Duds PDF

Duds Beth was on the edge of her seat. The classroom was completely silent except for her film on the screen. Nicola had turned the volume right up so that anyone in the building would hear. It was embarrassing to Beth, and Nicola was unrevealing as she watched, which made it worse. Occasionally...

Duds Beth was on the edge of her seat. The classroom was completely silent except for her film on the screen. Nicola had turned the volume right up so that anyone in the building would hear. It was embarrassing to Beth, and Nicola was unrevealing as she watched, which made it worse. Occasionally Nicola laughed. A quick, mocking snigger. The screen faded out. Nicola looked at Beth with incredulous, teak eyes and said, “Is that it?” Her voice was flat, but full of accusation, and it hit Beth hard. “What do you mean?” Beth asked her, the words barely forming. She’d stuck to the rules, obeyed every rule on the assignment checklists. Nicola registered Beth’s disappointment and sniggered again. “For starters it has no impact. You’ve used none of the conventions of the horror genre. I watched it and felt nothin. It needs to make me jump.” Nicola’s eyes were wide like an owl’s. Wide, serious, and self confident. Her lips were plump and naturally pouted when resting. “But I spent ages on it,” Beth defended herself. “Like, my whole weekend.” Nicola shook her head, clicked into the middle of the tape, and pressed play. It played for two seconds, and then she laughed again. “The music sounds like someone’s about to have sex, not get killed. And when there’s action, it doesn’t feel like it. Beth, it’s a horror film. I need to be shitting myself when I watch this.” “So what? It’s just shit then? I should quit?” Nicola just looked at her and said nothing. Beth was sure she was enjoying this. There was a glint in her wide eyes. Nicola was about five foot nine, had waxed dark 1 brown eyebrows, and fashionable hair tied back. She wore a fair amount of makeup, and had black outlines around her very serious eyes. She wore a black blazer over a busty red shirt. Beth looked around. Devon was sitting there, one bare leg crossed over the other, her arms folded. Blond hair hanging to her shoulders, cut straight on both sides, her lips pressed together. She raised her eyebrows in a way that said, “See?” Beth squinted her eyes narrowly and shot her a look, but it did nothing to wipe the look off Devon’s face, the smirk only widened. Nicola’s stomach growled. Beth had caught her just before lunch, Nicola had made a point of telling her. “Oof,” Nicola complained. “God, I am hungry. Some nerve, you’ve got, making me do this before eating. Look, you’ve got two days til the videos and paperwork get physically picked up for external markin, so you’re really pushing it.” “Physically?” “Yep. Saturday they get picked up. The external markers are really pissed off about coming in on a Saturday. The things this department has done for you late comers, it’s ridiculous. Not to mention all the work that’s gone into this bloody film screening. Your film won’t get admitted to that now.” Beth folded her arms. “Well there’s no way I can pass this.” Nicola looked right at her. “Maybe if you’d turned up to lessons you could’ve had more time, but now we’ve gotta work with what we’ve got.” She pronounced words spitefully, as if Beth’s work was trash. She stopped, noticing Beth’s face. “Are ye upset?” 2  “No,” Beth said, her voice cracking. “I just...if I fail this year, I have to stay on and redo the year and...” “Ya really don’t wanna do that, do ya?” Nicola broke in excitedly. “You wouldn’t like that?” Beth looked down. She wouldn’t admit that. Not to her. Nicola’s eyes flicked down, irritated. She sighed. “How do you think you did in the exam?” “Fine. Exams are easy.” Nicola snorted. “A lotta smug students talk like that. Then they end up not where they wanna be.” “I’ve just always found them easy. I’m pretty sure I did good.” “Well what if you’re wrong?” Nicola raised her voice abruptly, as if something in her head had snapped. “Ye need to pull your coursework through. And tell Amber to get her act together too. The two of you have been buggering around all year, and I blame you for that. You might think you’ve done well in the exam but I spoke to Amber and she does not. Stop holding each other back, Beth. Yav got til Fridee, and ye better turn ye work in early, cos am not stayin all night.” “I’m gonna cut it out. I’m gonna cut it all out.” “Ye think you’re the only one in this mess? In my office there’s a file full of all of you late buggers' work. The department looks shit because of this. It reflects on me worst of all.” Beth gritted her teeth. All about you isn’t it, bitch. 3  Greewwwlll. Nicola put her hand on her stomach. “Oooh. Reet, I need to stick a jacket potato in the microwave.” She stood up, She then took out her keyset, fiddled with the long silver key. She looked down at Beth and flashed her a knowing smile. “I hope this was helpful for you,” she said. Not at all. You never helped me. “Well done on yours, Devon,” Nicola said on the way out. “It’s ready.” “Thanks Nicola,” Devon replied, smiling sweetly, only for Beth’s benefit. She picked her things up and walked slowly out, in a satisfied swagger, arms still folded. Devon stopped at the door only to flash Beth another knowing look. “Good luck, Beth,” she said smarmily. Beth stuck a finger up at her, and Devon giggled. Beth didn’t have the energy to retort. She stared at the screen for a while after Devon had left. She felt angry, down, and heavy. * Beth’s calves were cramped by the time she made it to the bottom of the staircase. It exhausted Beth every time she made the trip. Everyone in the college complained about the pre-refurbed building. “Temporary,” Nicola had been saying since the start of the course. But no work had begun yet. The media department was battered, secluded and cold. It had its own staff office and classroom system and was isolated from the college. Directly across from the bottom of the staircase was the fire exit. The only exit from the building, and one that everyone now had to use. When Beth touched the handle a sick feeling took her. She turned and dashed down the corridor. As she ran, the corridor stretched out endlessly. Two thirds of the way down were the 4 bathrooms, girls and boys. The two bathrooms were right next to each other. They seemed so far away when you needed them right away. Beth whipped into the girls' bathroom and ran to the sink. Taps on. Cold water sloshed. Beth placed her arms either side of the sink and panted. Her face in the mirror. Green eyes marked with brown, hair straight, dark, tied up, and defined, expressive eyebrows. The feeling went away slowly. Feeling faint, she dashed through the stall door, put the toilet seat down and sat on it. The bathroom was cold and draughty, the cold porcelain cut through her black tights. She thought about the rest of the day. The classes that were still to come. She couldn’t do this. Not now. She went to her car, climbed in and sat for a while. She took her phone and made the call. Jess had been bitching about Nicola a lot lately. If there was one person to get insight into the real state of things, it was her. “Jess, hey,” Beth said when Jess answered. Beth was a little tearful. “Can I ask you something?” “I got a minute before class, but sure,” Jess was warm and friendly as usual. “How was your screening?” “She ripped it to shreds,” Beth told her. “And I spent my whole weekend on it.” “Oh really?” Jess said, shocked. “But...but how?” “I mean, she was really mean and weird about everything. You saw my film. Was it that bad?” “Nicola’s been in a bad mood lately. I don’t know. The deadlines are stressing her out.” “So why’s she gotta take it out on me?” 5  “She’s pissed because she’s having to stay late on Friday night and mark latecomers.” “She’s gonna fail me, Jess. Everyone’s off to Uni. What the hell am I gonna do if I don’t go? And that Friday, that’s meant to be our night, Jess. Amber and me were gonna meet up with everyone and get drunk, which is fucking pointless if we’re both miserable.” “That Nicola, I swear down,” Jess spoke slowly, confidentially, as if admitting something reserved for someone else. “She’s making it miserable for all of us right now.” “What do you mean?” Jess sighed. “I guess the door’s open a crack now. She does this thing where she predicts people low and exaggerates their flaws so that they rework things, do better than expected, and it makes her look like a college hero. You know? She’s on my back too, telling me to work everyone harder. The media department rep is in the toilet right now, so one more bad term and...well, let’s just say there could be consequences.” “What kind of consequences?” “Like, someone could go.” “Not…” Beth stuttered. “Not you though, Jess?” “Let’s not go there for now, Beth. It’ll be fine. Totally fine. Look, as Nicola’s colleague, which is all I seem to be to her lately, I shouldn’t bitch more than I already have. But I’ll have a word with her about it. Could be difficult. We’re not on good terms right now. But I’ll try.” 6  Beth exhaled, relieved. “Thanks Jess. I’ll owe you.” She put her phone down and then away. She stared through the windscreen for a while, and then someone knocked on the window. It was Devon. She had her bag hooked on her shoulder and she was leaning down to look through the glass. She was smirking. Beth sighed and rolled the window down. “What?” Beth snapped. “Wow, that was harsh. She really didn’t like it, did she?” “What do you want, Devon?” “I just wanted to, like, let you know that Amber has my bag still. So, if you could just, like, let her know so that she can drop it off? Thanks sweety.” Devon sauntered off. Beth leaned out of the window. “Why don’t you just tell her yourself, you wimp!” Devon turned on her heels and laughed. A cackle full of superiority. “Cos I don’t talk to people like her,” she said, and walked off, head high, her ego leading the way. * After she’d taught her last class of the day, Jess turned the key in the lock of classroom B, and shut the room up for the night. It was a pain in the arse. Every single room had to be locked nightly now. It was Nicola’s rule. And there was a lot of work to do. She found Nicola in the office, tapping on her keyboard. Her long, painted nails echoing off of the keys. Jess was nonplussed as to how Nicola typed so fast with nails that size. Jess knocked on the door. Nicola looked round. 