Sunita’s Secret

by Narinder Dhami

  ‘Why do you think there’s something wrong?’ I asked, playing for time.

  ‘Your face.’ Mum came up behind me and slid her arms around me. I leaned back against her. ‘You were happy a few weeks ago, and now you’re not. You’re sad all the time.’ She rested her chin on my hair. ‘Is it your dad?’

  I hesitated. Celina was the immediate problem, but really everything came back down to Dad, didn’t it? If he hadn’t stolen the money, we wouldn’t have had to move and I wouldn’t be at Coppergate and I’d never have met Celina.

  ‘Well,’ I mumbled, ‘it is coming up to Christmas …’

  ‘Oh, I know.’ Mum’s arms tightened around me. ‘I’m thinking about it too. Christmas won’t be the same without him.’

  ‘He ought to come back.’ I felt a tear steal down my cheek, and was glad Mum couldn’t see from where she was standing. ‘Even if he goes to prison, he ought to come back.’

  ‘I know.’

  We were silent then. What more could we say?

  It was Thursday, the day before the special assembly. Zara and Henry were still stalking me, so I’d had no chance to do any more secret bad deeds to Celina. I was frustrated, angry and miserable. I knew I could not sit through an assembly dedicated to telling everyone how wonderful Celina was, but I didn’t seem to have any choice.

  That was until Mr Arora called me to the front of the class at afternoon registration, and asked me to take a note to Mrs Bright.

  ‘You should just have time before the bell, if you go now,’ he said briskly, handing me a sealed envelope. As I leaned over to take it, he spoke to me again, but in a lower voice. ‘Are you all right, Sunita? You look a little stressed.’

  ‘I’m fine, sir.’ I forced a smile and put a false spring in my step as I left the room. I knew Zara and Henry were watching me, but I ignored them. Now, if Celina’s locker was open …

  It wasn’t. I pulled a face, and walked on through the Year 11 corridor and towards Mrs Bright’s office. Zara and Henry might think they had me all stitched up, but sometime, somewhere the opportunity would come for me to get my own back on Celina. And whenever that was, I’d be ready …

  I knew better than to tap on Mrs Bright’s door, which was closed. Instead I went into the school office, which was right next door. Mrs Capstick, the secretary, was on the phone, and she gestured at me to wait until she’d finished.

  The connecting door into Mrs Bright’s office stood ajar, and I couldn’t help peeking in. Mrs Bright, her back to me, was working at her computer. A large silver trophy stood on the table next to her.

  The Coppergate Cup.

  ‘Thank you, Sunita.’ Mrs Capstick finished her call and took the note. ‘I’ll see that Mrs Bright gets it. Now, you’d better hurry, or you’ll be late for lessons.’

  I slipped out into the corridor. The bell was ringing for the start of afternoon class, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart roaring in my ears.

  I knew, now, how I could pay Celina back for what she had done.

  I thought it would be easy to hide out in the school after all the other kids had gone home, but it wasn’t. I’d got rid of Zara and Henry by pretending that Mum and the twins were coming to meet me, so that was the reason I wasn’t getting the bus today. I knew from something Mr Arora had said that there was a meeting after school, so all the teachers and Mrs Bright were safely tucked away in the staff room. I’d seen Mrs Capstick drive off in her little car, so the school office was empty. But I kept having to dodge the caretakers and the cleaners, who were mopping and polishing their way around the classrooms.

  At last, I decided it was safe to make my way to Mrs Bright’s office. My plan? I was going to take the Coppergate Cup. Not steal. Borrow. If there was no cup, there could be no assembly, right? That would shut Celina up. I’d hide the cup somewhere in the school, where no one could find it.

  I was so scared, though: I could hardly draw breath. If I was caught, everyone would think I was a thief, just like my dad. No one would believe that I was simply going to hide the cup for a while. Therefore I had to make sure I didn’t get caught.

  Mrs Blight’s door was closed as I tiptoed down the corridor towards her office. My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, my knees were shaking. I reached for the door handle. One minute, and it would all be over—

  ‘So that’s what you’re up to!’

  I jumped so high in the air, I almost left my heart behind me. I whirled round to see Zara and Henry coming towards me from the other end of the corridor.

  ‘What – what are you two doing here?’ I gasped, clinging to the door handle because my legs felt too weak to support me.

