An Imperfect Circle (5 page)

The music seems to magically increase in volume again and I’m left staring at the back of Ian’s head.

“Head-to-head with Ian on her second day,” Karl chuckles from Matt’s side. “I’m glad I called dibs.”

“
You can have her,” Matt looks at me with his nose wrinkled. “I don’t do the freaky ones.”

“
I’m too much for you to handle anyway,” I wink at him, turning my back and re-joining Becky Blossom at our table. I hear Karl’s deep laughter as I leave them and I hate that it makes my stomach ache with an unfamiliar pull.

“
I swear, you’re crazy!” She hisses at me. “I’d never have done that.”

“
Somebody has to call them out,” I shrug, taking a few deep breaths to get my heart rate down. Maybe I was wrong to do so, but it didn’t seem fair.

“
He’s kind of right, though,” Becky cringes. “The twins have been suspended a few times for running betting on football matches and stuff. They’re fair but they make tonnes of money on it and the school doesn’t like it.”

“
Doesn’t make it right to take their food away from them,” I shrug. I’ve never had to go hungry – not truly – but I don’t think anybody should have to.

I’d thought the whole thing would lower my opinion of them after what I saw the night before but Ian made his case fairly well. When the twins find me at the end of the lunch break and insist on giving me enough mo
ney to buy two whole packs of Wagon Wheels, I realise Ian knows his brothers well and wouldn’t dish out more than they can handle.

I have my first Design & Technology class final period and I can’t wait. I’m a little confused when I find out that the room assignment on my timetable is a graphic design room but I take a seat anyway. The room is fairly full and there are quite a few girls. Not something you usually find in a woodworking class.

I quickly realise that this is the introductory class for all the D&T students when the teacher puts the projector on an
d lists our choices. Textiles, food technology, metalwork, or woodwork. Easy choice.

I grimace as
I see Karl and Matt enter the room. Do they do everything together? I’ve yet to seem them separate.

Karl grins when he spots me and my grimace turns into a full on frown when I realise there’s a seat
on either side of me. Another side effect of the goth look; people
usually
keep their distance.

“
Hi, Ellie. Thanks for saving us seats, scoot over.” Karl winks at me.

I glare at him but realise I’d rathe
r be sat next to one of them than both so I take a seat down to the end of the row.

“
So, are you going to learn how to sew some sexy little black corset?” Karl asks, appraising my body openly.

“
I’ll sew your lips together for you if you like,” I return, my eyes on the teacher who’s rambling on about health and safety.

He laughs, not at all daunted by my threat.
“Thinking about my lips, are we?”

Without moving my eyes from the front of the classroom, I attempt to stab his hand with my pen but his reactions are too quick.

“My money’s on metalwork,” Matt chimes in from Karl’s other side. “Probably wants to make a pentagram necklace or something.”

At least his assumption i
sn’t quite as sexist.

“
So what colour are your eyes really?” Karl continues, not discouraged by my hostility. He’s obviously used to winning women over but he’s about to find out that he’s not God’s gift to the gender.

My eyes are green but he doesn’t need to know that.

“What’s your problem?” He growls when I stomp on his foot under the table. “You hate all men or is it just my family?”

That’s a tough one so I don’t answer.

“Come on,” he grins and I hate myself for appreciating how attractive he is when he does it. “You don’t even know me. Just talk to me. You’re feisty. I like that. You say what’s on your mind and you don’t keep quiet when you think something’s amiss. I want to get to know you.”

“
I know you well enough,” I retort, eyes stubbornly focussed back on the teacher who’s telling us to head to the rooms for our chosen subject.

I grab my bag before letting Karl reply and h
ead in the direction of what I hope is the only woodworking room. I passed it earlier that morning.

“
You have got to be kidding me,” I groan out loud when both Karl and Matt appear to be following me.

“
You’re doing woodwork?” Karl prompts.

Does this man not give up?

Thing is, I know he comes across all charming. It’d probably be working on me if I didn’t already know that he’ll give up on me once he realises who I am and recognises how tainted I am.

