As Agatha walked the corridor towards her locker, she noticed that a few students stepped back, out of her way. They know, she thought to herself.
With each step, her schoolbag seemed to get heavier. She could hear whispers, but couldn’t make out the words. She caught glimpses of stares, each one the same as the next. When she finally made it to her locker, she saw Tully, Cora and Morgan waiting. She took in a deep breath, her mouth suddenly dry.
‘Tully told us everything,’ said Morgan.
Cora nodded.
Agatha looked around. ‘I think everyone knows everything now.’
‘Well, not from us!’ said Cora, looking around like Agatha had. ‘I don’t think anyone knows anything.’
‘Sure,’ Agatha said, sarcastically.
‘Seriously, Agatha,’ Tully said, stepping closer to her and lowering her voice. ‘Not from us. We tell each other everything, but not anyone else.’
Agatha looked at Tully. She wanted to believe her, but Agatha knew better. People say you can trust them, but really you can’t. She opened her locker and took out her workbooks, shoving in her schoolbag.
Tully put her hand on Agatha’s shoulder, who shrugged it away. ‘Hey, I told you we were friends, and nothing’s going to change that. I told you,’ Tully said. Agatha could hear the hurt in her voice.
‘Everyone knows, Tully. Everyone. I can tell from the way they look at me, the whispers. You might think you want to be friends, but pretty soon you’ll be just like everyone else and you won’t want to be friends.’
‘Well, I think you’re wrong. I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there. We talked about it. It doesn’t matter to us, Agatha. Does it?’ She turned to Morgan and Cora, who also had moved in close and were shaking their heads.
‘Couldn’t care less about all that stuff, Agatha, really,’ said Morgan.
Agatha eyed them all with suspicion. She wanted to believe them, but a voice inside her head was telling her not to. She didn’t know what to do, what to say.
‘Look, why don’t we just stick together today, not talk about it, see what happens,’ Tully said. The others agreed.
‘What secrets are you lot keeping?’ Jax said, as he shoved Morgan and Cora to the side, breaking up the small group of friends. ‘Bet I know.’ He looked straight at Agatha. ‘Bet I know everything.’
‘Jax!’ Mr Brown was standing in the doorway of the Home Group room. ‘Can you come and move some tables for me, please? Grab a couple of others to help too, will you?’
‘Sure, Mr Brown.’ He turned back to Agatha. ‘Saved, this time.’ He strutted off.
Tully let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Honestly, he drives me mad – like, completely mad.’
‘He’s always been like that, since kindergarten,’ Cora said.
‘What does he know?’ Agatha asked, as she watched Jax enter the Home Group room.
‘Nothing! He doesn’t know anything, but he says that just to get to you. He’s been saying it forever, Agatha, really. But you’ll notice no one pays any attention to him, which is part of the problem really. If he was just a bit nicer, then he’d have a lot of friends.’
‘My mum says he’ll be gone from here anyway, at the end of the year,’ said Morgan.
‘Why?’
‘I think she said he is going to a school closer to the city. His mum’s not happy with this school.’
‘She’s never happy,’ said Cora.
‘Well, that’s the best news I’ve had all day!’ said Tully.
Agatha was pleased to hear that too, but the school year had only just begun. It could be a very long year if Jax found out anything about her.
The bell rang out and everyone moved towards Home Group. The girls made a plan to meet at their usual spot and again promised Agatha that they would not say anything to anyone. ‘Everyone has secrets, Agatha,’ Cora said. ‘You’re no different from anyone else.’
Agatha watched Cora walk away and looked puzzled. Tully stood and watched too. ‘Her parents divorced a while ago and it got really nasty – she gets pulled back and forth a lot. She tries not to let it get to her, though. And as for Morgan ... well, she can tell you. Come on.’ Tully turned and walked into Home Group, Agatha following closely behind.
Sitting beside each other, they listened to Mr Brown as he read out the messages for the day. ‘And to finish with, could Tully and Agatha please meet Ms Faber in the science lab at lunchtime.’
‘But, Mr Brown, our assignment isn’t due til tomorrow,’ Tully said.
‘Hey, I’m just the messenger, Tully, but I’m pretty sure it’s not about that,’ Mr Brown replied, looking down at the messages again. ‘It’s something about a science competition she wants you two to enter. Anyway, see Ms Faber at lunchtime and she will give you the details.’
Tully’s surprised face looked at Agatha. ‘A competition. That’s fantastic! Do you want to?’
Agatha nodded. Maybe she was wrong about today, and about Tully. Agatha was in unfamiliar waters, but for some reason, she felt okay.
By the end of the school day, Agatha had managed to avoid any difficult conversations with her new friends and, apart from Jax, not a single teasing word had been said to her by anyone else. Ms Faber had given her and Tully information about a Science Fair that a university was holding during the next school holidays, and the three had made plans to work on an idea together.
As she walked towards the main gates, Tully on one side and Cora and Morgan on the other, Agatha was feeling like Mrs Sloane might actually be right about this school – maybe it was different from all the others.
‘Who’s that?’ Tully said, seeing a woman standing a few cars up the street and waving in their direction.