  ‘We knew you were up to something,’ Zara said triumphantly. ‘You were a bit too keen to get rid of us.’

  ‘And you’ve been funny all day,’ added Henry. ‘You weren’t really going to take the cup, were you, Sunita?’

  ‘Why not?’ I muttered sulkily. ‘It would have annoyed Celina no end.’

  ‘And if you’d been caught?’ Zara enquired tartly.

  I shrugged. ‘I’m the daughter of a thief anyway, so what does it matter?’

  Zara frowned fiercely. ‘That’s just rubbish, and you know it—’ she began. But stopped when we heard voices.

  ‘Mrs Bright and Mr Arora!’ Henry gasped, looking as if he was about to pass out with sheer fright.

  ‘Quick, in here!’ Zara flung open the door of the classroom next to the school office and pushed me inside. Henry scuttled in after us, just as Mrs Bright and Mr Arora turned into the corridor. We didn’t have time to close the door, so we just hid behind it, hoping they wouldn’t see us.

  ‘I’m still not happy about it,’ Mr Arora was saying.

  ‘I see that, but I don’t quite understand your concerns,’ Mrs Bright replied, quite curtly. ‘Surely you’re pleased that Celina – who’s in your class, may I remind you – is being honoured for her remarkable behaviour?’

  There was a pause.

  ‘I’d be pleased if I genuinely believed that she was behind the idea of the good deeds, yes,’ said Mr Arora.

  Zara and Henry turned wide eyes towards me. I pressed my hand against my mouth.

  ‘Oh!’ Mrs Bright sounded quite outraged. ‘I suppose those pupils in your class have been spreading rumours again.’

  Mr Arora pounced. ‘Which pupils?’

  Mrs Bright sighed irritably. ‘Two children in your class came to see me, the day after Celina owned up. Zara Kennedy and Henry Williams. They both told me that Sunita Anand was responsible, not Celina.’

  I stared at Zara and Henry. Both had blushed bright red.

  ‘And you didn’t believe them?’ This time it was Mr Arora who sounded outraged.

  ‘Well – no,’ Mrs Bright said, a little awkwardly. ‘After all, I only had their word for it.’

  ‘You only had Celina’s word for it,’ Mr Arora replied.

  We heard the office door open.

  ‘She is the mayor’s daughter!’ Mrs Bright snapped. They went into the office, still talking, and the door banged shut behind them.

  By mutual consent, Zara, Henry and I did not speak until we had tiptoed silently out of the classroom, down the corridor and into the playground. Then I turned to them, trembling all over.

  ‘You both went to see Mrs Bright?’

  ‘Well, I did, yes.’ Zara looked down at her feet, embarrassed. ‘I didn’t know Henry had gone too, though.’

  ‘I didn’t know you had,’ Henry muttered. ‘Not that it did much good.’

  ‘I can’t believe you both did that.’ My eyes were full of tears. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Don’t cry!’ Zara said in alarm, slapping me on the back. ‘But honestly, Sunita, Celina’s just not worth it. Please, please, please just let it go now.’

  I suddenly felt enormously exhausted. I knew Mrs Bright wanted it to be Celina because she was the acceptable face of the school. I was just the daughter of a thief. But I was so much more than that. I thought I had n
othing, but I was wrong. I had Mum and the twins, I had two loyal friends in Zara and Henry, and Mr Arora believed in me. Celina couldn’t take all that away.

  ‘I will,’ I said. ‘I promise.’

  ‘And Celina will get what’s coming to her one day,’ Henry said solemnly. ‘You just wait and see.’

  None of us knew, then, just how right Henry was. But the very next morning, the day of the special assembly, Zara, Henry and I walked into school straight into an excited buzz of gossip.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Zara asked Layla Bishop and Kavita Sharma.

  ‘Haven’t you heard?’ Layla squealed. ‘Celina’s mum was arrested by the police last night!’

  ‘What!’ I almost fainted with shock. ‘Why?’

  ‘For drink-driving!’ Kavita could hardly speak, she was so excited. ‘She was driving home with Celina’s dad and the police stopped her and she was over the limit!’

  ‘Well, well, well,’ said Zara slowly, shaking her head. ‘Maybe that’ll stop Celina acting so superior from now on.’

  ‘Oh, you haven’t heard the rest of it yet,’ Kavita went on, her eyes like saucers. ‘Celina was so upset, she disappeared. She’s run away from home, and no one knows where she is!’

