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Anna gripped Peg’s arm like a vice as she lead her down the hall chattering as she went. Peg had long learnt that Anna did not actually require or desire a response, instead just a nod or a grunt at appropriate intervals was suffice.
The two girls entered their tutor class together. Peg sat in her normal seat two rows from the front in the furthest left chair. Anna took her seat on Peg’s right and immediately started a new train of dialogue.
Even Anna’s seeming unpredictable inane hatter had it’s place in Peg’s routine. She allowed Anna’s pointless drabble until the moment the teacher walked in, and then Anna knew to shut up because otherwise she faced her friend giving her the colder shoulder for the next hour.
Peg knew most people thought she was being anal and perverse but for her it meant that the world was just a little easier to understand and managed.

“And what?” she challenged her critics. “is wrong with that?”

“Good morning class, Mr Edmunds clapped his hands together and waited for the matter to fade into a mundane murmuring before finally silence. We have a new student with us today. Tobias Reed.”

The class all turned with the same expression of bold curiosity.
Tobias was the opposite of what you would expect of a boy with the name of Reed. He was tall and strong, with brown hair that was growing out of a tidy style.

“Please, the names Toby,” he smiled.

Mr Edmunds just nodded. “I’m sure you will all make Toby is very welcome here,” he said before pointing in the direction of the free seats.

They were all in the first row, the danger zone of all classes, so Peg was unsurprised when Toby chose the seat in front of her, it was after all the most out of the way one. Toby smiled at Anna and her before sitting down to face the front.

Twenty minutes into the lesson Peg decided she disliked Tobias distinctly.
First of all he fidgeted, always shifting in and out of her view of the board; secondly he kept turning round to talk to them, asking to borrow pens, paper, rubbers, rulers. When Peg asked what was in his bag he grinned impishly and opened it to reveal a camera, a phone and three cans of red bull.

“Idiot,” murmured Peg before handing him the required item.

Anna just rolled her eyes at her best friend’s response and giggle quietly every time Toby furrowed his brow in confusion. After Peg sighed loudly at him for asking where the art block was half way through Mr Edmunds explanation of the symbolism of a mocking bird Anna poked her hard in the arm.

“Be nice.” She mouthed.

Peg just treated her with a glimpse of the most furious scowl before turning back to listen to their teacher.

After the lesson Peg packed her stuff away quickly and rushed out. She’d had a rubbish lesson because of the new boy Toby’s behaviour. All she’d wanted to do was shut herself away, to make notes and not have to worry about her hair or whether the new boy was just acting that way to annoy her.

“Hey,”

She paused and turned on her heel to look at whoever called her, it was Tobias, wild hair and all, leaning on the door frame.

“I’m Toby,” he said pushing himself off the door frame and walking over. He held his hand to Peg.

“Peg,” she said shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you,” she added to be polite.

“Likewise,” he said with a sarcastic smile.

She smiled back before turning to walk down the hall. She heard rushed footsteps then Toby was walking beside her.

“You are remarkable hostile you know that,” he said casually.

“I’m not, I just don’t have time to listen to people who can’t be bothered to be organised,” Peg said slowly.

He made a noise of surprise. “So it wasn’t you I saw handing Anna your notes before the lesson?”

Peg turned to glare at him, “Anna is my friend, and it was an exception, an unusual event!”

Toby just raised his eyebrows before peeling of to the right leaving Peg all the more frustrated.

Today was not going to be good.

Home again Peg smiled as she saw her familiar green door. Today hadn’t been good. First Toby had conveniently forgotten to return her stuff so she had to borrow the Maths teacher’s ruler which had seemed horrid and alien in her hand. Then she had gone looking for Toby and subsequently been late to Art and had to sit in the wrong seat. Finally she had forgotten her hair band and had to tie her hair back with an elastic band in science. Sure enough she was happy to see home.

She unlocked the door and placed her shoes neatly on the shoe rack. Then she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice before walking back into the hall and pressing the answer phone button.

“Hey darling”, Peg’s mothers voice was bubbly down the phone. ”Just calling to say that tea is in the oven, just heat it up to 220 for fifteen minutes and stick the veggies in the steamer. I’m going to be back tomorrow morning, sorry baby. Got to go love you. Bye!”

Peg groaned, her mother had said she was going to be that evening. Peg could feel herself growing restless and she realised that the days plan was going wrong. She rushed up to her room to her planner to check.

Monday
6.20 alarm go off
6.30 get up8.00 go to bus stop – meet Anna. Anna was late
8.15 Bus arrives
9.15 get to school
9.25 tutors
10.00 English. – Toby talked through
11.30 Maths - Toby has stuff
11.40 student support meeting
12.00 lunch
1.00 free period.2.30 Art. was late
4.00 Home5.00 Mum returns
Peg groaned as she crossed through everything that had gone wrong. She felt uneasy as she looked at her perfectly planned day and how simply it had been ruined.

A long bath and a bowl of noodles later and the sinking feeling in Peg’s gut had nearly subsided. She tried to continue the rest of her evening in order. She had her bath, her tea and then sat down to start her homework but after only ten short minutes the phone rang.

“Hello?” she sighed, her frustration breaking through her voice.

“Peg,” Anna sniffed. “Davy got shot,”