Alpha Girl (13 page)

Tuesday – 8 days to go

I couldn’t believe Sadie. I wanted to grab her by the hair and slam her stupid face against the desk. I’d never imagined hurting someone so badly before.

She was doing everything within her power to make sure Mr. Stone’s attention was on her for the entire lesson, which included asking him if she could help him with anything to earn extra credit. I was surprised I didn’t spontaneously combust when she asked him.

‘Yeah, of course Sadie. Just hang back after class and we can work something out,’ Mr. Stone told her.

My skin burned at the thought of them being alone together. I wouldn’t allow it.

At the end of the lesson, I hung back too.

‘What are you doing?’ Sadie asked me with narrowed eyes as I remained in my seat.

‘I’m interested in extra credit, too,’ I lied. It was so obvious what I was doing, I wasn’t sure why I bothered to lie about it.

With a smirk, Sadie flicked her hair back and walked to the front of the class, where Mr. Stone was wiping the day’s work off the board. She perched herself on the edge of his desk, her legs dangling back and forth.

‘Right – ah, Rose. You’re interested in extra-credit too?’

‘Sure, why not?’ I said, waving a hand.

Get off his desk you slut
, I screamed inside my head.

‘It was my idea,’ Sadie said quickly, leaning forwards so her bosom hung out of her blouse.

‘Well, that’s great. It’s great you’re both taking some initiative in class.’ Mr. Stone crossed the room to his cupboard and pulled out two copies of ‘Great Expectations’ by Chares Dickens.

‘Have either of you read this?’ he asked, handing Sadie a copy, and placing the other on my desk.

‘No,’ said Sadie, pulling a face as she looked at it.

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘Really?’ Mr. Stone seemed impressed. ‘Can you summarize for me?’

I licked my lips nervously. It had been years since I’d read it.

‘Um, it’s a coming of age story, isn’t it? About an orphan boy who is adopted into a blacksmith family?’

‘Right,’ Mr. Stone smiled at me. Sadie glared.

‘I can’t wait to read it,’ she said pointedly.

‘Great!’ Mr. Stone clapped his hands together. ‘Well … if you can write a report summarizing the plot, and its themes … let’s say … eight hundred words?’

‘Easy,’ I grinned. It really would be a piece of cake. Sadie, however, looked miserable. Clearly this encounter had not gone to plan.

‘Excellent,’ said Mr. Stone. ‘Well, you better be off to lunch, you two.’

‘Thanks Mr. Stone,’ I said, getting up from my seat and slinging my bag over my shoulder.

Sadie slid from Mr. Stone’s desk and took a few steps, only to drop her book.

‘Oops!’ She bent over in front of Mr. Stone and I to retrieve the novel. My jaw almost hit the ground. She wasn’t wearing any knickers.

He saw it too. Mr. Stone looked away, embarrassed, his face beetroot-red. I literally began to shake with anger.
What a slut!

Thursday – 6 days to go

I was a mess. My father was meeting with his real estate agent that evening, and my mother was out on a date with a co-worker. What was worse; my father didn’t seem phased by this at all.

I sat in my room, upset and panicky. I didn’t want to leave Halfway; I’d miss him too much. Thomas. I needed him. I wanted him.

I wanted him more than anything in the world, and he needed to know it. I couldn’t hold on to this secret any longer. It boiled inside me like poison.

But how would I do it?

I stared at Mr. Stone’s name in my phone for ages, contemplating on whether I should call him or not. What if he was busy?

No. I wouldn’t call him. I’d text him instead, that way he could deny my offer if he wished.

Can we go for a drive?
I asked.

He responded almost instantly, sending butterflies exploding through my stomach.

See you in 5 minutes,
it read.

I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that Mr. Stone would drive to see me in the middle of the night if I asked him to. Perhaps that was vain of me to assume.

I slipped out of the house while my father was still on the phone and waited in the street for Mr. Stone to pick me up.

When he rumbled to a groaning halt by the curb he could tell instantly that I was upset.

‘Oh, no,’ he said as soon as I got into the passenger seat. ‘What’s the matter, Rose?’

‘Get me away from here,’ I said to him.

He drove and I didn’t ask where we were going.

Ten minutes passed in silence until we were on the outskirts of town, on an old road that was surrounded by forest. He picked up the mud with his tires as he pulled over on the side of the road.

‘You’re not going to murder me and ditch my body in the forest, are you?’ I asked.

He laughed. ‘No, nothing like that. It’s calm here. I like it.’

I looked out at the forest. ‘I hate it.’

Mr. Stone raised his eyebrows. ‘Why?’

‘I was attacked by a wild animal when I was nine while hiking in the woods with my parents,’ I said.

‘Shit. Sorry, I didn’t mean to-’

‘It’s fine.’ I said. ‘It was a long time ago.’

He gave me a pitying look. ‘You look upset,’ he said.

I nodded and stared at my hands in my lap. I could feel the burn of tears in the back of my throat, but sniffed them away.

‘My parents are getting a divorce,’ I told him.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said. ‘Were you expecting it?’

‘I guess I should have,’ I replied. ‘They’ve been having affairs since I was nine.’

‘Wow, okay. What took them so long?’

‘I suppose they haven’t really been together for years. Not in the romantic sense, anyway.’

‘That’s sad,’ he said. ‘It must have been tough growing up.’

It had been, but not for the reasons he imagined.

I relayed the conversation I’d had with my mother and father that night. His brow furrowed as I talked, and he looked deeply concerned.

‘They said … my … my condition-’

‘Condition?’ Mr. Stone repeated.

I had already said too much. ‘I get sick.’ I chose my words carefully. ‘A lot. My mother said it put a strain on the marriage.’

‘That doesn’t sound very fair,’ he said. ‘Blaming you for something you can’t help.’

I shrugged. ‘I don’t want to leave Halfway,’ I said. ‘Things are just starting to get better. It’s safe here. It’s small, and quiet. I’m finally coming to terms with my illness …’

‘When you say illness,’ he said slowly. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s a long story,’ I said. ‘But don’t worry … it’s not contagious.’ It was a half-truth, at least. He was safe as long as he wasn’t around me during an episode. If I bit him, or scratched him during that time … it was another story.

Mr. Stone reached over and grasped my hand, squeezing gently. I was sure he only meant it as a friendly gesture, but goose bumps erupted over my skin at his touch.

‘Thank you Mr. Stone,’ I said softly, ‘for being here with me. It really means a lot. Not many people would drop everything to comfort me.’

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘I’d do anything.’

My stomach did cartwheels. Was he implying what I hoped?

Mr. Stone looked down at our hands, uncertainty flashing across his eyes. ‘But please don’t mention this to your friends, Rose. It would be considered, uh … unethical for-’

‘I understand.’

He smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling. ‘Thank you.’

‘Unethical, like Sadie’s stunt after class on Tuesday.’

Mr. Stone visibly shuddered in disgust; this made me very happy.

‘It’s so sad,’ he said, ‘when young girls extort themselves like that. Is her self esteem really so low that she needs to flash her own teacher?’

I shrugged, pleased that he disapproved. ‘Sadie has always been … adventurous.’

‘Well, she is certainly not my type,’ Mr. Stone smirked. ‘I think I’m going to have to watch my back.’

‘It seems so,’ I said with a smile. ‘She is quite adamant to have you for herself.’

‘I’m just glad you were there,’ he chuckled. ‘God knows what she would have done if we’d been alone.’