The Other Me

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

It was a week later and a lot had happened since then.

Mrs Barratt had already been on trial and had had medical examinations. It turned out that she really was a mad old bat, because she had a severe mental disorder that was mostly responsible for what she had done. Therefore; she was being sentenced for most of her 15 years without parole in a mental asylum down south.

People like my mother and father and many other parents of my school, severely disagreed with this term. “Bang ‘er up for good!” Mum had screamed at the TV when the trial had been partially broadcasted.

Unfortunately, Rafi and I had to go into the court for a short while (Rosaline was bed-bound, the lucky cow) and we were asked many questions, mostly to do with how scared and terrified we were, how we thought we were going to die. As I saw the faces of the jury fall, and tear up; I knew that Mrs Barratt wasn’t going to be let out for a long time.

But it didn’t matter to me where she went. As long as she was locked up and couldn’t get anywhere near me, I didn’t have any complaints about that at all.

Since the near-explosion, Mum and I had got on a lot better. I think Mum had finally realised that life was too short and you never know when an estranged psychotic murderer was going to shoot you at point blank; so you might as well make the best of life now. We barely argued anymore and we tried to agree on most things. Mum had even promised to give up on nagging me about boyfriends and setting me up with more village dorks. I was very relieved.

Another person I was on good terms with was Nat.

Four days after the incident, I returned home to find Nat waiting for me in the living room. “I’m so sorry!” she warbled when she threw her arms around my shoulders. “Can you ever forgive me?”

Then we sat down and she explained what had happened with her.

“I was trying to get into my chemistry class when I found out what happened. But no one at the time was allowed to look and no one knew who had been involved and who had been shot and I was ever so freaked out and scared.  I was shocked and horrified when I found out it was you. But I was still angry and I didn’t think it was right for me to forgive you just because you had been involved in something so horrible and I didn’t want to look like one of those lousy, suck up, attention seekers who prey on people who were on TV.”

I hadn’t been on TV, but mine and Rafi’s dodgy school photographs had been – and some newspapers too.  Both Rafi and my parents had willingly given permission for the press to publish photographs of us, but Rosaline, being an adult, could decide for herself. She had said that no one and no one had her permission to put a creepy picture of her on TV. Ever. So she had the lucky escape.

Nat carried on talking. “But then I thought about it more yesterday. I suddenly wondered if this whole Mrs Barratt thing was to do with why you were acting so weird. And then I realised another thing. I was going to be in that classroom that day in the morning and I heard that Mrs Barratt was doing it to kill some students. I could’ve died. But you saved me! And then I thought about those looks you were giving me and then it hit me. You knew. You knew I was going to be in that class that Mrs Barratt was going to blow up. You put your life in danger, for me…”

I nodded, my throat too clogged up with tears to speak. I had wondered how long it would take for Nat to work it out and she had done quickly enough I guess. We hugged again and I thought about how grateful I was. Rosaline was fine; yet not a hair was hurt on Nat’s head either. And that made me happy. Very very happy.

“I would’ve come earlier,” Nat sobbed. “But you were never in. You were at the hospital I think. By the way, who was this friend of yours who was shot? Why don’t I know them? And who the hell is Rafi?”