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way. They’d wonder why you came out of your way.’
    ‘Tell ’em I’m your bodyguard.’ He started uphill.
    ‘No, Scott, please.’ He turned with a frown and I said, ‘It’s our church, you see. The Righteous. It makes us different. I can’t explain.’
    He made an impatient sound. ‘I thought we were friends, Martha. I want to see you home. Why is that such a problem?’
    I shook my head. ‘It isn’t, Scott. Not for you. Not for most people, but my parents . . .’
    ‘OK.’ He lifted his hands, palms towards me. ‘I get the message. I’m off.’ He looked at me. ‘I’m the new kid at school, Martha. I wanted to fit in, you know, without hassle? Now everybody calls me Snotty Scotty and I get roughed up because I took your part, and you won’t even let me near your gate. D’you think that’s fair?’
    ‘I . . .’
    ‘Doesn’t matter. See you tomorrow.’
    He walked off. I gazed after him for a while but he didn’t look back.

17. Scott
     
    I felt seriously depressed walking home. It’s hard enough moving to a new district, starting at a strange school and befriending its least popular pupil, but when she turns round and practically tells you to get lost, well, it’s a bummer to say the least. And of course the minute I walk in the door, Mum goes, ‘Your turn to walk her home today, I suppose?’ Parents.
    Martha was all over me next morning, but I acted cool. I sat next to her and everything, but I grunted in response to her desperate chat. I wanted her to see I was mad, and I think she got the message. Others certainly did. First period Tracy whispers, ‘Off her already, eh, Snotty? Want your old seat back?’ I shook my head.
    Sensing her misery, they got up a mob at morning break to chase her. ‘Join in, Snotty,’ says Linfoot. I didn’t, but I didn’t stick up for her either. I lounged in a corner pretending to watch a pogs game while she gangled across the playing-field like a giraffe with three legs. Raggedy-Ann, Raggedy-Ann, we’ll all scrag you if we can . I felt bad, but a guy who’s good enough to stick up for you is good enough to walk you to your gate.
    I didn’t keep it up though. I couldn’t. I saw her at lunchtime, across the hall, sitting in the middle of all these empty chairs while the other sandwich-munchers scrunched together, chatting and laughing. Wonder what’s in her sandwiches, I thought. Treacle? Cold porridge? Spiders? From the look on her face it had to be spiders.
    I found her ten minutes later, standing on the pathway outside the staffroom window. If you stand there people tend to leave you alone, but it’s a rotten way to spend your break because everyone knows why you’re there, including the teachers. I went up to her.
    ‘How’s it going?’
    She shrugged, scraping an invisible pattern on the concrete flag with the toe of her shoe. ‘You know – the usual.’
    ‘Ah-ha. What d’you get in your sandwiches?’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Your sandwiches. What’s in ’em, usually?’
    ‘Oh. Spam. Cheese spread. Depends.’
    ‘Not spiders, then?’
    ‘ Spiders ?’
    ‘Yeah, things could be worse, see?’ I smiled. ‘It could be spiders.’
    ‘You’re crazy.’
    ‘I know. Teachers drive me crazy, spying on me. Let’s move.’
    She followed me on to the field. I saw Linfoot notice us together and run to tell Simon. Martha murmured, ‘Scott?’
    ‘Yeah?’ We stood by the goal-posts. Gerry Latimer was in goal.
    ‘I’m sorry about yesterday. I wanted to explain, but you see, Father doesn’t like me talking to people about our affairs.’
    I shrugged. ‘It’s OK, Martha. I’m not nosy. I just wondered why you didn’t want your folks to see me. I mean, I don’t have two heads or anything and I don’t eat girls. In fact I’m harmless.’
    She nodded. ‘I know. It’s just . . . well, I’m scared of my father, Scott. He beats me.’
    ‘He beats you?’ I stared at her. ‘That’s against the law, Martha. People can’t do that any