Friday 4th October 2017

Tarrow's phone was snatched out of his grasp the second he pulled it from his breast pocket. Looking up, he sighed and scowled. Grinning crookedly down at him was Lars McKenzie, a scabby lad who was several heads taller than Tarrow.

"Hey, tosser," he said, dancing the phone high in the air.

"Don't be a dick, Lars," Tarrow groaned.

"Nah, nah, it's cool," Lars examined the phone, turning it over in his hands, and saying, "hey, so, we're all going down to the canal tonight, you in?"

"Uh, what?"

"Yeah, we're gonna get off our heads to kick start the weekend."

Tarrow scoffed.

"Give the phone, you idiot."

"Come on," Lars smiled down at him and holding the phone out of his reach. "Why not? Mike reckons he can get his hands on some spice."

"Right," Tarrow rolled his eyes and jumped to get his phone.

"Oh, come on Relpek, loosen up would ya? Give it a go, why not?"

"Uh, coz I'm not a bellend," Tarrow said as he leaped up and grabbed the phone back.

"Later, McKenzie," he said over his shoulder as he walked to maths.

"Pussy," Lars yelled after him.

Tarrow sat down in maths and threw his bag on the floor.

"Alright?" Emmie asked, eyeing him a little nervously. Tarrow glanced at her. She already had her equipment out on the desk. She wore her hair was different from usual.

"Fine," Tarrow growled.

"Simultaneous equations," announced Mr Restue, as though this deserved an excited reaction. Instead, the class collectively groaned. Tarrow settled in for a dull end of the week at the beginning of a depressing weekend.  He looked over at Triston's empty seat and rested his chin on his hand with his elbow on his table, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.

"Who can tell me what that would make? Ah- Relpek," Tarrow jerked and stared up at Restue. "As you were paying such keen attention, I'm sure," he smiled slyly.

"Pi," Tarrow blurted.

"Strike one, Relpek, listen up," Restue said shortly as the class sniggered.
Emmie was watching Tarrow.

"What's going on, Tarrow?" She murmured, as Restue moved away and Kelly answered the question he couldn't.

"It's... nothing," Tarrow sighed, not looking at her. He folded his arms on the table and put his chin on them. His eyes wandered back to Triston's place again. He sighed and lifted his eyes to the board, trying to take in the lesson, but finding his mind drifting. He ended up watching the clock for the remainder of the hour and earning himself a ten minute detention after school for three strikes of unfocused attention.