Rev Girl (22 page)

‘Mrs. Eldridge,' she said. ‘Hi. Um, no, I'm fine, thanks. Just waiting to see Mr. Archibald.'

‘I heard your name being called.' The counsellor bent down, resting a wrinkled, hand on Clover's knee. ‘I'm sure it's fine, dear,' she said. ‘Probably just about the Peer Inspire Program. All very exciting, isn't it? Certainly will be great for the town's profile. I'm sure you'll be able to touch a lot of those students with your fabulous story.'

A small smile crept across Clover's face. Maybe the counsellor was right; maybe she could do the talks and do a good job, too. She let herself consider the thought a welcome, happy thought and in an instant, was standing at the front of a gymnasium, addressing a packed audience, at some distant school. She opened her mouth … but, what would come out?
I was going to the World Championships, but didn't actually go, because my boyfriend told me not to … oh, yeah, real freakin' inspiring!

Mrs. Eldridge tilted her oval face to the side, her beehive hairdo following.

‘Are you sure you're okay, dear? You look quite pale.'

‘I'm fine, thanks.'

‘Come see me soon, and we can talk,' Mrs. Eldridge said, straightening up. ‘I'm still waiting to help you finalise your career path … '

She winked, patted Clover on the knee, and then looked across at Mr. Archibald's door, which was now ajar. ‘Looks like he's ready for you.'

Clover's stomach clenched.

She was glued to the chair, couldn't make her body move.

A stern voice came from within the office. ‘Clover, can you come in, please.'

Her body rose, and her legs carried her across the carpet to the open door. She gritted her teeth, and forced her legs to take her all the way in.

Mr. Archibald glowered at her from across his desk. All business today. He leant forward, folding his hands in front of him.

And then she heard it. A deep, sarcastic voice that chilled her to the very core.

‘Look who we have here.'

She turned slowly, body rigid.

The man was sitting in the visitor's chair on the far left-hand side of the desk. No one else was in the office. No Travis. No Dallas.

A heavy boot connected with Clover's stomach as she recognised the man's blue uniform. Mr. Archibald nodded towards the policeman. ‘Clover, I don't believe you know Sergeant Cross?'

The sergeant had a droopy face, with a big moustache, reminding her of a Bassett hound. But his attitude was much more menacing, like a Rottweiler, zeroing in on an intruder. She shook her head slowly.

Mr. Archibald rose slightly from his chair, motioning towards the second visitor's seat beside Sergeant Cross. ‘Please, sit down.'

Clover sat, keeping her spine straight, shoulders back. Her eyes rose slowly to meet Mr. Archibald's. ‘I'm sure you're wondering why you are here?'

She nodded.

‘Well,' Mr. Archibald said, then hesitated, taking a deep breath. Clover had never seen her principal so serious, so strained, as if he was dreading what he was about to say.

‘I could question you about the disturbing incident in the canteen this afternoon,' Mr. Archibald continued. ‘But, as we have already been fully informed, and the students involved have been found and taken in by Sergeant Cross's colleagues for questioning, there's no need, which leads me to why you are here. As you know,' his voice took on a calm, professional tone, ‘this is the first day of school. The first for your grade as the senior students in Silvertown High.'

Clover maintained her poker face, doing her best not to let fear show on her features.

‘It is the first day of school, and, as always, the safety of our students is our utmost priority. It's unfortunate that we've had behavioural problems with your grade over the last three years of your schooling here. Not with you, not recently. You have been an exemplary student.' His jaw clenched, and he looked away for a moment. Clover tasted bile, and swallowed the urge to spew from the stress.

Mr. Archibald leant across his desk. ‘You may or may not be aware, Clover, that we have had an escalating problem with theft here at Silvertown High.' He studied her face, watching for a reaction. ‘A week before term started, in fact, my office was broken into, and our computers were hacked. A great deal of material was stolen.'

Clover noticed, in her peripheral vision, that Sergeant Cross had turned to face her, crossing his arms. But she kept her eyes on Mr. Archibald's face, her eyebrows rising.

