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step.
    ‘What are you grinning about?’ Amber asks. ‘I didn’t think the exam was easy.’
    Everyone glances at me and I shrug. ‘I’m just relieved.’
    She doesn’t believe me, but I’m telling the truth – I’m relieved that I’ve stumbled on to something that has the propensity to ease tensions at home. I’m bubbling inside with anticipation. If my little scheme works, Nathaneal will be thrilled too. When he returns, we might all be able to live under the same roof without the weighty blanket of guilt hanging over us.
    ‘Oh, man!’ Danny exclaims. ‘When you two didn’t show up we thought you were ditching the paper.’ He includes Sophie with a quick look at her. ‘Dudes, you gave us a scare.’
    Sophie points at Danny. ‘ You thought they were ditching. I thought something happened on the road.’ She looks at Jordan. ‘Did you get my texts? I sent two from my phone and two from Danny’s.’
    She cares enough to send four messages. She is interested. So how can I make this happen for them? They would make a great couple. Aesthetically, they’d be a knockout together with their matching blue eyes, especially if Jordan keeps training. He’s starting to look seriously ripped.
    But why hasn’t he acted on this before now?
    The answer sits uncomfortably on my shoulders.
    Sophie says, ‘I have to go to my locker.’
    Beside her, Danny groans. ‘Again? What did you forget this time?’
    She shakes her head at him, pretending to be annoyed, then looks directly at Jordan. ‘Come with me?’
    Jordan shoots me a glance, reluctant to leave in case I want to take up his earlier offer to go home. But I don’t want to go anywhere if there’s a possibility Sophie might try to hook up with him. ‘ Go! ’ Scaling down the enthusiasm a little, I add, ‘I mean, I’m OK. Really. I’m just going to hang around with Amber and Danny until our next class.’
    I watch them leave together with a heart full of hope.

6
    Jordan
    When Sophie asks me to go to her locker with her, I grab the chance because ever since I left the auditorium I’m seeing Skinner everywhere, fleeting images of him walking behind a group of students, or slipping suspiciously round a corner. Once, he stands still and stares at me from across the courtyard, hands in his pockets, a smug look on his face, and then suddenly, like a puff of smoke, he’s gone.
    If he’s trying to get my attention, he’s doing a great job. He’s making me paranoid. But what is he doing here?
    I take a good look around before I follow Sophie into B Block, where all the seniors’ lockers run along both side walls with four horizontal stand-alone rows at the end. Sophie’s locker is one of these, in the last line against the end wall.
    Looking over my shoulder a couple of times, I wait while she grabs a book from inside. ‘Hold this for me?’ she asks, plonking the book in my hands as she locks up.
    When she takes it back, our fingers accidentally touch. Her hand is as cold as ice. She takes a deep breath and exhales with a sigh, her eyes flitting away nervously.
    I’m so conscious of Skinner suddenly appearing that I’m not taking in how agitated Sophie is getting. When it dawns on me, my first thought is she’s gonna ask me out. Well, she’s got my attention now.
    ‘Hey,’ she says, ‘are you listening to me?’
    ‘Yeah, of course I’m listening. Keep going.’ I nod to encourage her.
    ‘I’m trying to tell you something, but it’s . . .’ She stops and frowns. ‘You look distracted.’
    I zero in on her eyes. They’re blue. Really nice. Man, she is so hot. ‘Sorry. I’m here now. Go on.’
    ‘OK. Well, I know how close you and Danny are and I don’t want this thing I have to tell you to wreck your friendship.’
    ‘Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. Just tell me.’
    Her eyes flicker to the ceiling as if she’s asking for help from the heavens before she spills her guts. ‘You’ve been really busy lately,’ she says, like