by Marilyn Kaye
Jenna glared at him. ‘What do you want?’
‘Just to say “hi”, welcome to Harmony House.’ He pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘What are ya in for?’
Jenna considered possible responses, and settled on, ‘Weapons.’
Peter nodded, and Jenna could have sworn he almost seemed impressed. He probably thought she was referring to guns. Well, let him think what he wanted to think.
His next question was unexpected. ‘You got friends?’
‘Yeah, why?’
‘They can’t visit for forty-eight hours,’ he told her.
‘I know that. I’ve been here before.’
His eyebrows went up. ‘Oh, yeah? Then you probably know the game. How things work here. Demerits, privileges . . .’
‘I know the rules,’ she said shortly.
He grinned. ‘Sure you do. After a couple of days, you can have visitors. I’ll bet you’ve got cool friends.’
‘Yeah, they’re OK,’ Jenna acknowledged. What was he getting at?
‘Are they cool enough to do you some favours?’
Still puzzled, Jenna asked, ‘What kind of favours?’
‘Oh, come on,’ he said, ‘I thought you knew the game.’
‘What game are you talking about?’
Peter Blake rolled his eyes in exasperation. ‘Your friends do favours for you. You do favours for me. I return the favour.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jenna declared.
He grinned. ‘You will. I just want to know if you’re going to play along.’
Jenna still didn’t understand what he was suggesting, but she was pretty certain it wasn’t something on Harmony House’s list of rules and regulations.
‘I’m not playing at anything,’ she said flatly. ‘I don’t owe you any favours and I don’t want any from you.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Yeah? Well, don’t say you weren’t warned.’ He got up. ‘See ya around.’
Weirdo, Jenna thought. What did he want, assault rifles? And what would she get in return – extra helpings of dessert? What a jerk.
But at least he’d helped her pass the time. She could leave the dining hall now.
She stopped at the little library to find something to read, and she was almost pleased to find a copy of Jane Eyre. It was funny, in away. One of the only advantages of being sent here was the fact that she wouldn’t have any homework assignments. Actually, she would get the assignments – the school would send them to Harmony House. But it wasn’t like she had to do them – no one would be checking on her. And yet here she was, voluntarily taking on the task she’d be doing at home.
Back in her room, she settled down on the bed and opened the book. She’d read enough of the book to know that Jane had endured some pretty rough times in a boarding school that was like a jail. Now Jenna could identify with the character even more.
But it was hard to concentrate on reading. Her mind kept going back to the events of the day. Tracey and Emily – all the students must know by now what had happened to her. Madame too. What were they thinking of her?
And her poor mother, who was trying so hard to make up for the bad times. But here was her daughter, getting into trouble again.
Could she ever convince them that she’d never brought a knife to school? That the whole thing had been a set-up? That Jenna Kelley was not a committed criminal?
Over and over, she relived the scene in Jackson’s office. Finally, she put the book down, turned over and buried her head in the pillow. It seemed she would have to put up with someone’s tears after all.
Her own.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL bus on Friday morning, Tracey moved away from the other kids and took out her mobile phone.
‘Hello?’
Tracey tried to sound natural. ‘Hi, Amanda, it’s Tracey!’
‘What do you want now?’
Tracey couldn’t blame her for sounding annoyed. This was the fourth time she’d called in three days. In the background, she heard another voice – Nina’s, or maybe Britney’s.
‘Who is it?’ And she heard Amanda respond, ‘Nobody.’ Tracey talked fast before Amanda could hit the hang-up button.
‘I just wanted to remind you to save a seat for me at lunch. I’m planning to sit with you.’
‘Stay away from me!’ Amanda shrieked. And Tracey was disconnected.
Relieved that her morning obligation was finished, Tracey tossed the phone back in her bag. But she still had the lunchtime duty to do – and she wasn’t looking forward to that.
It was one of Ken’s ideas. Yesterday, Tracey had picked up her tray in the cafeteria and carried it over to the table where Amanda and her friends always ate lunch. Britney, Nina and Katie were already there, but Amanda hadn’t arrived yet. The three Evilettes stared at her, as if an alien had just landed at their exclusive gathering place.