Maybe the school was different, but other parts of her life weren’t. ‘That’s Nell.’
Tully looked at Agatha. ‘Friend or foe?’ she whispered.
Agatha gave Tully a half smile. ‘A bit of both, I suppose.’
‘Do you want us to come with you?’
‘Nah. She’s okay. She’ll take me home.’
‘Wait ... which home?’
It was Agatha’s turn to calm Tully. ‘To Katherine. She’ll take me to Katherine. But thanks – you know, for worrying.’
‘That’s what friends do. See you tomorrow.’
Tully and the other two walked past Nell and further along the street. Agatha watched Tully get into her mother’s car. Then she walked to Nell.
‘Good day?’ Nell asked.
Agatha shrugged.
‘I think I know what that shrug means. You’re not too impressed with me picking you up.’
‘I was hoping it would be Katherine. No offence.’
‘None taken. I was hoping it could be Katherine too, and not just today, but every day.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Nothing, really. Honestly, Agatha, you overthink things. Let’s go, it’s too hot.’
Agatha was thankful that the car ride was short. She had worked out a long time ago that Nell wasn’t good with silence. If there was silence, Nell had to think of something to say to fill it.
But several quiet minutes later, they pulled up in front of Katherine’s house. Agatha could see her at the window, waiting. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked.
‘Nothing, just a chat, to sort a few things out.’ Nell was already getting out of the car.
‘Chats never go well for me, Nell,’ Agatha said, closing the door of the car. They walked up to the front door, which was already opening. Chief sprinted out to greet them, as Lawson held the door back for them to enter.
The four stood awkwardly in the sitting room, then Katherine suggested they move to the dining table. ‘For a snack and something cool to drink.’
The table had been set for afternoon tea, and Agatha sat at the end, just like she had done ever since Lawson had returned. It had become her spot.
‘Well? Just tell me.’ Her voice was impatient.
‘Right,’ said Nell. ‘I’ll just say it.’
Katherine put her hand out towards her, but Agatha didn’t take it. She folded her arms and looked directly at Nell.
‘The court has granted you six months to stay here. Then we can go back and ask for a permanent placement, if everyone agrees.’
Katherine smiled. ‘That’s excellent news.’ Her hand moved to Lawson, who took it, and they both smiled at Agatha.
‘Great news,’ he said.
Still with her arms folded, staring at Nell, Agatha, who was not smiling, leaned forward. ‘There’s a “but”, isn’t there, Nell. There’s always a “but”.’
‘You’re right. There is a “but”. You know how the system works.’
Agatha sat back. ‘I knew it.’
‘What is it, Nell?’ Lawson asked. His hands were now clasped together on the table in front of him, ready to listen intently to every word.
‘The court has said that Agatha must have regular visits with both of her parents. Weekly visits. For the next six months. After that, if a permanent order is made, then the visits will be renegotiated.’
Katherine turned to Agatha. ‘That sounds fair enough. What do you think?’
Agatha was not sure what she thought. Weekly visits with her parents? ‘So, every Saturday or something, I have to get the train back and visit them? For how long, Nell? All day?’
‘You won’t be taking the train, sweetheart. I’ll take you,’ Katherine said.
‘And I can take you,’ Lawson said. ‘We’ll go together, the three of us.’
Agatha looked at them both and slightly shook her head. She’d taken a chance once, with Tully, but she didn’t want to do that again.
‘I know what you’re thinking, Agatha,’ Katherine said, ‘and it won’t happen. We won’t change our minds about you.’
‘This morning I told you about Courage,’ Lawson said, looking down the table, directly at Agatha. His voice gentle for such a tall man. ‘Here’s another value: Honesty. You will always have that from us. If Katherine says nothing will change for us, then you can rely on that honesty.’
For a moment, Agatha looked directly back at Lawson and then gave him a small nod. She turned to Nell. ‘When is my first visit?’
‘Tomorrow. 11:00 am.’
‘But it’s a school day, Nell,’ Katherine objected.
‘I know. But they had to pick a time and that’s what their lawyer said, for the first one. After that it can be Saturdays, or some other time. I’ll talk to your parents about it.’
‘My Science assignment is due tomorrow. I want to be there with Tully to hand it in to Ms Faber.’
‘Sorry, kiddo. Court trumps school,’ Nell said.
Agatha shook her head. ‘It’s not fair, Nell.’
‘I know. But, hey, look on the bright side – it’s a good sign that you want to go to school so badly, don’t you think? I didn’t ever think I’d hear that from you – must be some great school!’ Nell drummed her fingers on the table, signalling she was done and stood up. ‘Do you want me to take you tomorrow, Agatha?’
‘No, I will take her,’ Katherine answered. Then quickly added, ‘If that’s okay with you, Agatha?’
‘We’ll both take her,’ Lawson said.
‘What about your flight?’
‘It’s not until later in the day.’
They all waited for a response from Agatha. She sat back in the chair and shrugged.
‘Right. I told you I’d take all non-answers as a yes,’ Lawson said, with a grin on his face.
Agatha looked at him. ‘Courage and Honesty. What are the other ones?’ she asked.
‘All in good time,’ he said.