The Codex File (2012) (24 page)

Michael screwed his eyes up, trying to find meanings in the words. Was UKCitizensNet the great dragon and Trevellion the devil or Satan who was leading the world astray? Was Trevellion the great dragon and the mysterious four men the angels who’d been sent to try and help him? Or was UKCitizensNet intended to signify the devil and Trevellion one of its angels?

He clenched his fists. It was nonsense. It didn’t make sense. None if it made any sense. Least of all Colette appearing before him and delivering obscure biblical references. His knowledge of the meanings of the Book of Revelation was patchy to say the least.

Shaking his head again he began laughing wildly at the absurdity of it. Colette was dead, had been dead for nearly two years.

Maybe I’m falling apart again?

Maybe this was just another step nearer to a total mental breakdown. But how had he known the extract from the Book of Revelation if it was all just in his head? He’d received very little religious schooling as a child.

Flicking the ‘Video’ button the picture returned to yet another interview Trevellion was giving following Sir Donald Allison’s ‘accidental’ death. He looked into his face and the ever-present ice-cool exterior.

Voices or no voices in his head, he was sure Vincent Trevellion had somehow been involved in Colette and Clare’s deaths.

And he wouldn’t rest until their deaths had been avenged.

March 25
^th
2010

The scene was set and the waiting was over. Standing expectantly outside the main doors a hum of excited chatter filtered up the queue of those waiting patiently. From inside the hall the sound of music blaring from speakers on the stage slipped through the door, adding to the anticipation as they all waited. Any moment now they’d be let inside.

For the girls, it was a matter of pride to make sure they looked their best. What had seemed like hours had been spent in the toilets, making sure their hair and accessories were all present and correct. None of them wanted to be outshined by another girl. Particularly not at the St Winifred’s Girls School Easter disco. And certainly not when the boys from nearby St Marks were there as normal too. With the exception of the Summer and Christmas discos, this was the highlight of the school’s social calendar.

Clare Robertson stood about a third of the way down the line of children, rubbing her bare arms from where goose bumps had surfaced. It might have been nearly April but there was still a chill wind - and she didn’t like the cold, just like her mother.

Knowing this, her mum had instructed her to take a coat after inspecting the weather forecast that morning. And despite several minutes of futile protestations her coat had been neatly folded into her school bag. And as she stood in the queue, it was still tucked in the bag.

Around her none of the other girls were wearing coats, all showing off the latest trendy tops they’d bought just for the disco. Why was it they were allowed to choose their own clothes without the intrusive input of their parents, whereas her parents always had to approve what she wanted? It just wasn’t fair.

She’d spent the whole week worrying that her white top, ornately decorated with a sunflower down the middle, and a pair of black jeans, although not as tight as the ones she really wanted would look out of place compared to the rest of her friends. The competition to look good both in and out of class, had been getting steadily more intense this school year as they’d all started getting more experimental with their makeup and hair.

But thankfully all her friends had commented on how ‘cool’ her top was, and the sense of relief had finally made her look forward to the disco. The only thing she was more excited about was the prospect of seeing James Bartlett again.

Ever since first seeing him at the Christmas disco she’d had eyes for no-one else. The only problem was being at an all girls school meant she barely ever saw him. And even then it was only as part of a group when her friends just happened to bump into his friends when leaving school.

She wasn’t even sure whether he’d ever noticed her. He always seemed to travel round with five other boys, including Giles Nelson, commonly acknowledged amongst her friends, and most of the other girls in her class, as the best looking boy at St Marks. If Giles and his friends, and he was clearly the head of the pack, were ever near St Winifred’s then all the other girls would hone in on him, fawning and flicking their hair in appreciation of his corkscrew blonde hair and square jaw. The other boys were almost always crowded out so she’d never even managed to speak to James.

But maybe tonight would be her chance. Everyone knew Giles was coming so that meant his group of friends would be there too. Her heart fluttered as she thought about James again and his dark hair, slightly long, hanging around his ears.

Clare looked down at herself once more, hoping she looked pretty enough to finally attract his attention. She’d never told her friends about her crush on James. They were all far too wrapped up in Giles to have noticed she was indifferent to his charms. And that was fine. It was her secret and she liked it that way.

The chatter which had been coming from the line of children waiting at the school hall door rose to a crescendo of excitement when they finally opened. With a gentle push the line moved forward and Clare followed her friends into the hall.

On the stage, as for previous discos, were too vast black speakers, each about six feet wide, and normally used to support the orchestra when it was giving a concert. But tonight it was playing the latest chart music. The DJ, a maths teacher who believed he was far trendier than the children accepted, had selected an assortment of songs for the evening, all vetted for unacceptable lyrics.

The hall filled and within a matter of minutes two groups had formed. All the girls stood on one side with the boys lined up opposite. A wry smile crossed the head of year’s face as she surveyed the disco and the gender and school divide. Who was going to be the first to breach ranks?

Clare watched from where she stood with her four friends. All of them had their eyes firmly set on where Giles Nelson stood opposite, nonchalantly standing sideways onto them and wearing a black shirt and faded blue jeans. But next to where Giles stood, laughing at something one of his friends had said, was James. She could feel her heart racing as she laid her eyes on him for the first time in four months. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered. A white T-shirt with a logo she couldn’t quite read across the hall was offset by black jeans and white trainers, the tongue riding up over the bottoms of the black denim.

