A Message for Andrea McLeish

Chapter 7

My reputation at school is gone. MacKenzie, Taylor and Pippa have regrouped with MacKenzie in charge. Another girl, Briana, is added to their ranks. There's no room for me. Jaxon, Cory and Marshall won't even look at me. If I didn't have this mystery going on, I'd be devastated.

With no one to chat to after school, the hours that lay ahead before dinner time make me feel numb. I try to engage with Bobby, but he's in one of his catatonic moods.

'Stop bothering your brother,' Miriam says as she glides past with a duster.

I sigh and think about doing homework, but then, what'll I do after dinner? I find Anthony on social media and send him a message. I'm coming over.

'I'm going out. I'll be back before dinner,' I tell Miriam as I run down the hall. She doesn't reply.

I walk through the streets, happy because at least I'll get another look at those rocks. Then I laugh out loud – I was once the coolest girl in my year and now I'm excited about seeing a pile of drab old rocks...plus the boy who become a pariah within days of starting at our school.

A car's parked in Anthony's street near his house. Two men in grey suits are sitting in it. I wonder what two business men are doing sitting together in a stationary car like that. Must either be spies or lovers. I turn my head to get a closer look as I walk past, but the car drives off.

***

Anthony opens the door just as my hand's about to knock, so I almost punch him in the face.

'You here to see me or my rocks?' he asks.

'Both!'

I follow Anthony down the hall and out into the garden. I'm itching to get over to those rocks but I can't just ignore Anthony.

'How was your day?'

'Fine. Harriet and I are trying to get the school to have a plastic free day.'

'Good old Harriet...'

'You should hang out with her sometime, Andrea McLeish. She's a nice person. And by the look of things, you could do with some friends these days.'

I may be okay about losing my friends, but I'm not yet ready to resort to Harriet.

'You're my friend though, aren't you, Anthony?'

He blushes a little. 'Sure, I am. But you know what I mean.'

'Not really.'

Why do I always feel slimy and sulky when it comes to Harriet? Oh well, I've got more important things to worry about. I sneak a peek at the rocks.

Anthony sighs. 'Check them again if you want. I'll go see if we've got any biscuits left over.'

I'm over at the rock garden at the speed of light. By the time Anthony returns with a plate of biscuits and two glasses of milk, I've exhumed all the rocks from the garden and arranged them in groups according to colour and size.

'I already tried that. To see if there was some sort of pattern,' Anthony says. 'I even looked up all the names of the rock types. Nothing. I did get my first ever A in science though. '

I don't reply and begin picking up the rocks one at a time and examining them from every angle.

'Did that too. Nothing's written on them or anything. Want a biscuit?'

I continue examining the rocks, but Anthony's right. Nothing's written on them. I begin tapping them against each other.

'Didn't think of that. Bet it won't reveal anything either though,' Anthony says. His voice is sulky.