Verrader

CHAPTER ONE

The sudden influx of students brought me out of my reverie. It was the last lesson of the day before the two-week break, I was faintly surprised by how many students had bothered turning up at all. I watch as a familiar blond-haired girl saunters into the classroom. She looks around until she spots me; she doesn't look too content. Matilda slams her books onto the desk to my right.

"What's your problem?" I ask her. Matilda sighs, running her hands through her hair as she takes a seat at the old desk. Matilda was my oldest friend, I'd known her since I was seven when I came to live with my Aunty and cousins. We'd met through school and had sought each other out at various social gatherings.

"Oh, just you wait! Annie, I'm telling you, I'll give it not even two minutes before they start." Matilda is shaking her head, lips pressed together.

"Tilda, what do you mean?" I turn towards her in my seat, my foot bouncing up and down.

"I'm not going to bother, just wait." She said, nodding toward the classroom door. This time I'm the one letting out a frustrated sigh. Something I had discovered about Matilda early on is she tends to lean toward the dramatic; it's all a part of her demeanour. I turn back in my seat, accepting that she isn't going to tell me more. In the corner of my eye, Tilda puts her hand in the air, counting down with her fingers. Three...two... one... right on cue the classroom door opened. Framed in the doorway was Marley Jane, hands clasped behind her back, she wore a smug little smirk. Behind her stood Kate, Marley's crony; renowned for pointing out the obvious. Marley's black curls hung to her waist, in contrast to her bright yellow dress. Mrs. Harris stood from her desk before walking towards the door.

"Ladies, why are you late to my class?"

"Oh Miss!" Kate says, throwing her skinny arms in the air, "Miss, it's just horrible. Lucy is in the office, she fell and she split open her head." Kate's eyes filled with forced tears, and her bottom lip quivered. The truth is, Kate and Marley had every teacher in this school wrapped around their little fingers. All because of their social standing, unlike the others, who won scholarships to come here, like those who pretty much sell their organs just to get their children a half-decent education. My Aunty was the one who did that; I owed her so much. She took me in, raised me like one of her own, fed me, clothed me, and told me that the money I was left from my parents would not be touched.

"Now, now, Kate," Mrs. Harris said, reaching out a sympathetic hand to pat her on the shoulder with, "I'm sure Lucy will be fine. Now you both take your seats; we have much to cover in this lesson. Just because it's nearly holidays doesn't mean you don't have to work."

Matilda rolls her eyes, her head following the sobbing Kate and smirking Marley. Marley leaned in to whisper something in Kate's ear. She nods slowly, wiping at her eyes and drawing in a deep gasp of air, but no matter how much she pretends, I can see the little light in her eyes. She won this round for both of them. I lean towards Matilda, head still facing the front, mumbling too softly for anyone else to hear.

"I presume that was no accident. She didn't trip, did she?" Matilda shakes her head, before sitting her elbow on the desk and placing her chin in her hand.

"I was there... Marley pushed her in the back, acting like she had tripped, just as Lucy lost her balance Kate stuck her foot out." I felt my lip curl in disgust. I could only imagine how they would've made it look like an accident. They had gotten worse recently; usually, those two would only make snide comments, but now this. I look to my left, at the empty seat. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. It's true, they've been after Lucy for ages. Lucy had bet both Marley and Kate in the school debate, but instead of accepting second place, they'd tried to sabotage her in the regionals; only to be caught red-handed.