The other girl leaned forward conspiratorially. Maxine? Mandy? Libby could barely remember her own name right then, let alone anyone else’s.
“He’s bad news. He’s always in trouble for something. Last year, he nailed another student to the wall in the Technology lab.”
“What?” Libby recoiled in horror at the image.
Janey laughed at her reaction. “By his clothes, of course. Do you think Jackson would still be here otherwise? There was no reason for it though, and it’s not the only crazy thing he’s done. Word is he got into major trouble where they used to live.”
The other girl pulled a face. “He's completely unhinged; don’t be drawn in by the pretty face.”
Frowning, Libby risked another glance across the room. He was talking now, his face all irritation. It was only then that she noticed Kelly sitting opposite him. Even more curious now, she leaned forward.
The redhead looked amused in spite of what Jackson was saying, her body relaxed as she leaned against Danny. He toyed with a strand of her hair, a seemingly unconscious gesture that only reinforced her hunch that they’d been a couple for some time.
“That’s his sister, Kelly.” Maxine offered. Her name was Maxine. “She’s been tight with Danny since they moved here. They don’t go out much.”
“Why not?”
Maxine shrugged. “They live out of town, and don’t often hang out. And they don’t mix with us here either, unless they have to. I've never seen them with anyone else, it's weird.”
“How long have they lived here?”
“A year, just about.” Janey gestured, the topic clearly boring her. “Speaking of hanging out, it’s open mic night at the Arms.” Maxine leant forward in excitement. “Do you want to catch up later? Libby?”
She nodded absently, hardly knowing what she was agreeing to. Jackson’s face was still solemn, his mouth set in a hard line. As she watched, another student approached their table. He looked nervous. Intrigued, Libby glanced at Jackson. He was completely focused on the boy, his expressionless face hard and unrelenting. The boy spoke quickly, his hands twisting together nervously. Message delivered, he backed away, almost tripping over in his haste to get away.
Slowly, Jackson got to his feet. He spoke briefly to his sister before walking out of the canteen, his long legs eating up the distance in no time. He didn’t glance her way as she’d hoped he would.
Feeling foolish, Libby turned back to her table. She had no idea where she had seen him before, but she knew she had. She must have.
She knew him.
“Hi Libby.”
Kelly’s voice had her jumping. “You scared me.”
She grinned, a flash of mischief that had Libby smiling too. “Sorry. Are you coming to Biology?”
“Yes of course.” Libby glanced at Maxine and Janey, sent them a quick smile. “See you later.”
They seemed a bit surprised by Kelly's sudden appearance, but said goodbye cheerfully enough. Kelly waited while Libby returned her tray, her foot tapping impatiently. Libby got the impression that the redhead was rarely still.
“I didn’t see you earlier, else I’d have sat with you,” Kelly said causally. “How are you liking the locals?”
“Janey and Maxine seem nice,” Libby shrugged. “No one else has said any more than a brief hello.” She bit her lip, wondering if Kelly would think she was fishing. Surely if she’d met Jackson before she’d remember. “Did you live in London before Beauton?”
“No,” Kelly sent her a curious look. “Why?”
“I saw your brother in the canteen and I thought he looked familiar, that’s all.” She felt her face redden as Kelly looked at her curiously. “I wondered if I’d met him somewhere before.”
Something like amusement flashed in her green eyes for a moment, so quickly Libby thought she must have imagined it.
“I doubt it.” She let out a sigh as they entered the science lab. “Here we go.”
She didn’t understand Kelly’s reaction. Human Biology was her favourite subject, to the point of obsession. She was a definite Science geek and she’d been thrilled that the teacher seemed to be the same. He was fairly young, maybe late twenties. Although he didn’t exactly fit the picture of a Biology teacher, he had technology and was prepared to use it.
As she entered the classroom, he was hunched over his laptop. For once she had a choice of seats and moved straight to the back so she could see what was going on. Kelly sank onto the stool beside her.
