Faking Sweet by J.C. Burke

soles of my shoes scratching along the concrete.
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    In Religious Studies I sat far away from everyone and nursed my wounds. At least the ones I could reach, which didn’t include the ones that hurt the most, like bruised pride and battered self-esteem. And let’s not forget the fact that in the last half hour my heart had not managed less than 200 beats a minute; let alone the residual damage of having to get over my vertigo complex in ten seconds flat. I was almost certain to end up with some sort of post-traumatic syndrome.
    But there wasn’t time for self-indulgence as over the intercom a voice boomed: ‘Would Jess Flynn and Holly Hankinson please come to the office immediately? Jess Flynn and Holly Hankinson.’
    The class turned and stared. I got up and hobbled out in silence.
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    Two chairs sat on one side of the principal’s desk. Jess was already in one of them.
    â€˜Come in, Holly. Take a seat.’ I hadn’t seen Mrs Rosewald, the principal, since my interview here a month ago. It was the same office but the atmosphere then didn’t have the chill I now detected.
    Mrs Rosewald began with the principal’s stare-in-silence number. That one had to be a universal favourite. Predictably, it was followed by a few clicks of the tongue, shakes of the head, then summed up with a long ‘I’m so disappointed in you’ sigh.
    â€˜I’m so disappointed, girls.’
    Yep, as I thought. Zero for originality.
    â€˜But also I’m curious, very curious as to what you two were doing spending your lunchtime up on the ledge outside the Science lab. That area is strictly out of bounds.’
    I squirmed around in my chair. This was going to be tricky.
    â€˜Please don’t tell me we have another pigeon lover on our hands.’
    I sneaked a glance at Jess. She was twisting her fingers into knots.
    â€˜Please?’ Mrs Rosewald continued. ‘Could someone shed some light on the situation? Jess, seeing as you’ve been a student at St Clementine’s a lot longer than Holly, perhaps you can start us off.’
    We waited for Jess to speak. There was no way I was going to volunteer. I had no idea what my story was going to be, and even less of an idea what Miss Perfect was about to pipe up with.
    â€˜I, I went up there, Mrs Rosewald, because I was worried about Holly, um, sitting up there.’
    So she’d decided to play the heroine.
    â€˜I know it was stupid to climb out the window but I think Holly froze …’
    And I’m going to be painted as the neurotic new girl.
    â€˜I don’t really know what else to say, Mrs Rosewald.’
    â€˜Well, a “sorry” and a guarantee you will never contemplate such an act again would be a good start, Jess,’ said the principal.
    â€˜Yes, Mrs Rosewald.’
    â€˜Now, Holly.’ She managed to squeeze out a ‘you’re new so I still have to be nice to you’ smile. Her teeth sparkled. I wondered if they were real and how much she’d paid for them. Then I realised of course that’s why Mrs Rosewald had gone easy on Jess! She’d obviously received a Flynn orthodontic discount. Everlasting free dental care probably guaranteed Jess the position of head girl too. It certainly scored her a debating award.
    â€˜Holly, dear.’ Rosewald was still smiling. ‘I’d like to know why you were sitting up there. I know it doesn’t seem that high, but one of our students had a terrible accident earlier this year.’
    â€˜Yes, Miss.’
    â€˜Holly, I understand we have a lovely city, and the view of Sydney harbour and the boats is stupendous from up there, but I’m afraid it’s strictly out of bounds. I don’t expect to see you up there again. Understood?’
    Rosewald was about to make me puke. But now wasn’t the time to tell her what a stinking city I thought she really lived in.
    â€˜Yes, Miss,’ I nodded.
    â€˜Now I’m