7  “Hey hey,” Jess said. Last time they spoke had ended in an argument, so Jess took the friendly and upbeat approach. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” “Yah,” Nic said flatly, typing. Sat up straight. Her back to Jess. Nicola was conventionally pretty, her face bouldered with defined features - large teak eyes highlighted with black outliner. She had striking lashes, and plump lips, full cheeks, with defined dimples. If one person didn’t need makeup, it was her. She was tall, with long, sturdy legs. Last week her hair had been bright blond, now it was dyed dark, and it hung to her shoulders. It was tied up now though, hair clips and all. Jess could smell Nicola’s perfumes as she got closer. When Jess had lived with Nicola at Uni, Nicola had been gregarious and full of energy. Made friends all over the place, dated many guys. But that was a long time ago. Jess never saw her fun side anymore. “Jest one minute. Urgh. Come on, come on.” Clack clack clack. “What’s up?” “I need to get into me bloody emails....” “Did you try every password? Like, every password?” Nic refreshed the page and entered text in the ‘sign in’ boxes. “Okay, please now. Jess, ya don’t have to knock, ya know.” “Yeah, I know.” Jess replied. But somehow she felt that she did. She walked in and hung Classroom B’s key on the empty hook. As she did it, the key cast a shadow on the felt. “Wondered if I could pick your brains about Beth. Her film?” 8 ​ “Oh, before I forget,” Nicola raised a finger, her nail looking like it was about to burst the air between Jess and her. “The film competition on Saturday. We both need to make an appearance.” “How come?” “Them,” Nicola said. “They wanna see us involved, engaged, so we’ve both got to be there. Here’s how it’s gonna go down. You’ll introduce me, and I’ll come and say a few words before we get going. Okay? This is it, Jess, no risks. We’ve gotta show them that we’re doing right on this course.” Here’s how it’s gonna go down. As if the whole thing had been her idea. But knowing what she had to ask, Jess swallowed this down. “Sure.” “Okay. Oh and, Bertie’s gonna be on our table.” “For real?” Nodding, her tongue brushed her white teeth, spark of amusement in her teak eyes. “Flirty Bertie. Guess he heard about me and Darren fallin out. And so away he flirts.” “You two still aren’t talking?” “That’s right,” Nicola sparked. Then Nic went quiet. Her face went stern. Like she’d remembered who she was talking to. She spoke flatly. “Did you want something?” “It’s just…” the words stopped in Jess’s throat. This was a bad idea. Terrible, maybe. But she wouldn’t know until she said it. “I wondered if Beth could do with another pair of eyes on her film?” 9  “Okay. Why?” “Making her go back and reshoot when she most likely made up marks in the exam? It seems a bit harsh.” Nicola went silent. Her eyes were direct and expectant. Nothing but the buzzing of the computer behind her. “So because she’s your friend, she gets special treatment?” “No, it’s just…” “What about the other students? Bustin their arses all year to get where they wanna go. Why should she get a free ride?” “I just mean a second opinion, that’s all.” Nicola clicked, and slammed the space bar. “That girl has got you wrapped right round her finger, hasn’t she? Jess, that girl missed so many classes this year. One time, she didn’t show up, then on the same day I saw her at the bus stop with that friend of hers, messin about. Amber, with the freckles. She’s not gettin a free ride, Jess. Neither of em are. Not after this year.” “I’m not saying go easy on her, just let me take a look. Give her some guidance. Her options...” Nicola’s stomach growled audibly and she put her hand to it. “A didn’t get a chance to eat today cos of her. Comin to me for advice last minute. Tell me this, why didn't she come earlier?” Nic shook her head, sighed. Then she said it, staring past her computer as she did, a far away look in her eyes. Her words were careful and passive aggressive. “Ya know what always pissed me off back in the day? The ones who partied it up til three in the morning and then swanned in and aced exams. I worked 10 my arse off to do well, Jess, and this Beth bitch can do it with her eyes closed? The other latecomers are in this situation because they’re lazy, this girl is just...No. It shouldn’t be easy for her, and it won’t be.” The emotion in Nicola’s voice, the way it cracked at the end, said it all, and it shocked Jess. It’s about me, Jess realised. She’s taking her anger for me out on Beth. And once again Jess remembered Nicola exploding at her at Uni that time, for getting better marks than her in the exam, after Nicola had stressed night after night revising. “You don’t deserve to do better than me,” Nicola had said. The words still rang in Jess’s head to this day. Nicola had really meant them. Jess chose her next words very carefully. “Look, Nic,” she said. “It’s obvious you have a problem with Beth, so why not just let me deal with her? Doesn’t that take the pressure off? Hell, I’ll deal with all the latecomers. Then you don’t have to, you won’t even have to speak to Beth.” Nicola sat there, thinking, almost like she was considering it. Then she levelled a stare at Jess, almost smirking. Her lashes were long and the eyes behind them amused. “A can see right through you,” she said. “Thanks for the offer, Jess, but no. Here’s what we’re gonna do.” She spoke officially, as if pronouncing a stone rule. “From now on I, and only I, am permitted to mark Beth’s or Amber’s work. Is that clear?” Her face was straight, her teak eyes serious behind the long black lashes. It was like she had been botoxed. Control was all she wanted, Jess realised. “But, Nic. If you let me do it, you won’t have to stay late on Friday...” 11  “Okay, so when I’m forced to tell the board that the only reason Beth passed is cos her special little friend Jess works in the department, what happens then?” Nicola was looking at Jess. Jess searched her face, looking for a crack of amusement. There wasn’t one. Once she saw it, Jess could barely form words. “You...you’d do that? After everything…” After all these years, everything we’ve been through. “You realise you could get me fired like that, with everything going on?” Nicola blinked. “I’d have no choice. So really, it’s up to you, isn’t it?” I don’t recognise you anymore, Jess thought. I don't even know who you are. Jess didn’t realise it had gotten to this point, and couldn’t remember how. Instead of saying anything strong like this, she quietly said, “Okay, fine. Just promise me you’ll give her all you’ve got.” In a voice, Nicola said: “With the time we’ve got.” Abruptly, Nicola stood up. Jess didn’t understand. Nicola’s makeup was perfect, her eyes gorgeous, and her figure curved, conventionally sexy, and yet she spoke straight, flat, without a flavour of fun at all. “Oof, all this discussion is makin me hungrier,” she said. “I’m gonna stick me jacket potato in now. Tuna or beans, which do ya reckon? Definitely cheese though. Ha!” Nicola danced off excitedly. At the kitchen door she stopped, turned around, and said, “Unless you’ve got more things to waste my time with?” “Just go.” Jess heard the sound of Nicola’s heels as Nicola went across the office and into the kitchen. Nicola’s bangles jingled as she pushed the door open. 12  Jess waited for the microwave noise to start before opening her phone and calling Beth. That microwave, it was so loud, there was no way Nicola could hear her. When Beth answered, Jess apologised profusely. Told her how impossible it was. That her work was embargoed. It hurt Jess deeply to say it all, but perhaps there was more she could do? Perhaps. And then Jess made the promise. That if there was anything she could do to help, she would do it. “There’s one thing,” Beth said. “Could you…” “Yes, Beth,” Jess said. She was certain of it. “But make sure you keep it down.” * Nicola backed up, against the door, folded her arms. That girl, she thought. She listened intently. Faintly, over the sound of the microwave, she heard Jess talking. “Keep it down,” she heard her say. Strange. Who on earth did she need to call right now, after that discussion? Nicola tapped her nails against the kitchen top. She thought about making another rule. One that would make it impossible for Jess to sneak around like she did. The cheat. She looked at her nails for a while, thinking, and then she went over to the microwave. * Beth stared at the storyboards. Jess’s words echoed through her head. I’m sorry, Beth, Nicola’s embargoed your work, Amber’s too. Your only choice is to do your best. 13  She got out the blank storyboard sheet and started filling it in. There was a lot to do, and not a lot of time. She tried to remember Nicola’s suggestions. Had she even made any? Beth couldn’t remember her saying anything specific. I’ll turn the volume right up when I play it back to her, she thought, so she shits herself watching it. She looked at the suggestions that Jess had sent to her. “Keep it down,” she had said, and Beth had promised to do so. The next day Beth arrived at Amber’s house. She went in through the back garden, dropping the tripod and camera bags there. Then slyly she opened the kitchen door, crept through the kitchen and found Amber sitting at the dining table. She was dressed in skin coloured shorts. Her legs were long, sturdy, and smooth, like they were freshly picked from a mannequin. Beth came up behind her, got inches close to her ear and whispered: “Boo.” To avoid being headbutted, she moved away from Amber’s jerking head. Amber’s tea flew out of the mug and landed with a splosh on the table. When Amber turned she was red in the face. And she leapt up. Beth danced back and closed the glass kitchen door on her angry friend, holding it there. Amber pounded at the glass. Beth stuck her tongue out at her and when Amber got angrier, Beth giggled. “Jesus Christ, Beth,” Amber cried. “I nearly shat my pants!” Beth laughed. “Woah. Shame. I’ll try harder next time, then.” “You’re such a troll. For fuck’s sake, how do you do that?” “I don’t know. Sneakiness is just built into me.” “I wish it wasn’t.” “Anyway. Proper hello. Heyy, hon.” Beth opened the door and hugged Amber. 