“So, what do you think of Mr Gilbert?”
Libby glanced towards the teacher, who now stood by the door ushering in the last of the students. He was good looking; dark eyed and looked fresh out of university.
“Um…young?”
“And completely hot.” Kelly’s green eyes, an almost perfect match to her brother’s, danced in amusement. “You’ll have noticed that there’s a high ratio of girls to boys in this class.”
She was right; at least two thirds of the class were girls. Smiling, Libby made a note to email Sally. She’d get a charge out of Libby having a good-looking teacher; one of her favourite complaints last year had been the lack of young staff, particularly of the male variety.
“He’s good, though,” her new companion went on. “Lots of experiments and so on. He’s very enthusiastic, bless him.”
Kelly was right; Mr Gilbert had Libby’s attention from the moment the class began. By the time he set the first task and handed out the equipment, Libby was humming with excitement.
“I guess I picked the best lab partner,” Kelly reflected dryly. “You can help me ace this, right?”
“You don’t like Bio?” Libby was taken aback. After all, Year 12 was all about options.
Kelly shrugged. “I had a clash. It was either Human Biology or PE.”
Laughing at the dire tone the girl had used on the last word, Libby pushed the slides and microscope towards her. “So you’re not a scientist?”
“No.” The word held a wealth of conviction. “My other subjects are English, Drama and Music.”
Definitely not a Scientist. Libby hid a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.”
“I hoped as much.” Kelly peered into the microscope, her face wrinkled in disgust. “That’s blood, right?”
Seeing the girl’s pale skin lose even more colour, Libby pulled the offending equipment away. “Just think ketchup.”
“Yeah,” Kelly rubbed a hand across her eyes, sighed theatrically. “Cos that’s going to help me pass.”
The time flew by. With the challenge of the work she’d been given and Kelly’s easy going humour, Libby couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed herself so much. It must have been sometime before the day her father had called to tell her he had lost the business, she mused as they tidied away their lab equipment. Except for Janey and Maxine, she hadn’t spoken more than a few words to any other girls here. Kelly was a relief, a deep drink of water in a desert.
They walked out onto the quad together, still laughing over one of Kelly’s disaster science stories.
“Hey, Danny!” Kelly waved, a grin splitting her face. Libby glanced up to see him striding towards them, a smile brightening his dark eyes.
“So you’re the poor soul who landed Kelly for a lab partner.”
“Ha, ha, comedy boy.” Kelly pulled a face. “I don’t see you helping me study for Biology.”
“Hell, no.” He glanced over his shoulder as if waiting for someone. Was Jackson meeting them? Her pulse raced at the thought, even as she chided herself for her ridiculous reaction.
“Ready to go?” Kelly’s bright voice distracted her and she pasted a smile on her face.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day.” And about to get longer, since she’d decided to try and stage an intervention with her mother.
She trailed alongside Kelly and Danny, her thoughts returning to the depressing situation with her parents. She’d been upset last night, confused at her mum’s reaction. It was time to fac
e the problem now, to try to get her mum to open up and be honest. Libby was nervous enough about that, about what she might hear, but at least with the truth they could move forward. She hoped.
Reaching her little red metro, Libby dug around inside her bag for the keys.
“We’re going into town, if you fancy joining us?” Kelly’s request had Libby glancing up in surprise.
She wanted to go, very much. She liked Kelly. Her sense of humour and genuine kindness really lightened up Libby's mood. Tempted by the invitation, Libby hesitated. Concern for her parents won out.
“I’d love to any other time,” she began awkwardly. “It’s just there’s something I need to sort out at home. I can’t put it off.” Not any longer.
“Maybe tomorrow then.”
“That’d be great.” She smiled, waved a farewell as her new friend ran to catch up with Danny. She watched, a little enviously, as their hands linked and Danny tugged her close.
With a sigh, she started the engine and headed for home.
