardback copies of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, while he turned his back to write on the whiteboard.

I was initially so consumed in these normal activities—like getting out my notepad and writing the date at the top without crying—that I hadn’t noticed her. The new girl sitting in the corner behind me.

Abi passed me the pile of books, and I plucked one out, before twisting to pass them on. And there she was. Hair dark and long, hanging over her stunning, pointed face. Her jumper sleeves drawn down over her hands, like mine. Looking as scared and out of place as I felt.

“Thanks,” the new girl said, taking the pile and passing it on. Her voice was husky and sexy, and sounded way too old for someone our age.

“Are you new?”

She nodded and smiled, holding a hand up over her mouth. “First day today. I was so embarrassed when they introduced me in assembly just now.”

“You were great,” I lied, not wanting to admit I’d not been there. I wondered if she’d overheard Richard’s comments about me. “Do you like it here so far?”

“I don’t know.” The new girl paused. “It’s weird...” She wrinkled her nose.

“What’s weird?”

“This school...it smells exactly the same as my old school.”

I let out a cackle of recognition. The new girl joined in, revealing a set of small, pointed teeth. I felt the peculiar certainty of fate reach out and tug me toward her, and knew instantly we were going to become friends. That we didn’t even have a say in the matter.

“Right, everyone. Chapter one, page one. Who wants to start reading?”

I leaned over. “I’m Fern,” I whispered.