14  Beth’s arms were bare, legs bare. She wore summer clothes, short white shorts tight on her ass with a large belt around her middle. As Beth reached her arms around Amber, she felt her own thong creep up her backside a little. “Yeah, yeah.” Rolling her eyes, Amber returned the hug. She had long blond hair and freckles, and a small firm frame. “Ready for today?” Beth said. “I can’t be arsed, Beth. It’s gonna go on forever.” “I know. And you seem so tired. Tea to wake you up?” “Yeah sure,” Amber handed her the mug. “Seeing as you ruined the first one.” Good. Bethmade the tea. Amber was hard to wake up. Sometimes even harder to motivate. Taking out the baggie Beth snook a look over her shoulder, saw that Amber was well out of range, smirked to herself and then tipped the caffeine powder into one of the mugs. She took the spoon and stirred it until it dissolved. She handed Amber the spiked one, masking her amusement as her friend started drinking it. “Soo,” Beth said. “How’s your film going?” “Oh, don’t even get me started,” Amber said. Her eyes were clear blue, in her unblemished face, and they rolled as she told the story. “Jess said it was good last week, then yesterday, Nicola saw it, and she said I gotta buck my ideas up, and try again, whatever that means, that it had to be better to make up for the exam, which she thinks I did badly in. I mean, I did do badly in it, I’m fucking certain, but... Oh, and she said to stop hanging out with you.” “What?” Beth gasped. “I know. She said you’re holding me back. Wish she would just back off.” 15  “She needs to just fucking mind her business. It’s literally none of her business who your friends are.” “That’s what I said. I was so angry. Then she said she was disappointed in me this year, like I care. Jesus Christ, if it wasn’t for that fucking exam I’d be fine right now. So like, the film’s gotta be really incredible or I gotta resit.” “With me, it’s literally the opposite,” Beth explained to her, leaning onto the table, sitting there. She folded her arms. “My film’s wank, but I’m pretty sure I aced the exam. Jess said it was okay, but Nicola gets the final word. I’m literally so sick of this.” Amber shook her head. “All right for some. I will literally die if I don’t go to Uni. Will’s waiting for me. Plus, end of term is gonna be the best night out ever. We can’t miss that.” Beth looked right at Amber, her eyes big and serious, intense. “Oh, I won’t let that happen, babes. No matter what.” * About half an hour later Amber was wide awake. She and Beth were in the garden opening the tripods. Amber held her hand out and it was shaking slightly. She was struggling to assemble the tripod. “You,” Amber said. “I know you’ve done something. Why do I feel so...so jittery and mental?” Beth put a finger on her cheek and said in a voice, “Why? What did I do?” When Beth stuck her tongue out at her, Amber leapt at her, wrestled her to the ground and pinned her there. Beth laughed. Worked every time. 16  “I swear to God, Beth, stop laughing, it pisses me off.” “It pisses you off badly, doesn’t it? All right, take this then...Ha.” Amber twisted her arm. “Okay, okay,” Beth laughed. “I put caffeine pills in your drink.” ​ “Why?” Beth laughed. “To wake you up.” “Fuck off. I’ll pour laxative in yours next time. That’ll wake you up.” Beth giggled. “That the stuff that gives you diarrhoea?” she exclaimed, amazed. “You have that?” “My mum’s got a whole bottle of it. It makes you shit like you won’t believe.” “Does it work?” Beth asked casually. Amber smiled. “It’s NASA level stuff. One capful and you’ve got the major shits all day. And it totally doesn’t taste of anything. I spiked my sister once,” Amber’s ocean eyes went big as she told the story. “I only used half a cap. When it kicked in she like, completely stopped what she was doing, bent over, grabbed her tummy, yelled and ran to the bog holding her bum. I didn’t see her again properly for like, days.” Amber smiled. Beth laughed. “I’d love to do that to someone. Make them shit themself. But like, properly shit their pants. Maybe I’ll spike you one day, haha.” “You won’t laugh when it’s you,” Amber said. Beth smiled smugly, “It won’t ever be me. I don’t get got, Amber.” Amber folded her arms. “We’ll see about that.” 17  They filmed Amber’s project for two hours. It’s going well, Beth found herself thinking, over and over. Very well. Eventually Beth asked if they could switch over and do Beth’s shots for a while, as it had been a long while on Amber’s project, and Amber agreed. “But we have to come back to it,” Amber said, and Beth agreed. But by the time they were done shooting Beth’s bits, they were both knackered. “Quick glass of red,” Beth said, folding the tripod down. “Then back to it?” Amber gave Beth a look. “Just one,” Beth promised, almost pleading, and Amber sighed. Time blurred. Beth was lying on the sofa, and Amber was up and pacing with her fifth glass in hand. Beth’s head was spinny and she couldn’t stop giggling. “Fuck, I’m wankered,” said Amber. “Amber,” Beth slurred, head hanging over the sofa. “Do you still have the keys?” “Oh my God,” Amber said. “Of course.” “Can I see them?” “If I find them,” Amber stood up uncertainly and disappeared upstairs. She came back down carrying a trinket box which she passed to Beth. “You keep them in a box?” Beth said. “Well I don’t know what to do with them.” Beth took one out and twiddled it preciously in the air. “This one’s yours.” “Why do you like them so much?” “I dunno. Reminds me of school days.” 18  They were the same keys that all the companies used, apparently. Jess had told them that they were identical to the ones in the media building once, almost mistaking one of Beth’s for her own. Beth had laughed at her. That’s mine, she’d said. Presently, Amber said: “Well when you find somewhere to hang them, let me know.” * Beth woke suddenly. Her head was pounding. The room was dark and Amber was gone. She straightened up, rubbed her head. Ow, ow, ow. She sat up and stayed still. The last thing she remembered was twiddling the keys in the air. She looked at her phone. 5AM. She got up and traipsed up the stairs, and into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the cabinet mirror. Her chin, cheeks and nose were robust in a pretty way. Beautiful, many had called her, she didn’t feel it right now. She opened up the cabinet. A large green plastic bottle was sitting there. On the label it read: Laxative. Maximum strength. Beth chuckled, gripped it, turned it around and read the back. This product will cause severe abdominal cramping, acute flatulence, and diarrhoea if guidelines are not followed and the appropriate dosage complied with. Only to be used in the severest cases of constipation. Beth giggled. This was literally amazing. No wonder Amber’s sister had been screaming on the toilet seat for such a long time. Beth laughed and closed the door. When the time came Beth went upstairs and stood by Amber in her bed. “Amber,” she said. “Amber.” Amber woke groggily. Rubbed her eyes. “My head hurts too much for this.” 19  “We gotta finish your film.” Amber groaned. “It’s so early.” “We’ve only got today left. Bitch, get uup.” Amber lay back. Her eyes went from closed to completely closed, and she started to snore. Beth shook her, but Amber didn’t move. * It had been a long day for Jess, Nicola could see it in her. So much that Nicola decided to make Jess check the doors she had locked up, and then double check them. When Jess left to do it, Nicola walked over to Jess’s desk and picked up Jess’s phone. Jess’s passcode, Nicola had sussed out. She’d watched Jess unlock it many times. Nothing gets past me, Nicola thought, typing it in happily. She opened Jess’s messages and saw… Nicola’s heart sped up excitedly. That...that liar. So it is true. She heard Jess coming down the stairs. Nicola quickly put the phone back in the exact position as she’d found it and sauntered casually back to her own desk. She sat down straight in her chair, and swivelled around to face Jess. Jess walked in, picked up her coat, phone, and bag, and grumpily said goodbye. “I think you got a message,” Nicola said tartly, her arms folded. “Your phone went off.” Jess picked up the phone and looked at it. “Anything I should know about?” Nicola asked, turning slightly. Jess kind of shook her head. Nicola stopped her when she tried to leave. 