Firewallers
Page 17
Hang on a minute, I really need to take this.
‘Hi, Cam – where are you? OK, text me when to get to the station. Yeah, can’t wait. Yeah . . . Yeah, me too.’
That’s Campbell. He’s on the train. We’ve been going out for six months now, which is, like, a world record for me. Winchester’s only about an hour away so we see quite a lot of each other. He’s living with his mum now, but it looks like his dad has pretty much recovered from his breakdown. Earl’s obviously decided he’s better suited to the cut-throat world of advertising than running an eco-community. Watch out for his new toothpaste advert – Cam says it’s amazing.
And what about school? Well, school’s school, isn’t it? Dad’s story was old news by the time I went back, but I still was kind of nervous about it. Ella didn’t exactly help matters. The first thing she said when I walked into registration was, ‘Don’t worry, babes, we’ve all forgotten about that photo.’ But I guess I’m more confident now, so I just laughed.
I try not to think too much about our time on Sloth, only sometimes I can’t help it. Like the other day in PSHE. Mr Catchpole was hosting a quiz on the different types of skin cancer, so I slipped in my earbuds, closed my eyes and tuned out to my favourite track. And suddenly I was back in the Symposium, sitting cross-legged with a force nine gale up my bum.
Next thing I knew, old Catchpole was standing over me demanding my iPod. ‘Thank you, Jessica. I’ll have that if you don’t mind. What ghastly aberration are you punishing your eardrums with anyway? Something intellectually stimulating, I’m sure.’
It’s a pity I couldn’t put it on YouTube for future generations of St Thomasites to wonder at, because you really should have seen the look on his face when he heard my reply.
‘That’s right, sir. It’s Alfred Cortot’s legendary 1929 recording of Chopin’s waltz in C sharp minor.’
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