‘We suspected it could have been students who are returning to classes, so we thought it fitting for the sergeant and his officers to continue their investigations into this crime with a locker search this morning.'

Goosebumps raced down Clover's arms and legs. Her heart rate hit maximum RPM. She gripped the sides of her chair.

Sergeant Cross raised a thick, yellow envelope in front of her face. ‘We found this in your locker, young lady,' he said, giving the envelope a shake. ‘There are enough cheat sheets and exam proofs in here for a student to graduate Silvertown without ever attending a class or reading a text book. This is serious theft. It's theft with the intent to sell stolen materials. Profiteering. And my tolerance for all of the above is zilch.'

Clover couldn't take her eyes off of the folder. So, deadly. Enough to end her life.

‘Cheat materials, to sell, no doubt.' The contempt in Sergeant Cross's voice was palpable. ‘But you already knew that, didn't you?' He shook his head, chucked the envelope on the desk with a thud. ‘We found this in the bottom of your locker, underneath a pink binder and a zebra-print pencil case, ring a bell?'

Clover sat bolt upright and swung her eyes to Mr. Archibald. But he wouldn't meet her gaze, just shuffled papers on his desk.

‘Mr. Archibald!' she said, her voice, frantic. ‘That isn't mine. I've never cheated.'

Sergeant Cross sat back in his chair.

Mr. Archibald looked up. ‘This has come as a serious shock to me, Clover. To think, I had just approved you to be our district's representative for the Peer Inspire Program.'

Sergeant Cross laughed loudly.

A pain stabbed Clover's stomach, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

‘I have no idea what I'm going to tell the department now.' Mr. Archibald shook his head with disappointment. ‘I want to believe you, Clover. You did have, let's face it, a shaky start to your schooling here, but I've seen a real improvement. I know you're a good kid. But, there it is.' He waved his hand at the envelope on his desk. ‘Your grades did markedly improve in the second half of last year, about the time that the theft of these things started. The evidence stacks up and is plain to see.'

She stared hard at the envelope, at its sharp corners, and as she did, she snapped. ‘Mr. Archibald!' she yelled, jumping to her feet, sending her chair flying back to hit the wall. She slapped her hands on the top of the desk, and bent her face down to his.

‘My grades went up, because I worked freaking hard!' she said. ‘I will be doing those talks for you, for the school, and I'll tell you why. Because, I don't cheat! And I would NEVER steal so that I could make money so someone else could cheat! It's ludicrous! My grades improved because I improved! And that's precisely one of the messages I'll have for those kids when I do those talks. Work hard, and you will be rewarded. But maybe I should be re-thinking my message, if this is the thanks I get!'

Outrage ripped through her body like a bushfire. She knew her eyes looked insane, wide open and dry. She had no more tears, all cried out. The worst day of her life. All feelings spent. She slammed her fists on the desk. ‘This is ridiculous! Obviously, somebody's got it in for me. There's a bunch of girls who have always had it out for me. Someone must have planted that in my locker.' She stood back, blinked a few times. ‘I've been set up!'

Sergeant Cross scoffed, rocked back in his chair, and raised his eyebrows at Mr. Archibald. ‘They always try to deflect the blame.'

‘The blame!' Clover screamed. ‘They're not mine. Let me spell it out for you.' She waved a finger in the sergeant's face. ‘N-O-T M-I-N-E.'

‘Clover!' Mr. Archibald said, standing abruptly. ‘That's quite enough!' He rushed around his desk.

Sergeant Cross was rising, one hand on his cuffs.

‘I'm sorry,' the principal said to the sergeant. ‘She's clearly distraught. Can this not wait until her parents arrive?'

‘No need to wait.'

Clover turned her head at the sound of her father's voice. She pulled away from Mr. Archibald, rushing into the outstretched arms of her mother.

‘Now,' Ernie said, glaring at Sergeant Cross. ‘Would someone like to tell me what's going on here?'

