Edenham Comprehensive

The remaining days of the half-term are spent together, just hanging out mostly, talking about parents and TV and Tyler but not it. It has been stuffed in a box and hidden far, far away, but not quite far enough. Sometimes, Casey catches Reuben looking at her with that something she can’t even hope to understand. He’ll look away instantly, of course, but they both know they’re going to have to face itsoon enough. For now, though, they’re content with their easy friendship, and have no want or need for anything more. At least, that’s what Casey wants to believe.

The return to school arrives all too quickly, bringing with it early mornings fumbling for school uniforms and mad searches for the ever-elusive maths textbook. As Casey dashes down the stairs, her bag clunking against her leg, she wonders when exactly it got so cold.

It hits her as she strides out the doors, the bitter, biting wind which tears her feeble jacket to shreds, rendering it worse than useless. Her entire body is shivering uncontrollably by the time she reaches Reuben, huddling against the wall.

“I’m freezing,” she manages, her teeth chattering like castanets.

“Good morning to you too.” He smiles wryly and holds open his coat, his meaning clear. Without a word, she squeezes in beside him and he pulls it close around the two of them.

“You know, it might actually be warmer out here than it was inside,” she mutters, intensely grateful for both the warmth of the coat and the heat radiating from the body next to hers.

Reuben chuckles. “I wouldn’t doubt it. I think the boiler’s gone or something.”

“Fantastic.” Casey snorts. “Just bloody typical, isn’t it?”

Her fingers accidentally brush against his arm and he frowns. “Your fingers are like icicles,” he says slowly, concerned.

“I realised that, thanks,” she mutters, bringing the blue stubs to her lips to blow on them gently.

“Here,” he murmurs, and takes her hands in his own gloved ones. “I can be your own personal, portable radiator.”

She wants to thank him, but the words get stuck in her throat so she simply smiles, hoping he can read the gratefulness in her eyes.

“You could do with gloves,” he comments. “And a scarf, and maybe a hat.”

She rolls her eyes wryly. “And maybe thermal underwear while I’m at it. Though it couldn’t hurt. This jacket does bugger all to keep me warm.”

He smiles slowly, slipping off one of his gloves before holding it out to her. “Take it,” he instructs her when she merely stands there dumbly. He slips it onto her hand, tucking it neatly around her fingers. “You wear one, I wear one. We both keep warm.”

“Half-warm,” she corrects him, but she’s smiling and this time she manages it. “Thank you,” she says softly. “You’re too nice to me.”

He merely shrugs, still smiling. “We’re mates. That’s what mates do.”

Yes, she reminds herself, that’s what they do. There’s nothing else in it, nothing at all. He’s just looking out for her like a good friend should. They stand there for a few minutes, unconsciously leaning into each other to share each others’ accumulating body heat.

After a while, Casey grimaces. “We should go before we get too comfortable here.”

In protest, he pulls her closer to him, as if trapping her. “Hey, you’re not going anywhere,” he says mock-seriously. “Not while I’ve got you.”

“Reuben, let me go.” She makes a show of struggling in his grip, though she doesn’t really mind. Not even a little bit. “Come on, Rubes. It’ll be warmer at school than out here, anyway.”

He sighs reluctantly. “I suppose you’re right. Let’s go.”

She shrugs out of the coat and is immediately hit by the painful cold. Suddenly, she longs for the security and familiarity of it, and knows instinctively that it’s not just because of the warmth. But that isn’t something she wants to think about right now, or ever, in fact.

“Come on,” she says briskly, striding on ahead. “Quicker we move, quicker we get there.”

With a groan, he follows her, his long legs allowing him to fall into step with her easily. Their ungloved hands brush gently and Casey momentarily marvels at how Reuben’s hand can still be warm, but doesn’t waste time wondering.

“Can I... hold your hand?” She realises she sounds ridiculous, blushes, and rephrases her request. “I mean, I’m cold, you’re not... I need all the warmth I can get.”

He smiles, but there’s that look in his eyes again. She’s past trying to figure out what it means, or when she started noticing it was there. All she knows is he looks at her like that an awful lot. Too much.

He threads his fingers into hers and gently strokes the soft, loose skin between her thumb and forefinger. She shivers, again not because of the cold, and smiles up at him. He smiles back briefly, then turns away, still holding her hand.

“What are we doing about us?” he asks. She might be hearing things but he sounds harsher now, like he’s forcing himself to think about something he doesn’t want to. “You know, because of-” He stops short of mentioning it, grimacing a little. “Are we still...”

He doesn’t look at her. He can’t bring himself to. Not knowing what he knows and wanting what he wants. He just lets his unfinished sentence hang in the air between them.

