Synopsis:

Christmas is rapidly approaching, but it isn't happy times in the Barnes house. How will the school react to Jessica's and Wendy's Dad's car crash?

Story:

A New Style of Education

by Karen Page

Part 34

In total silence, Helen and I followed Stacy into the main part of the school. I still found it eerie, wandering down a dimly lit corridor. Stacy suddenly stopped and signalled Helen and I to retreat slightly into the shadows. The corridor lights to certain parts of the school were dimmed during the night, as they were generally not needed. They weren't switched off totally, to make any potential evacuation during the night safer.

"Hi Stacy," came a male voice. "Checking up on the decorations in the theatre?"

"Oh, hi Ryan. I'm just making sure all was okay, just in case we have a film later in the week. We wouldn't want a repeat of mistletoe hanging down in front of the projector again."

Ryan gave a loud laugh as he obviously remembered whatever Stacy was referring. "No wonder Brenda has been given other duties the last few years; though she certainly corrupted Monica this year."

"Don't worry; it won't go without me mentioning it. Damn, I think I missed a light. See you later."

"I'm off to bed, see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well." Stacy turned round towards us.

After a minute, Stacy beckoned us to continue and we made it safely to Mr Hobson's office. He was waiting for us and ushered us to the settee.

"Sorry for interrupting you all," started Mr Hobson, stopping when there was a knock on the door.

"Do you recognise that one?" Mr Hobson asked, glancing at me.

"Julia," I replied confidently.

"Come in Julia," Mr Hobson almost shouted, showing great faith in my abilities.

"Er, you asked me to get here quickly," puffed Julia, glancing at the three of us. "Would it be best that I wait outside?"

"No, this concerns you. After we have finished, I want you to go and see Dr Ruiz."

Julia just nodded as she took one of the single seat chairs. Obviously, something that was going to be upsetting to Julia was going to be discussed. Julia realised that, as she sat rather stiffly, bracing herself for the worst.

"At just before ten past ten this evening, there was a car crash involving Mr Barnes, Wendy and Jessica's father. We got a phone call, which I have verified to be true, on the emergency contact number about fifteen minutes ago from Mrs Barnes. Mr Barnes is in Cumberland Infirmary and he is unlikely to live. I've asked for Dr Dine to come in and she will be here in about twenty minutes."

I couldn't imagine how this fitted in with Julia. It didn't seem that Helen could either, as she looked as puzzled as I felt. Stacy on the other hand hid her puzzlement quite well, but her finely shaped eyebrows appeared slightly flatter as if she was trying to work out the connection.

"The same MO?" queried Julia, her voice sounding very peculiar. Julia obviously understood the connection.

"Close enough to be an almost duplicate. It seems Mr Barnes was lucky that it didn't cause a crash with any other vehicle."

"They must be stopped," muttered Julia, shaking with a mixture of rage and upset.

"Oh they will be stopped, you can be certain of that. I thought it was best you heard it from me, rather than on the grapevine in the morning," said Mr Hobson, putting his hand over Julia's hand. "I'm also going to have to explain all this to Stacy, Helen, and Jayne."

"I know," said Julia, obviously finding hard to keep her tears in check.

"Ms Toms, why don't I take you to see Rachel?" I offered, standing up.

"I'll be along to sit with you in about an hour," said Mr Hobson, opening the door.

There was no need for me to accompany Julia any further than Mr Hobson's door, as Rachel was already waiting there. Rachel gave me a small smile of thanks and put her arm round Julia to offer her physical and mental support during their journey to her office.

When the door to Mr Hobson's office was closed and I was seated, Mr Hobson continued, "After we've had this small meeting, Tim and Dr Dine will be joining us to discuss what has happened and plan on giving Wendy and Jessica the support that they will need. Before that, I need to discuss items related to the crash that killed Jill's mother. Do you all know about it?"

