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they walked in single file towards the science
block. Behind him the girls who knew Amanda
broke rank, some crying, others talking; they
had their arms around each other, their heads
bent low as they dissected the news in disbelief.
Only Cherry Atkinson stood apart, her long
dark brown hair in two ponytails. She twisted
the end of one in her fingers as she trailed
behind, looking out at the glittering line of
river that ran along the edge of our oval and up
to the bridge where magic mushrooms grew
in the dark rich soil under the shade of the
overpass.
There was of course no hope of normal classes.
As soon as we were out of Mr Castle’s gaze and in
the cool of our room, we did not go to our desks.
What happened? We all asked each other the
same question over and over again. Sonia, who
was, I suppose, my best friend (although Cassie
sometimes had the honour) couldn’t believe I
didn’t know a thing.
‘Why would I?’ I asked, irritated with her now.
‘Joe,’ she told me. ‘Duh.’
I rolled my eyes as I sat on the window ledge,
one leg up on the chair in front of me. Most
afternoons Joe hung out at the waterfront. A
group of them did. But he knew nothing. Or
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