Chapter 38


    ‘Do you want me to call your parents toe to pick you up from school?’


    ‘No, I’ll stay,


    I’d prefer you go home and put ice on your face, Magnus.’


    ‘Look, I’m staying, okay? If it makes you feel better, then I’ll rest here for the next period until recess.’


    Okay, well I’ll go get you an ice pack then.’


    She returns a momentter and hands me the icepack; I hold it against my swollen ck eye for the


    next hour. The recess bell goes, I toss the icepack onto Nurse Ca’s table and walk to the cafeteria.


    Students stare and whisper as I walk past.


    Theard he knocked Moss out and almost killed him.’


    Well, I heard he picked Moss up with one hand and threw him halfway across the oval,”


    Well, at least the whispers and rumors were to my liking. Entering the cafeteria, ire lets out a gasp


    and races towards me. She cups my face.


    Boo-boo, I heard there were rumors a fight broke out. I did not know it involved you. Oh, my poor


    snookums,” she says, embracing me. I notice Nina and Moss watching ire smother me with concern


    and worry. My face lowered closer to hers and I pecked her on the lips without even thinking about my


    action. Nina looks away, but Moss’s steely re intensifies.


    ‘Oh Boo-boo,’ ire blushes. I ce my arm over her shoulder and pull her as close as I can to my


    side. Josie brings a tray of lunch over for me.


    I heard you got into a fight with Moss. You know Mum and Dad are going to flip beans when they see


    your face, right?’


    Yeah, I know, but that’s the least of my problems,” I say, taking a nce at Nina. My fist ms down


    onto the table as I see Nina and Moss kissing. Everyone at the table jumps.


    Boo–boo, what’s wrong?’


    Josie gives me a sympathetic, knowing look.


    They forgot to put the cheese in my roll,’ Ilie.


    Oh, here have mine then,’ she offers and swaps them over. She has been so infatuated with me she


    even ordered the same lunch as me May joins us and angrily plonks her tray of food down in front of us


    and bites into her ham roll as if she was biting the head off


    a small critter. She res at ire and chews loudly.


    Gee, everyone is such a grump today,’ Paul says with a nervousugh.


    We sit there in silence for the rest of lunch. The bell goes and I realise I have Science with Nina now.


    Moss walks her to science and


    gives her a long Kiss that involved eating her face. He smiles at me and leaves to go to his next ss,


    Nina ces her books on the mangled table we had made together. I take my seat next to her but we


    both sit silently refusing to speak to each other


    Okay, today you will fill out this questionnaire with yourb partner, if you don’t know the answers then


    it will tell you what page in your textbooks you can read to find the answer. You have forty-five minutes,’


    Mr Thomson says.


    He ces a questionnaire sheet on each table. Five minutes go by and neither of us has moved


    “The questionnaire isn’t going to fill itself out Nina and Magnus, get to work or i will fail you both in


    science


    We both grumble and mutter under our breaths and take our pens to fill it out We both go to take the


    sheet at the same time but grab each other’s hande instead I don’t want to let go but Nina pulis her


    hand away in a sh We both take the end of the paper. She res at me


    ‘Let go, l’ul fill it out,


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    ‘Let me at least fill a couple of questions out I say


    The sheet of paper tears in half and Mr Thomson walks over and ms the sticky tape down.


    ‘Again, you broke it, you fix it, then fill it out,’ he growls:


    Without speaking I hold the two strips of paper in ce while Nina tapes them together.


    Till fill out the first half and you do the rest,’ she snaps.


    Fine,’ I say and cross my arms.


    Once she has answered eight questions, she angrily slides the sheet toward me. I pause and gaze at


    her.


    What happened to us, Nina? We were getting along so well the other day, we almost… and now we are


    worse than ever?’


    ‘The other day should never have happened. Besides Moss asked me to be his girlfriend today and I


    said yes.’


    You only just met him; how could you go out with someone you don’t know. What if he is some kind of


    axe-wielding maniac or has bad intentions of you?’


    Why do you care Magnus, you have never cared for me. I think it’s obvious to both of us that you are


    jealous.’


    Jealous?’ Iugh.


    ‘Yes, you are jealous of Moss and feel threatened by him otherwise you would not have taunted him


    into a fight. I highly doubt he is dangerous, if anything he has been extremely sweet, loving, and caring


    towards me. You should be focusing on your girlfriend and go back to your old ways of pretending I


    don’t exist.’


    ‘I don’t want it to be like this,’


    ‘Magnus, you are the one who made it like this. Now you get to live with it.’


    Sadness consumes me, I take the questionnaire and fill the rest out slowly and hold back my tears.


    Mr Thomson collects our sheets as the bell rings


    As I walk to English, I see Pipsqueak is cornered and Sean the well-known school bully is harassing


    her. He flicks her sses off your face.


    ‘Now empty your pockets,’ he growls in her face. Scared she does as she is told and empties her


    pockets of any coins.


    Swiftly I grab Sean’s neck and hold him two feet off the floor against the wall.


    ‘Got a problem with my friend here?’ I snarl in his face.


    Oh, sorry I didn’t know she was your friend,’ he says nervously.


    Whilst holding him up I look at Pipsqueak shaking.


    “How often has been taking your money?’ I ask her.


    E-everyday, she replies in her squeaky little voice. I turn my attention back to Sean.


    ‘Empty your pockets,’ I tell him.


    “What?


    “You heard me, empty your pockets or I’ll make your face look as pretty as mine,’ I say. He looks over


    my bruised and banged-up face and quickly empties his pockets.


    Releasing my grip, he falls to the ground


    “If you ever go near Pipsqueak or any of her friends again, you will face my wrath.’


    Sean scrambles to his feet and bolts down the corridor


    ‘The money is yours, take it,’ I say to Pipsqueak and continue to ss,


    ‘W-wait’ she says running up to me,


    ‘What?


    ‘T-thank-you for s-stopping him, Magnus,’


    No worries, Pipsqueak,” I say walking away. I notice Nina is standing with Josie waiting for their ss


    door to be unlocked. They had both witnessed me protect one of the school nerds.


    ‘It’s P-Pippa… by the way.’ Her words cheerily echo down the corridor behind me.