goes back through our bathroom to her own bedroom and returns with a similar skirt, just a little faded and threadbare. ‘Lucky I’ve still got this one. It’s the one I wore on my first day of high school.’
I fling my skirt onto my bed and step into Felicity’s. It fits around my waist and hips, but the length is wrong.
‘What happened to the rest of it?’ I say, staring at my knees in the mirror.
Felicity steps back. ‘It’s a good length,’ she says. ‘Just remember to sit with your legs together.’
I dry my hair with a towel and comb it. It’s grown and gone sun-bleached. I like it. I decide not to pull it back into its usual ponytail, but the front bits hang down and I get toothpaste in my hair. I rummage through the drawers until I find a pair of scissors. Snip, snip, snip. I cut a long, blunt fringe across my forehead.
‘Are you ready, Paige?’ my sister calls out.
I stare at the girl in the mirror. ‘Ready,’ I call out.
* *
I’ve arranged to meet Jed, Rochelle and Elfi in the cockroach hole. It’s a place we discovered at Orientation at the end of last year. It’s a stairwell at the far end of the Science block whose balcony above looks out over the first-year students’ playground. It’s dark and gloomy and no one ever goes there, except the cockroaches we saw scuttling behind the garbage bins. It’s the perfect place to hide and look out at the world. At the moment, that is just what I need.
But Felicity and I are late. The bell rings as we enter the gates. Mr Dekker, the school principal, frowns at us. ‘The Seniors’ Room for you, Felicity, and the assembly hall for your sister.’
I’m amazed. No teacher has ever guessed we were sisters before.
‘Jeez,’ Felicity whispers behind her hand. ‘Even spending summer at juvie was better than this.’ She saunters off.
I chew my bottom lip and gaze around. I can’t remember where the assembly hall is. I walk down the path, down the stairs, along the corridor and outside again to a large yellow dome squatting in the centre of the playground. It looks like a giant beehive. Kids push and jostle and buzz through the side doors. The building hums. This must be the assembly hall.
But as I reach the doors, the dome is suddenly quiet. It is as though a beekeeper has doused the hive with smoke. I step through the doors and, as they close behind me, I am struck by how dark it is inside. I lick the sweat off my top lip and blow my new fringe up off my face while I wait for my eyes to adjust to the gloom.
Dust motes dance on the beams of sunlight streaming through the small windows in the doors behind me. I blink the spots from my eyes and scan the crowd for my friends. A hundred and twenty faces stare over at me. I search for Elfi, Rochelle and Jed beckoning me over to a saved spot in the throng.
Someone blows into a microphone. I look up at the stage beside me. A female teacher is standing there, looking cross. I remain glued to the worn timber floorboards as I search for a familiar face.
‘Sit down in your allotted group, please,’ the teacher says.
My allotted group? I’m too nervous to remember being allocated to a group.
‘Hurry up,’ the teacher says. I take a step forward, but my vision is still blurry like I’m underwater.
‘What is your name?’ the teacher demands.
‘Paige,’ I say. My voice is hoarse.
‘Payne?’ she says, scanning the lists in front of her.
‘Paige,’ I repeat.
‘Speak up,’ the teacher says. ‘Let us know who you are.’
‘My name’s Paige,’I say loudly. I remember Shelly’s silly joke. ‘As in Read It and Weep,’ I add lamely.
A few kids gasp, and some others titter.
I cringe on the inside. Did I really say that?
‘Paige … Winfrey,’ the teacher declares, turning to the final page in her stack. ‘You’re in Group B.’ She points to the back of the hall.
I begin to scurry in that direction.
‘And I’ll see you in my office at lunchtime,’ the teacher adds.
*
I fling my skirt onto my bed and step into Felicity’s. It fits around my waist and hips, but the length is wrong.
‘What happened to the rest of it?’ I say, staring at my knees in the mirror.
Felicity steps back. ‘It’s a good length,’ she says. ‘Just remember to sit with your legs together.’
I dry my hair with a towel and comb it. It’s grown and gone sun-bleached. I like it. I decide not to pull it back into its usual ponytail, but the front bits hang down and I get toothpaste in my hair. I rummage through the drawers until I find a pair of scissors. Snip, snip, snip. I cut a long, blunt fringe across my forehead.
‘Are you ready, Paige?’ my sister calls out.
I stare at the girl in the mirror. ‘Ready,’ I call out.
* *
I’ve arranged to meet Jed, Rochelle and Elfi in the cockroach hole. It’s a place we discovered at Orientation at the end of last year. It’s a stairwell at the far end of the Science block whose balcony above looks out over the first-year students’ playground. It’s dark and gloomy and no one ever goes there, except the cockroaches we saw scuttling behind the garbage bins. It’s the perfect place to hide and look out at the world. At the moment, that is just what I need.
But Felicity and I are late. The bell rings as we enter the gates. Mr Dekker, the school principal, frowns at us. ‘The Seniors’ Room for you, Felicity, and the assembly hall for your sister.’
I’m amazed. No teacher has ever guessed we were sisters before.
‘Jeez,’ Felicity whispers behind her hand. ‘Even spending summer at juvie was better than this.’ She saunters off.
I chew my bottom lip and gaze around. I can’t remember where the assembly hall is. I walk down the path, down the stairs, along the corridor and outside again to a large yellow dome squatting in the centre of the playground. It looks like a giant beehive. Kids push and jostle and buzz through the side doors. The building hums. This must be the assembly hall.
But as I reach the doors, the dome is suddenly quiet. It is as though a beekeeper has doused the hive with smoke. I step through the doors and, as they close behind me, I am struck by how dark it is inside. I lick the sweat off my top lip and blow my new fringe up off my face while I wait for my eyes to adjust to the gloom.
Dust motes dance on the beams of sunlight streaming through the small windows in the doors behind me. I blink the spots from my eyes and scan the crowd for my friends. A hundred and twenty faces stare over at me. I search for Elfi, Rochelle and Jed beckoning me over to a saved spot in the throng.
Someone blows into a microphone. I look up at the stage beside me. A female teacher is standing there, looking cross. I remain glued to the worn timber floorboards as I search for a familiar face.
‘Sit down in your allotted group, please,’ the teacher says.
My allotted group? I’m too nervous to remember being allocated to a group.
‘Hurry up,’ the teacher says. I take a step forward, but my vision is still blurry like I’m underwater.
‘What is your name?’ the teacher demands.
‘Paige,’ I say. My voice is hoarse.
‘Payne?’ she says, scanning the lists in front of her.
‘Paige,’ I repeat.
‘Speak up,’ the teacher says. ‘Let us know who you are.’
‘My name’s Paige,’I say loudly. I remember Shelly’s silly joke. ‘As in Read It and Weep,’ I add lamely.
A few kids gasp, and some others titter.
I cringe on the inside. Did I really say that?
‘Paige … Winfrey,’ the teacher declares, turning to the final page in her stack. ‘You’re in Group B.’ She points to the back of the hall.
I begin to scurry in that direction.
‘And I’ll see you in my office at lunchtime,’ the teacher adds.
*
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