Back in her room, she settled down on the bed and opened the book. She’d read enough of the book to know that Jane had endured some pretty rough times in a boarding school that was like a jail. Now Jenna could identify with the character even more.
But it was hard to concentrate on reading. Her mind kept going back to the events of the day. Tracey and Emily — all the students must know by now what had happened to her. Madame too. What were they thinking of her?
And her poor mother, who was trying so hard to make up for the bad times. But here was her daughter, getting into trouble again.
Could she ever convince them that she’d never brought a knife to school? That the whole thing had been a set-up? That Jenna Kelley was not a committed criminal?
Over and over, she relived the scene in Jackson’s office. Finally, she put the book down, turned over and buried her head in the pillow. It seemed she would have to put up with someone’s tears after all.
Her own.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL bus on Friday morning, Tracey moved away from the other kids and took out her mobile phone.
‘Hello?’
Tracey tried to sound natural. ‘Hi, Amanda, it’s Tracey!’
‘What do you want now?’
Tracey couldn’t blame her for sounding annoyed. This was the fourth time she’d called in three days. In the background, she heard another voice — Nina’s, or maybe Britney’s.
‘Who is it?’ And she heard Amanda respond, ‘Nobody.’ Tracey talked fast before Amanda could hit the hang-up button.
‘I just wanted to remind you to save a seat for me at lunch. I’m planning to sit with you.’
‘Stay away from me!’ Amanda shrieked. And Tracey was disconnected.
Relieved that her morning obligation was finished, Tracey tossed the phone back in her bag. But she still had the lunchtime duty to do — and she wasn’t looking forward to that.
It was one of Ken’s ideas. Yesterday, Tracey had picked up her tray in the cafeteria and carried it over to the table where Amanda and her friends always ate lunch. Britney, Nina and Katie were already there, but Amanda hadn’t arrived yet. The three Evilettes stared at her, as if an alien had just landed at their exclusive gathering place.
‘Amanda invited me to join you guys,’ Tracey had explained.
‘She did?’ Katie asked in disbelief.
‘When?’ Nina wanted to know.
‘Oh, we were on the phone last night, for ages,’ Tracey lied. ‘We talk all the time, you know. Anyway, she said she wanted me to sit with you all from now on.’
Amanda arrived with another of her friends, Sophie. She was clearly taken aback to find Tracey at her table.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked bluntly.
Nina answered for her. ‘Tracey said you invited her.’
‘I did no such thing!’ Amanda exclaimed.
‘Don’t you remember?’ Tracey asked. ‘Last night, when we were talking on the phone, you said—’
Amanda didn’t let her finish. ‘I didn’t talk to you on the phone last night! I’ve never called you in my life!’
Tracey had tried to look concerned. ‘Are you OK, Amanda? Are you having memory problems?’
At that point, all the girls were looking at Amanda. Amanda was speechless.
Tracey spoke sadly. ‘Are you ashamed of us being friends, Amanda?’ Then she rose, picked up her tray, and walked away.
She had no idea what happened at the table after she left, but she suspected that it hadn’t been too comfortable for Amanda. Today, Tracey planned to arrive at the table after Amanda, and she would thank Amanda for having called last night to apologize for her rude behaviour.
Ken had also given Emily jobs to do. Yesterday, she’d passed a note to Nina in a class they had together.
Nina, if you see Amanda next period, could you tell her she can borrow my yellow sweater this weekend. She’s been begging me to lend it to her.
Despite the fact that Tracey wasn’t crazy about these efforts to destroy Amanda’s reputation, she had to laugh at the notion of the well-dressed queen bee wanting to wear anything of Emily’s.
The bus arrived. Tracey hurried to climb on so she could get a seat at the back, where the driver wouldn’t see her on the phone. They weren’t supposed to use their mobile phones on the bus, but if he couldn’t see her she’d be OK. The passengers never told on each other.
She got her seat, and took her phone out again.
‘Good morning. Harmony House.’
‘Hello, can I speak to Jenna Kelley, please?’
‘I’m sorry, Jenna can’t come to the phone.’
Tracey frowned. This was the same response she’d been getting each time she tried to call her. ‘Well, can you tell me when visiting hours are?’
‘I’m sorry,’ the voice on the other end said again, ‘but Jenna isn’t permitted visitors.’
‘Why not?’ Tracey demanded to know.
‘Have a nice day,’ the voice replied, and the line went dead.
This was too frustrating. Even prisoners in real jails were allowed to have visitors.
When she met Emily on the steps at Meadowbrook’s entrance, she learned that Emily had been getting the same information from Harmony House.
‘I can’t believe that no one is allowed to have visitors in that place,’ Tracey fumed.
‘Maybe Jenna doesn’t want visitors,’ Emily suggested. ‘You know how she doesn’t like people to feel sorry for her.’
Ken was waiting for them just inside the building. He didn’t bother with greetings.
‘What did Amanda say when you called her this morning?’ he asked Tracey.
‘What she said when I called yesterday,’ Tracey said. ‘“Leave me alone.”’ She sighed. ‘Ken, how much longer do we have to do this? I hate going to that table at lunchtime. They don’t want me there and I don’t want to be there.’
‘I’m going to try to get her alone this afternoon,’ Ken said. ‘I’m going to tell her we’ll stop if she’ll confess to what she did to Jenna.’
Emily was looking at Ken quizzically. ‘Ken,’ she began, and then she bit her lip.
‘What?’ he asked.
Emily hesitated. ‘I don’t know how to say this, and — and I know it’s none of my business, but. .’ She looked at Tracey. Tracey had a feeling she knew what Emily was about to say and it was something Tracey had been wondering about herself.
‘Go ahead,’ she said.
Emily spoke carefully. ‘I used to think. . well, we all used to think that there was something going on between you and Amanda. Like, you were sort of interested in each other, you know what I mean?’
Ken didn’t say anything.
Emily went on. ‘But now. . it’s like you totally hate her.’
Ken shrugged. ‘Sure, I hate what she did to Jenna. And the way she put us all in danger when she was involved in the seance.’
Tracey took over. ‘Are you sure it’s not something else too? Like, maybe you’re going overboard because you still have feelings for her.’
Ken glared at her. ‘And maybe you’re defending her because she took over your body and got you a nice haircut.’ And he took off before she had a chance to deny it.
‘I’m going to the bathroom before class,’ Emily told Tracey. ‘Want to come with me?’
Tracey shook her head. ‘I want to find Madame. Maybe she can talk to those Harmony House people so we can visit Jenna. See ya in class.’