Chapter Three
The show down hadn’t gone as planned. As she lugged the shopping bags through to the kitchen, Libby wondered if her mother had realised what she’d intended. As soon as she’d walked through the door two hours earlier, filled with resolve, her mother had rushed out from the kitchen.
“Great, I was hoping you’d be home early.” She'd smiled, waving a shopping list. “I could use the car.”
“Sure. Mum-”
“Are you coming along?” Francis had shrugged into her jacket, flipped her long hair from under the collar. Although they shared the same colouring, her mother's blonde hair was iron straight, unlike her own riotous curls. “We need to get a move on so I have time to make dinner.”
Libby had shrugged and gone along with her, hoping that the opportunity to speak with her mother would come up later.
The hope was dashed as soon as she’d seen her dad’s car in the driveway on their return. He was as upbeat as usual, helping unpack the food and asking Libby about her teachers, people she had met. There was a forced quality to his joviality that had her squirming. What was wrong with this picture?
When he announced he was making dinner, her mother immediately disappeared to lie down upstairs. A sudden headache. Libby pulled a face. She knew all about those lately, although she suspected hers were more genuine than her mother’s.
She took the job of chopping vegetables, keeping up a stream of chatter as she worked. She didn’t want to think about her mother, about the wounded look in her father’s eyes. As she prattled on about the other students she’d met, about Kelly's aversion to all things Science, she watched in relief as he began to relax.
“So you’re liking it here then?” He asked, smiling.
“Yes, actually. It's warming on me. How’s work?” He’d found work as a consultant, but he hadn’t spoken much about it. Most of his conversation these days centred on trying to cheer up her mother.
“Good. There’s a nice team of people working there, all very welcoming.” He looked across at her. “I think we can be happy here.”
By the time dinner was ready and her mother had reappeared, the atmosphere was almost relaxed. Libby kept talking, afraid that a pause would see them lapsing into the uncomfortable silence that fell far too often between them. It was tiring, even with her dad playing along. She had just about exhausted her small talk topics when her mother got up to retrieve a carrier bag from the hall table.
“I almost forgot. I saw this in the local bookstore today and thought of you.”
Libby pulled out a slim paperback. Cultural Beliefs and the Extra Sense. Her interest in social anthropology wasn’t a secret, but she grinned in surprised pleasure.
“Wow, thanks mum.”
She skimmed the blurb on the back cover, raising her eyebrows at the idea of linking common supernatural stories to a ‘sixth sense’ that some humans claimed to possess. It was a little more paranormal than she usually read, but she was already intrigued by the concept. “Sounds weird, but interesting.”
“I thought it would be up your alley.” Francis smiled and began clearing the table. “I’ll clear up. You two go and relax.”
Libby took her at her word, retreating to her bedroom and falling onto her bed, closing her eyes against the ceiling light. Usually she would have dived straight into a book like that, but tonight she couldn't work up the enthusiasm. Instead, her thoughts turned to Jackson.
They must have met before. She was certain that she knew him, although she had to admit that it would've been a miracle to forget a guy so good looking.
Reaching for her tablet, she saw Sally was online. Perking up, she settled in for a cyber chat. Sally was excellent at two things; giving good advice and putting things into perspective. Libby needed both tonight.
When her friend responded instantly, her mouth flicked up into a smile, tiredness forgotten.
Another headache saw Libby avoiding the canteen the next day, even with the promise of Kelly’s company. She couldn’t face the noise and, since it was raining, getting outside wasn’t an option. Lunch time in the library seemed the best idea and she needed to familiarise herself with it anyway.
Her mind hovered over the image of Jackson, green eyes drilling in to hers. Annoyed with herself, Libby pushed the memory away. There was no guarantee he’d be in the canteen anyway.
She wondered the fiction aisles for a while, familiarising herself with the layout. Libby loved reading, finding it the best kind of escape, and now her funds were limited she’d be relying heavily on what the library could provide.