Helen and I nodded our heads, having heard the story twice. Stacy however wasn't aware of the facts.

"I won't give you the whole story about how Bill became Jill, which isn't important at the moment," said Mr Hobson. "However, Jill's sister, Beth, and mother were in their car when it was hit by another car. The driver of the car that hit them was above the legal alcohol limit. Jill's mother died and Beth was seriously injured, and for a short period was in a coma."

"Besides both being car accidents, what has this to do with the Mr Barnes?" Helen enquired.

"When Julia joined the school, the IT systems were good, but they weren't exceptional. She started upgrading the security and closed numerous loopholes. She received a note that if she continued at the school, there would be repercussions. She was stabbed, which we don't think was to do with that note and then there was the accident. So not to worry her, Jill was never told that there was a third car involved, which actually forced the other car into Mrs Toms. Beth still hasn't regained her memory of the accident."

"Did they mean to kill?" I asked shocked.

"I don't know. Since the driver of the other car was drunk, it probably added a degree of uncertainty into it all. Tonight, a car forced Mr Barnes off the road in a very similar manner. It seems that they don't want Jessica and Wendy helping with the Russian language issues and the trip."

Stacy, who had been very quiet, suddenly spoke up, "That is just conjecture. You have no proof."

"True," agreed Mr Hobson. "I only can go off a hunch and a nasty feeling about it all. For months now little things have happened, like the leak in France, and the leak to MI6. No, somebody is trying to disrupt our trip to Russia. Till we get proof that it isn't linked, I have to assume the worst."

"So what happens to Jessica and Wendy?" I asked.

"Something very risky," shuddered Stacy. "If their Dad is dying, then they have to go home for a small break. It wouldn't be fair on them not to."

"But isn't that a risk to the school?" Helen thought aloud.

"Oh yes, but what else can we do?" said Mr Hobson. "If they went home in male mode it might help, but that would be very hard on both children. This is something that we need to discuss in a minute, first with Dr Dine and Tim, then with Jessica and Wendy. Just remember that the leak, and information about Julia, must stay secret."

Mr Hobson got three 'we aren't stupid' looks, which he just laughed away. Mr Hobson was often very formal, but when you sat with him privately, he was almost approachable. It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door and Mr Hobson let in Tim, the year three leader.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep," apologised Mr Hobson, steering him towards the settee.

"Since Helen and Jayne are here, is this something to do with Wendy and Jessica?" said Tim, stifling a yawn.

Before Mr Hobson could answer, there was another knock and Dr Tracy Dine joined us in the room.

"Sorry for disturbing you all, but a situation has developed which I need to discuss with all of you. Tonight, we received a telephone call from Mrs Barnes on the school emergency number. Mr Barnes has been involved in a road traffic accident and is seriously ill, possibly terminal, in hospital. I want your thoughts on how Wendy and Jessica will react to being told the news and a protocol for them going home to be with their family."

"Going home for good?" Helen asked.

"No, just till they are ready to return to school."

"Wendy will be very upset," said Tim. "She was very close to both her parents before coming here."

"Jessica won't be as upset, unless she opens the letter her Dad sent her a few months ago. If she does then she will be absolutely distraught," I added.

"How do you know what's in the letter?" asked Tim.

"Because we overheard Mr and Mrs Barnes talking about it while we were at Disney. We sat next to them during the parade. Basically, in the letter he is apologising for the way he didn't support him, and asks for forgiveness."

The ringing of Mr Hobson's PDA interrupted our discussion. He wasn't on it for long and mostly just said 'yes' and 'okay'.

"Well that was information from the hospital. Mr Barnes is still in theatre and the surgeons are battling to save his life. The chances of him surviving such injuries are very remote and it would be best if we tell Wendy and Jessica as soon as possible. The last question to you both, do you think it is mentally possible for them to go as male?"

