Greyscale [✓]

Chapter 09

CHAPTER NINE

The bell clanged loudly against the silence of the classroom where the students desperately scribbled down as many answers as possible before Mr Harris collected their papers in. He had surprised them with a short Maths test on the differentiation and integration chapters they had learnt and Hannah was glad she had quickly gone over them the previous night.

'Ugh, great,' she grumbled to herself sarcastically. She had gotten stuck on the last integration question and hadn't been able to complete it before Mr Harris swept away her paper. She grabbed hold of her blazer hanging on the back of her chair and threw it over her arm, too lazy to wear it. Carefully picking up her Michael Kors bag – last years birthday present from Uncle Jay – she said goodbye to Charmaine and Karishma and made her way out of the classroom.

"Hey babes!" Ashlyn greeted her with an air kiss, having been leaning against the door in her usual flirtatious manner waiting for her best friend. Surprisingly Matt wasn't with her; they were probably over. Ashlyn would have her sights on someone else soon, someone much better than him.

"Eh, we're finished," Ash explained as Hannah asked her, snootily rolling her eyes at some Year Nine boys openly gaping at them. "He was getting far too clingy."

Hannah laughed out loud at that; her words reminding her of Cameron's million excuses over the years of why he couldn't settle down or at least give up his playboy ways. She explained this to Ashlyn who giggled, tossing back her perfectly curled hair while doing so.

"Speaking of Cam, what's up with him? He's been acting a bit funny recently, don't you think?" she asked, concern seeping through her voice for a change. Ashlyn rarely let her emotions show; she was cold and hard from the outside and for her to show her concern was a big deal.

Hannah sighed, her shoulders slumping a little as they walked together. "Your guess is as good as mine." She smiled politely at some random younger girls she didn't recognise but who were eagerly waving at her.

Ashlyns' eyebrows raised a little in confusion. "Hmm," she murmured more to herself than to her best friend. Hannah didn't like that at all, she knew Ash would soon be up to something. The girl couldn't live without having to know everything going on around her – it was how she remained at the top of The Elite in school.

Hannah just ignored her comment as they made their way into the common room. The room was specifically for their year group as they were the oldest in the school and had been painted recently. The walls were a pale coffee colour with cherry red leather sofas and matching rug. There were sofas to lounge on, an assortment of chairs, air hockey and fooseball tables as well as a fridge and microwave. All in all, it wasn't too shabby and they spent a lot of their free lessons there. Where else would they go, to the disgusting library? Ashlyn would have a brain aneurysm!

After Hannah stopped to talk to a few friends – or rather acquaintances considering they didn't give a toss about her other than her position in the school hierarchy – the two girls neatly laid themselves on the comfiest sofa, after Ashlyn threatened the poor guy already on it.

"So, I was thinking," Ashlyn began, her voice dropping to a hushed tone against the chattering of the common room. "We should go to Jazz after school today! Because you still need to buy a dress for Gabe's sisters wedding and plus, I need a new outfit for Charmaine's party next week."

Hannah visibly flinched, something her best friend pretended to ignore. "Uhm, I wont be able to today cuz I have to meet with my partner for some English project but how about I'll let you know, maybe tomorrow?" she answered, trying to sound optimistic.

Ashlyn was clearly disgruntled but she agreed and before long, the subject had been changed to working-out tips, the ins and outs of online shopping and the latest guy Ash had her eye on.