to see sense,” Kim replied, marching into school ahead of me.
“That reminds me,” said Geena, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “What about our bet?”
“Oh, that's still on,” I said. “This won't make any difference. Kiran is definitely not Rocky's type.”
We followed Kim into school. There was no point in worrying about what Auntie and Auntie-ji would say when I presented them with my musical fait accompli, I decided. My main problem would be checking to see if Rocky kept his word to get to know Kiran.
So, to this end, I made sure I cornered Rocky in the corridor after the first lesson. It meant I had to sprint down two corridors and up two flights of stairs, risking instant detention, but I caught him just as he was about to go into the science lab. He was lounging around outside, chatting a bit too flirtatiously for my liking with Sadia Khan.
“Well?” I asked.
Rocky looked at me blankly. “Well what?”
“Have you made a start?”
Rocky stared at me in utter bewilderment.
“Kiran!” I said through my teeth.
“Give me a break,” Rocky snapped. “She's not in my class. She's not even in my year. How am I supposed to get to know her?”
“You can smile at her in assembly,” I said urgently. “You can make sure you pass her in the corridors between lessons. I'll give you a copy of her timetable. And then there's break times and lunchtimes and after school—”
Rocky threw me a sullen look. “OK, OK. Willya stop hassling me?”
“Just think about that gig at my aunt's wedding reception,” I said. “It could be the start of something big.”
A blissful smile spread across Rocky's face. “Yeah, it'll be the business,” he agreed.
I was learning quickly. A bit of flattery went a long way with Rocky Gill.
And I was more than ever convinced that my plan was the right one. During morning lessons Kiran was very quiet and subdued. Although we weren't fighting anymore, I couldn't say we were getting along any better. Kiran seemed to have folded right in on herself and was quietly drowning in misery. We could help her a bit with coming to terms with her dad's death, I was sure. Rocky would be the key to her settling in at school and making friends.
“Come and hang out with me and Kim,” I offered when the bell for break time rang at the end of history class. I admit that I had an ulterior motive. If I kept
Kiran close beside me, then I would be able to monitor Rocky's progress.
Kiran looked dubious. “I like being on my own,” she muttered.
“It's bad for you,” I argued robustly, very aware of Kim looking disapproving at my side. “Come on. Humor me. I'm going to get into serious trouble with Mr. Arora if I don't keep an eye on you.”
That got a bit of a smile. “Is that supposed to persuade me?” Kiran shot back. “Well—OK.”
“So you're going to put this ridiculous idea of yours into practice then,” Kim said as Kiran went to return her textbook to Mr. Lucas. “If you ask me—”
“Did I ask you?” I cut in. “I don't recall those words ever passing my lips.”
“I think you
mean
well,” Kim replied. “But there's obviously something upsetting Kiran, and Rocky's not at all sensitive. It could be the biggest mistake you've ever made.”
“Oh, zip it,” I retorted sulkily, following Kiran out of the classroom. Whoever would have thought the day would come when
Kim
would be lecturing
me?
Oh, for the good old days when I was in charge …
Once outside, I steered Kiran and Kim over to the wall by the canteen. It was a see-and-be-seen kind of place, so there was no chance that Rocky would miss us. And no chance that I would miss him. I had a secret suspicion that he wouldn't be at all keen to put his side of the deal into practice, and I was determined to make sure that he did.
At first there was no sign of him. Kim and I chatted idly about homework, while Kiran sat there in silence. After a few moments, Jazz joined us.
“Oh, so you're still here,
“That reminds me,” said Geena, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “What about our bet?”
“Oh, that's still on,” I said. “This won't make any difference. Kiran is definitely not Rocky's type.”
We followed Kim into school. There was no point in worrying about what Auntie and Auntie-ji would say when I presented them with my musical fait accompli, I decided. My main problem would be checking to see if Rocky kept his word to get to know Kiran.
So, to this end, I made sure I cornered Rocky in the corridor after the first lesson. It meant I had to sprint down two corridors and up two flights of stairs, risking instant detention, but I caught him just as he was about to go into the science lab. He was lounging around outside, chatting a bit too flirtatiously for my liking with Sadia Khan.
“Well?” I asked.
Rocky looked at me blankly. “Well what?”
“Have you made a start?”
Rocky stared at me in utter bewilderment.
“Kiran!” I said through my teeth.
“Give me a break,” Rocky snapped. “She's not in my class. She's not even in my year. How am I supposed to get to know her?”
“You can smile at her in assembly,” I said urgently. “You can make sure you pass her in the corridors between lessons. I'll give you a copy of her timetable. And then there's break times and lunchtimes and after school—”
Rocky threw me a sullen look. “OK, OK. Willya stop hassling me?”
“Just think about that gig at my aunt's wedding reception,” I said. “It could be the start of something big.”
A blissful smile spread across Rocky's face. “Yeah, it'll be the business,” he agreed.
I was learning quickly. A bit of flattery went a long way with Rocky Gill.
And I was more than ever convinced that my plan was the right one. During morning lessons Kiran was very quiet and subdued. Although we weren't fighting anymore, I couldn't say we were getting along any better. Kiran seemed to have folded right in on herself and was quietly drowning in misery. We could help her a bit with coming to terms with her dad's death, I was sure. Rocky would be the key to her settling in at school and making friends.
“Come and hang out with me and Kim,” I offered when the bell for break time rang at the end of history class. I admit that I had an ulterior motive. If I kept
Kiran close beside me, then I would be able to monitor Rocky's progress.
Kiran looked dubious. “I like being on my own,” she muttered.
“It's bad for you,” I argued robustly, very aware of Kim looking disapproving at my side. “Come on. Humor me. I'm going to get into serious trouble with Mr. Arora if I don't keep an eye on you.”
That got a bit of a smile. “Is that supposed to persuade me?” Kiran shot back. “Well—OK.”
“So you're going to put this ridiculous idea of yours into practice then,” Kim said as Kiran went to return her textbook to Mr. Lucas. “If you ask me—”
“Did I ask you?” I cut in. “I don't recall those words ever passing my lips.”
“I think you
mean
well,” Kim replied. “But there's obviously something upsetting Kiran, and Rocky's not at all sensitive. It could be the biggest mistake you've ever made.”
“Oh, zip it,” I retorted sulkily, following Kiran out of the classroom. Whoever would have thought the day would come when
Kim
would be lecturing
me?
Oh, for the good old days when I was in charge …
Once outside, I steered Kiran and Kim over to the wall by the canteen. It was a see-and-be-seen kind of place, so there was no chance that Rocky would miss us. And no chance that I would miss him. I had a secret suspicion that he wouldn't be at all keen to put his side of the deal into practice, and I was determined to make sure that he did.
At first there was no sign of him. Kim and I chatted idly about homework, while Kiran sat there in silence. After a few moments, Jazz joined us.
“Oh, so you're still here,
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