Tracy didn't hesitate in saying, "Wendy is happier being female, but she is used to presenting as male when needed, without issue. As long as she knows she will be back female, then she should be okay. Jessica is a different matter. She has only been dressed as male once since her attempted suicide, and that was at the mix-up Monday the other day. How Jessica will take it is very difficult to tell. It was very hard to get her to try to be Richard again, even though she knew it was just for the day. I'm not sure how well she will take being Richard if it is for several days."

"Would Jessica be well enough to go home if she went as Jessica?" asked Mr Hobson. "Would it be better if she read the letter first?"

"The letter could be raised by Mrs Barnes and might become a big issue while home," surmised Tracy. "It might be better if the letter was read here and then could be dealt with in a safe environment."

"Is there time for that?" I queried. "If her Dad is seriously ill in hospital, possibly dying, is there time for the letter issue to be sorted?"

There were many sighs and looks of concern on most of the faces present. Having a student in an uncontrolled situation was not something that anybody involved with the school wanted.

"Has anybody else got any comments before I come to a decision?" asked Mr Hobson.

When nobody spoke, Mr Hobson continued, "After we finish this meeting, the relevant year heads will go and wake the affected student and partner to break the news. Tim, you probably will find you need some special help from Andrew. If Jessica still hasn't read the letter, then don't mention it. A small suitcase for them and their study partner will be put together and then they should be off to Carlisle. Tracy, when you arrive at their parent's house, please inform Mrs Barnes that the letter has not been read, and it might be best for it not to be mentioned."

"What gender do they go as?" Helen asked.

"That is up to them. They are the ones who know how they feel and how they will be able to cope. Whatever choices they make, I will agree with. If either chose female, we will deal with it. I'm not going to allow a student to be potentially suicidal because it would be inconvenient to the rest of the school. There will be a vehicle waiting outside in an hour. Now snap to it."

As we filed out, Stacy told us, "I'm here for the year heads if they need to unburden themselves. I'm sure the next week isn't going to be easy."

As we approached the bedrooms, Helen asked, "Are they in the same room as each other?"

I thought about checking the computer system, and considered if it would be appropriate to bypass the security system to check. I quickly decided it wouldn't, as Tim and Andrea, sorry Andrew, didn't have that luxury.

"There is enough going on without me having to write a report to Julia," I answered. "Why don't I knock on Jessica's door, and you knock on Sam's. We enter after a few seconds and if they aren't there go through the adjoining door."

Helen scurried off to Sam's door and on her nod, we both knocked. There was no answer so I entered after a few seconds. The room was dark, so I pressed a switch, which I knew turned on a small lamp by the bedroom settees. It was helpful that all the rooms were set up the same. The bed was empty, so I quickly made my way to the interconnecting door. I was just about to open the door when it flew open and hit me in my face.

"Be careful," I snapped, rubbing my face.

"Sorry," said Jessica, rushing to her wardrobe for a dressing gown.

"How much has Helen said?" I asked.

"Nothing yet. As soon as she came in, I ran in here," she said, embarrassed to be seen in nightwear.

I entered Sam's room and found Sam still hidden under the duvet.

"Look, why don't Jayne and I come back in few minutes," Helen said.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" asked Jessica, coming back into Sam's room.

"We need to discuss something urgent with you both. Since Sam seems to be very embarrassed, we will go into Jessica's room. When Sam is ready, give us a shout and we can discuss what we need to."

"How is your face?" Helen asked, as we closed the interconnecting door behind us.

"Sore," I said, giving it another rub. "My nose hurts the worst."

I noticed an unopened letter on the side and went to examine it. It was stamped Carlisle and dated just after our trip to France. I grabbed it and put it in one of my jeans pocket. I was so glad I'd not worn a skirt as Helen had wanted me to.

"It looks a bit red. I think you should go see the nurse to make sure nothing is broken."

"In the morning," I sighed. "After all this is finished, I think all I'll want to do is go to sleep. Anyway, the nurse will be fast asleep, and I don't want to wake her for something not life threatening."

