The homeroom teacher shuffled through a pile of papers before him and let out a long sigh. Rafe sat in one of the many desks in the now empty classroom.

"Rafe I want to talk to you about your progress, about how you're settling in so far...Do you have any concerns you'd like to share?"

After a pause, he said "No."

"You've had three detentions in the last four weeks. Two of those have been for tardiness. You don't even show up to some of the lessons."

"I live far from the main buildings," he replied.

"Rafe it's a ten minute walk."

"I'm a slow walker."

Mr Lyndsey sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Rafe it's like you don't want to be here-"

"I don't want to be here. I was banished here. Kicked out of my home. Imprisoned in the middle of fucking nowhere."

"I'm sorry but if you get one more detention, that is an automatic suspension. I will have to notify your parents if that's the case..."

Rafe groaned and leaned back, muttering swear words in Italian. The last thing he needed was more admonishment from his father.

"Your grades are not up to the school's standards and if you continue this way you're going to fail your mocks..."

"I can't do it okay? I've tried!"

Rafe was fuming. For the first time in a long time he was determined to try to improve. What did his father want? Good grades, a place in a London university, no fighting, no irresponsible behaviour, and no reckless spending. Not that he could even if he tried. His credit card had been taken away. It felt like a part of his soul had disappeared. It seemed to him like the universe was laughing at him. In one way, providing him with the most boring teacher in the world with questionable hygiene and constant, unnecessary physical contact. If the teacher hadn't been in his sixties, Rafe would've probably decked him by now. Mr. Hyam was a walking disaster, and nothing was worth coming to his Thursday lessons ever again as Miss McGrath advised. At least he tried. But thinking that extra lessons after school once a week would change anything was too optimistic.

"Rafe I feel perhaps you should see the school councillor."

"What, like a shrink? Why?" Rafe asked confused.

"I've been observing some problems in your behaviour. You show signs of depression. You're angry and you lack focus. Maybe having a chat to a professional will help you. It's worth having a go."

Rafe snorted and reached for his backpack. "Are we done Mr Lyndsey?"

The young teacher's shoulders slumped in defeat and he nodded his head. "I expect a little more effort on your part Rafe."

"Yeah that's the problem," Rafe muttered to himself, "everyone does."

* * *

The school was almost empty. Some students went out and about, mostly pupils from younger years groups. 'After School extracurricular' activities they were called. What utter nonsense. As if having school from nine to five, five times a week wasn't enough.

He adjusted his school bag as he dragged his feet and headed for the main exit. Not that he had anything to go back to. His piece-of-shit dorm room was literally a box, with one small bed and a desk.

There was a figure standing still by the entrance to the library. Rafe wasn't in the least surprised to see Norah, an hour after school finished, loitering there. Shaking his head to himself, he began rummaging in his bag. He needed to give her back the coursework Mrs. McGrath oh so kindly rubbed his face in. He had to grudgingly admit that her writing was interesting and looked very academic. But he knew that already, reading her work just reminded him how shit he was.

She was weirdly still, looking down at the cover of her book and her eyes were blank. She looked like a kicked puppy that's been abandoned. A new look, from the usual hard stare.

"Hey, here's your coursework," he said, approaching her with reluctance. He stuck out the piece of paper to her. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. She took it silently. She was eerily quiet and Luke's comment about a school massacre flashed through his mind as he saw her blank stare.

As he came closer he saw her holding her book tightly, her fingers white from the force of the grip. The cover of the book had been vandalised, and in the place of a beautiful painting of Garden of Eden, there was a big penis drawn in blue permanent marker. Underneath someone wrote 'bitch'.

"Oh shit..." he muttered.

She looked at him, her eyes searching his. "Do you know who did this?" The question was accusatory.

He shook his head. The voice in his head told him to leave her be. Instead he asked, "how did it happen?"

She looked down and let out a sigh of frustration.

"I've left this in the library. By accident," she said in a hollow voice. "Who would deface a book?"

Rafe reasoned that this had less to do with the book and more with Norah's reputation of being a teacher's pet. Someone was punishing her. Hazel came to his mind. She was petty enough to do that. It's something she would find funny. Or maybe Jack...

She went back to staring at her book.

Rafe resisted the urge to snap at her. It was just a bloody book. "What's the big deal? Go and get a replacement."

"It costs fifty quid," she said with a frown. "Not all of us are loaded. And this one was special edition."

"Whatever," Rafe muttered as he left her, shaking his head. A defaced book would be the least of his problems. He wouldn't care if the whole male anatomy was drawn on it if he had half the talent in academics that Norah did.