20  Jess turned at the door, visibly annoyed. “What is it?” she said, there were bags under Jess’s eyes. Nicola had worked Jess so much harder than normal today. Harder than anyone, and it showed. Jess can’t handle it, Nicola thought. Just like I thought. “Anything you wanna tell me?” Nicola said. She kept her face straight, so that Jess would never know how good this felt. “Anything at all?” Jess lowered her eyebrows, and shook her head. “I just wanna go home, Nic.” “I know you do. But you’re not going, not just yet. Not until I let you. I just need to know that you’re on my side here, Jess. With the exam board, anything could happen. Anyone could face disciplinary action if something goes wrong. And I need to know that you’re not gonna let anything go amiss. That you’re gonna follow the rules.” Jess shrugged. “Yes.” “So, is there anything? Anything at all?” “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I’ve got a long day tomorrow and it’d be nice to sleep at some point.” “You’re right, it is gonna be a long day. Have a good night, Jess.” Jess huffed and then left. Nicola typed on her keyboard, listened as Jess descended the stairs, and only then, did Nicola allow herself to smile. FInally. Finally! She hoped that Jess did sleep well. Because it was the last sleep she would have with a secure job. The last comfortable sleep for a long, long while. Because Nicola finally, finally had her. And it had. Nicola ran the department. And as much as Jess fought it, Nicola would soon be in charge of everything. Then she would go on and climb the ladder 21 higher and higher, leaving Jess in the dust. Nicola wanted it more than those girls wanted to go to Uni. Nothing had been more infuriating than Jess doing better than Nicola in the exams. In fact, it was a joke that Jess even worked as a tutor at all. Perhaps one day, after all of this was over, and Jess was desperate, Nicola would hire her as a cleaner or something. Yes, Nicola thought, amused. When she’s scrubbing the toilets, then she’ll see. She typed on her keyboard and smiled. Tomorrow will make up for all of it. It was going to be a long day. The first of many long, wonderful days, and Nicola couldn’t wait. * At 4:30 on Friday, Beth walked across the path to the Media building. She went through the fire door. For the last time, she hoped. She got to the top of the stairs to the open classroom. She heard Nicola’s voice as she ascended. Beth found her in the classroom, and was talking enthusiastically to a class full of people. They looked like students for next year. Students who might take the media course next year. Nicola was standing straight, proud, pacing back and forth like she always did, with the digital mouse in her right hand, her black blazer tight around her back. ​ “...because who’s to say that ya can’t analyse films to the same extent as people do with books?” Nicola was saying. “The world needs to realise that you can. There is just as much depth in a film as a book...” 22  Nicola stopped talking when Beth knocked. Nicola turned, saw Beth and her face lifted excitedly. Nicola lifted her finger, then reached and closed the door on her. Beth waited. Muffled, through the door: “Now, onto the next point. Media is prevalent with phones. Without our phones, we get left in the dark, and we lose out. So everyone, never let your phone die. I don’t know what I'd do without mine.” Ten minutes or so passed. Then another ten. Nicola was keeping her waiting. Beth went down the creaking wooden stairs. She knocked on the staff room door to see if Jess was in. No answer. She pushed the door open and saw that nobody was there. She found Nicola’s keyset and pens on the desk directly ahead of the door. The large, varnished mahogany desk with multiple computer monitors and ample space. At the opposite end of the office, next to the bins and a broken window, was a small, cramped desk, on which was a phone. Beth went up to it. It was Jess’s phone. Jess’s desk, she thought, with shock. Jess, you deserve way better than this. Beth turned, placed her USB stick down on Nicola’s desk, grabbed a paper and pen and wrote on it: Beth’s trailer. She went through the door behind the desk and found that it led straight to the kitchen, and that it too was empty. No Jess. On the kitchen top was a Kale salad and a packet of crisps. She went through a second door and found that it led straight round to the stairs again. This building was weird. As she left the office a voice echoed down at her. Beth looked up. Nicola was leaning on the bannister on the floor above, looking down on Beth. Poking through her cheeks was the beginning of a sharp smirk, barely contained. “Got yer,” Nicola said. She wore 23 straight tight black trousers and a red shirt, fastened firmly around her middle with a large belt. Beth incited towards the office. “I left it there. It’s done.” “And who gave you permission to go in there, exactly?” Nicola leaned over, and smiled. Daring Beth to answer. Beth made a face. “Sorry,” she said. ​ Nicola looked at her phone. “You’ve left it very late, you know. I’ll see what I can do, but I don't know.” Beth’s heart started to race. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” “I mean, I don’t know.” Nicola folded her arms. “It’s late.” “But I did everything you asked.” “Hmm,” Nicola paused. For longer than normal. She seemed to be taking pleasure in this. “The other latecomers get priority, am afraid. So if I run out of time...well, al just have to hand in your previous film. Av sweated enough over you latecomers.” Nicola had the same unmoving face as when she had viewed Beth’s film the other day. As if the fact that Beth had gone to all this effort to make Nicola’s changes changed nothing. Nicola started back up the stairs. Everything darkened. Beth was stunned. She stepped forwards, the words burst out of her: “You can’t do this!” Nicola turned, without stopping her ascent. Raising her arms in a concerted manner. “It’s tha rules, Beth. It’s out of my hands.” “But...it’s your job. You have to.” 24  Nicola shook her head, leaned on the bannister. “Aye have to, do I? Funny. Remember when ye came to me? Ya were desperate to get to Uni. Not to retake the year. Well, if ya really cared you’d have got your work in earlier.” ​ Beth yelled, “But you’re the one who made me reshoot it.” Nicola laughed, her shoulders moved with the motion. “I didn’t make you do anything,” she said. “I just told you your work was shit, which it is.” “Nicola. You’d better do it. Or else. I’ll get you.” Nicola leaned forward and smirked. “What are you gonna do?” “You think you’re sweating now? Just wait. I’ll make you sweat.” “You can’t do anything to me. Best just hope you did as well in the exam as you think you did then.” Nicola allowed the smirk to come through fully. She folded her arms, and walked off. ​ Beth clenched her fists. Creak, creak, creak. Off Nicola went. Taking Beth’s future with her. Beth grabbed the bannister and kneed it hard. She thought viciously. She wasn’t a vicious person. But Nicola was making her one. Then she stood, panting, not knowing what to do. She was so upset, she marched down the stairs and across the hallway, pushed on the bathroom door. Went in. To the sink. Taps on. Slosh. And she wept. She cried. Until it all had come out of her. Then she was just leaning on the sink, her emotions drained. She left the building defeated. * Jess locked her classroom up for the night. Thank God, she thought. It had been a tough final day. She tucked her folders under her arm - a few final markings to file, and a few things to sort for the film award, the prize, mainly. It was a great prize, 25 genuinely great - and pulled the key out of the door. She creaked down the stairs and entered the staff room. As Jess entered, she was welcomed by Nicola, who was sitting squarely on the desk in front of her, with her arms folded, looking more comfortable and satisfied than Jess had ever seen her. She held a phone in her hand. Nicola snapped it shut and said, “Got some good friends, haven’t they?” “What are you talking about?” “Been sharing some ideas with Beth, have we? Throwin some suggestions at her?” Jess was taken aback for a moment. Then she quickly became angry. “Is that my phone? What are you doing, snooping on my phone? How dare you.” “Snooping?” Nicola made a face and put on a voice, leaned comically. “Oh, ah feel so bad.” “Don’t be sarcastic with me, Nicola. That’s a serious invasion of my privacy.” Nicola smiled. “Well, don’t expect an apology. Cos you’ve been havin quite the correspondence with the girl, and it shows. She did everything you suggested in her film.” “Her film?” Jess looked at Nicola’s monitor. Beth’s film was paused on the screen. “What the fuck are you accusing me of, Nicola?” “A few words spring to mind. But we’ll let the College board decide, won’t we?” “You wouldn’t.” 26  “I’ve every right, Jess.” Nicola adjusted her arms, and looked at Jess. That straight face. “Even if that was warranted, which it isn’t, I’d make a case myself. That you were working the girl so unreasonably hard, that she needed it.” Nicola folded her arms. “You do that. But I think you know, that won’t fly. Plus, who are they gonna listen to? The faculty leader, or you?” Jess froze, and saw Nicola for the first time. The look on Nicola's face. Her cheeks, eyes and lips were all bunched up in a controlled way. She exuded the desire for control. But Jess knew Nicola was right. They would fire Jess, not Nicola, over this. Jess gritted her teeth, trying not to let Nicola know it was getting to her. Nicola breathed in. Her breasts raised up, nipples poking out of her black shirt as if she was getting off on this. And Jess knew that she was. She hid behind a stone face, but Jess knew. Nicola said, “Well, that settles that, then. On Monday, I am putting this forward for review. Then we’ll see who’s doin better, won’t we?” Nicola walked across the office and sat down firmly in the swivel chair. Playfully, sarcastically, she said, “Enjoy the weekend, Jess.” Nicola pulled out her phone and started typing intently into it. “What are you doing?” Jess demanded to know. “Messagin those two little friends of yours, Beth and Amber. They deserve to know that their work isn’t gettin marked. That they need to get nice and comfortable in this place, with me, for a whole more year. They should know now, shouldn’t they? So they’ve got time to get used to it.” 27  “But it’s the end of term night tonight. You can’t do this to them. Not now.” “I think that’s a perfect time to tell them. And don’t even think about it,” Nicola held up a finger, the nail so long it was like it pierced the air. “You can’t get to their work. I’ve locked it upstairs, so you can’t touch it.” She smiled. Jess was so furious she couldn’t move. Nicola looked up again and she said, “Look, a caught yous all fair and square, Jess, so you can get as angry as you want.” Her eyes were really smiling now, as if she wasn’t even bothered about hiding it anymore. Jess’s words came out somewhat shaken. “You’re actually gonna do this to me?” “I’m sorry, Jess, but this kind of behaviour is unacceptable in our department, and maybe on the dole you can learn that. I mean, what would have happened if they caught you, and then found out I never told them, eh? Now here’s what happens now,” she held her finger up. “Get your things, gather em up, and go. But before ya go home, you have one more job. Pop