Casting Shadows by Sophie McKenzie

me. ‘See you later, yeah?’
    I nodded. He disappeared out the door. A moment later Mrs McCudden directed me, Leo and the other lower sixth students present to the hall. The whole year was here. After a short talk from the
head, we were divided into four tutor groups. I was very relieved that Leo and I were in the same one. I gave Leo – who still looked very nervous – a reassuring smile as our tutor
introduced herself as Ms Ransome from New Zealand. She seemed really nice – young and friendly – and wore a tight angora jumper that I couldn’t have imagined on any of my old
teachers at Langton. I liked her immediately Leo, I noticed, didn’t appear able to meet her eyes.
    After Ms Ransome had checked us all against a register, she led us down the corridor to our tutor room. Having a surname beginning with A’ meant, as usual, I was at the head of the
line.
    ‘So you live on the commune?’ Ms Ransome asked, as we walked along. ‘I’ve heard about it but I’ve never met anyone who lived there before.’
    I started in on a repeat of the conversation I’d had earlier with Mrs McCudden. As we went inside our tutor room, Leo caught up with me and whispered, ‘D’you think
anyone’s going to talk to us about anything other than living on a commune?’
    His face was even paler than usual, his eyes still sick with fear, but at least he was smiling.
    I grinned back. ‘It’s not that bad,’ I said. ‘Don’t sweat it, we’ve got each other, remember.’
    Leo nodded gratefully, as Ms Ransome asked us to sit. The tutor room wasn’t anything like the old-fashioned classrooms at Langton. A row of lockers stood along one wall, with shelves
opposite and a horseshoe arrangement of tables and chairs in between. Leo and I sat together, as Ms Ransome explained that the college was closely linked to the local comprehensive, which meant all
but a handful of lower sixth students had come from the same school. I gulped when I heard this. I’d kind of assumed that everyone in our year would be strangers but it was already obvious
most of the other students knew each other well.
    ‘You’ll use this tutor room for general studies and free periods,’ Ms Ransome went on. ‘And now I’m going to ask everyone to introduce themselves. Just a name will
do at this stage.’
    I felt nervous but when it came to my turn to say my name no one looked at me oddly. In fact, as I gazed around the room, I felt more confident than I had all morning. The tutor group was about
twenty strong, half-half boys and girls. The girls were watching me, mostly with open, fairly friendly expressions on their faces. This was encouraging and I forced my mouth into a hint of a smile.
The boys seemed to be giving their attention equally to me and Ms Ransome’s chest. All except Leo, who spent the entire session staring at his shoes.
    Ms Ransome gave out maps and timetables, then we headed off for our first lessons and the rest of the morning passed in a blur. I went to meet Flynn in the cafeteria at lunchtime. The college
let you come and go as you pleased outside lesson times but Dad had given us tokens to buy a meal from the canteen on our first day. For the future, Flynn and I planned to go out as much as
possible and bring our own food to eat in the local park.
    The cafeteria was heaving when Leo and I walked in. I looked around, trying to make Flynn out. And then he was there, beside me, pulling me into a kiss.
    I pushed him away, blushing.
    ‘Missed ya,’ he grinned.
    I rolled my eyes, then noticed a small cut on his lip that hadn’t been there this morning. ‘What happened?’ I stared at him. Surely even Flynn couldn’t have got into a
fight in just one morning?
    Flynn’s grin deepened. ‘Just a bit of pushing and shoving. There’re a couple of jerks in my class who think somebody new starting is an opportunity for them to assert their
inner idiot.’ He glanced at Leo, acknowledging his presence for the first time. ‘Same