She knows what he means, though. Shame pricks her stomach, but she doesn’t quite know what she’s ashamed of. She forces a casual shrug, an indifferent smile. “We’re the same as we’ve always been. A break-up would just be messy and complicated and way more trouble than it’s worth.”

He nods evenly, his gaze fixed perfectly in front of him. A part of him is relieved, another disgusted at himself for feeling that way. “Yes,” he says slowly. “Of course.”

They’re almost at Edenham now, the rusting gates in sight at the end of the road. Reuben grasps her hand tighter and they share something unspoken in those few seconds before they pass through them, the school stripping away their outer layers as easily as wrapping paper.

***

At gone three o’clock, Reuben’s hurrying out of school like he has somewhere important to be. In fact, he does. That somewhere just happens to be as far away as possible from Edenham Comprehensive.

The first day back wasn’t all that bad, though, he has to admit. If Tyler knows about the plan, he’s staying schtum for the time being. But Reuben can’t shake off the feeling of being watched. He knows that it’s part of life at this school – another infringement of his basic rights that he has to try and escape.

He halts by the gates and leans against the wall to wait for Casey, an earphone already halfway to his ear to keep him occupied. What’s the use of getting let out early, he thinks wryly to himself, if you only have to spend your freedom waiting for everyone else to catch up?

Shortly, he hears the bell go somewhere inside the school, and as if on cue, crowds of people stream from the building where Casey should be appearing any minute now. Not yet, though. She always seems to come out late. Shaking his head gently, Reuben finds a song before stuffing his iPod back in his pocket.

Tyler’s voice drifts from somewhere, somewhere that feels a lifetime away. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

Reuben turns to throw him a bored look. The other boy is advancing like a lion after its prey, a mocking sneer on his lips. “What do you want, Westwood?”

“Just to talk,” he replies innocently, but Reuben isn’t fooled. Tyler’s after something; that much is obvious.

“Talk then,” he says coolly, still scanning the crowd for Casey.

Tyler notices his gaze and smirks. “Looking for someone? Your girlfriend, maybe?”

And something about the way he says ‘girlfriend’ makes Reuben turn his head, his eyes wide. He realises with terrifying certainty that Tyler knows. The question is, how much?

He composes his features into a neutral expression. “Yeah, actually. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

“What, Casey?” Tyler pretends to think for a moment. “Nah, sorry.”

“She’ll be out in a minute,” Reuben mutters, mostly for his own benefit.

“So, did you have a good half-term?” Tyler asks, turning to give him a sly look.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Reuben replies non-committally.

Tyler nods, like he was expecting his response. “Do anything interesting?”

He knows, Reuben panics. He knows everything. But he forces himself to calm down and keep it together. He can’t lose it now. He can’t.

“You mean apart from Casey?” He shrugs. “Nah.” Reuben sees he’s taken the other boy by surprise and allows himself a small smile. “And you?” he asks innocently.

“Not really,” Tyler replies. “Got some interesting revelations, though.”

“Like what?” Reuben enquires, still feigning carelessness.

“Like the fact that you really are as stupid as you look,” Tyler informs him with a touch of something close to pity.

“Excuse me?”

He gives him a look. “Come on, Alcott. Did you really think you could get away with it?”

“I have no idea what you’re on about,” Reuben says calmly, though his heart is pounding in his chest like it’s going to break through his ribcage.

“Drop the pretence already,” Tyler says impatiently. “I know you’re trying to get rid of me. Not that your ridiculous plan would ever work, anyway. My subjects are very loyal.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Reuben shoots back, cursing when he realises he’s fallen right into his trap. “How’d you find out, anyway?”

“A little birdie told me,” Tyler replies with an innocent smile.

“You mean that guy you’ve got spying on me?” Reuben says suspiciously.

Tyler claps his hands together in mock-appreciation. “So you finally worked it out! Well done. Though you’re not totally there.”

Reuben glares at him. “Is there no low you won’t stoop to?”

Tyler merely shrugs. “You’re a fine one to talk. Does Casey know about you and Georgia?”

Reuben’s whole body stiffens. How does he know about Georgia? Possibilities start flooding into his mind, but there’s one single thought that stands out more than any other.

Georgia’s a spy. How else would he know? They had the meeting out in the open. There was no way anyone could snoop unless they were already there. It’s the logical conclusion. But despite that, a part of him is reluctant to believe it.

“Though I don’t suppose it matters,” Tyler continues, flicking a shred of imaginary dust off his shoulder, “considering you’re not even going out for real.”

Reuben’s mouth drops open. It has to be Georgia. No one else knows what’s really going on between him and Casey. The betrayal hits him like a razor sharp knife to the chest, twisting itself further and further in.