‘Amanda invited me to join you guys,’ Tracey had explained.
‘She did?’ Katie asked in disbelief.
‘When?’ Nina wanted to know.
‘Oh, we were on the phone last night, for ages,’ Tracey lied. ‘We talk all the time, you know. Anyway, she said she wanted me to sit with you all from now on.’
Amanda arrived with another of her friends, Sophie. She was clearly taken aback to find Tracey at her table.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked bluntly.
Nina answered for her. ‘Tracey said you invited her.’
‘I did no such thing!’ Amanda exclaimed.
‘Don’t you remember?’ Tracey asked. ‘Last night, when we were talking on the phone, you said—’
Amanda didn’t let her finish. ‘I didn’t talk to you on the phone last night! I’ve never called you in my life!’
Tracey had tried to look concerned. ‘Are you OK, Amanda? Are you having memory problems?’
At that point, all the girls were looking at Amanda. Amanda was speechless.
Tracey spoke sadly. ‘Are you ashamed of us being friends, Amanda?’ Then she rose, picked up her tray, and walked away.
She had no idea what happened at the table after she left, but she suspected that it hadn’t been too comfortable for Amanda. Today, Tracey planned to arrive at the table after Amanda, and she would thank Amanda for having called last night to apologize for her rude behaviour.
Ken had also given Emily jobs to do. Yesterday, she’d passed a note to Nina in a class they had together.
Nina, if you see Amanda next period, could you tell her she can borrow my yellow sweater this weekend. She’s been begging me to lend it to her.
Despite the fact that Tracey wasn’t crazy about these efforts to destroy Amanda’s reputation, she had to laugh at the notion of the well-dressed queen bee wanting to wear anything of Emily’s.
The bus arrived. Tracey hurried to climb on so she could get a seat at the back, where the driver wouldn’t see her on the phone. They weren’t supposed to use their mobile phones on the bus, but if he couldn’t see her she’d be OK. The passengers never told on each other.
She got her seat, and took her phone out again.
‘Good morning. Harmony House.’
‘Hello, can I speak to Jenna Kelley, please?’
‘I’m sorry, Jenna can’t come to the phone.’
Tracey frowned. This was the same response she’d been getting each time she tried to call her. ‘Well, can you tell me when visiting hours are?’
‘I’m sorry,’ the voice on the other end said again, ‘but Jenna isn’t permitted visitors.’
‘Why not?’ Tracey demanded to know.
‘Have a nice day,’ the voice replied, and the line went dead.
This was too frustrating. Even prisoners in real jails were allowed to have visitors.
When she met Emily on the steps at Meadowbrook’s entrance, she learned that Emily had been getting the same information from Harmony House.
‘I can’t believe that no one is allowed to have visitors
in that place,’ Tracey fumed.
‘Maybe Jenna doesn’t want visitors,’ Emily suggested. ‘You know how she doesn’t like people to feel sorry for her.’
Ken was waiting for them just inside the building. He didn’t bother with greetings.
‘What did Amanda say when you called her this morning?’ he asked Tracey.
‘What she said when I called yesterday,’ Tracey said. ‘“Leave me alone.”’ She sighed. ‘Ken, how much longer do we have to do this? I hate going to that table at lunchtime. They don’t want me there and I don’t want to be there.’
‘I’m going to try to get her alone this afternoon,’ Ken said. ‘I’m going to tell her we’ll stop if she’ll confess to what she did to Jenna.’
Emily was looking at Ken quizzically. ‘Ken,’ she began, and then she bit her lip.
‘What?’ he asked.
Emily hesitated. ‘I don’t know how to say this, and – and I know it’s none of my business, but . . .’ She looked at Tracey. Tracey had a feeling she knew what Emily was about to say and it was something Tracey had been wondering about herself.
‘Go ahead,’ she said.
Emily spoke carefully. ‘I used to think . . . well, we all used to think that there was something going on between you and Amanda. Like, you were sort of interested in each other, you know what I mean?’
