The Baby by Lisa Drakeford

not happen very often. Olivia’s timetable means that she often walks in later. It is pleasant to walk in the spring sunshine with Olivia, instead of being alone.
    Olivia frowns and purses her lips. ‘Um … it’s a bit difficult to explain. It kind of happens without you realizing.’
    Alice is doubtful. She cannot imagine having a friend without realizing. She has Sandy and she has her horses. But she is not sure if these count.
    â€˜But how do you get them in the first place?’
    They walk out of the village, past the old farmhouse which gives Alice the spooks. It is old and run-down and nobody lives there any more. She has heard that it is haunted. She speeds up her steps.
    Olivia moves her bag from one shoulder to the other. ‘You kind of spot someone you think you might have something in common with and tell them something about yourself. And then you ask questions about them.’
    Alice nods and tries to imagine doing this. ‘But not about my farm.’
    Olivia stops in her tracks. She gives her a careful look. ‘No. Definitely not about that. That’s the kind of thing you keep to yourself. Other people might think it’s a bit weird.’
    This is true. There are one or two people she has told about her farm and they have all laughed and moved away. She looks up at her sister admiringly. She thinks about the crowd of friends she has, how popular her sister is. The blood rushes to her head to think that she will ever have so many friends. She knows exactly why her sister is popular: she is kind and pretty and a really good listener. She is fun. She fits in. Alice will never fit in. Her heart is heavy with the thought.
    Just one friend would do.
    The school comes into sight. A sprawling campus of new and old buildings with crowds of people coming from all angles to meet at the school gates.
    â€˜So, if I told them my name and how old I am, this might work.’
    Olivia sucks on her bottom lip. ‘Sort of. Um, you need to decide that they’re the right kind of person. And that you’d want them as your friend.’
    Alice nods thoughtfully. It seems very complicated. Much more complicated than her French homework, for instance. She wishes there were a textbook which she could study. One that would take her through the process step by step. She could cross off each instruction like she does with Design Technology.
    They meander through the gates with a throng of buzzing people. It makes Alice dizzy to think that she could make friends with any of these people. There are cries of greeting, hugs and high fives. Some of the people look sleepy and grumpy. Others like they have not seen their friends for ages. Olivia waves to five people. Alice counts. She herself waves to no one.
    They stand at the entrance. Alice spots Ben over by the sixth-form centre. He has his head down and looks sad. She wishes he would lift his head because at least she could wave at him. Then she could be like everybody else. But he does not lift his head. She realizes that he has not been to the house for five days now. Not since the time that she sat on the bathroom floor and listened in on their conversation.
    She nods over to him. ‘There’s Ben,’ she says to her sister.
    Olivia nods glumly and answers, ‘I know.’
    â€˜Isn’t he going to wait for you?’ She is suddenly fearful of her sister’s reply.
    Olivia sounds vague, like she is not really thinking. ‘Probably not.’
    The bell for registration sounds; it hits a breeze and floats away.
    â€˜Aren’t you friends any more?’
    Olivia shrugs her shoulders like she does not care. But something about the set of her mouth makes Alice think that she really does. ‘Um … I think he’s a bit annoyed with me right now.’
    Alice wants to ask questions at this. There are a tumble ofthem on the end of her tongue. She opens her mouth and wonders how to broach any of them.
    But