Author's Notes – Thanks for the positive reviews from Chapter 1. Sorry I haven't updated for ages but I have been really busy with so much homework! Anyway – I'm not sure quite when this story is set, but I'll be grabbing characters and storylines from several series, so this may contain spoilers! Anyway, enjoy!

I was late for my first day at my new school.

Well. As per usual I guess – although this time, I wasn't actually to blame.

Me and Amina were on the bus on the way to school. I'm not normally shy, but I just couldn't bring myself to look anyone in the eye. It was probably the most easy-going school I've ever been at, judging at the way the kids wore their uniforms. Though I must admit, the fact that nobody wore it properly made the "I'm messy look" seem a bit… less messy.

Anyway, I sat with Amina to protect her – it's in the job description of "older sister" – although what I'd rather do is get to know everyone I was to be sharing a school with a bit better. I was speaking to my sister when it happened.

We were right in the middle of a conversation about our favourite subjects – music for me, geography for her (something I don't understand at all) – when there was a sudden surge of commotion from the back of the bus.

A boy who couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than me (and who I later learnt to be called Finn Sharkey) was in the centre of a huddle of people his age. Then there was a sudden bang, and one of the girls let out a huge scream.

Absolute pandemonium. People were shrieking and trying to get off the bus, seemingly abandoning the girl who lay bleeding on the floor.

The bus driver shoved his way to the back:-

"What the hell is going on?"

Nobody seemed to be able to answer, so he picked up the girl and immediately yelled at nobody in particular to ring an ambulance. Because I still didn't know what had happened, and neither, apparently, did Amina, I fumbled in my pocket for the mobile phone Dad bought as a present for my 15th birthday.

Everything passed in a blur after that. Paramedics asked us if we were injured and took the unconscious girl to hospital. I found out from Amina her name was Amy Porter (my sister has a way of finding these things out.) But still nobody asides from those at the back of the bus knew what had happened. And everyone else wanted to know. Including the police.

They took everyone's names and addresses, telling us they'd visit to take our statements at some point during the week. I dreaded it straight away. I fear the law after my many previous encounters with it, so even an innocent statement-taking worries me now.

So we arrived at school at 10:00am in the end. Mrs Fisher, the head teacher, called an emergency assembly about the morning's events.

It turns out that Finn had brought a gun into school. It sounds stupid, I know, but he was obviously the sort of guy who toyed with danger. My sort of guy.

Anyway, Amy, in pure curiosity, had accidentally pulled the trigger, just as the barrel was pointing at her stomach, resulting in a near-fatal wound that will leave her in hospital for weeks.

After the muttering at this revelation had died down, Mrs Fisher decided to make another announcement.

"While you're all gathered here, I may as well let you all know that we have three new students joining us this term. If you could stand up and let everyone know who you are?"

I shot a sideways glance towards Amina. She nodded slightly, and we both nervously stood up. The predictable mutterings spread across the room as the pupils sized up their new companions. During those five agonising seconds, I scanned furtively for the other newcomer. I'd never been worried before, but the incident on the bus had left me rattled. Another face that was unrecognisable in the school might be a bit of a lifeline.

He had dark brown skin, as if he had one black and one white parent. He was leaning against the back wall lazily, his dark brown eyes trying desperately not to meet anyone else's. He ended up staring at the ceiling, giving him the air of someone who was completely disinterested. But I knew there was something more. I knew he had a story. And I knew I couldn't rest until I knew what it was.

Mrs. Fisher nodded and we all hastily took our seats.

"Amina and Alyssa McDonald will be joining Year 10, and joining Year 11 will be Dafydd Alban," she stumbled over the Welsh pronunciation.

Suddenly, from the corner of the room, came a mechanical voice, with a local accent; "It's David."

"Sorry," Mrs. Fisher seemed genuinely abashed. "Right. You're all free to go to Period 2 now. Could the three new students please come to my office to receive your timetables? Please, feel free to ask any other pupils if you're unsure where it is. I know they'll all be very welcoming," she added sternly.

Through the scraping of chairs and crowd of teenagers rushing to get out of the crowded auditorium, I saw a dark figure, Dafydd, slip out of the back fire escape.