to the shop and get me some food. Get it, bring it back, and then go home. That clear? I’ll handle everything else from here, including that stupid film thing tomorrow. Thanks for that, as well. As if I haven’t been here long enough.” No, Jess thought. Not that. Anything but that. She knew where this was going. “I organised that,” Jess snapped. “I did all the work.” “Well, I’ll be taking the credit for it.” “You can’t take that away from me. And you can’t dismiss me like that. Just because you run the department doesn’t make you my boss.” 28  “I think you’ll find that this is all appropriate. I can have the board explain it to you better though. They’ll be to the point in writing, I’m sure.” “I...you....” Jess trembled. “You…” “You’ll see. Now come on, av got work to do.” Nicola swivelled round in her chair. She was sat upright, more confident than ever, and it killed Jess to see it. She turned and stormed out. * Jess left the building slamming doors. Nicola was angry, but got a certain joy from Jess leaving. Nicola swivelled in her chair, and looked around the office. Soon, this entire place would be hers. And next year, she would make it so hard for Beth and Amber that they would fail. She jotted out a few ideas for this. She couldn’t wait. She wished it was now. Nicola tapped the desk with her nail. People who retook the year were not permitted to do so a third time. The only tricky part would be finding a way to make Beth and Amber both fail. * Beth's heart sank when Nicola’s message came through: Oh dear, girls. This came in far, far too late and there is nothing I can do for you now. Bye bye girls :) :p It hit Beth like a ten tonne truck. Anger, mostly. At the message, and the smileys at the end. But worse, the realisation. It was over. No university, not for either of them. Beth sat in the dark, staring through the car window. The road was lit by the yellow glow of streetlights. Quiet on the doorstep of Amber’s house. And just beyond the streets, town. Night out tonight. College friends celebrating the end of term. The end of it all. 29  Beth went inside. The house was dark. She found Amber on the edge of her bed in a silent anger. She was half-dressed for the night out. It made Beth sad. “Hon,” Beth said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” Amber shook her head, ripped Beth’s hand off. “Babes, what is it?” Amber pointed at her phone. Beth picked it up, typed Amber’s passcode in and read the message there. It was the same message from Nicola, but there was so much more in it. Beth read it and it sank into her terribly. She turned to her friend. “Hon,” she said, aghast, struggling to gather the right words. “I’m so sorry. I feel like this is my fault.” “It is your fault,” Amber spat. “You made me drink wine. You knew where that would lead. I shouldn’t’ve worked with you. Nicola was right.” The words hit Beth hard. She sat down on the bed and faced Amber, feeling the heaviness of it all. “Just tell me, what can I do?” Beth said. Amber just stared at the floor. “Nothing,” she said. “There’s nothing you can do now. Was what Nicola said true? Like, was it really your plan all along? To drag me down so that there’d be someone to keep you company when you resit the year?” “No, hon, of course not. She...she knows we’re friends. She’s trying to drive a wedge between us, and she’s loving it! Can’t you see?! Can we at least forget about this for a while? It’s the end of term night tonight,” she spoke desperately. “Our night.” 30  Amber looked up, shaking her head resentfully, as if Beth were audacious for even suggesting it. “Beth, are you kidding me? Without Uni, it’s pointless. I need to get in, Beth. God, I don’t even know if I want you here. Now or ever.” Beth felt the jolt. She swallowed back tears. “It’s all my fault, Amber.” “Not just you. But really, I don’t think we can be friends.” The finality was defined. Beth and Amber were quiet for a long long time. Both sitting with their heads hanging, the room cold. Blue. Beth got her stuff and started to leave, feeling nothing but defeat, and anger. The heaviness of her new life. She got as far as the door… And an idea began to materialise. She went silent, standing there, thinking it through. The refurb, the office, and how dark the office would be at this hour. Nicola was almost certainly stuck now that Beth had stolen her paperwork...and also...and also... An excitement took Beth over. She turned around and marched back upstairs. Into Amber’s room. One hand on the door, she said: “I’m gonna fix it for you, hon. Everything is gonna be fine. Just get ready.” Beth got up and made her way out of the room. “Why?” Amber said. “Why will it?” Beth took out her phone and walked through the door, “Just trust me,” she said. “I don’t get got.” Amber looked confused but somewhat hopeful. Beth typed into her phone and held it to her ear. She opened Amber’s wardrobe and started rifling through her stuff. 31  “Beth, what the hell are you doing?” Amber complained. “Jess,” Beth said, when Jess answered. “Have you left yet?” “No, Beth,” Jess sighed. She sounded almost as tearful as Amber. “And it’s time to pack it in. It’s over for all three of us.” “It doesn’t matter. Jess,” Beth couldn’t speak straight; she was so driven, excited. The solution was suddenly so clear. “Is Nicola in the office?” “She’s freaking.” Beth found them. A box of snappers. Beth picked them up and inspected them. “Oh really? Why’s that?” “Don’t get me started.” “Please tell me. I need a laugh.” Jess sighed. “She’s lost three of her marking works. We’ve looked everywhere for them and can’t find them, so she’s having to stay in and redo them. From scratch.” “So, she’s definitely stuck there? In the office?” Beth took the snappers and moved into the bathroom. “All night now, I imagine.” “And where are you?” “Car. Nicola’s demanding I pick her tea up. I told her to do one. I’m not doing her any favours.” Beth’s heart raced. “Jess, do it.” “Buy food for the girl who’s trying to get me fired? Are you kidding me?” “She’s what? Trying to get you fired?” 32  “We just had that talk. Basically by Monday I'm gonna be jobless. Jesus fucking christ, what the hell am I going to do?” Jess sounded distraught. “This job is my life.” “Oh,” Beth bristled. She felt angry. “Now I really have to do it.” “Do what?” “Jess, listen. I can help us. All of us, I mean. That means you too.” Amber perked up like a dog alerted to a curious noise. Her face asked the same incredulous question as Jess did. “How?” “Don’t worry about how,” said Beth. “Just let me into the office, and that’s all you have to do.” Jess laughed. “I see. You’re gonna try and sneak in and do it yourself, aren’t you? That’s insane. What if you get caught? Nic’ll shit a brick if she sees you.” Beth opened the medicine cabinet, and grabbed the laxative bottle. She turned it around and scanned it to reaffirm that it was as powerful as Amber had said. She read the label again. Severe abdominal cramping...acute flatulence...heavy diarrhoea. She laughed. “Oh, that’s true,” Beth spoke with certainty. “Well, you’re sneaky, that’s for sure. But if you do get caught?” “I won’t. Jess, about the building. I need to know a few things.” “Like what?” “Like, which doors are kept locked at night?” ​ “All of them.” “Pretty much or literally all of them?” “Well, yeah. Literally. That’s another thing I had to do today.” “And you did it? Like, every single door in the building?” 33  “Yes.” “Like, every door though?” “Yes, Beth.” ​ Her smile widened. Good. She took the bottle from the cabinet and closed the door. “And are there any spare keys? For the doors.” ​ “It’s a cheap refurb, so no. Beth...what are you planning?” “Oh, nothing,” she said in a voice. “Why would I be able to do anything? With a way of getting in, then just a password, someone could but never me. Anyway, if she’s gonna fire you, what does it matter?” Jess groaned, as if to say, all right, you win. “I trust you too much. Please, don’t make me regret this. Here you go.” Jess told her the computer password and Beth scribbled it down on her phone. ​ “Okay,” said Jess. “I’ll prop the fire door open, and I’ll leave the key for you. But Beth, this is important. Nicola can’t leave the building while you’re there, or you’ll be stuck in there until someone comes back in the morning, and then you’ll really be in trouble. Don’t let that happen. Nicola would absolutely love it if it did. I’m leaving you the one key...hers...I’ll lift it when I go back in. Don’t get caught, Beth.” ​ “Don’t worry,” Beth assured her. “Nicola’s gonna be way, way too busy to notice me. That’s where you come in. For her tea. You need to get her something nice and gassy.” “Gassy?” Jess was confused, incredulous. “You mean like, like…like...” 34  “Like exactly what you’re thinking,” Beth made a noise with her tongue to drive the point home. “The gassier the better, like tacos or better yet, baked beans...oh that would work so well, Jess,” she giggled with the possibility of it. “Please do it! Just trust me.” Amber mouthed the words Baked beans incredulously. Jess said, “Okay, okay. I’ll go to the offy, just a bit out of town. The branded beans they sell there are pretty gassy.” Beth giggled. “Good. They sound perfect.” “I just can’t see any purpose in it.” Beth smiled. “Well, I can.” “Is this gonna be bad for Nicola?” Jess asked. Resentment in her voice. Expressively, Beth said, “If I can pull it off - which I will - very.” “Then I’m good with it.” Beth did herself up good and proper in front of the mirror. She put on the tight, small fitting cheerleader outfit, which was complete with a top and a tiny blue dress. The bra she wore was tight and pushed her breasts together and accentuated them, and the short skirt did the same for her legs. The skirt was tight around her bum, wrapped tightly around its curve. Both items of clothing were navy blue, as was the eyeliner she put on, which brought out the sharpness in her hazel eyes. She wore makeup to perfectly contour her face. She picked the glossiest lipstick in the drawer, so that her lips looked like tight, self-confident tulips. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she cocked her hip and knew she’d got it right. She was having her end of year night out, no matter what. She wore three tog black stockings, which would 35 serve a purpose later. She did up and sprayed her hair. Put on white trainers, to match the cheerleader outfit. “Amber,” she said, marching back into Amber’s room fully ready. She held her hand out. “Keys.” “The keys?” Amber said, confused, still angry. “What for?” “I’ll tell you what for. For a nice big ha ha to Nicola.” Beth placed her finger on her cheek and expressed an intent for mischief with her tongue. Amber perked up, sniffling. “I like the sound of that,” she said. Then Amber noticed Beth. “Beth, you’re dressed like an absolute slut. Fancy covering anything?” “Not tonight,” Beth said. “And you better do the same,” Beth told her. “It’s our night.” She held her hand out, palm up. Beth smirked. “Now gimme the keys. I’ve found a place to hang them.” Amber handed Beth the trinket box. Beth remembered school and all the times they’d swapped lockers, all the heart to hearts they’d had in that corridor. It was the last time she’d see the keys. She shook them out of the box, and tucked them into her bra. “I hope you’re not throwing those away for no damn good reason,” Amber said. “Oh, I’m not.” There was a secretive smile in Beth’s voice. “Well, you’d better tell me what’s going on.” By the time Beth was done explaining her plan, Amber was markedly less icy. Laughing, too. “Now I get it. I’m totally game for this,” Amber said. “On one condition.” 36  Beth took Amber’s hand and looked her intently in the eyes. “Anything,” she said, in a voice full of meaning and intention. “Get some footage,” said Amber with just as much.”I wanna see that bitch get what she deserves.” “I will,” Beth raised her eyebrows and popped her tongue out. “Think I’d ever let you down about that, babes?” Beth parked up, and sat a while. She was nervous and had to amp herself up. Here we go, she thought. Time to make this right. For hurting Amber and for jeopardising Jess. She climbed out of the car and walked round to the fire doors. They were propped ajar with the cinder block. Sitting on top of the concrete was a key. Beth grabbed it. She then moved the cinder block and closed the door quietly behind her. She turned the key in the lock and then placed the key beneath her bra. One, she thought. Now nobody could get out but her. She slipped her shoes off, and put them to the side of the stairs, out of sight. Her stockings barely made a noise up the wooden stairs, and the way she patted her way up them smoothly, silkily, meant she got up the stairs without them creaking. When she got to the office door, she crouched down and put her eye to the keyhole. She looked straight through to Nicola’s desk. Clack clack clack. Angry typing. Nicola wore the same black blazer and tight smart trousers as before. Dark clothes, Beth thought. Her lucky day. By the end of 37 which, both would be ruined. One by sweat, and one by something worse. Beth giggled, thinking of it. Beth watched. She could just about make out Nicola’s computer screen, and it angered her. Nicola wasn’t working at all. She was typing into YouTube. Putting a video on, sitting back and watching. She looked very relaxed. No problem in the world. Well, she was about to have several. At one point, Nicola snickered, in the same way as when she’d watched Beth’s film. Beth glared and bristled. Okay, here we go. Don’t hold back, Beth. Do it for Amber. She threw the entire bag over the bannister and then quickly backed up into the shadows. CRAAACK! The clack of the keyboard stopped suddenly. Footsteps creaked along the floor. The office door flung open and Nicola strode out in her high heels, looking wary, confused. She walked forward and leaned over the bannister, looking down. Her black, tight trousers, blazer. Her bangles jingled. She looked down at the floor. And then she started down the stairs. The stairs creaked as she descended them. “Hello?” she said, her voice echoing. “Jess, that you?” She kept going and soon was far away enough. Beth flew soundlessly through the office door before it closed, took a left, into the kitchen. On the counter, by the microwave, was Nicola’s food, bought and opened by Jess. As promised, it was a tin of baked beans. Beth turned the tin around and grinned as she read the back. She unscrewed the bottle of laxative. Amber had spiked her sister with half a cap, and it had kept her on the toilet for days. Or was it a full 38 cap? Doesn’t matter. Beth tipped the bottle over the tin and poured it in like a waterfall. Vapour flew up at her in a powdery cloud and disappeared. She dumped the entirety of the contents in, patted the bottle, making sure that it all went in, and a mound of white powder emptied into the beans. How many caps was that, she wondered? Twenty two? Beth stuck her tongue out. Your tightass can take it, Nicola. She suppressed a giggle as she started to stir it in, some spilled over the top as she whisked it together. “Can’t mark anything when you’re on the toilet, can you?” she whispered, grinning. “Have fun explaining that to the board.” She stirred and stirred the beans. Careful and swift. There was so much powder. For a while Beth was worried that she’d put so much laxative in that it wouldn’t mix, but eventually the powder all disappeared and the beans looked untouched. Beth grinned widely and happily. Perfect. She tucked the empty bottle under arm and kept going. Now for the ha ha. She pushed the door open and swept across the office. She stopped at the felt board full of keys hanging on hooks. She scanned across the labels. Storage room #6, Classroom B. Rows and rows of keys. Where are they? She thought. Jess had said she’d locked every single door. There was no reason why the keys wouldn’t be here. Beth heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Nicola. Quick. She looked back and immediately saw them. Excitement jolted in Beth’s chest. The two toilet hooks were labelled ‘Girls’, and ‘Boys’. Gotcha, Beth thought, grinning. She plucked both of the keys from their hooks. Two, three she thought, as she picked one and then the other from the rack. She reached into her bra and took out the locker keys and slid them onto the hooks. One, and then the other. They landed, swinging, 39 totally indistinct from the others. Beth swapped the keys around, jumbling them a couple of random ones. Beth stepped back and folded her arms. She pushed her tongue into her top lip and smiled. Ha ha, Beth thought. Take that. The duds were still swinging when Beth crouched in the dark and tucked the toilet keys down her bra. They were cold against her breast. The swings of the locker keys slowed and slowed on the board, until finally they stopped still. No distinguishable difference between them and the others. Beth smiled smugly to herself, and waited. * Nicola pushed the door open and went into the kitchen. That sound. Had she imagined it? She didn’t know that, but she did know two things. First, she was starving. Second, these papers were not going to mark themselves. She picked up the tin and emptied the beans into a tupperware box, she then put the box in the microwave and set the microwave off. She felt impatient and angry. She should not be here tonight. She stamped her foot as the beans and potato cooked. “Ugh,” she groaned. At least she’d got one over on Jess. That was one positive. Perhaps she’d wake Jess in the middle of the night, and tell her to bring something she needed. But what? She’d think of something. Just to break the night up. One more job before she cut Jess loose forever. Aside from when she hired her as a cleaner. Nicola felt good, thinking about it. It really was the right place for Jess. She leaned against the kitchen top and folded her arms. She tapped her nails against the top. Ding! 40  She took the tupperware box out and poured the beans over her jacket potato. She threw the whole tub over it. She was going to be here for six more hours at least. Nicola sat down at her desk with a knife and fork. She cut the potato and stabbed it with the fork and shovelled the forkful of potato, salad and beans into her mouth. She moaned with the pleasure of it. “Oaaahh.” She hadn’t eaten in hours. She cut and stabbed the potato again, and took another mouthful. Delicious. She was full once she was done. Beyond full. In fact, she was perplexed at how she was digesting it. Her stomach churned as it did. It must’ve been ages since she’d eaten, she concluded. She finished what was left of the baked beans and washed them down with coffee. She stared at the screen. She held her slightly bulging stomach. “Oof,” she exhaled. She was so full. She rubbed her tummy. It was time to go back to the gym, she realised. Time to do it. Tonight was not about to get any worse. She would not let it. She stretched her fingers over the keyboard, and worked. * In the dark, Beth watched through the keyhole as Nicola ate. As Nicola took the first forkful, Beth had to put her hand on her face to stop herself from giggling. She cut and ate. Cut and ate. Keep going, Nicola, Beth thought. Nicola put the plate to the side and Beth saw that it was completely empty. Just a shallow puddle of sauce on the plate. Not a single one of the beans was left. She ate the whole thing, she thought, 41 stifling chuckles. Beth grinned and checked her phone. It was only 9:03PM. With luck, she’d be at the pub by midnight. Beth waited giddily in the dark, grinning. * 9:23PM. Nicola’s fingers slowed over the keyboard and she sat forwards in her swivel chair, tightening up more and more by the minute. For a while Nicola worked on…tapping, typing....Then suddenly she stopped altogether. She took her hand off the keyboard and clamped it on her stomach. She held it there and breathed deeply, her chest and breasts rising as she took deeper breaths. Looking worried, she muttered to herself. Her lips moved worriedly. Slowly, her face morphed into pain. She shuffled on her seat. Here it comes, Beth thought, readying herself. Wait for it, she told herself, watching intently. Wait for