Ken didn’t say anything.
Emily went on. ‘But now . . . it’s like you totally hate her.’
Ken shrugged. ‘Sure, I hate what she did to Jenna. And the way she put us all in danger when she was involved in the seance.’
Tracey took over. ‘Are you sure it’s not something else too? Like, maybe you’re going overboard because you still have feelings for her.’
Ken glared at her. ‘And maybe you’re defending her because she took over your body and got you a nice haircut.’ And he took off before she had a chance to deny it.
‘I’m going to the bathroom before class,’ Emily told Tracey. ‘Want to come with me?’
Tracey shook her head. ‘I want to find Madame. Maybe she can talk to those Harmony House people so we can visit Jenna. See ya in class.’
‘I won’t be there – I’ve got a dentist appointment,’ Emily told her. ‘I’ll call you tonight.’
Tracey hurried upstairs to Room 209. Madame wasn’t there, but someone else was.
The Queen of Mean, who could usually be found wherever she could see and be seen, and who was always surrounded by friends, was hidden away in an empty classroom and all alone. And she didn’t look mean today. People who were truly mean didn’t bury their faces in their hands.
‘Amanda?’ Tracey murmured.
Amanda looked up. Instantly, her expression changed – but now she seemed more frightened than mean.
‘Leave me alone!’ she hissed. ‘Stop bothering me!’
Tracey took the seat next to her. Ken had said he’d talk to Amanda later, but Tracey figured this was as good a time as any to hit her with the ultimatum.
‘Look, Amanda, you can make us stop bugging you right now. All you have to do is come clean about Jenna.’
‘What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to Jenna!’
She seemed honestly and sincerely bewildered. Ken would say that Amanda was putting on a good act, but Tracey wasn’t so sure.
‘We think you set up Jenna to get her into trouble. You work in the office, which means you can get your hands on the master key to the lockers.’
Amanda still looked confused. Tracey was going to have to spell it out to her.
‘You put the knife in Jenna’s locker.’
Amanda’s eyes widened. ‘Why would I do that?’
‘Because . . . because she was on to you. And you wanted to get rid of her.’
Amanda didn’t blink. ‘On to me about what?’
Tracey took a deep breath. ‘We think you’re the spy, Amanda. We think you’re the one who’s communicating with our enemies: Serena, Clare – all those people who want to use us.
Amanda gasped. ‘Are you nuts? Why would I do something like that?’
‘Because . . . because . . .’ Tracey tried to think of a way to explain their suspicions which wouldn’t be too hurtful. It was impossible, so she told the truth.
‘Because you’re selfish,’ she said finally. ‘You don’t care about anyone – you only think of yourself. You think you’re better than the rest of us.’
Amanda’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t deny any of the accusations.
‘And you took that job in Mr Jackson’s office so you can find out more about us,’ Tracey finished.
Now Amanda became annoyed. ‘Is that what you think?’
‘Well, you don’t need the job. And I seriously doubt you’re interested in learning office skills. So what other reason could there be?’
Amanda’s lips tightened. Tracey got the feeling there was something she wanted to say but she was keeping it inside.
‘It’s not just me,’ Tracey added. ‘Jenna, Emily, Ken . . . we all think you’re spying on us.’
‘Ken . . .’ Amanda murmured. ‘So that’s why he’s been acting so nasty.’
‘That’s why we’ve all been acting nasty,’ Tracey corrected her, but she could tell it was only Ken that Amanda cared about.
‘If he only knew why I took that job, he’d feel so bad about treating me like this,’ Amanda declared hotly.
Tracey blinked. ‘Then why don’t you tell him? I mean, us? You could tell me right now why you took that job.’
For once, Amanda seemed uncertain. She bit her lip, and rapped her manicured fingernails on the desk. Finally, she spoke.
‘Can you keep a secret?’
‘That depends,’ Tracey said carefully. She hated the idea of swearing to secrecy before she knew what the secret was. What if Amanda was up to something that might put all the Gifted students in danger?
