Given the extenuating circumstances, and the fact that Jenny regained consciousness long enough to tell her mother the truth of what had happened when she rushed to the hospital to be with her, I was spared punishment. Technically, I should've been pulled up on lying to a teacher, but Jenny's mother liked me enough that she talked them out of sending me to detention. It helped to have friends with important parents sometimes, even if I didn't capitalise on the advantage often.

Her mother even got me some time off my afternoon classes so that I could visit Jenny during her stay in the hospital.

'I feel like some terminally ill patient,' Jenny complained a few days later.

I closed the book I'd been reading aloud, a copy of A Room with A View, and reached out to flick her cheek gently. She pouted. I said, 'You're fine. Before you know it, you'll be back at school, and seeing Charlie again.'

'I know.' She spared a blush. 'But I meant because you keep coming to read for me. It's like you think I'm never getting out of here. Don't you have anything better to do? What about your music exams?'

'Nope. Like I keep telling you, you're stuck with me. Besides, the exams aren't for ages. I can catch up on the practice.'

Jenny reached out to take my hand. 'I'm sorry that you were almost in trouble because of me.'

'You should be sorry for getting so bloody sick in the first place.'

'Well, I am,' she said. 'Hospital food is disgusting.'

'I mean, I meant for making me worry and all that, but whatever. Besides, I doubt it's that bad...'

Jenny was in a private room with highly paid doctors and nurses checking on her almost hourly. Nothing was disgusting or cheap about anything that happened in the hospital. Had she been in the care of an underfunded and overworked government institution, she might have been forced to suffer some very questionable meals indeed. As it was, she was being treated like a princess.

'Could you do me a favour?' she asked.

'Depends on what it is.'

'Can you smuggle me some chocolate from the vending machine, please?'

'I think I can manage that,' I laughed. 'But if I get caught, it was your idea.'

I didn't like leaving her, but what was I meant to do?

She was the one sick in bed and I was at her command until I headed back to school. I set the book down in my chair once I'd vacated it and left the room. I thought that she might get bored on her own, but it wasn't worth bringing in hundreds of things for her to do, not when she wouldn't be there for more than a week. Besides, she was supposed to be resting.

I glanced at the clock on the way to the nearest waiting room. Classes would have concluded. Usually, Jenny and I would be chatting on my bed by now, or I would be teasing her about her feelings for Charlie. Well, so long as she wasn't off with Chantelle anywhere. I didn't like that she'd let Jenny go off on her own in the rain. I blamed her for the whole incident. She'd invited the girls out in the first place even though the weather was going to be foul. It wasn't like it was difficult to check the weather forecast online before making plans.

She was so bloody stupid.

'Beth!' Charlie greeted as he crossed the waiting room.

I turned away from the vending machine and ceased pondering which lump of sugar Jenny would prefer. I looked him up and down, and asked, 'What are you doing here?'

My question must have come off as rude or abrupt because he faltered and replied, 'I - I thought that I would check up on Jenny. How is she?'

'She's a little better,' I said in a kinder tone. 'But I think it'll be a few more days before she's back. Are you here on your own?'

'No, I brought Chantelle and Will with me.'

Crap.

I forced a smile. 'Well, she'll be happy to see them. I think I'm boring her.'

'I can't imagine that's true.'

'I don't know. I've been reading to her and it's a classic book. She'll probably enjoy something a little different.'

'Well,' Chantelle said as she sauntered over, 'I can't say I'm surprised. You're so boring, Bennett. You're totally the sort who only likes sticking their nose in books and never having fun.'

I raised a brow, 'Unlike some people I could mention, I have the emotional and intellectual range to like more than one thing at a time.'

Charlie cleared his throat quietly. To ease the mounting tension, he asked, 'Where's her room?'

'It's down the hall, number forty-two. Make sure you knock before you go in, okay?'

'You're not coming with us?' he asked.

'No, but take her this.' I selected a chocolate bar, took it from the machine, and pushed it into his hand. She would probably prefer it if Charlie were delivering it. I was certain that she would forget all about the sweets in his company.

Chantelle linked arms with her brother and led him away at a brisk pace. She must have thought that spending too much time in my company would be a bad influence on him. She'd have been right. I would teach him all manner of terrible habits, like thinking for himself and disregarding social class divides.

There wasn't a lot to do in the hospital and I was thinking about heading back to the school. That was when I turned and noticed that William had lingered. Awkwardly, I rubbed at the back of my neck. When he continued to stare, I asked, 'What?'

'Nothing,' he said. 'What are you planning on doing?'

'None of your business.'

'Fine. I guess we'll both sit here in total silence then, shall we?'

'Who said I was going to sit here with you?' I asked. 'I'm going to get coffee. Do whatever you want.'

I was becoming something of a regular in the hospital cafeteria. I smiled at the young man behind the counter and he knew immediately what my poison was without so much as a word. As he clattered the porcelain cup into a saucer, I dared a glance over my shoulder. Upon seeing William had followed me, I rolled my eyes pointedly.

'You said I could do whatever I want,' he reminded me. 'I wanted to go here.'

'You wanted to follow me,' I muttered.

'What was that?'

'Nothing.'

'No charge,' the man said as he handed over my drink. 'You've bought enough the last few days that you deserve one on the house.'

I smiled. 'Thanks. Are you sure? I don't want it to come out of your salary or something.'

'Yeah, it's not a problem. What about you, kid?' he asked William. 'You want anything?'

'No,' he said. 'And don't call me kid.'

I didn't want to linger and hear anything else William might have to say. I picked out a seat on my own as far from the counter as it was possible to be. The annoying boy trailed after me and settled down in the empty chair at my side.

