WALKING out into the sunshine, the magazine clasped to her chest, Lina looked about the courtyard and realised she had never seen it so still and silent. Almost every girl at St Brigid’s had found herself a shady corner, and was lying stretched out on the lawns under trees or lolling about on benches, often in a group of three or four, studiously reading the first school magazine from cover to cover. Occasionally a girl would look up to read out a passage or a poem, or to point out the work of someone they knew, and there were squeals of delight over the fashion pages and photographs of Elvis Presley. Lina walked among them as if in a daze. From time to time they would call out to her.

‘We love the magazine, Lina!’

‘The fashion page is brill!’

‘So’s the page on Elvis Presley!’

‘Love the Dawn Fraser interview!’

Lina smiled back gratefully, looking for an empty bench to sit and read the magazine herself. So far no one had mentioned the story she had written. This made her nervous. Have they read it yet? she wondered. Or are they too interested in their own work and dazzled by the stories on celebrities? Worse still had they read it and not liked it?

Just as she finally found her own place in the shade, the bell rang, and all the girls folded up their magazines, dusted the grass from their summer uniforms and ambled back to class, chatting loudly all the way.

Lina’s next lessons passed in a whirr. Each time she slipped into the corridor traffic between classes she was stopped by someone wanting to tell her how much they loved the magazine. She felt like she was floating on air.

Curiously, the two girls she wanted to run into hadn’t crossed her path yet, but when the bell went for lunch, the first of them came dashing up to her at the lockers.

‘Lina!’

She spun around in surprise at the familiar voice. It was Mary, out of breath, still clutching an armful of books from her last class. Even though they hadn’t spoken in weeks, Lina was amazed at how good it felt to have her old friend approach her with a friendly wave.

‘The magazine looks great! Congratulations!’ Mary said, turning on her most brilliant smile. ‘Look, I know we’ve been through kind of a bad patch lately, but I was hoping you might want to come and sit with me today? I sit with Claire and Mathilda, in the students’ lounge. We have a ball! Mathilda is so funny. You’ll love her!’ She grasped Lina’s arm.

Despite all the heartache of the last few weeks, the thought of sitting with her old best friend again – with the popular girls – was so appealing that Lina felt all her earlier resolve start to crumble away. ‘Um . . . really?’ she stammered. ‘I mean, sure!’

‘Great!’ said Mary, looking so pleased that Lina felt her heart swell. ‘Look, I have to see a teacher now, but I’ll meet you there in fifteen, okay? We have so much to catch up on!’

Lina nodded eagerly.

‘Bye, Lina Meena!’ Mary said in a sing-song voice, just like she used to, and trotted off down the corridor, ponytail swinging. Lina felt her face heat up with happiness.

Then, no sooner was Mary out of sight when Sarah came rushing up to her. ‘Lina!’ she called out. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Didn’t you get the message that the Mother Superior wanted to see us this morning? I waited in her office for you at recess. Have you seen the magazine? Isn’t it fabulous? Everybody loves it!’ she gushed, hugging a copy to her chest. ‘We’re famous, Lina!’

Lina drew her lips in tight, remembering the awful things she had overheard Sarah say at the lockers that very morning.

‘What’s wrong?’ Sarah said, peering curiously at Lina’s clouding expression.

Lina turned away and began packing her books into her locker. ‘You’d better be careful,’ she said. ‘Someone might catch you talking to a wog!’

Sarah gasped. ‘What are you talking about?’ Then her eyes narrowed. ‘Mary told you, didn’t she?’

Lina shook her head. ‘No. I heard you. At the lockers this morning.’

‘Look,’ Sarah said, rolling her eyes like Lina had completely misunderstood the whole situation. ‘I only said that to Mary because she wants you back as a friend, now that you’re so popular because of the magazine, of course, and I was trying to keep her away from you. She’s a user, Lina. She used me and she’ll use you, too. I’m saying this for your own good. Mary is bad news. Believe me! I’ve known her since kindergarten!’

Maybe Sarah’s right? Lina thought, suddenly feeling very confused. But would she really say something like that to Mary just to protect me?

‘You know I’m telling the truth,’ Sarah continued, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe Lina would even doubt her. ‘You really don’t won’t to get caught up with Mary and her nasty friends again. Come on. Let’s go to the library and we can have a cup of tea with Sister Rosemary to celebrate. I have to pick up another copy of the magazine first, so I’ll meet you there, okay? See you soon!’

Lina stood still for a moment, letting her thoughts settle. Now she was truly torn. Mary wanted to be her friend again! Mary was so pretty and so popular and they’d had such a great time together at the beginning of the year . . . Well, most of the time. But perhaps Sarah was right? Maybe Mary was bad news? After all, she had dumped her like a hot potato with almost no explanation.

And now Sarah wanted to be Lina’s friend, too! But could I ever really trust her completely? Lina wondered. What should I do? Who should I choose? Now that the magazine has made me so popular, it seems like everybody wants to be my friend.

This last thought washed over Lina like a salty wave, clearing away all the mess that was cluttering up her mind. That’s what this is all about, she realised. Mary and Sarah only want to be friends with me because of the magazine! And who knows how long it will last?

At that moment she knew the right thing to do. The only thing to do. And she set off to where she hoped there would be a true friend waiting for her. Someone who didn’t care if she was pretty or popular, and who wouldn’t drop her as soon as someone better came along.

Lina crossed the courtyard and found a small group of girls sitting on the grass behind the Science laboratories.

‘Hey, Lina! I was hoping you’d come,’ Julia said, smiling and patting the grass beside her. ‘We were just saying how much we loved your story!’

‘Yeah, we think it’s the best story in the magazine,’ said the girl beside her, nodding enthusiastically.

‘Except for my article on Anne Frank,’ Julia joked. ‘No, seriously, it’s a beautiful story, Lina. Your family sounds amazing! It’s so funny and sweet and interesting. I wish I could write as well as you.’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Lina let herself down onto the grass next to Julia in case her trembling legs should give way under her. They like my story, she thought, dizzy with pride and relief. No, they don’t just like it – they love it!