"There is always at least one nurse on duty in the school hospital," retorted Helen.

I didn't have chance to say anything because there was a knock on the door. "I'll open it," Helen called out to stop Jessica opening the door, as she didn't want a sore face too.

"How's your face?" asked Jessica as we walked back into Sam's room. Sam now had a dressing gown on and looked a lot less embarrassed.

"I'll survive. Why don't you two settle down on the settee, and Helen and I will perch on the end of the bed?"

"What's going on?" asked Sam, sitting down with Jessica.

"Mrs Barnes has rung the emergency number because Mr Barnes is very ill after being involved in a car crash," I started.

"Will he be okay?" asked Sam. Jessica was too shocked to say anything.

"The doctors are doing all they can," said Helen. "However, Mr Hobson thought that it would be a good idea for Jessica to go, and you Sam, to go along as comfort."

"I don't want to go," Jessica spoke for the first time since the revelation.

I glanced at Helen who also looked shocked. Her Dad was in hospital, seriously ill and she didn't want to go?

"Why should I go?" continued Jessica, as she saw our surprised faces through her teary eyes. "My Dad always treated me like shit. Here, I'm away from all that, and now you want me to go back for good!"

"Jessica," I started. I thought this needed to be done with a more personal touch. I went across and knelt in front of her. "Your Dad is so ill he could die. If you don't see him now, you might never have the chance to sort things out. My mother is still riddled with guilt because she feels she didn't help her brother enough and that was seventeen years ago. I don't want that same guilt eating you up."

We stayed there for what appeared to be ages, though was probably about a minute. Sam's arms were wrapped around Jessica. Nobody spoke as only Jessica could make the decision.

"How long will we be gone?". I breathed a sigh of relief. I was tempted to get Jessica to read the letter, but thought now wasn't the time. She might refuse and again rebel against going, or if she did read it, be hours before she was able to travel. If Mr Barnes was as ill as Mr Hobson had implied, then Jessica and Wendy needed to get there as quick as possible.

"As long as you need to," said Helen joining me. "Tim has gone to tell Wendy. Tracy will be going with you. The car will be out front in about forty minutes."

"How should we go?" asked Jessica, trying not to cry.

"Sorry?"

"Should I go as Richard?" she almost shouted in frustration.

"Oh, that is up to you. It is the first time that someone has ever rung the emergency number, so everything is up in the air. What is most important is being there for your Dad. The school will deal with any repercussions. It might be best if Sam goes as the same gender you do, so you can share the same room. Sleeping bags will be provided. Why don't we go to Jessica's room while you discuss it between yourselves? We need to inform people, so plans can be put into place."

"I'll be okay to go as a girl or boy," said Sam.

Jessica took a deep breath and bit her upper lip. "I'll go as Richard."

"Are you sure?" I asked, surprised at the choice Jessica had chosen.

"Yes. Mum will be in enough of a shock without me turning up as Jessica."

"Okay, I will inform everyone. Do you need your hair sorted? Stacy and Brenda are still awake and either of them could do it."

"Do you think they could make it look more masculine without taking too much off the length?"

"I'll have a word with them," I said, rising. "Sam, as per before, can you keep a close eye on Jessica?"

"I didn't plan to leave Jessica's side," smiled Sam, "but it's nice you had the same thought."

"I'm not planning on committing suicide," complained Jessica.

"You probably aren't, but this is all very stressful and we just want to make sure you're fine. I'll let you know who will sort out your hair. We'll see you in the entrance."

We left the room and paused outside to send the required messages. I sent Stacy a message, asking about Jessica's hair. She quickly responded that it would be dealt with. Helen sent one to Mr Hobson, informing him that Richard would be going.

As we made our way out of the sleeping area, we met Kevin and Stuart (Susan), coming towards us. "Isn't it past your curfew? Is there a problem?" asked Stuart, full of concern.

