Pearl was watching me with nothing short of admiration. I don't deserve a look like that, if it wasn't for my…condition – there is no way I would be standing up to those people! She asked me questions I didn't want to answer so I got them over with as quickly as possible then tried to leave but she wouldn't stop talking. I told her she hadn't picked up her coat and she said she knew, but hadn't finished talking to me yet, so wasn't going home. I told her I was.

'Which way are you walking?' She asked me.

'Towards Orrick Road.'

'Where's that?'

'Past where the church used to be.'

'Church?'

Damn. I'd done it again.

'Yeah, there used to be church near…by that…oh it doesn't matter!' I said for the second time in a day.

'I don't remember there being a church-'

'Forget the church thing, Pearl, okay? I'm going that way regardless of whether there's a church there or not and…what are you laughing at?'

She was giggling, fully. Like I'd said something hilarious.

'What?' I asked again. Oddly, I didn't feel angry.

'You are so odd!' She laughed again, 'and I like it!'

'Erm…thanks?'

'Do you want to do something now school's over?'

'I can't. My social worker's coming to see me.' I pulled a face.

'Oh, okay. I'll give you my mobile number then, shall i?'

'If you want to.' I pulled my own mobile phone from the bottom of my school bag. I seldom use it, so it was covered with grime and general dust from the bottom of my bag. The bag itself is very old, it's been with me all along and I saw Pearl eyeing it. Her gaze then moved to my phone, it was only a cheap one from Tesco so there was not much to see.

'Nice bag.'

'Thanks. What's your number?' I stared at the device in my hand; the mysteries of some modern technology still evaded me. I wasn't sure how I was meant to turn it on. Pearl was watching me. Again.

'Alright?' Her eyes moved to my phone.

'Uh…' I shrugged, 'you know what? Battery's dead.' I hoped to get her stare off me and hopefully not end up with some loner's number. I wasn't here to make friends. I was here because I had to be. I couldn't make friends. Particularly not with Pearl, she was sweet and all, but too fragile for me and my world.

'Like Toby.' The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it. I cursed myself, as I do every day, for his fate.

'I'll write it down for you then. What's yours?' She was already digging around in her bag. I could hear the last students in the building besides us leaving, closing the double glass doors shut as they did so. I heard the small clang of metal hitting metal as the door clicked. 'Anna?'

'Oh, sorry, I don't know mine.'

'Send me a text later when you've charged yours, then I'll get it.' She grinned. I watched her write out the number. She wrote slowly. I examined her with my eyes, her skin was a slightly off-white colour, she wasn't fully British. She had eyes that stuck out of her head, and dishwater blonde hair, slightly brown where the light wasn't hitting it.

'Right.' I nodded. She handed me the piece of paper, I looked at the number on it then pocketed it. As she'd moved, the scent of her had hit me. Mediterranean blood. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked her. 'Where are from, anyways?'

'Huh?'

'What country?'

'Oh. Italy.'

'You're Italian?'

'Half. Apparently.'

'Ahh. I see.'

'How did you know I wasn't all English?'

'Who is pure Brit nowadays?' I laughed a little.

'True.' She was watching me carefully; my eyes strayed to the watch on her wrist. Twenty to four. Greta would be at the house by four.

'Look, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow.' I hurried out the door.

'Bye.' She watched me as I went, her expression: puzzled. Something about that made me nervous. Pearl didn't seem like the type who would be past digging around a bit. Walking towards the house, I listened out. Greta was only around the corner and moments after I had shut the porch door behind me the sound of her car pulling up interrupted me from undoing my shoe laces.