Sergeant Cross took a step towards them. ‘Calm down, Sir.'

‘No. Now, why is my daughter so upset?'

‘Mom.' Clover nuzzled into the sleeve of her mother's polo shirt. ‘It's terrible,' she said, sobbing. ‘They're saying that's mine
.
'

‘What?' Ernie stepped around Leslie so he could see the envelope. ‘What is it?'

‘Stolen goods, Mr. Kassedy, cheat sheets and test proofs we found in your daughter's locker during a search.'

‘That's ridiculous. Clover doesn't cheat.'

Clover pulled from Leslie's arms, then spun, to face Mr. Archibald. ‘That's what I told them!'

‘Could we all just please sit down,' Mr. Archibald said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

‘No way,' Ernie said. ‘This is insane. My daughter has never and would never do that. Honey,' she melted into his familiar arms, hoping they were strong enough to hold together her crumbling world. ‘Clover.' He held her face in his hands. ‘Tell me how this could have happened.'

She attempted to speak, but was choked by her sobs. Her body heaved when she finally got the words out, ‘Somebody's set me up!'

‘Now, just settle down,' Leslie said.

Ernie let her go. Leslie wrapped an arm around Clover's shoulders as she scowled at Sergeant Cross.

‘Constable Cross, is it?' Ernie asked.

‘Sergeant, Mr. Kassedy.'

‘Right, well, you have obviously made a big mistake here. Did you find the envelope yourself ? Are you positive it was Clover's locker where it was found?'

Sergeant Cross sighed, tapping his foot impatiently. ‘Constable Harding was the one who found them. She's one of my best.'

April Harding!
‘She hates me!' Clover yelled, remembering the tall, sharp-eyed girl who graduated Silvertown High the year she started. A girl even nastier than her younger sister, Darleen.

Sergeant Cross laughed. ‘She is a constable of the highest calibre, she would never let personal feelings infringe on an investigation.'

‘Dad. Seriously, she was so mean to me.'

Ernie held up a hand. She fell silent.

Ernie glanced out the open window, stared for a moment, as if milling something over in his mind, then shook his head. ‘Clover,' he said finally. ‘You girls seem to share everything. Your clothes, makeup, God knows what else. Did anyone else have the combination to your locker?'

Her breathing slowed as she processed his words. When the fire of her rage receded just enough for the engine of her mind to shift back into gear, she could practically hear the click in her brain.

Other people do have the combo to my locker
, she thought.
Sydney
does, for one. And so does … Sera.

‘The little cow!' Clover yelled.

‘Now, Miss Kassedy,' Mr. Archibald said from behind his desk, where he had retreated upon the arrival of her parents. ‘I really must remind you that you are in the presence of an officer of the law.'

‘That bitch!'

‘Who?' Ernie pushed past Leslie, grabbed Clover by the shoulders. ‘Who's the bitch?'

‘Sera,' she hissed. ‘It was Sera. She's got the combo to my locker.'

Ernie nodded knowingly. ‘You two had that falling out.'

‘When she stabbed me in the back, just as she's done now!'

She took a deep breath and trained her eyes on Mr. Archibald, slouched behind his desk, biting at his nails. ‘I know what's happened here, Mr. Archibald,' she said as calmly as she could manage. ‘My ex-best friend, Sera Gordon she knew the combo to my locker. She planted the cheat sheets, because …

I bet she was mad at me for not forgiving her. I even saw her, earlier today.' But she couldn't continue, not with the image of the skeleton of a girl in the canteen, her dead, but hopeful eyes. The girl she had turned away. Then a thought struck Clover, one that she immediately shoved back to the pointless place it had come from.
It's partly your fault. If you'd gone to her this morning, forgiven her,
none of this would have happened.

‘Well that's all fine and dandy, young lady,' Sergeant Cross said. ‘But the evidence right now points exclusively to you. I am willing to question this Miss Gordon, but right now I am going to have to take you down to the station to get your formal statement, and charge you with theft, among other charges.'