Chapter 30

“Okay, you ready?” I faced the school gates on Friday, checking my scarf was still in place, then clenched my backpack strap and took a deep breath. I’d worn my hijab like a yoyo for days, stressing every time a teacher or Jayden or Sasha looked my way, but I couldn’t carry on doing that. I’d had enough. It’d taken us all week to prepare for this, and there was no backing out now.

“Yup.” Lisa gently pulled on her cross stud earrings, and then adjusted her long diamante cross necklace so the chain hung equally on each side.

“Fighting ready with my dastaar!” Sukhi held her white-turban-covered head high. She looked like a queen with a crown.

I linked arms with them. “Let’s go!”

Nothing and no one was going to break us today. We were going to send Ratcliffe Academy a message.

The whispers and snickers spread through the playground like a ripple effect. But we’d agreed that we’d stare ahead and avoid eye contact. Focus on the building, I told myself. Focus.

As we walked inside, Mrs. Thornton, the receptionist, stood up at her desk, probably ready to tell us off, but we marched past her office window and pushed through the first set of double doors toward Mrs. Owen’s and Mr. Atkinson’s offices. Our plan was to protest in the busiest corridor, right outside the head and deputy head’s offices. Oh, yeah.

My stomach dipped as soon as I saw the dark mahogany chairs that always sat outside their offices. What would they say when they saw us? My spine tingled. But I couldn’t let fear distract me. Focus, Aaliyah. Focus.

We’d only just sat on the chairs, Sukhi and Lisa either side of me, when Mrs. Owen’s door burst open. “What is the meaning of this?” The corners of her mouth curled down.

Oh, flip. She did NOT look happy. But what was I expecting? A pat on the back?

“You all know the rule. Take those religious symbols off this second and go to your form rooms!” She pointed toward the reception area.

We didn’t say a word. We’d agreed we would be silent until it was absolutely necessary.

From the side compartment of my backpack where my water bottle usually went, I yanked out the rolled-up banner I’d made and raised it above my head.

IT SHOULD BE
OUR CHOICE
NOT YOURS

Sukhi followed. Hers read:

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
IS A RIGHT

And finally Lisa held hers up:

THIS BAN
ENCOURAGES HATE
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

Mrs. Owen looked as if she was going to explode. The phone rang in her office. She turned to answer it, then hesitated, her eyeballs popping. “I don’t want to see you when I come back out. You will go to your form rooms, NOW!” Her voice boomed in the corridor as she stormed into her office and slammed the door shut.

The school bell went.

Everyone was going to come in any minute. We all looked at each other, trying to stifle our giggles. It was going better than we expected.

The first bunch of kids thundered through the doors. I straightened my back, holding my banner high, and focused on the wall in front of me.

Some kids laughed as they passed. Some stopped to read the banners and take photos. Some must have messaged others because soon a huge crowd had ­gathered in the corridor. It was getting harder to focus on the wall ahead. My arms ached and I fought to keep them raised.

“TRAITOR!” Sasha pushed through the crowd and stopped in front of Lisa. “To your own brother!” She tutted. I couldn’t see her face ­properly, but I could feel her angry energy. A chill went through me.

Lisa stayed still, holding her banner high.

Sasha clenched her fists and pulled her arm back. Oh my god, she was going to punch Lisa right here in front of Mrs. Owen’s office!

“SASHA WILLIAMS!”

She froze, her arm mid-air. Then lowered her fist and tossed her hair and turned.

“Get to form!” It was a teacher.

Sasha sucked her teeth and kicked Sukhi’s shin as she left. Sukhi didn’t twitch.

Everyone else who had gathered scattered, walking on slowly as Mr. Rudd approached our chairs. “Has Mrs. Owen seen you yet?”

Silence.

“You realize you’re asking to get into a lot of trouble, don’t you?”

Silence again.

He sighed. His shoes clopped down the corridor. Once he was gone, the only sound I could hear was the faint rumble of cars going by outside.

I dropped my arms and whispered, “Oh my god, did that just happen?”

“Stupid cow!” said Sukhi, scowling and rubbing her leg.

“When do we get to go to the toilet and stuff?” said Lisa. “We didn’t discuss that.”

Mrs. Owen’s door opened. She was a little less pink than before. Maybe she’d calmed down.

“Now. Girls. This is not the time nor the place for a sit-in. I’m giving you a last chance. If you don’t remove yourselves this instant, I will have you removed.”

My leg jerked. What would they do? I focused on a speck of dirt on the pale sky blue wall in front of me to calm my nerves.

She didn’t say anything for what felt like an eternity. Then she said, “Very well. You have made your decision. I am calling your parents and you will be removed for disrupting school life and refusing to comply with instructions.”

I exhaled and slouched as she stormed away.

Now what? My stomach lunged. It was a silent, peaceful protest. Surely Mum and Dad would under­­stand.

“Someone’s been trying to call me.” Lisa pulled her phone out of her bag. “I felt it buzzing when Mrs. Owen was talking.”

She tapped her password in, and her face drained of color.

“What’s up, Lise?” I said.

“It’s Darren,” she said. “He … He …”

“He what?” asked Sukhi.

“Someone posted a pic of us on Snappo and he’s fuming.”

I felt sick. He was going to hate me even more. If that was even possible. And now he’d be angry with Lisa too. I shouldn’t have let her join in.

Lisa sprang up and picked up her backpack. She dropped her banner on her empty chair. “I’m going home. Try and speak to him before Mum leaves for her shift. I’ll message you later.”

“Lise,” I whispered after her. “Stay safe, yeah?”

She nodded, yanking her long necklace over her head and shoving it into her bag as she went.

Mrs. Owen came out of her office, looking twice where Lisa had sat. “Where’s Lisa?” But she didn’t wait for an answer. “You are all suspended with immediate effect. Your parents will be notified as soon as I can get hold of them.”

My jaw felt as if it’d hit the floor. I glanced at Sukhi — hers was the same.

Mrs. Owen let out a thin smile. She looked almost pleased by the panic creeping over our faces.

Mum and Dad were so not going to be okay about me being SUSPENDED!