When she came across an old favourite, Libby took it from the shelf and made her way to one of the reading areas. An old favourite, a comfort. Between school and the situation at home, she was tired and needed some respite. Maybe even some guidance. After all, Henry James never wrote about comfortable topics. His heroines were always somewhere on the outskirts, never quite fitting in and without fail facing difficult situations. They existed in a different time, perhaps, but to Libby they were kindred spirits.
The dark haired boy from the canteen was there, sprawling over the long sofa, short dark hair in tufts as though he’d been pulling at it. Once again, he was engrossed in a book. She hesitated for a moment, but then gathered the nerve to move closer. Sally has reminded her last night that she'd never make friends unless she made an effort.
“Do you mind if I sit here?”
He looked up startled. “Um. No, go ahead.”
She sank into the second armchair, surprised at how comfortable it was considering that it looked a hundred years old. “Wow, these are nice chairs.”
“Yeah.” He looked at her curiously. “You’re Libby, the new girl.”
“That’s right.” She was surprised he knew her name. “How did you know?”
“I’m in your history class.” He coloured a little. “Tom.”
She hadn’t seen him in there, although she had taken the seat right at the front. It wouldn’t have been her first choice, but it had been the only one available. It seemed the students of Beauton were creatures of habit; they all sat in the same seats every day.
“You’re reading Henry James?” He seemed a bit taken aback.
“Rereading.” She felt a bit self-conscious. “He’s a favourite.”
“Hmm. Not into it myself,” Tom raised his book. An autobiography. “I’m more into non-fiction.”
“It's not that far from his autobiography to fiction.” She teased, liking him. “I heard it's all exaggerated.”
Rolling his eyes, Tom gestured towards her book choice. “Sure, it's possible. It's also possible that the people he's writing about just don't like seeing themselves as they really are.”
“I guess.”
They smiled at one another before Tom turned back to his book. Libby settled into the chair, feeling a little lighter.
Quickly engrossed in the novel, she was surprised when her phone buzzed. A text from Sally.
Thi
nking of you!
She grinned at the picture attached – a large Starbucks with a sad face drawn on it with a marker. What she'd do for a decent coffee right now.
Looking up, she found herself staring right at Jackson.
Her heart leapt at the sight of him. His eyes locked on hers, unreadable, as he stood across from her, hands stuffed into his pockets. He was taller than she’d first thought, harder. There was nothing relaxed about him today, she mused. In fact, he looked rather as though he was spoiling for a fight. From what Maxine had told her, he probably was. She couldn’t imagine what he was doing in the library since he didn’t seem interested in looking at any books, but she was strangely relieved that he was there. She couldn’t help the thrill that ran through her, the feeling that she’d been waiting for him all morning.
He scowled then, and turned on his heel before stalking out of the library.
“Weird.” She shook herself, glanced over at Tom. Unable to help herself, she prodded for information. “I heard that Jackson’s a bit of a loner. Do you know him? Someone told me that he’s dangerous, that he nailed some kid to the wall last year.”
Tom’s face darkened. “It's just gossip.”
“That happens.” She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s not true, then?”
He shrugged a little. “There are rumours, some of them are nasty. Jackson’s a good guy, he just doesn't play into the high school dramas.”
Surprised at his vehemence, Libby watched him as he jammed a couple of books into his backpack.
“I guess that’s the way school works,” she said after a moment. “Speculation and gossip.”
“Yeah, try not to listen too much of it.” Tom smiled a little. “So, I guess I’ll see you in History.”
“You will.”
She watched him leave, curious. One person’s ‘dangerous’ was another’s ‘good guy’. As little as she knew them all, Libby was more inclined to believe Tom’s verdict than Janey and Maxine's. From what she’d seen, there was something odd about Jackson. Or more accurately, something wrong with her reaction to him, and the bizarre conviction that she knew him from somewhere. Perhaps it was wishful thinking; she was well on her way to developing a serious crush and she was probably trying to convince herself that they had some connection.
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