Page 96 of Nobody in Particular

My blood goes cold. “No.”

“No?”

“No.” I plant my feet firmly and cross my arms. “You’re not breaking up with me. We’re not having a serious talk. It’s not happening. I was outed to the entire world today. I don’t need to get my heart broken tonight. I need my fucking girlfriend to hold me and tell me everything’s going to be okay.”

I’m surprised I get that far before the tears come and cut me off. Rose has me in her arms before the first sob escapes, and she pulls me fiercely into her chest. “I’m not trying to break up with you,” she says, and I melt with relief. “Danni, I told you I was in at the start, and when I say I’m in, that means no matter what. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

“I just had a really bad day,” I cry, and she starts methodically stroking my hair.

“I know,” she whispers. “I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“No, I’m glad you did. I wanted to see you. I just…” I grip her coat for support, and she holds me, standing steady, until my breathing goes back to normal and my heartbeat slows down from the fright. God fucking damnit.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I ask, still hugging her.

I rise and fall with her chest as she sucks in a lungful of freezing air. “I keep thinking about the student from Bramppath who told the palace about us, right at the start.”

“What about her?”

“It’s just, I can’t see how it could’ve been some random student. We were careful. We were hiding it. For someone to have caught on, they must have known us well. They must have been really close to us. Probably someone in Dewitt.”

I pull back and look at her in horror. “You think?”

“It’s the only thing that makes any sense to me,” she says. “And I’ve also been thinking about the online rumors. And the video of you and Harriet being sent into the media. It’s been making me feel surrounded by people who want to hurt us.”

“Me, too.”

“But what if we aren’t surrounded? What if there’s only one person, and they’re really close?”

I don’t know which thought is more stomach-churning. “Like who?”

Rose shrugs. “I don’t know. But what I do know is William said we have to pretend we aren’t friends anymore. Even to other Bramppath students. But, Danni, you should know they threatened to get rid of you.”

“Get rid of me?” I ask sharply. The first thought that pops into my mind is a man in the distance with a sniper rifle.

“He said they wanted you out of Bramppath.”

“Oh.” Yeah that sounds more realistic.

“So you need to know that’s what’s at risk here. If we keep seeing each other and we’re caught by the wrong person—”

“I’m not breaking up,” I say fiercely. “I don’t care what they threaten us with.”

Unless it’s a sniper, maybe.

Rose’s face is serious. “Don’t be flippant about that, Danni. It wouldn’t necessarily stop at removing you from the school. They could send your family away. You and your mum, your visas…”

Our visas? I try not to let on how much the thought of that rattles me. “It wouldn’t come to that, surely?”

“No, not surely. They did it to my dad. They deported his girlfriend, when he wasn’t much older than me.”

Okay, well that’s terrifying. And horrifying. But it won’t happen, because we won’t get caught. I’m not letting myself be bullied. Not again. Not anymore.

When Rose sees my look of defiance, she gives a weary kind of nod. She doesn’t look one bit disappointed, though. “Yes, well, that means we’re going to have to hide it completely. No friendship, no contact, as far as anyone but the two of us are concerned. We message each other using different contact names, or burner phones. We see each other once everyone else is asleeponly. And we tell everyone we know we’re staying away from each other. Including Eleanor and Molly. Including Theodore and Sidney.”

“You think it could be one of them?” I ask, aghast.

“I think the stakes are too high to assume anything right now. Until we know more, the only people I trust are standing right here.”

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