  It was a kind of justice. How could I not think that? And it seemed so typical of Celina that when the chips were down, she would turn and run instead of facing up to things.

  Celina’s friends had all the inside information, and they were dishing it out to anybody and everybody. I don’t think they knew what the word loyalty meant. They were practically holding a press conference in one corner of the playground.

  ‘Mr and Mrs Patel had been to dinner at their friends’ house,’ Danielle was explaining loudly, ‘and Celina’s mum was driving home, when she got stopped by the police. They breathalysed her, and said they were going to charge her with drink-driving.’

  ‘And when they arrived home and told Cee, she got hysterical and said it would be all over the local newspaper today that the mayor’s wife had been arrested, and what about the Coppergate Cup and the special assembly?’ Chloe announced, all in one breath. ‘Then she disappeared!’

  ‘And Mrs Bright will have to cancel the assembly,’ Jyoti added, determined not to be left out. ‘My dad said he thinks the mayor might have to resign.’

  ‘Where can Celina be?’ Danielle wrung her hands melodramatically. ‘Maybe she’s living on the streets. Imagine that, on the streets at Christmas.’

  ‘Aren’t they enjoying themselves?’ Zara remarked as she, Henry and I moved away from the crowd, who were listening, open-mouthed. ‘With friends like those, who needs enemies?’

  ‘After all those things Celina said about Sunita and her dad …’ Henry shook his head. ‘It really does serve her right.’

  ‘I know,’ I agreed. ‘But—’

  Zara rounded on me. ‘No!’ She pointed a finger accusingly at me. ‘If you tell me you feel the slightest bit sorry for Celina, I really will not be responsible for my actions.’

  I took a moment to think about how I did feel. ‘Look, you know I don’t like Celina and I’m glad the assembly’s cancelled and she’s not going to get the cup—’

  ‘Good,’ Zara interrupted.

  ‘But I do know how she’s feeling right now.’

  ‘So are you sorry for her?’ demanded Zara.

  ‘Not very,’ I admitted. ‘Does that make me a horrible person?’

  ‘Not at all,’ Henry said stoutly. We began to move towards the lower-school entrance as the bell rang. ‘I wonder where she’s gone?’

  ‘As far away as possible, I hope,’ Zara retorted. ‘But knowing Celina, she’s probably found some cushy little place to hole up for a while. I wonder if the Patels have an attic?’

  ‘Excuse me!’

  We all turned to see a red-faced Chloe behind us. Jyoti and Danielle stood behind her with folded arms.

  ‘What?’ Zara raised an eyebrow.

  ‘That’s not even funny!’ Chloe snapped resentfully. ‘Cee’s our friend and she’s missing and all you can do is make stupid jokes about it! So why don’t you just shut up?’

  ‘I’ll do you a deal,’ Zara said coolly. ‘I’ll keep quiet, if you three will.’

  ‘No chance of that,’ said Henry.

  ‘Well, really! Some people have no feelings at all!’ And Chloe pushed past us and flounced into school, followed by Danielle and Jyoti.

  ‘Poor Chloe,’ Zara said with a shrug. ‘I haven’t seen her this upset since she lost her Peach Passion lipstick.’

  The whole school was alive with rumour and gossip. The teachers didn’t say anything about it to us, but it was obvious that they were discussing it just as avidly. When we met up for assembly, Mrs Bright, who looked very subdued and worried, did mention it briefly at the end.

  ‘I am sure that most of you are aware of – er’ – she cleared her throat awkwardly – ‘the events of yesterday evening. The mayor and his wife have requested me to ask if anyone here has seen Celina Patel since last night, or knows where she is.’

  Behind me, Chloe began to fidget and stuck her knee sharply in my back. I winced.

  Mrs Bright stared around the hall. No one spoke.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said in her clipped voice. ‘If any of you do come across any information you think may be helpful, please come to me straight away. That is all.’

  ‘Celina’ll be home by lunch time,’ Zara predicted confidently. ‘You just wait and see.’

  But she was wrong. Our source was Chloe, who spent all day texting her mum to find out if Celina had returned or not, and relaying the news to the rest of the school. There was more excitement later that morning, when some Year 11s, who’d gone into town to buy chips for lunch, returned with copies of the local newspaper. Mrs Patel’s arrest was all over the front page.

