Chapter 6

It was madness. Jamie had often wondered how rumours travelled so quickly, but he never thought his sister would be in the centre of these rumours. But she was, and the news that she'd been attacked was round half of the school by the time he got there this morning. But it wasn't just that. Through the whispers he heard, he found out something else. Athena and her friends had been taken to the police station for questioning. Someone he didn't even know skipped away from her group of friends and bounded towards him, joining him as he walked through the school.

"Are you Rachel's sister?" she asked, curiously.

"Yes I am… why?" he asked although he could already predict the answer.

"Has Athena got something to do with her attack?" she asked.

"No," he said bluntly.

"No?" she answered, confused. "But I figured -"

"Well you figured wrong!" he growled. "Now leave me alone!"

"I was only asking!" she said angrily as she skipped back to her friends.

Jamie continued. The same thing happened again and again as he wandered through the school, and every time he denied the rumours about Athena being involved with Rachel's attack. By the time he got to his classroom he was red with annoyance. Lewis was there already, and spoke as soon as Jamie got to his seat.

"Is it true?" he asked.

"Not you as well! I've just had this from half the school on the way here!"

"And what did you tell them?"

"Not now," Jamie whispered. "I'll tell you later." Lewis wasn't happy about being the last to know the truth. What he didn't know, though, was that he would be the only person who was told the truth.

When Jamie arrived home after a long and infuriating day at school, Rachel was sitting on the sofa, drinking tea out of a mug. She pounced on him as soon as he had put his bag down.

"Have the police been in touch?" she asked, nervously.

"No," Jamie lied. "They haven't."

"Good!" Rachel exclaimed. "I still haven't forgiven you for calling them."

"I thought it was for the best," he admitted.

"Well it wasn't… I just know something bad is going to happen," she replied.

Jamie sat down next to her on the sofa. She had the TV on. He wanted to talk to her about the bullying so he took the remote and turned the television off before turning to face her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked straight out.

"About what?" she asked although she knew what he was getting at.

"Don't play dumb," he rolled his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I thought it would die down," she began. "And I was right. It has started to."

"Is that the truth? Or you just trying to stop me worrying?" he asked.

"It's the truth. I promise," she replied.

"Good," he said. "I didn't like my little sister being upset."

"I am NOT your little sister!" she exploded.

"OK, OK, calm down!" Jamie said, shocked.

"Sorry," she replied. "I just don't like being called 'little'," she explained. "I'm going to my room now. I've got homework to catch up on."

"OK then," Jamie said. "And Rachel… Keep the music down will you?"

The phone rang. It startled Jamie, he was sitting right next to it. He let its shrill ring continue for a couple of seconds and then picked it up.

"Hello," he said in his most formal voice.

"Hi, it's John Martin, the police officer. We're ringing for Rachel Richardson, about her attack. "

"She's… not in at the moment," he lied. "I'm her brother."

"You're the one who called right? Well the current situation is that we had to let Athena and her friends go."

"What?!" Jamie exclaimed. "But they were the ones who attacked her!"

"We have no evidence to suggest that they did it, and they haven't admitted to it," the police officer explained. "We'll let you know if anything comes up."

"OK," Jamie replied, disappointed. "Bye," he said as he replaced the receiver. He sat back on the sofa, deep in thought. He realised he had done the wrong thing. He had been so wrapped up in vengeance that he hadn't given a thought to what would happen if they were released. Suddenly he was scared for Rachel. He knew what would happen when she got to school. He realised what an idiot he'd been. But it was too late.