They waited patiently at the bus stop. Heather could have walked home, it wasn’t that far, but it was far enough and

Stanton insisted she take the bus.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“For today and the last few days. For looking after me. For the bus fare.”

“Yeah well, don’t tell anyone. I’ve a reputation to keep. Here comes your bus.”

He stood up and held his hand out.

“Are we still meeting tomorrow?” Heather asked.

Stanton frowned. “’Course we are. Keep the day free if you can. Once we sort that teacher out tomorrow morning, we can

—,” he hesitated. “—Do something. Meet me at the clock tower at half-nine?”

He wasn’t sure why he was saying what he was saying. He’d managed to avoid Mickey for three days. He couldn’t

expect that luck to last much longer and he wasn’t sure he had the time to hang around with girls he hardly knew. But he

liked the idea of just messing around town, especially with someone different, someone he didn’t really know and who,

more importantly, didn’t know him.

The bus slowed to a stop and the doors opened.

“I enjoyed today,” said Heather.

“Yeah, was fun.”

“Are you getting on or not?” shouted the bus driver.

“Hold on,” Stanton said, before turning back to Heather.

“I’ll speak to that teacher tomorrow. We’ll figure it out.”

Heather looked down at her battered school shoes, covered in slime, sand and mud. “Okay.”

“I’m closing the doors,” said the driver.

“You’re fucking not,” and Stanton gave him a look that pushed the driver a little lower into his seat.

After the drama of the week, Heather didn’t want to make another scene.

“I better go.”

She stepped onto the bus, bought a ticket and walked to the back, sitting in an empty window seat. Stanton had followed her from outside, so that he was stood looking in as she was sat looking out. The doors closed, and the bus pulled away from the kerb. Heather smiled, half lifting her hand to wave goodbye. Stanton remained motionless and expressionless, concentrating on his own reflection in the darkened window as it went, no longer sure he recognised the person looking back at him.