This was one of the things I loved about this school. The students cared about each other. Stuart wasn't telling me off for being out after curfew, but worried about what might be wrong.

"Hi, yes there is an issue, but it's being dealt with. I'm sure it will be announced at breakfast, but Jessica and Wendy's Dad has been involved in a car crash and Tracy is going to take them home for a few days. Jessica has opted to go home in male mode, so not to cause issues. I presume Wendy will do the same."

"We'll keep it quiet," said Stuart. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I think everything is sorted now, but thanks for asking," smiled Helen, pleased they had asked.

"No it isn't," I suddenly blurted, remembering something I'd forgotten. "I need to sort out the travel PDA's."

"Well you know how to find us if you need to," said Kevin, before moving off towards their bedroom.

The travel PDA's were stored in Julia's office. I tried the door, but found it was locked. A quick look at my PDA and I saw that Julia was with Rachel, and Mr Hobson was with them. I didn't want to disturb them.

"Sorry, but it isn't a traditional key system, and not something I've come across," apologised Helen.

"No, it doesn't appear to be linked to the main computer systems, either. There is one person who could get us in there, but I dread to ask."

"Who?"

"Matilda," I whispered, almost afraid to mention her name. "She seemed to pass through security areas as if they didn't exist, so actually giving permission to bypass a security system might result in serious repercussions."

"It wouldn't be right to disturb Julia's discussion with Rachel," Helen said, putting her arm round mine. "Do what you feel is right. I'll support you."

I picked up my PDA to make the call, hoping Matilda wouldn't be too upset, and wouldn't tell anybody. However, just before I hit the call button, a message arrived.

"Don't worry about the travel PDA's; five were given to Tracy for you to issue. Also, don't get upset if suitcases appear in your room and Helen's. I still think there may be trouble and I might need your observant eye."

I showed the message to Helen who seemed to smile with relief. She didn't like the idea of us getting into trouble. Once again, we seemed to have slipped from trouble's evil grasp. I wonder if there was a sensor on Julia's door and that was why we got the message.

When we got to the entrance hall, Tracy was waiting with the travel PDA's. "You didn't force Jessica to go as male, did you?" she instantly enquired.

"Of course not," Helen said indignantly. "Jessica made up her own mind."

"That should make life easier. Wendy is also going as male."

It didn't seem long before four sombre children were climbing into the car. Their normal PDA's had been left in their rooms, as I had signed them onto their travel versions. Tim and Andrew stood with us as we said goodbye.

"If you need anything, just ask." Mr Hobson's voice made me jump. I'd thought he was still with Rachel and Julia, and hadn't heard him approach.

"Yes, sir," came the muted response.

The car disappeared down the drive, and all of a sudden, I felt the chill of the freezing winter night air.

"Off to bed," ordered Mr Hobson, gently steering us back inside. "I think you all have handled the situation very well. Tomorrow is going to be hard for the year leaders, so get as much sleep as you can. I will tell Stuart and Ingrid first thing in the morning, so they can be prepared."

I've never been so glad to see my own bed. It wasn't until Tracy had set off with her four male students that I started to feel tired. I've no idea how it suddenly changed, but one minute I was alert and logging people into their travel PDA and seeing them off, and then it was like a cloud of fog descended onto my brain. Neither of us undressed, but fell asleep on top of my bed.

Our PDA's, always the most trusty of school-supplied equipment, did their duty, and woke us up far too early for my liking. This morning of all mornings, when all I wanted was to sleep, I wished mine would break. Eleven days until Christmas, and four of the school pupils weren't here with their school family. I hoped they would be back in time to celebrate with the rest of us.

"I think we need to tell everyone in our year before any announcement at breakfast," Helen thought aloud.

"Yes, you are probably right. They will wonder where Jessica and Sam are. Why don't you send a message telling them of a small meeting fifteen minutes before breakfast?"