“Georgia,” Reuben says hoarsely. “She told you. She told you everything.”

“She really gets around, doesn’t she?” Tyler mocks him. “Rather like your Casey. But she’s not even yours though, is she? She was just using you to piss me off. Must say, it worked pretty well, though I never should’ve believed it. Casey would never go out with a guy like you. She’s my girl, through and through.”

“She’s not yours,” Reuben says through clenched teeth. “She doesn’t want you. She hates you.”

“Well, I should point out that she doesn’t want you either,” Tyler says matter-of-factly. He looks at him for a few seconds, just watching him squirm. “That’s the really sad part. You’re so in love with her it’s pathetic, but she doesn’t even give a damn about you.”

Once again, Reuben’s overwhelmed by an urge to smash his fist into the other boy’s smirking face. Nothing but the feeling of breaking bone under soft, mushy flesh will take away the sharp sting of humiliation.

“Ooh, have I touched a nerve? Poor baby,” Tyler mocks, a sinister edge to his tone.

“Shut up,” Reuben growls.

“Does it bother you that you’re playing with my leftovers?” he continues. “Casey, Georgia... you’re just a tool to them. Something to use against me. And doesn’t that make you furious?”

Don’t hit him, Reuben wills himself. Just don’t hit him.

“I think you’re the one who’s furious, Westwood,” he says, somehow managing to retain his calm. “You can’t standthe fact that Casey isn’t yours so you have to convince yourself she’s still in love with you. That’s what’s pathetic.”

Tyler looks taken aback for all of a millisecond before regaining his composure. “You don’t know her half as well as you think you do,” he spits. “I’ve known her all my life. You’ve only known her two months. I think I win on that front.”

“This isn’t about winning, or losing,” Reuben retorts.

“Oh I think it is. Life is just a game and I intend to win,” Tyler informs him.

Reuben looks at him for a few seconds, shaking his head with disbelief. “You’re insane,” he declares, turning to leave.

Tyler blocks his path, smirking. “I didn’t say you could go. I’m not done talking yet.”

“Well I’m done listening,” Reuben says tiredly. “I’m fed up of your games. Now get out of my way.”

Tyler just stands there, his lips curled into that effortlessly mocking smirk. “You’re never going to get rid of me. I’m always going to be here, making your life hell. Always.”

Reuben’s eyes narrow. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

“Don’t you get it, Alcott?” Tyler says, almost pitifully. “People may not like me or what I do, but they like it infinitely more than the alternative.”

“Which is?” Reuben challenges.

Tyler spreads his arms like some kind of crazed messiah. “Anarchy. Chaos. People desire it and fear it in equal proportions. They need someone to tell them what to do, someone to keep them in order.”

“That someone doesn’t have to be you.”

He raises a fair eyebrow. “Who else is it going to be? You? Don’t make me laugh.”

“I didn’t mean me,” Reuben replies evenly. “People can govern themselves.”

“No they can’t,” Tyler replies matter-of-factly. “If you think that all of this is down to me, you’re wrong. People want those humiliation shows as much as I do. They like the superiority that comes from being a higher Grade than someone else. And I’m not forcing anyone to take part in Peer Mentoring. Sure, I might have laid the foundations, but they’re the ones who made this school what it is today.”

His words unsettle Reuben more than he would care to admit, planting the small seed of doubt in his head. But he won’t let Tyler see that he’s got to him. “Whatever helps you sleep better at night,” he mutters, trying to sidestep the other boy.

He blocks his path once again. “Not so fast. You’ve been a naughty boy,” Tyler informs him, wagging his finger in a twisted mockery of an old-fashioned headteacher. “You need to be punished.”

Reuben looks at him with incredulity. “Another humiliation show?”

Tyler eyes him with that same predatory look as before. “Actually, I was thinking of something more personal. One on one.”

“I’m not going to fight you,” Reuben says tiredly.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler mocks. “Chicken?”

“No,” Reuben replies coolly, “just not stupid. Second I lay a finger on you, your goons’ll jump out and beat me to a pulp.”

“No goons,” Tyler says, with the first hint of sincerity since he collared him. “Just you, me and a crowd anxious for a fight.”

Reuben looks around in surprise at his words. Sure enough, a crowd has amassed, forming a tight-knit circle around them, all watching intently to see which way this will go.

He glances back at the other boy. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he warns.

Tyler throws back his head and laughs scornfully. “Like you could,” he snorts. “You’re a weak, pathetic little coward.”

Reuben’s blood boils, but he says nothing. Apart from gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he does nothing. He doesn’t trust himself.

Tyler turns away, facing the crowd, but then he spins around like a whip-crack and slams his fist into the other boy’s face. Immediately, the eager crowd break out into a chorus of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” chanted over and over as Tyler swings his arm for his next punch.

