‘A fox ate you?’ Rachel looked impressed. ‘Was it gory? Did it hurt?’
Remembering standing shivering and alone in her bedroom, Allie said, ‘I woke up when it started eating my face.’
‘Yum. Eating.’ Rachel took a bite of eggs. When Allie didn’t laugh, she tilted her head to one side. ‘Foxes don’t usually eat people, you know. Actually, they never eat people and I think I should be precise about that. Foxes do not eat people. Your dream self was probably just too delicious for that particular dream fox to resist. It just means he likes you.’
Even as grim as she felt, Allie had to smile. ‘He? What if it was a girl fox?’
‘Lesbian fox dreams – you naughty vixen! I wonder what Freud would say about that,’ Rachel said.
‘I wish it had been a sex dream,’ Allie grumbled at her plate then she glanced up at Rachel. ‘Hey, speaking of sex … You and Lucas. What’s up with that? Is something up with that? Because I think something’s up with that.’
Rachel blushed. She actually blushed.
Allie’s eyes widened. ‘Something’s up with that – I can see it in your face! You tell me everything right now.’
Rachel looked over at her shyly. ‘Well, Lucas and I … are together. It’s official.’
‘Oh. My. God.’ The words rose to a small scream as Allie jumped out of her chair and hugged her.
Breathless with laughter, Rachel pushed her away. ‘Get off. You’re squishing my toast.’
‘Oh, Rach, I’m so psyched for you! When did this happen?’
‘Last weekend. Didn’t you notice I disappeared after dinner?’ Rachel asked. ‘And then on Sunday I was all giddy and stupid. It was disgusting. I hope you didn’t see.’
A rush of heat coloured Allie’s cheeks. She hadn’t noticed. Not at all.
She’d been busy last weekend, training with Night School, hanging out with Carter and Zoe. She hadn’t noticed Rachel acting giddy because she’d hardly seen Rachel in days.
Last weekend? That was ages ago. And she didn’t tell me?
It seemed inconceivable that Rachel wouldn’t have rushed to her room and jumped on her bed, eager to tell her everything.
As Rachel chattered happily about moonlight and kissing by the stream, Allie nodded and smiled in all the right places, but in her head she was thinking that Night School was driving them apart.
Even after lingering with Rachel over breakfast, Allie arrived early for history class, but Jo was already there, waving at her across the otherwise empty room.
Her gamine short fair hair made her look pale and thinner. Or maybe she just was pale and thinner. Allie studied her critically as she sat down.
‘Hey! Quick, before everyone gets here,’ Jo whispered. ‘Who did you get?’
‘Who’d I get? Who’d I get for what?’
Jo seemed jittery, overexcited. Her eyes were too bright. ‘You know what.’
‘I don’t …’ Her voice trailing off, Allie felt anxiety twist her stomach as she realised what Jo meant.
She stared. ‘How do you know about …?’
‘Oh, Allie,’ Jo giggled. ‘My contacts are everywhere. I know all. So tell me. Who are you assigned to interview?’
Her laugh seemed too high-pitched, her reply too glib, and Allie tried to hide the suspicion that had nestled in her chest like a shard of ice.
This was Zelazny’s class room. Zelazny hated her. Jo knew that. Why would she ask something so forbidden somewhere so dangerous?
‘I can’t …’ Allie was horrified. ‘I just …
I can’t tell you, Jo. You know that.’
‘What? Seriously?’ Jo seemed affronted. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’
Thinking about the word ‘expulsion’, Allie shook her head emphatically. ‘Jo, I can’t,’ she said.
But even as she said that, she knew that somewhere deep inside, she just didn’t want to tell Jo. She didn’t trust her. If she told her and word got back to Zelazny …
‘How nice to see students so eager to learn that they come to class early.’ Zelazny’s icy voice cut through Allie’s thoughts.
Both girls spun around to face the front. The teacher stood by his desk in a military stance, feet shoulder-width apart, hands loose at his side, eyes alert.
How long has he been standing there? Allie wondered.
Luckily, Jo was never at a loss for words for long. ‘We just wanted to get a little studying done before class, Mr Zelazny.’ She dimpled cutely. ‘We didn’t think you’d mind.’
As angry as she was at Jo right now, Allie had to admire her smoothness.
‘Far be it from me to deny students a place to study.’ His voice dripping sarcasm, he pulled his books out of a briefcase and began arranging his desk. ‘Please continue your work. Don’t let me interrupt.’
He said the last word of each sentence as if it tasted bad.
Jo and Allie exchanged another loaded glance before looking down at their books. After just a minute, though, Jo sprang to her feet.
‘I’m just going to dash downstairs before class to get something to eat,’ she announced as she hurried to the door. ‘I’ll be right back.’
‘If you are late you will be given detention,’ Zelazny called after her. He added in an almost panicked tone, ‘And don’t bring food into my classroom!’
After Jo abandoned her, Allie busied herself reading over the short history essay due that day but she was acutely aware of Zelazny’s presence a few feet away. She could hear him breathing and it made her muscles tense. She found she was reading the same lines over and over. Still she didn’t look up.