Although Nadia was pleased to see Miss Morgan again and she was happy the young teacher seemed much more relaxed than when they’d first met her, the morning wore on as she waited anxiously for break time to arrive. As soon as the bell sounded, she jumped up and grabbed her coat.
“Hang on,” Jess said. “We’re coming too.”
The others followed Nadia out of the classroom, where she quickened her pace towards the back of the hall, through the doors and down the corridor that led to the main yard.
“We’ll split up and look for him,” Tomma suggested.
Nadia nodded, too nervous to speak. She didn’t think she would be able to calm down until she’d seen Kam. After searching the yard and not finding him, Nadia ran up to the sports pitches, hoping he might be hiding out at the allotment again.
“He’s not here,” she said, as Jess caught her up, puffing with the exertion of trying to keep up with her friend.
“Come on, we can ask at the office if he’s registered today. Then we can check the rest of the school,” Jess said.
The assistant in the office wasn’t particularly keen on helping them, muttering something about a need-to-know basis, but Nadia was insistent and she eventually perched her glasses on the end of her nose and looked up Kam’s name on the master register before shaking her head.
“No, he isn’t in today,” she said.
Nadia looked at Jess, who was as concerned as she was. Both knew what that could mean. Nadia wasn’t giving up though. She needed to find out where he was and there was one set of people who might just know.
“Where does that gang hang out?” Nadia asked Jess.
“Oh no you’re not,” Jess said. “I’m not letting you get anywhere near them after what happened last time. Tell her Tomma.” Jess looked at Tomma in desperation and Nadia felt annoyed with her.
Nadia tutted, shaking her head, then followed it with a deep exasperated sigh. “Do I look like I care what those idiots will do to me? Let them try! If I find out where Kam is, it’ll be worth it.”
“Why would they even know?” Ash said.
“They’ve most probably tried to beat him up at least once today already,” Nadia said. “For all we know, he could be lying injured somewhere and that’s why he hasn’t registered today.”
“But they’re not likely to tell you that are they?” Tomma said.
“How do you know?” Nadia said, aware she was raising her voice and causing others around them to stare. “They might be happy to show off about it. They’re that type.”
She folded her arms across her chest. Jess, Tomma and Ash looked at each other, seemingly lost for words. Then Nadia felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.
“What?” she shouted.
A small, skinny boy, much shorter than herself stood looking up at her with expectant eyes. Nadia closed her own eyes and gave herself a telling off.
“Sorry,” she said. “Didn’t mean to snap.”
“That’s okay,” the boy said, in a small, squeaky voice. “Only I couldn’t help but overhear just now. You were shouting, I mean, talking, about Marcel Kaminski?” The boy was beetroot red, as if this was the first time he had ever spoken aloud.
Nadia wondered if she was that intimidating or if this was just a painfully shy person standing before her. She hoped the latter.
“Yes,” she said, trying to soften her voice. “We’ve been looking for him because we’re worried. I don’t know how much you know about him, but he’s been having some trouble lately.”
The boy shook his head, seemingly annoyed and leaned forward lowering his voice.
“I know exactly the sort of trouble you mean because I’ve experienced it myself. I also know Kam hasn’t been at school since Friday. It’s not like him. He tends to face up to whatever they throw at him. Not like the rest of us. If I’m honest, I like it better when he’s around as he takes a lot of the beatings on our behalf. I know that’s not right of me to say, but once they’ve had a go at Marcel, they tend to leave the rest of us alone. . .”
Nadia felt weak. She thought her legs were going to buckle beneath her.
“Do you know where he lives?” Tomma asked, stepping forward.
The boy nodded. “I do. It’s just across the street in one of the mill cottages. Number 65.”
“Thank you so much,” Jess said, reaching out and putting a hand on the boy’s arm. Her warm smile making him blush again. Jess turned to Nadia. “We should go and see if he’s okay.”
The bell rang for the end of break time.
“It will have to wait until lunch break now,” Ash said.
Nadia felt her insides knot. She wasn’t sure she could wait that long. “Who cares about lessons?” she said. “This is far more important. We have to go now!”