“
That’s awesome,” Karl grins. “Now you’ll have to talk to me.”

“
Dream on, monkey nut,” I scowl, taking a seat close to the front because I scouted the room this morning and the g-clamp at this bench is the only one that looks like it works properly. It’s also close to the saw rack and furthest away from the electrical tools. I work with my hands.

Because the world is testing me, Karl and Matt plonk themselves at the bench across from me.

Karl opens his mouth, probably to try and fail to woo me, but thankfully the teacher is already talking and demanding silence.

“
Welcome woodworkers. For those of you who haven’t had me before, I’m Mr Evans. I expect you’re already bored to death from the intro so let’s get started. We have thirty minutes. You have fifteen to draw up a design and the next fifteen minutes to get your materials together and make a start.

We’ll be working in pairs and I want each pair to design and make a
birdhouse. You can make one each but they both have to follow the same design. This is a chance for you to show me what level you’re at.”

I groan inwardly and glance at the kid sat next to me whilst he picks his nose and wipes it on his trousers. Remembering my list, I try to think positive. Maybe the guy is talented with pencil and paper. Maybe the design will be
‘awesome sauce’ as Becky Blossom would say.

“
Nice try, Mr Carter but there’s no way you two are working together,” Mr Evans interrupts as Matt and Karl shuffle closer.

“
Come on, sir,” Karl protests. “That fire wasn’t our fault!”

“
Of course it wasn’t. No. Young lady,” he gestures to me and I close my eyes and start chanting internally “not with Karl, not with Karl”.

“
You can switch places with Mr Carter and work with Mr Smith,” Evans nods, satisfied with himself.

I curse inwardly. I should have made my chants more inclusive. Bogey boy would have been better.

I watch a disgruntled Karl shove a grumpy Matt playfully as he slides off his stool so we can switch places. As we pass, Karl trails his finger across the back of my hand and my breath hitches at the jolt he gives me.

Karl stares at me like he doesn’t quite understand what just happened.

“Static,” I mumble, rubbing the back of my hand and keeping my eyes on the stool I’m aiming for.

Karl keeps his eyes on me
the whole time with a subtle frown between his dark eyebrows. He’s still holding his finger up slightly and I swallow thickly because I can still feel the burn on my hand where he touched me.

Stupid static.

“Right, here’s the deal, demongirl,” Matt draws my attention back to him.

“
I can’t draw for shit. You do the doodling and I’ll cut the wood for you. Save you breaking a nail.”

“
Listen to me, you condescending donkey brain. I’ll do the design, because I kick ass at it. But you touch any of my materials, and I’ll remove your materials if you get my drift. So shut up and let me work.”

“
Gees, all right. Don’t get your knickers in a twist, demongirl,” Matt smiles smugly, like he’s just gotten exactly what he wanted. For the first time, I recognise the little boy I once knew. It’s not the same smile he once wore but it’s similar. I wonder how much of that little boy is still hiding behind all the anger.

My hand w
hizzes across the page, sketching the idea that formed in my head immediately. It’s not too complicated in deference to Matt. He’s already admitted he’s creatively challenged and it would be mean to give him something too hard for the first project.

“
Don’t make it too complicated for yourself, Miss…” Mr Evans hovers at my shoulders.

“
Ellie. My name’s Ellie,” I answer without looking up.

“
Ellie,” he nods. “Well, it’s very pretty, but remember you’ll be graded by your ability to recreate the design in wood.”

I nod because that won’t be a problem but when I look up from the paper I can see Matt glaring at me whilst Mr Evans strolls away.

“What the fuck are you playing at?” He growls. “You trying to make us fail on purpose?”

“
Firstly, stop swearing so much. It makes you sound like a Neanderthal. Secondly, what on Earth are you talking about?” I gesture down at the drawing. He must have seen it wrong.

“
Jesus, no wonder Ian likes you,” he scoffs. “Who do you think you are, the queen? People swear. The words exist for a reason, darlin’.”

I glare at him and shove the design closer so he can look at it whilst I go gather the materia
ls.