it. Nicola leaned forward and grunted. Her hands overlapped tightly on her crotch. Surprise embedded itself into her face. “Mmm. Oargh!” Yes! Beth pumped her fist. Nicola puffed her cheeks up like she was about to be sick, and then sprung to her feet, grunting. She pushed her chair back with her legs, swivelled around and bolted around the desk. She pulled the key off of the hook labelled Girls. As she pulled it down, she folded over and made a noise, cupping her hands over her bowels. “Eeeargh!” It was as plain as day. The beans were really kicking in. Beth pumped her fist gently and grinned. Ha! 42  Nicola breathed, then panted, then with a sudden look of extreme discomfort, urgency and clear understanding of what was happening to her, she whipped around and bolted to the door and flung it open and dashed through it. Everything until that moment had been a confusion, and she had been awaiting the next sensation. Now, she ran frantically, straight past Beth, with immediate and clear purpose. Beth was kneeling in the dark, giggling. The woodwork creaked heavily as Nicola ran. “Argh...Orgh! Eeeh! Eargh!!” Her grunts echoed in the stairway. The creaks and grunts faded, Beth stood up slyly, put her hands on the bannister and peered over, and watched. Nicola ran, bent over crookedly as she ran down staircase after staircase. Her calves would be killing her by now, Beth thought, amused. Beth got her phone out and filmed. She tapped the bannister with her fingertips and allowed herself to laugh. She’d have given anything to be able to stay and watch but she didn’t have time. Instead she decided just to enjoy this moment. Nicola held her backside firmly, just like Amber had said. Her face was urgent, pained. She swirled to the bottom floor and disappeared into the corridor with an echoing yell. Smirking smugly, Beth held her hand up, separated her fingers delicately and waved. “Bye bye, bitch,” she said, and giggled. “That’s what you get for messing with Amber.” Then she whipped around and went back into the office. She felt very, very satisfied. * Nicola sprinted crookedly down the corridor gripping her stomach. It was churning, bubbling, and cramping up tightly, bending her more crookedly with every step. The 43 weighted pressure was shooting down at her sphincter. She clenched her buttocks together and clamped her hand tightly on her lower back. “OH MY GOD!” she shrieked, as she dashed past light after light, “EEEH...ARGH!” She turned the key over in her hand as she approached the girls’ bathroom. She fiddled frantically with her belt. The corridor stretched on forever. Oh God, come on, come on, come on, why are you so far away?!! Her stomach was making urgent noises. Before she had even landed at the door, she was gripping the handle and shoving the key into the lock. Come on, come on, come on! She panicked and muttered to herself as she waggled the key. She twisted and turned the key. Harder and more forceful. But instead of sliding in like normal, it jammed, and with continued attempts it only got more and more stuck. Her bowels rumbled urgently. She rattled the key and pulled a face. Come on!! She gripped the hurricane in her belly. She clenched her crotch and buttocks. BLURGHGHGHG! Her bowels rumbled again with even more urgency. Her knuckles went white on the key and she yelled at it with wide, panicked eyes. When she screamed, its pitch tore through the building. “COME OOOON!!!” * Beth listened to the yells. She smiled, and held her breast. Oh, Nicola, that’s not where my locker is. Ha ha, sucks to be you. 44  Then Beth collected Nicola’s marking book, pens, and keyset off of Nicola’s desk and moved to the upper office door. She slipped the long silver key into the lock. Turned it to the left. It opened easily. It’s easy for me though, she thought smugly. I can open doors. She pushed the door wide open and went up the stairs, and the door closed behind her. As she sprang up the stairs, she heard a shrill and strained, “Ooooooh!” Ton désespoir m'amuse, Nicola. She kept moving. She could work fast, but could she rewrite an entire exam before Nic reached the toilet? Yes, she thought, with a great deal of satisfaction. I definitely can. Even if it takes all night. She licked her teeth and went on excitedly. * “Ooooooh!” Nicola shrieked, gripping her bum, digging her fingers in preventatively, centrally and dancing about. She yanked the key out with her other hand. She gripped it and stared angrily at it, questioning it with an exasperated, desperate expression. What is it...what the fuck is wrong with you!? Her bowels tightened like a fist, and then rumbled like a kettle. She held and wrestled them. “Oooooooh! EEARGH!” Men’s, she thought suddenly. Her only choice. She ran the length of the hallway as quickly as her stomach let her. She halted at the bottom of the stairs and floundered there. Steep. So very steep. They spiralled up above her. Her legs were like setting concrete as she waded up them. With one hand clasping her stomach and the other pulling herself up the staircase, it became an upheaval fast. Her legs cramped up and felt like steamrollers as she took cramped step after cramped step. 45 This staircase. THIS FUCKING STAIRCASE. It was like a dream where she couldn’t run fast enough. But it was real. Her stomach rumbled and cramped. With every passing second it became worse and worse, rising and rising like steam, while the feeling on her sphincter hardened like a rock. “Ooof, argh! EEEEFF. ArghAAH!” She pressed on. Her heart pounded. She made harsh, animalistic grunting noises as she ran up the stairs. Some came from the strain of the steps in her thighs and calves, others came from the inflating flatulence in her lower belly that was so very hard to control. She clenched every muscle as she made her way up the final stairs and around the corner and into the office. Her stomach was cramping more horribly than ever and now, so were her legs. She barged through the door, shambled across the room. She knocked her computer when she reached over it. She ripped the gents’ room key off of the hook, and the hook tore out of the felt board as she snatched it away. Just once more, she reassured herself, screaming internally. This time it will open, this time it will open. This time it will open this time it will open. The thought went round and round her head as she bent over crookedly, pulling a sour face that stretched and contorted in a parallel fashion with her bowels. She turned, and hobbled out of the room, grunting. Her intestines rolled and folded, rumbled and pulsed inside of her. Just get there and it’ll be over, just get there and it will be over, just get there get there gettheregettheregettheregetthere!!!! She tumbled back down the staircase. “Oooh! ARgh. EEEARGHHHAAAH!” 46 * Echoes of the pained and devastated grunts reached Beth as she turned the key in the door of the upper-office. She pushed the door open. There were filing cabinets everywhere. Oh, wow. There were so many. Across the way, there was a single computer. She marched up to it and powered it on. While it loaded she went to the alphabetically correct section of filing cabinets. She found the one marked W-Z and slid its draw out carefully. There were so many names, so many exams. She rifled through them all and eventually she found Amber’s. And when she found the paper, she parted the files, took out the folder and looked inside, and saw that indeed it was Amber’s. There you are, she thought, overjoyed. She beamed. She lifted it out, and set the paper down on the computer desk and set the marking book next to it. The home screen came on. She entered Jess’s username and password and started logging in. Beth sharpened a pencil, and started making marks on the paper - and it all rushed to her. The power she felt as she moved the pen. The knowledge she had picked up effortlessly all flooded out onto the page. She didn’t stop for anything. She did what came naturally to her. She had all night and she knew it. She had given herself that by keeping Nicola extremely busy. She heard a distant clattering. “Ha ha ha ha haaaaa ha,” she sang to herself in childish singsong. She smiled widely to herself as she wrote Amber’s exam. She was finally doing some good. She felt magical, so driven, and so alive. So good. It all hit her at once. She laughed, looked side to side mischievously and went on, grinning widely. 47 * Nicola shoved the key into the lock of the gent’s room. Her bowels were collapsing through her. She held on tighter and it made her stomach cramp harder. Please work, open, please. please please please, work. Please please please please PLEAAAASE!!! ​ “Oh God, please!” she yelled, rattling the useless key in the lock. Her face went red and blood vessels begged to burst. “PLEEEEEASE! AAARGH,” she groaned as her belly bulged indignantly like a spoiled child, and her lower intestines rumbled furiously. “AWWWWWH!” The need to fart was as urgent as the need to shit. The air inside of her blew up to massive proportions - it had built and built and intensified the cramps. She crossed one leg over the other and bent in a painful preventative measure and held her clenched behind with one hand. Her teeth clenched together angrily and as she did it she emitted a grainy squeak. OH GOD, her mind raced, reddening, sheer panic setting in like an anxiety attack as the need to fart reached unbearable levels. OH MY GOD, NO. She wanted to scream. She couldn’t leave. Not now. Not with all that work… She held on, clenching harder than ever in her life. She didn’t care how much it pained her belly, she couldn’t shit herself! She was thirty years old, a tutor, a fully grown... A deep, fierce rumble. More potent than any that had come before. It was like a bubbling, eroding fist was pushing through her guts. She bent over, at the behest of what felt like a stone in her bowels. She made a face, whimpered. Her heart raced. Oh my God, Oh my God...It was getting rapidly worse. So much worse. She needed to 48 reach a toilet. NOW. She folded, grabbed her behind. She felt like she had seconds. Pulled a face. “EEEEEEARGH!” She ran to