‘I’m not going to tell you unless you promise not to tell anyone,’ Amanda stated. ‘Not your friends, not Madame, not anyone.’
Tracey was torn, but she knew that if she didn’t give in she’d learn nothing. ‘OK, I promise. Why did you take the job in the principal’s office?’
Despite the fact that they were alone in the classroom, Amanda lowered her voice.
‘Remember when I went into the hospital last month to get my tonsils out?’
Tracey nodded.
‘Well, you know that wasn’t me in the hospital.’
Tracey nodded. ‘Like I told you when you came to school, Emily and I went to visit you at the hospital. We could tell it wasn’t you.’
‘And you remember who I was when I was out of my body.’
Again, Tracey nodded. ‘You were the woman who was working with Serena on that seance scam. I forget her name.’
‘Margaret. And when I was in Margaret’s body, Serena took me to a meeting. And you know who else was there? Clare, the woman who kidnapped us. And that man who claimed he was Jenna’s father.’
‘So there really is a conspiracy,’ Tracey murmured in wonderment.
‘Someone else was there too,’ Amanda said. She did another of her dramatic pauses.
‘Who?’ Tracey asked impatiently.
‘Mr Jackson.’
Tracey drew in her breath sharply. Nobody liked Mr Jackson, and Jenna was always saying he gave her the creeps. But this was a little hard to believe.
‘But Madame says he doesn’t know about us!’ Tracey exclaimed.
‘Madame doesn’t know everything,’ Amanda countered. ‘I’m pretty sure it was Mr Jackson who planted the knife in Jenna’s locker.’
‘But – why?’
‘If he’s in on the conspiracy, then he knows about Jenna’s gift,’ Amanda said. ‘Jenna was in the office earlier today, and Mr Jackson saw her. Maybe he was thinking about us, and he was afraid Jenna read his mind. So he had to get rid of her. I can’t prove it, but he did leave the office just after Jenna was there, even though there were all these people waiting
to see him.’
‘Maybe he had to go to the bathroom,’ Tracey offered weakly.
Amanda gave her a sceptical look. ‘Yeah, sure. And maybe he went to the cafeteria and picked up a knife.’
Tracey’s head was spinning. But everything Amanda said made perfectly good sense.
‘What did Madame say when you told her about Mr Jackson?’ Tracey wanted to know.
‘I didn’t tell her,’ Amanda replied. ‘And you’re not going to tell her either.’
‘But Amanda, this is important! If our own principal is working against us, we’re in danger right here at school!’
Amanda agreed. ‘And I’m going to prove it. All by myself. That’s why I’m working in the office – so I can watch him, so I can listen in on his meetings and phone calls, and read his emails. I want to get real evidence.’
‘But you’ve already got evidence,’ Tracey protested. ‘Even if you can’t prove that he put the knife in Jenna’s locker, you know he’s guilty of something. You saw him with your own eyes. Well, Margaret’s eyes. He was meeting with people who have tried to get to us. That proves he’s a bad guy.’
‘It’s not enough,’ Amanda said. ‘Who’s going to believe that I was in someone else’s body?’
‘Madame would.’
Amanda shook her head. ‘That’s not enough. Look, Tracey. You said I think I’m better than the rest of you. Well, socially, that’s true. I am.’
Tracey rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not exactly modest, Amanda.’
Amanda ignored that. ‘But you guys look down on me! You think my gift is worthless, you think I can’t do anything important. Well, I’m going to show you I can.’
So that was what this was all about. It wasn’t enough for Amanda to be the prettiest, the best-dressed, the most popular girl at Meadowbrook. She wanted to be queen of the Gifted class too.
‘Amanda, that’s stupid!’ Tracey declared. ‘We should all be working together on this.’
‘And let someone else get the credit? Forget it!’ Amanda began ticking items off on her fingers. ‘It was Jenna who figured out that Serena was hypnotizing Emily to get winning lottery numbers. Ken saved Jenna from going off with that man who said he was her father. Charles got the gun away from Clare in the bank robbery. You pulled the scarves off Serena at the seance. Well, now it’s my turn to be the hero.’