With the message gone, and after invigorating showers, we discussed what we were going to say, and the likely responses. I just hope that fifteen minutes would be enough.

Helen and I got to our year common room in good time, but we were still the last there, even though it was forty-five minutes to breakfast. I glanced at Ruth and Michelle to see if there was any sign they had told anybody. A minor shake of Ruth's head told me they had kept quiet.

"Everyone seems to be in good time," Helen said soberly.

"Jessica and Sam aren't here yet," mentioned Melissa.

"Yes, we know," I said. "Late last night, Jessica's Dad was involved in a car crash and is very ill. Therefore, Jessica and Wendy have gone home. Their study partners have gone with them to provide help where they can. Tracy has also gone."

"Was Jessica okay?" asked Paula.

"She was very upset when we told her," I answered. "However, I'm sure that Sam, Yvonne and Tracy will look after them both."

"Did Jessica go, or Richard?" asked Emma, after a moment's reflection.

"Richard, and that was Jessica's decision. Sam has also gone looking male."

"Poor Jessica. That must be very hard for her," said Emma. "I'm not sure if I would be able to."

"Jessica decided to go as Richard so not to confuse her parents. Mr Hobson said he would support any decision."

"What about protecting the school?" queried Brian. "Wouldn't that put the school at risk?"

"It is one of the decisions that I'm glad I didn't have to make," Helen admitted. "What if Jessica couldn't bear going back as Richard, and had been forced, and then while there committed suicide? How would you feel then?"

"How often has someone had to go home like this?" asked Melissa.

"This is the first time it has happened. What about at The Manor?"

"No, nothing like this has happened since the school was moved. Trying to get any information about what happened before that is very hard, but nothing has ever been mentioned."

"Jessica and Sam are coming back, aren't they?" asked Jill.

"Yes, they will be back as soon as they can. It all depends on how Mr Barnes does."

"Anna, nobody's going to bite," I said, seeing her fidgeting and biting her bottom lip, like she did when she was nervous about asking something. "I would rather you ask the question than worry later. We are all here for each other."

"I'm just nervous that people will think I'm selfish or self centred," she replied.

"Just ask," sighed Jill. "I think I know the question, and probably half the room is thinking the same thing."

"Hey, you don't have to be so sharp about it," complained Anna, rather hurt.

Jill didn't apologise, but just looked at her partner to encourage her to ask.

"Okay, since Jessica has had the opportunity to go and see her family, does that mean we might be able to see our family after we've finished school?"

"Did anybody else think that question?" Helen queried.

There were some nods and raised hands, indicating that a good deal of us had thought that question. Helen and I both indicated that the idea of seeing our families again had gone through our minds.

"I've no idea," I answered honestly. "Jessica hasn't been living as female for too long, and Wendy, though starting to grow as female, can hide things. However, it is a big risk to the school and everyone here. Jessica and Wendy both know what a risk the school is taking. I'm sure Mr Hobson and others will review things when everyone is back at school. If I don't hear anything about a review after the Russia trip, then I will ask for one. Is everyone okay with that?"

"Are they contactable?" asked Brian.

"Yes, they all have travel PDA's with them, though I wouldn't ring them, as they might be at the hospital. Perhaps send them a text message or something like that. If anybody else has a question and they are frightened about asking in front of everyone else, then see one of us, or one of the psychiatrists."

"One thing before Lewis drags us all to breakfast," said Emma, trying to laugh. Neither of us felt happy today. "Tracy is my psychiatrist. Who should I see if I have any issues that I need to discuss?"

Psychiatrist isn't really the correct word to describe the five people that we shared our school life with. Yes, they were all fully qualified psychiatrists, and each had a vast experience with their qualification. However, at this school they were a lot more. In some respects they were like surrogate parents, someone that kept an eye on us, encouraged us, were there when something went wrong and someone who always offered a shoulder for us to cry on, or might at the end of the day, tell us off if we did something naughty. Yet they weren't an actual parent. Mine were over a hundred miles away. I wonder if this is how adopted children think?