The group of girls all fell silent from their chattering as Giles strode out onto the dancefloor, the first person at the disco to do so. Slowly walking towards the army of girls opposite he was lit-up by the light display emanating from the stage between the two speakers. For a few seconds he looked up and down the line of girls, making his selection, reveling in the adoration he knew he commanded, before turning in the direction of Clare’s group.

Kelly, one of Clare’s friends, thin, tall for her age, and with straight blonde hair half way down her back, grabbed her arm and hissed under her breath.

“
He’s coming over here. Please, please let him pick me.”

Clare began to frown as Kelly danced excitedly on the spot, a very different thought going through her mind.

“
Oh God, don’t let him pick me. I don’t want James thinking I like him.”

Giles stopped two feet in front of Kelly. A wide smile crossed his face, his teeth lit up by the ultra violet light spinning from the light display, causing them to glow unnaturally.

“
Would you like to dance?” he asked finally, a warm but super-confident air in the question.

Clare was sure she heard Kelly squeal in delight as she finally let go of her arm and followed Giles onto the dancefloor. A sense of relief washed through her as she gazed longingly in James’ direction.

Within a few minutes, inhibitions about being the first on the dancefloor had receded and the disco had really taken off. Clare danced with her group of friends, near to where James was, but not within talking distance. And despite all her best intentions she couldn’t quite pluck up the courage to move any closer to him, instead hoping she could will him in her direction.

After half an hour of failing to coax James any closer Clare finally left the dancefloor, hungry and thirsty. With two of her friends, Rachel and Zoe, in tow, the three girls headed for the vending machine they knew was in the corridor outside the school hall.

“
Kelly is going to be talking about this forever,” Zoe blurted out when they finally left the hall to the relative quiet of the corridor.

The other two girls giggled noisily, knowing it was true. The whole school would be talking about it.

The vending machine had been restocked for the disco, but only half way through the evening it was almost empty of snacks. Virtually all the crisps had gone and all that was left was cheese and onion, and the girls all agreed it was because they were disgusting.

“
It’s going to have to be chocolate then,” Clare joked, inspecting what was left.

“
I’m going to have a Snickers. I love peanuts,” Rachel said, slipping her money into the slot.

“
Me too,” Zoe replied as Rachel retrieved her chocolate bar.

“
Well I’m not. I can’t eat nuts. I’m going to have the last Mars bar.”

Having pressed the button for her snack, a male voice behind the girls interrupted their conversation.

“
Oi, I wanted that last Mars bar. Give it to me, it’s mine.”

The three girls turned as one and looked into the face of a short, overweight boy with cropped ginger hair. An empty Mars bar wrapper was clasped in his right hand.

“
You’ve already eaten one,” Clare replied incredulously as the boy’s glare alternated between her and the chocolate she was now holding.

“
I’d already bagsied that one. Give it to me.”

Lunging for her hand Clare ducked out the way as the plump boy lost his balance and tumbled onto the floor in front of the machine.

“
Serves you right fatty,” Zoe laughed, and the three girls turned and quickly ran back in the direction of the hall.

Hauling himself to his feet Zack Richards kicked the base of the vending machine in disgust as the three girls disappeared out of view. It wouldn’t be the last they’d see of him that night.

An hour later and the disco had finished. Clare and her friends were all standing in the school’s main foyer waiting for their parents to arrive to pick them up. Kelly was flushed with excitement and, as predicted, could talk of nothing but Giles.

Although pleased for her friend, Clare’s own thoughts had drifted off to James again. When she’d returned to the hall after that boy had tried to steal her Mars bar she’d spent what had seemed like ages trying to locate where he was. And eventually she’d found him, dancing with a pretty dark-haired girl in another class who she knew was called Maria, and who was particularly good at tennis.

In an instant she’d felt her heart ripped out, the tears rising as Maria had smiled at him as they danced together. She probably didn’t even like him - not like she did. So why was it she’d got to dance with James when it was her that had the crush on him?

Determined to keep her feelings and disappointment hidden she’d made an excuse about going to the toilet where she’d spent fifteen minutes crying, leaving her friends to swoon over Giles and feel jealous about his interest in Kelly.

It had turned into a terrible evening. And as she’d sat in the toilet cubicle she’d also realised she’d left her half-eaten chocolate in the hall, on one of the tables, just when she could have done with it.

Now, standing in the school foyer, she couldn’t wait to go home. The sooner her dad arrived to pick her up the better. The prospect of seeing James appear with Maria was just too much.

But looking out the doors into the school car park, there was no sign of her dad’s car. And as she sighed inwardly the familiar sound of Giles and his friends, laughing, always loud and boisterous, filled the corridor.

Turning involuntarily towards the sound she reached into her jeans’ pocket for her open Mars bar which she’d retrieved when she returned from the toilet. Without a second thought she took a big bite, the sweet taste of chocolate instantly making her feel better.

Giles and his friends strolled nonchalantly up the corridor, stopping in front of where Kelly stood, the permanent grin on her face still in evidence. Munching on her chocolate bar she ignored the conversation between the two, her view blocked by where the other girls stood in front of her.

“
Hi Clare,” a quiet voice said as she slipped the Mars bar back into her pocket.