Karen walked into the staff room. "Ahh Tom, Chris. Thoughts on Jasmine Hadley? I said I'd give her a week to make impressions before I decided what I wanted to do with her."

"That's Jay Hadley right?" Tom confirmed, " I wondered what that was short foe. Well I've sent her out of all 5 of the English Lit lessons this week, and she's only turned up for one registration this week. But, on the positive side, when she actually does the work, it's brilliant. The essay she gave me on Othello showed that she knew what she was doing, it would probably get an A, if not an A*. Admitedly it was late and messy, and her class work is great, until she mouths off, and I have to send her out."

Chris nodded "I would agree, I've had her a lot, for Biology and Chemistry. She's a mixed picture, one minute she's concentrating, the next minute she's ignoring me and before I know it, I find myself sending her to the cooler. She's clever, brilliant even, constructed a diagram of the circulation system, perfectly on memory, but when I asked to have a look, she pretty much riped it up and chucked it in my face"

"Not surprising she's clever, I think shedid her GCSE's a year early, at a top school, and got nothing lower than a B, in fact 8 A*'s."

"What happened?"

"I don't know all the details, but I gather her family were killed in a car crash, I don't know how much she was involved. I still haven't got her file from the LEA. If we could get to the root of the atitude problem, we could have ourselves a real asset. I want you to concentrate of getting a posotive response out of her. Who's she getting on with out of class?"

"Not the girls for sure. I've pulled her and Amy Porter's lot apart more than once. She plays football with the boys at break. Gave Fin Sharkey a run for his money with the football, I was impressed"

"See if you can get her interested in Fotball club, and get back to me."

Jay was sat in the cooler, again. The back desk was occupied by her for every lesson that she turned up to. Mr Mead walked in. "Jasmine, this is ridiculous, you can't be in here again?"

"I can."

He came and stood in front of her. "Why?"
She looked at him, and shrugged.

"Why do you hate sitting in class so much that you get yourself kicked out each time. You're a bright girl, you know what you are doing. Because this is wasting everyones time?"

"I know, and I don't care"

"You should care, this is your life, not anyone elses"

"Is it?"

"Now you are talking nonsense. I don't understand"

"Neither do I."

Chris looked at the girl in front of him. She was staring up at him with wide, unblinking eyes. He shook his head. "There's something not quite right about you. Something you're hiding."

"And if there is, it's not your problem"

"I'm your teacher, therefore, it is my problem"

"Then I don't want you to be my teacher. Because it's my life, and my problem, and there is nothing you can or will do about it. Okay?"

"Easy kid, I'm only trying to help"

"Well, stop trying now, because it's not working." She lent back in her seat, "It's great that you are trying, but I'm not worth the effort. Can I go yet?"

"Why, so you can come back here as soon as the bell rings? Miss Fisher's office. Now."

"Knew it was all an act, screw the 'I care', 'cause I've heard it all before and I know it's bull. Shall I take my bag, or will I be coming back here again?"

"Jasmine can you-"

"No, my name is not Jasmine. Stop calling me that. Jasmine Hadley went a while back, and every flaming time you say it, it make's it worse. Leave me alone. I don't want your sympathy and I don't want you to care." She pushed the table over, scattering paper all over the floor and ran out.

"Jasmine- I mean, COME BACK HERE!"

Tom came running in, as Jasmine pushed past him. "Whooa, where's she going?"

"I don't know, but find out, and whatever you do, call her Jay."

"Why?"

"Just do it, I'll go find Karen."

Grantly walked in, and seeing Tom rush past him, and the mess on the floor.

"What the bloody hell is going on? World War III break out and you didn't tell me?"

"It's not funny Grantly, find Mr Scotcher and tell him we have a broken table for him to fix, and then make yourself useful."

"What-", but his complaints were interupted by Chris storming out. Finding himself in an empty room, Grantly settled down to his desk for an afternoon snooze.