she’d made to Amanda. Because she wasn’t ‘telling’ the secret – she was only thinking it.
Silently, Tracey recalled the story Amanda had told her about Mr Jackson. She’s telling the truth, Jenna, I’m sure of it. And it all makes sense, when you think about it. The spy is reporting to Mr Jackson. That’s how he found out about our gifts.
‘So it was Jackson who put the knife in my locker?’
I think so.
‘But who’s the spy?’ Jenna asked. ‘Who’s telling Jackson about us?’ Realizing she was talking out loud, she clapped a hand over her mouth but it was too late. People turned to look at her. And one guy, with a bad complexion and a ponytail, sauntered over to her.
‘Talking to yourself, Jenna?’ he asked unpleasantly.
Jenna glared at him. ‘Does that get me another demerit?’
‘No,’ the guy said. ‘Just a report to Doctor Paley.’
Can we go someplace private? Tracey asked.
Jenna rose, and picked up her tray. Tracey followed her as she left the tray by the bins, and went out of the dining hall.
‘We’re going to my room,’ Jenna murmured as they walked.
But they weren’t going to get any privacy there. A girl was lying on one of the twin beds, and smoking a cigarette.
Jenna spoke. ‘Get out of here with that cigarette or I’ll ram it down your throat.’
The girl smirked. ‘Is that a threat?’
‘No,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s a promise.’
Tracey was impressed. She knew Jenna could act tough, but she’d never heard her sound quite so scary.
The girl got the message. Once she was out of the room, Jenna threw herself on the other twin bed. ‘That threat’s going to get me another demerit. Which will probably mean another day of no visitors.’
Is that why they’ve been telling us you can’t have visitors? Because you’ve got demerits?
Jenna nodded. ‘Only I didn’t earn them.’
Tracey was shocked to hear the story about the assistant who was blackmailing residents. Can’t you tell someone about him?
‘He’ll only deny it. And how am I going to explain why I know about all the other kids he’s using?’
But this has to stop! He’ll keep making up stories about you, you’ll get more demerits, and, and . . .
Jenna finished the thought for her. ‘And I’ll never get out of here.’
Just as she’d never heard Jenna sound as fierce as she had moments earlier, she’d never heard her sound so flat and resigned. She preferred the fierce Jenna. Maybe now Jenna needed Tracey as a friend even more than Tracey needed Jenna.
That’s not going to happen. I’ll get the proof we need, I’ll get you out of here. I promise, Jenna.
There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. A young woman poked her head in.
‘It’s time for your group session, Jenna.’
Jenna groaned. ‘Can’t I skip it today?’
‘Sure,’ the woman said, ‘if you don’t mind getting another demerit. Oh, and Doctor Paley wants to see you tomorrow.’
‘I just saw him this morning!’ Jenna exclaimed.
The woman shrugged. ‘Well, he wants to see you again tomorrow.’
‘Boy, Peter works fast,’ Jenna murmured.
The woman’s brow furrowed. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Nothing.’ Jenna got up and went to the door. Tracey followed her.
You want me to stick around?
Jenna shook her head. The woman looked at her curiously. ‘Are you all right, Jenna?’
Jenna almost smiled. ‘No. But I will be.’
Yes, Tracey thought fervently. Yes, you will, Jenna.
Outside Harmony House, she went to wait at the bus stop. Looking back at the building, she had the same thought she’d had when she arrived.
No, it didn’t look like a prison. But a place didn’t have to look like a prison to be a prison. A prison didn’t even have to be a place. A secret was like a prison – it could keep a person trapped in the same way. Jenna, Tracey, Emily . . . all of Madame’s students were imprisoned by their secret gifts.
Somehow, Tracey was going to get Jenna out of Harmony House. She’d find
Silently, Tracey recalled the story Amanda had told her about Mr Jackson. She’s telling the truth, Jenna, I’m sure of it. And it all makes sense, when you think about it. The spy is reporting to Mr Jackson. That’s how he found out about our gifts.
‘So it was Jackson who put the knife in my locker?’
I think so.
‘But who’s the spy?’ Jenna asked. ‘Who’s telling Jackson about us?’ Realizing she was talking out loud, she clapped a hand over her mouth but it was too late. People turned to look at her. And one guy, with a bad complexion and a ponytail, sauntered over to her.
‘Talking to yourself, Jenna?’ he asked unpleasantly.
Jenna glared at him. ‘Does that get me another demerit?’
‘No,’ the guy said. ‘Just a report to Doctor Paley.’
Can we go someplace private? Tracey asked.
Jenna rose, and picked up her tray. Tracey followed her as she left the tray by the bins, and went out of the dining hall.
‘We’re going to my room,’ Jenna murmured as they walked.
But they weren’t going to get any privacy there. A girl was lying on one of the twin beds, and smoking a cigarette.
Jenna spoke. ‘Get out of here with that cigarette or I’ll ram it down your throat.’
The girl smirked. ‘Is that a threat?’
‘No,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s a promise.’
Tracey was impressed. She knew Jenna could act tough, but she’d never heard her sound quite so scary.
The girl got the message. Once she was out of the room, Jenna threw herself on the other twin bed. ‘That threat’s going to get me another demerit. Which will probably mean another day of no visitors.’
Is that why they’ve been telling us you can’t have visitors? Because you’ve got demerits?
Jenna nodded. ‘Only I didn’t earn them.’
Tracey was shocked to hear the story about the assistant who was blackmailing residents. Can’t you tell someone about him?
‘He’ll only deny it. And how am I going to explain why I know about all the other kids he’s using?’
But this has to stop! He’ll keep making up stories about you, you’ll get more demerits, and, and . . .
Jenna finished the thought for her. ‘And I’ll never get out of here.’
Just as she’d never heard Jenna sound as fierce as she had moments earlier, she’d never heard her sound so flat and resigned. She preferred the fierce Jenna. Maybe now Jenna needed Tracey as a friend even more than Tracey needed Jenna.
That’s not going to happen. I’ll get the proof we need, I’ll get you out of here. I promise, Jenna.
There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. A young woman poked her head in.
‘It’s time for your group session, Jenna.’
Jenna groaned. ‘Can’t I skip it today?’
‘Sure,’ the woman said, ‘if you don’t mind getting another demerit. Oh, and Doctor Paley wants to see you tomorrow.’
‘I just saw him this morning!’ Jenna exclaimed.
The woman shrugged. ‘Well, he wants to see you again tomorrow.’
‘Boy, Peter works fast,’ Jenna murmured.
The woman’s brow furrowed. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Nothing.’ Jenna got up and went to the door. Tracey followed her.
You want me to stick around?
Jenna shook her head. The woman looked at her curiously. ‘Are you all right, Jenna?’
Jenna almost smiled. ‘No. But I will be.’
Yes, Tracey thought fervently. Yes, you will, Jenna.
Outside Harmony House, she went to wait at the bus stop. Looking back at the building, she had the same thought she’d had when she arrived.
No, it didn’t look like a prison. But a place didn’t have to look like a prison to be a prison. A prison didn’t even have to be a place. A secret was like a prison – it could keep a person trapped in the same way. Jenna, Tracey, Emily . . . all of Madame’s students were imprisoned by their secret gifts.
Somehow, Tracey was going to get Jenna out of Harmony House. She’d find
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