TROUBLE - peaky blinders

34. we are but mice amongst monsters

"Dennis Brown," Clara watched as the lanky boy stalked up and grabbed his sheet before heading straight out of the gates. He had the right idea.

"Margaret Clayton!"

Clara rolled her eyes as the black-haired girl bounced towards the principal, the cheesiest grin laced across her face. The girl was a nightmare in a dress. A complete and total brat. Her parents had money...and a lot of it. Clara often wondered why she hadn't gone to the fancy schools up north but she soon learnt that the girl was to enter finishing school for the next two years.

Quite a sad reality really. Margaret had her life planned out yet Clara found that no bone in her body sympathised with the Clayton girl.

"Penny Crawford!"

A jolt of electricity rushed through Clara's body as she watched the blonde carefully approach the steps and accept the sheet of paper. The Shelby girl watched closely, her face remaining straight and still, her blue eyes narrowed on Penny.

Penny's voice was heard thanking the principal before she turned to face the students. And brown eyes met blue and Clara froze. The blonde girl's lips parted as she made eye contact with Clara. Time seemed to slow as the blonde faltered in her tracks. Clara's heart beating rapidly was the only indication that time had in fact not stopped but slowed. The Shelby girl watched as Penny looked away first and dropped her head before making her way through the crowd and towards the gate.

As Clara watched the girl approach, her heart fluttered and pounded to the point where she could hear nothing but the loud thrumming. The blonde kept her head down and practically ran past Clara, refusing to make any more eye contact. The Shelby girl's heart dropped as her gaze followed the blonde until she was gone.

Once again, Clara had let her Angel flee.

The girl bit her lip in frustration, the metallic and tangy taste of blood pooled into her mouth. She looked to the floor as her arms folded while she blocked out all other noise. Penny had acknowledged her but she'd also looked away. The piece of red string that connected Penny and Clara's souls was slowly being severed further, sending pangs of pain through the Shelby girl.

The girl subtly shook her head as she tried to refocus her mind on the task at hand. It was silent when she managed to do it and when she looked up, everyone was looking towards her. The girl raised a brow as Mary Thomas feebly pointed to the principal who was standing and looking rather amused.

She'd been called out.

Clara nonchalantly pushed herself off of the wall and sauntered through the parted crowd. She was like Moses parting the sea, but the people parting feared her and her family, whilst the sea held no qualms with Moses. The girl climbed the few steps needed and took the paper without a word. She tipped her hat before she waltzed back through the remaining students and right out of the gates. 

Her hands grasped the paper as if her life depended on it. This singular sheet of paper determined a lot. She couldn't turn it over and fail...no...it wasn't an option. Clara kept walking until she reached a cleared alleyway. She pushed herself against the wall, her fingertips brushing the coarse material.

Okay.

Okay.

She took a deep breath in before she turned over the page. Clara ran her eyes over each of her marks, tracing each letter with her finger. She folded up the paper with a sigh as she pushed herself off of the wall.