“
I’m talking to you, demongirl,” he chases after me and grabs my wrist to stop me from moving away.

I use my other
hand to slap him across the face. Not hard, just hard enough that it’ll hurt without drawing the attention of the teacher over the noise of saws.

“
Don’t you dare touch me,” I warn seriously, my hand stinging from the slap but my heart racing at a hundred miles an hour from the way he grabbed my wrist like that.

“
You fucking slapped me,” he stares at me gormlessly, the anger in his eyes burning brightly. Behind it all, I can see something else. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was fear.

“
You grabbed me, moron!” I growl back, struggling not to shout at him and get us both in trouble. I take a deep breath and regain control over my breathing. When he grabbed me, I saw red. Being held by my wrists is a bit of a trigger for me. It’s not exactly something that’s happened since my childhood and I wasn’t prepared for it.

“
I… I’m sorry,” I apologise quickly, biting my lip because I really was out of line. “I overreacted.”

“
Damn fucking right you did. Jesus,” he groans, rubbing his cheek disbelievingly.

“
I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard,” I cringe.

“
I’m not a sexist, demongirl. You fucking hit me again, I’ll hit you right back,” he warns, boxing me in against the bench without actually touching me.

I’m not short. I’m 5ft 8
”, but Matt towers over me and when he’s as mad as he looks, it’s a little intimidating.

“
I fight dirty, Matt,” I warn. “I already told you, you can’t handle me.”

“
You two look about ready to kill each other,” Karl grins, sliding in between the two of us and easing Matt back a few paces. “You alright, mate?” Karl whispers but I can still hear him.

Matt nods gruffly and heads back to the
workbench.

“
He’s not so bad,” Karl explains, turning back to face me. “He’s just a bit slow to open up.”

“
If that’s what he’s like closed off, I don’t think I want to see him open up,” I grumble.

He chuckles.
“Did I see you slap him?”

I look up to see if he’s pissed off with me for hurting his best friend.

“He grabbed me,” I shrug apologetically.

“
Right,” he nods with his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

We don’t talk as we gather the material we’ll need. I get Matt’s as well because I still feel a bit guilty for overreacting.

“Here,” I hand him the wood he’ll need. “You want me to show you how the design works?”

“
I’m not fucking blind,” he gestures to the paper in front of him.

“
Are you capable of forming a single sentence without swearing?” I tease lightly. That flash of fear still haunts me and I remember the same look on his face far too many times when he was a child. I never asked, but we all knew things weren’t right for him at home. That’s why Helen and Andrew wanted him around as much as possible. He practically lived at their house.

“
Not fucking likely,” he half smiles and then studies me a few seconds. “Did I hurt you?”

I shake my head and show him my wrist.
“Just caught me off guard.”

“
Alright,” he nods.

Karl observes us silently from across the table and I can’t tell who he’s scrutinising most, me or Matt. When I laugh at something Matt says, I almost think I see something angry cross his face but I immediately dismiss it because he’s smiling when I look again.

Becky’s waiting for me outside the common room as we agreed once the final bell rings. I told her I was going to do some work in the library after school and she said I might as well go to the local library and she could keep me company. It also meant we could do our Math homework together.

As we walk,
I fill her in on everything that happened in my D&T class because she’s already recounted everything that happened in her English lesson.

“
You seem to have the full attention of the Carters,” she grins. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“
It’s definitely a bad thing. Although it was more of a Smith problem than a Carter problem last period,” I explain.

“
Oh Matt’s a Carter for all intents and purposes. He lives with them, has done for as long as they’ve been at school together,” Becky informs me.

“
He does?” I raise an eyebrow. He spent a lot of time there but he didn’t really live there, even if he slept over a lot.

Becky nods.
“There are a lot of rumours as to why but nobody really knows except for the Carters and nobody would dare to ask them about it.”

“
I didn’t realise,” I grimace. I can’t help but feel guilty for hitting somebody who I’d suspected had been a victim of violence for so much of his life. I may not have been thinking of it in that moment but I knew deep down.