Reuben stops it in mid-air and uses his own momentum to whirl Tyler around and slam him onto the floor, his head smacking back onto the pavement with a satisfying crack. Groaning, he struggles to get up, but Reuben places his foot on top his chest and presses down just hard enough to keep him in place.

“I told you,” he says calmly, “I don’t want to fight you.”

He turns and walks away, heading for a gap in the fence of people. Tyler gets shakily to his feet and spits out blood, dragging his sleeve across his mouth.

“Yeah, go on, go home,” he sneers, a bitter tinge to his voice that wasn’t there before. “Go back to your mummy. You can try and play happy families all you like, but you know she wishes it was you who died, not Callum.”

Reuben freezes, standing deathly still on the edge of the circle. A hush has descended upon the crowd; the tension in the air is almost tangible.

“They loved him more than you,” Tyler continues, a cold viciousness saturating his words. “They hate you for killing him. They can’t even stand to look at you.”

Reuben pivots slowly, his fists clenched at his sides, his face a mask of white-hot fury. The other boy’s standing opposite him, a thin rivulet of blood trickling down the side of his marble face.

“You don’t know anything about anything,” he says through gritted teeth, a fierce pulse drumming in his temple.

“I know they blame you for his death,” Tyler says with that pure, simple cruelty. “And so they should.”

“You know jack shit about my family,” Reuben snarls, taking a step towards him. “So shut that mouthy gob of yours before I do it for you.”

Tyler smiles blandly. “No wonder your dad drinks himself into oblivion every night when he’s got you to come home to. No wonder your mum’s always working ‘cause she can’t bear the thought of being alone with you. No wonder you-”

Something inside Reuben snaps and without thinking about what he’s doing, he draws back his fist and lets it fly straight into Tyler’s face before he can finish his sentence. His head snaps back and he stumbles, losing his balance, and that temporary lapse in concentration is all Reuben needs. He tackles the other boy to the ground in one fell swoop and pins him underneath himself.

It might have looked erotic, Reuben straddling Tyler’s body and leaning far over him, were it not for the expression of pure, unadulterated loathing on his face. He pummels Tyler like a punch bag, unyielding in his desire to cause as much physical pain to the other boy as is humanly possible. He won’t be satisfied until the boiling rage inside of him is satiated, until he strips away that angelic surface to reveal the monstrous demon lurking underneath.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the school, Casey hurries out of her history classroom, glancing at her watch. Miss Woods kept her back for ages nagging her about the essay she was supposed to have handed in that day.

She strides out of the building, but as she does so, a commotion by the gates catches her eye. There’s a huge crowd of people gathered around something, chanting words she can’t make out. It’s likely to be a fight of some kind; nothing else would garner a crowd of that size.

Curiosity gets the better of her disgust and she heads over to the thick circle of people, using her height, or lack thereof, to squeeze through a gap in the crowd until she reaches near enough the front. One boy is kneeling over another, pinned helplessly to the ground, and is pounding him like he’s never going to stop. She cranes her neck to get a better look at them, realising with a jolt that it’s Reuben and Tyler.

Forcing herself through the crowd, she storms over to them and rips Reuben off him. He’s almost too strong for her, and for a second she’s worried he’ll break free of her iron grip, but she manages to pull him away by the scruff of his neck, holding him back with one arm. With the other, she pulls a bloody-faced Tyler to his feet.

“Everybody leave, right now!” she roars, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Fight’s over. You got your taste of blood, now get lost!”

Slowly, the crowd starts to dissipate, but not without some grumbling. Casey looks from the two boys with undisguised disbelief, her body still wedged between them.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demands, glaring at the two of them.

Reuben ignores her; he’s still struggling to get free. “Let me go. I’ll kill him!”

“Exactly,” she says firmly, not budging an inch.

Tyler laughs softly. “At least someone’s got their head screwed on properly here,” he says, his words distorted a little by his broken nose. “You’d better watch yourself, Reuben. You can’t ever hide from me, remember that.”

With one last glance in Casey’s direction, he limps away, snapping at a girl to get out of his way. Once Tyler’s safely out of Reuben’s reach, he goes limp in her grip and she releases him. He turns to her, an apology already forming on his lips as the anger ebbs away.

She holds up a hand to stop him, suddenly exhausted. “Save your explanations for when we’ve got you home.”

He smiles weakly and, taking her outstretched hand, walks out of the gates with her at his side. It’s warmer now, slightly, but she’s still shivering a little. Without being prompted, he sheds his coat and drapes it around her shoulders. Her grateful smile is all the thanks he needs, and it lessens the guilt twisting his stomach into knots just that little bit.