'Really?' I asked.

'What?'

'Can't you just go and see Jenny? You've all been hanging around each other, lately. She'll be happy to talk to you.'

'She's Chantelle's friend. Not mine.'

'God, you're such a bloody snob.'

'Says the girl in a private boarding school.'

Well, I couldn't argue with that. Although I didn't enjoy the same advantages as my peers, I benefitted from the same level of education. I felt like it was a blessing and a curse. I would have excellent recommendations when I left the school, but it was a world away from reality, and from any career paths I might seek out when I had to make my own way. The school was more of a bubble that we were raised inside, protected from whatever lay beyond.

'I'm not exactly like the other girls there, though.'

I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth. I was just like the other girls in essentials. Besides, there was nothing wrong with most of them. I'd meant to say that I wasn't as financially assured as the others, but I'd been too annoyed to form the sentence coherently. The damage was done, and I would have to shoulder the guilt of coining one of the most awful and contrite phrases ever to pass someone's lips.

Not like other girls.

What a load of shit.

'I wouldn't say that. But most girls wouldn't threaten a total stranger the first time they met.'

I nearly choked on my coffee.

So, he had managed to pick up on the hint. I had wondered. Still, he didn't need to bring it up at that moment. He'd probably waited until I was swallowing to make that comment. I was sure I saw him smirk as I hurried to cover my mouth with the back of my hand.

Git.

Not to lose face in front of him, I asked, 'Do you know a lot about girls, then? I guess you were popular at your last school.'

'It was a boy's school.'

'My assumption still stands. Just... with the opposite sex.'

'I'm not gay,' William said a little louder than was necessary.

I giggled quietly. It wouldn't have bothered me if he were. I didn't care, to be honest. He could be whatever he wanted to be, just if what he wanted to be wasn't annoying as hell or in my personal space. As much as I loved to laugh, I felt like I ought to stifle it in front of him. William blushed. It was small and petty, but it still gave me some measure of joy to see him humiliated for once. I chewed gently on my bottom lip while I waited for my drink to cool a little, and we sat in silence. For some reason, he was happy to just watch me as I curled my hair around my finger and drummed my nails against the side of my cup.

Finally, he commented, 'You said you'd been reading to your friend.'

'Yes.'

'And you read a lot?'

'I prefer music, but, yeah. Reading passes the time.'

'So, music is your talent?'

'My study. The thing I like the most. I don't know if that would make it a talent. A talent implies that I'm amazing at it, or something.'

I'd put a lot of work into studying music. It was something I hoped would carry me through life, but I was one of the thousands who all wanted the same opportunities of which there was only a finite amount. Not all of us would make it and I was setting myself up for failure. No doubt I would end my career playing the piano in a fancy hotel lobby where no one would stop to listen to a full song. Still, I couldn't think of doing anything else, so there was no choice but to pursue it.

'Everyone's good at something,' William said.

'Is that why you're so good at being annoying?' I asked before I was able to stop myself.

'Maybe it is.'

'Maybe it is, what?' Chantelle asked.

I hadn't noticed her arrive with Charlie. They took up the remaining seats and had no qualms with butting into our conversation. It was probably for the best. I didn't have much to say to William that could be considered polite. Not that I often had anything particularly nice to say to anyone unless they were a good friend. Chantelle certainly didn't fit into the friend category.

'Jenny's asleep,' Charlie explained. 'We thought it was better to give her some peace.'

'What were you talking about?' Chantelle pressed. 'Alone. Together.'

'Sex,' I said flatly.

William coughed and sputtered into his cup, no doubt having inhaled the scalding liquid in his surprise.

Chantelle flushed beet-red. I could have drawn out the torture, but watching her purple momentarily was satisfaction enough. William was flushed, too, but it was unclear whether it was due to humiliation or an excess of coffee on the lungs.

'Just stuff,' I admitted. I knew full well that the lack of detail would still drive her mad. 'Nothing interesting. I should be getting back to school if she's sleeping.'

'How about we give you a lift back?' Charlie asked. 'I can get the car brought around. We're all going to the same place.'

'There won't be any room,' Chantelle said. 'Not with three of us already squashed in.'

'Jenny's Mum said she'd drop me back. It's fine. She'll be around somewhere.'

'Are you sure?' Charlie looked concerned that I might be irrevocably offended if he came off as rude. He should have been more worried about the impression his sister was making.

Not that Chantelle cared if I was upset.

She liked it when I was.

'As I said, it's fine.'

'You were reading A Room with a View, weren't you? I saw the book in Jenny's room.'

'Yeah.' I shrugged. 'Italy and all that. I love it.'

'Oh, yes. We go to Italy all the time,' Chantelle boasted. 'We have a holiday home there. Well, we have so many.'

'Gosh, how awfully delightful for you,' I mocked. 'You must be the toast of the country club!'

'There's no need to be snide, Bennett,' Chantelle snarled. 'Just because you can't afford –'

'I think I've had enough coffee,' I interrupted. 'It's all starting to taste a little... bitter.'

Without a polite word of parting, I left the table and stalked back through the corridors. It was at times like this that I needed Jenny. She made me laugh at myself and always put a smile on my face. I didn't feel like there was a wall between me and my classmates when I had her, or the other girls, by my side.

People like Chantelle went through their lives being proud of their conceited ways and looking down on those they deemed less fortunate or less worthy. I didn't think that I was either. No, I was perfectly happy being just who I was. I just wished she didn't have to rub it in whenever she had something I wanted. And that wasn't money, or power, or anything like that.

But it was confidence and respect.

And maybe a house in Italy.