  By the end of the day it was official, according to Chloe’s mum, anyway. Celina was still nowhere to be found.

  ‘OK, so I got it wrong,’ Zara said grudgingly as we climbed onto the bus that afternoon. ‘But I still don’t think she’s that far away. She’s probably hiding out in a really obvious place.’

  ‘Like where?’ I asked.

  Zara shrugged. ‘Oh, I don’t know. But we’re talking about Celina here. She can’t come to school without full make-up on. She’s never going to rough it.’

  I was thinking about what Zara said as I walked home from the bus stop. It was a chilly autumn evening, and the sky was a dark and threatening slate-grey above me, so instead of taking the long route with Henry, I was cutting through the estate of posh houses. I couldn’t wait to get home. It was so cold, there might even be a frost tonight. I shivered. I wouldn’t want anybody to spend a night like this out on the streets, not even Celina.

  I slowed down as I passed the Patels’ house. The lights were on inside. I snuggled deeper into my thick coat, knowing exactly how the mayor and his wife would be feeling. After all, someone I loved had disappeared without a trace too …

  As I walked by, I glanced across at Chloe’s place. The Maynards’ house and the extension next to it were in darkness. Then I blinked, re-focused my eyes.

  There it was again. Between a tiny gap in the drawn curtains of the annexe, a small, glowing, flickering flame. Like a firefly. Or a candle.

  I frowned. I didn’t remember ever seeing a light in the Maynards’ granny flat before, on my way home. And why would someone be using candles? The other houses in the street didn’t seem to have had a power cut. Quickly, without stopping to think too much, I crossed the road and hurried up the Maynards’ drive. I turned left towards the annexe and stopped outside the front door. I might be about to make a huge fool of myself …

  I rang the doorbell.

  No one came.

  I rang again, this time keeping my finger pressed down on the buzzer. I could hear the bell ringing inside. But still no one came.

  I bent down and lifted the letter box. ‘Celina!’ I called. ‘You’d better open this door rig
ht now. If you don’t, I’m going straight across the road to fetch your mum and dad.’

  For a few seconds there was still no reply. Then I heard the sound of bolts being drawn and a key being turned. The door opened a tiny crack, and a hand reached out and dragged me inside.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Celina scowled. We were standing in a small but comfortable living room, which was lit only by two or three candles. But although it was dim, I could see that Celina looked much less self-assured than I’d ever seen her before. ‘I suppose you’ve come to gloat.’ There were tear stains on her cheeks.

  ‘Of course,’ I replied briskly. ‘What on earth are you playing at, Celina? Your parents are worried sick.’

  Celina ignored my questions. ‘How did you know I was here?’ she demanded. ‘I suppose Chloe gave the game away somehow, the idiot.’

  ‘She was behaving a bit strangely at school today,’ I admitted. ‘But as I was walking past, I saw the candle flame through a gap in the curtains.’

  Celina immediately rushed off and began rearranging all the curtains around the living room, pulling them together more tightly. I watched her in silence.

  ‘What are you going to do now?’ Celina asked sullenly, yanking viciously at the last set of curtains. ‘I suppose you can’t wait to rush across the road and tell my parents where I am.’

  ‘No, I think you should be the one to do that,’ I snapped. ‘After all, you can’t stay here for ever.’

  ‘Chloe’s gran lives here, and she’s gone to Spain for the winter.’ Celina stared defiantly at me. ‘She won’t be back for months.’

  ‘Don’t be so selfish,’ I said. ‘What about your mum and dad? I will go and tell them if you don’t.’

  ‘I’ll run off again if you do.’ Celina glared at me. ‘My mum’s ruined my life!’

  I wanted to slap her. ‘Oh, don’t be so melodramatic.’

  ‘She has.’ Celina’s bottom lip trembled. ‘It’s probably been in the local newspaper today. Everyone at school knows. I’m totally shamed.’

  I stared at her without speaking. I had, very suddenly, realized what a big mistake I’d been making ever since I started at Coppergate. I’d seen Celina as someone who had it all. Not only that, but as an evil demon, a parasite, a bloodsucker. Someone who had great power over me. She was none of those things. She was, quite simply, just a spoiled and selfish girl. She was weak and feeble, and now she was frightened. She didn’t have any kind of backbone.