"As always, if you can't see your psychiatrist, then see one of the others. Tracy will be gone for a while, so why don't you have a word with one of the other psychiatrists, see if they can adopt you till she is back?"

This bought a small knowing smile to a few faces. Perhaps others thought of it the same way.

Breakfast is when things began to hit home. There were two empty seats at the year one and year three tables. These voids didn't go unnoticed and the rumours start flying about what was going on. Fortunately, these rumours didn't get time to fester as Mr Hobson stood up to explain. The only times I'd ever heard such silence at a meal was when Jessica had attempted suicide and when Dumbledore shouted for quiet in the Harry Potter movies.

Just as we were finishing our breakfast, my PDA warbled as if it was receiving a phone call. This wasn't unusual during the day, but during breakfast, it wasn't expected. I pulled out my PDA and smiled to see Sam named as the caller.

"Hi Sam." All the others at our table stopped their own conversations to hear what was being said.

"Give Sam and Jessica our love," called Emma.

"Everyone here says hi. So, what's happening?"

I listened while Sam told me the news. The others on the table were eager to know what was happening and looked quite frustrated, as all they could hear were my acknowledgements.

When the call finished, I was inundated with questions about how they were, how Mr Barnes was, what was happening and did they know when they would be back.

"Wow, calm down. Look, we are on several tables, so I'll tell everyone after breakfast in the comfort of our year room. Let me just inform Mr Hobson and Stacy with a summary."

It only seemed a few seconds after sending the message that Mr Hobson rose. As people gradually noticed, the noise of the room diminished enough for him to speak, "Sorry to disturb the end of your breakfast. Jayne has an update for everyone regarding Wendy, Jessica, Yvonne, and Sam."

My heart sank. I wasn't used to being in the limelight, but yet again, I was being thrust into it. Years of staying hidden hadn't prepared me for this. Why couldn't Yvonne have rung Tim? I noticed that all the eyes of the school were aimed at me, waiting for me to rise and update them. I stood; my heart beating like an express train and my legs felt like jelly. I grabbed hold of the table to steady myself and gathered my thoughts.

"Sam just rang. After a long, mostly sleepless journey, they have arrived at the Barnes house. Sam rang from the hospital where they have just been to see Mr Barnes. He is very ill and the next few hours are critical. Mrs Barnes was quite surprised to see Sam and Yvonne, but Tracy's explanation that it was a school thing, that they always travelled their closest school friend as support, seems to have been accepted. The chances of Mr Barnes surviving are currently about 30%, but it seems he has always been strong, so there is hope."

There was nothing more to say, so I sat down. There had been total silence while I spoke and it took a little time before the room reverberated again with lots of small conversations.

"Are you okay?" asked Helen. She must have noticed how nervous I was.

"My legs felt like jelly, that's why I had to grab the table. There is one good thing; I don't have to tell the same thing several times."

"Like Jelly?" puzzled Martha.

"Ah, this is one of those English verses British English things," smiled Erika. "What the British call jelly we call jello. We would have said 'my legs felt like jello'."

"Ah, okay," Martha and most of the other Americans sat at my table nodded.

The day was full of Russian lessons and music practice. With the concert looming, we needed to make sure we were perfect. The best news came just before our evening meal, this time via Yvonne. Mr Barnes was out of danger, and our friends would come back to the school late tomorrow. Tim seemed to be more confident in speaking in front of others as he relayed the announcement before we got the food.

"Do you think Mr Hobson was wrong in that Jessica's Dad's accident was deliberate?" Helen later asked me as we snuggled up in bed.

"I'm not sure. If Jessica and Wendy are coming home tomorrow then there will be chance for them to help us with perfecting our Russian. However, if something happens to delay them, then I would have to say that Mr Hobson was correct."