the exit door. When she reached it she pushed the bar down hard. The cold air didn’t wash over her. Instead her wrists just ached and she found herself pushing an unmoving door. She rattled it, shoved it down, but it was locked. Locked. LOCKED!!! She rattled the door and screamed through gritted teeth. Flatulence came thick and fast, and made tears teeter on her eyes. “EEEEEHHHH!” PB-B-B-B-B-BT! She gripped her arse. “Ooh! OOOH!” The need to scream and yell grew so intense she almost did. But her growling, churning belly and clenched buttocks yelled furiously back at her. Don’t. She burped. But she was becoming so, so desperate to fart. So much that the need had pulled a permanent look of anguish on her face. Worse than ever in her life. Her body, from crotch to chest, was teeming. She needed to scream badly. But if she screamed she’d fart. If she farted she’d shit herself. With horror, she realised it. There was absolutely nothing she could do. Except…except... “EEH MA GOD.” she strained, feeling like she would explode from every angle, any second. She started to feel hot, panicking. Nauseous. She looked up at the winding staircase and wanted to cry. She couldn’t make it back up, she thought. She couldn’t manage it again. I don’t have time for this, she thought, her head racing, a million 49 thoughts raging through her. She had so much work to do...but the cramps in her stomach were horrible, and there was only one way to make them go away. All she needed was a bathroom or even just a toilet roll and she couldn’t get anywhere near...there had to be a way there just had to be a way the toilet was so close so close and the door was fixed into position and wouldn’t move without the key... OH GOD OH GOD OH GOOOOOD!!! Taking even one step felt like there was a boulder in her bowels. And they churned terribly. She panicked, whipped around quickly and shoved her behind firmly against the door to stop anything from happening, and bent, cradled the pits of her stomach. “ORGH,” she groaned, clutching her warring stomach. “EEEEH.” Her bowels were like a battleground. Missiles went off on one end of them and landed at the other. Stabbing, cramping pains, and foreboding rumblings she couldn’t fight. There were two points in her lower stomach, one at either side, that felt like a vice grip, pushing cramps down and down and down… “AAARGHAAGH!!” She shuddered and sweated as she let out hard grunts. Her arm was tight and her hand was clenched as she reached for her phone. * Jess was sitting nervously on the sofa when she got the phone call. Nicola. She ignored the call the first five times, but on the sixth, she answered. “What?” she said. The voice that answered was hysterical. “Jass! Jass, what did ya do with the key?” 50  “What?” Jess was genuinely surprised. She had only spoken to Beth an hour ago. “The exit key. Jass. WHERE IS IT?!” “I don’t know. Where is it usually? On the board?” “IT’S NOT THERE, JASS. You’ve got to pick me up RIGHT NOW. I swear to God I really, really, really, need the toilet, so bad, and I can't...Jesus fickin Christ can't get in! Oooh! Pick me up now Jass, and take me home.” “Wait a second, what’s wrong with you?” “I NEED THE TOILET, JASS. AND I CAN’T GET IIIIN! OOH! IT’S GONNA COME OUT, I SWEAR TO GOD, JASS! HURRY!!” Jess sat up. Her nervousness gave way to laughter, which she didn’t hide. “So you’ve got the shits?” she giggled. “And you can’t reach the toilet? Well, have you tried every key? Like, every key?” ​ “ORMAGOD,” Nicola’s voice strained. Jess heard a rattling noise down the line. “IT’s REALLY BAD, JASS! AH! OOH! I’m LITERALLY about to shit me PANTS, Jass. HURRYYYY.” Jess held the phone away from her, covered it and laughed. She brought it back to her ear and spoke nice and slow, enunciating every syllable of every word, and she enjoyed it immensely. “Well, that’s not fair. Because earlier you said you were going to...what was it, Nic? What was it? Report me, was it?” “EEEEEARGH! JASS,” Nicola breathed heavily, her voice tightening. Panicked. “YA DON’T UNDERSTANDI DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! MY STOMACH...I’M LITERALLY ABOUT TO…” 51  “Shit your knickers. you said that already,” Jess laughed delightedly, Nicola’s pain was music to her. “But what’s in it for me if I help you ou...” “ANYTHIIING!!” Nicola screamed. The rage and desperation in her voice made Jess feel great. And spoke volumes. This was a woman who had gone through childbirth, for God sake. And yet she couldn’t handle a little diarrhoea. It was clear that Nicola would do anything, absolutely anything to get out of the situation. “Anything, wow. Well, let me put it this way…” she left a treasured pause. Even in that moment, she knew that she would treasure this gift that Beth had given her. Always. “How about I think of a nice few things that you can do for me...and when I figure them all out, then I’ll set off.” Nicola screamed and cried, “OH GOD JESS PLEASE JUST PLEEEEEASSSE JUST HURRY UUUUUP!!!” Ha, I don’t think so, Nicola. “Okay, okay. I’m coming. Right away. Just hold on. And I know this might be difficult to hear from me, but just remember to err..” she chuckled, only to piss her off even more. She thought of Beth, telling her to get Nicola something gassy, and was so glad that she had chosen beans, before saying her next words. She could hear Nic’s rage trembling on the line as she paused. Then she whispered the words. She didn't hide the cruelty or the mockery in them. “Just allow me to give you two bits of advice. One, don’t ever mess with me again. And two…” she broke into a giggling laughter. “Try not to fart.” “OAAARGH!” Nicola exploded angrily. “JASS! THIS IS NOT FUNNY…” Jess laughed audibly into the phone like whispering a mockery into a defeated enemy and then hung up. Click. Jess put her phone down, clicked the kettle on, and 52 turned the TV up. Beth. She loved that girl. She absolutely fucking loved her. Soon, she realised the necessity of making one last call. She picked her phone up again. * The line went dead. Nicola gripped her phone tightly. She started to shake with anger. But there was a cast iron tightening in her belly, and she held her bum tighter. But she didn’t have time. No time for anything. She ran, but she could barely move. It was a slow, pained, agonising stretch down the corridor and up the stairs. Nicola staggered into the office with her butt clenched and her eyes wide and ripped keys off the wall. One then another then another until the board was empty and her hands were full. She gasped with the strain of reaching her arms up to the board. She dropped many but was so flustered and panicked and pained that she didn’t notice them go. Her face was screwed up in anguish and she was starting to sweat. She exerted involuntary noises like, “RrGMMM,” and “HmmMMAGH,” Hot face, armpits soaking through her top. Sweat patches. She felt it trickle down her forehead. Then with keys clinking behind her, she ran down the stairs, breathing heavily with anger as well now. Jess. That bitch. That fucking BITCH. I’ll show you. I’LL FUCKING SHOW YOUUUUU!!! It was a long arduous climb. She got halfway across the corridor before her bowels tightened to an unfathomable degree. Keys shattered all over the stairs. She abandoned her clutch on them to hold her stomach and behind. “OOOOOOOAAAARRGGOOOOH!!” The keys scattered everywhere. She rocked back and forth, face twisting in panic. When she recovered, she was closer to shitting her pants than ever before, and 53 the discomfort inside was akin to a machine chewing up pieces of molten metal. But when she saw what she had done, she gasped, crouched down, groaning, to her knees and hastily collected the keys off the floor. She gibbered to herself as she picked each one up. When she had them all, she forced herself up, one cramping leg then the other, and then hobbled to the toilet door, whimpering in a high pitch, and then suddenly grunting like a prehistoric beast. She ripped the first key into the lock. It jammed. Nicola’s jaw dropped with disappointment and anguish. “ORGH!” With unbearable frustration she jimmied the key out, and threw it angrily across the hallway. She got another key, and pushed it in, but this time she couldn’t even fit a millimetre of it into the lock. Nicola shrieked - “AARGH!” She threw the key, letting out a pathetic excuse of a scream. All she could risk. She reached for a third key, wrestled it into the lock - and it again, was incompatible. Clinking against the metal like a needle that would not go through the thread. “AAArghAAH!” she groaned, holding her bowels, as a tidal wave surged through them and crashed into her clenched sphincter. PR-BBBBT! She held her arse. She folded over and whimpered. But the weight of an elephant was contained in her bowels. A humongous amount was screaming and scraping to be let out. She could hear Jess saying “But what’s in it for me if I help you out?” The calm, mocking, satisfied way that Jess had spoken rang in her ears, and it fired her blood up. She wanted to hurt her. And she would. Oh, mark my fucking words, Jess, I’ll get you for this!! 54  The next key slotted right in. Oh my God, she gasped with relief, and tried to turn the key. I’ve done it, I’ve got it, this is the one. It was over. All over. And I don’t need Jess. I’ll call you up and laugh at you next time. Tell her she didn’t need her and there was no way she’d consider NOT reporting her on Monday. Nicola waggled and jammed the key. There was an excitement growing in her now. To get Jess back for laughing at her. And it was so close now...But the key wouldn’t turn. She started to sweat. She could hear Jess’s voice saying, “But what’s in it for me if I help you out?” The smile in Jess’s voice. Beads trickled down Nicola’s forehead. The cramping intensified. She waggled the key furiously, gritting her teeth and pulling a whimpering face as she did, and then finally…the key snapped in the lock. “AAARGH! AAARGH!” She screamed at the lock, her face red, eyes pleading and furious. She dug her fingers in and tried to prize the broken piece of metal out, but as she prodded and poked it her nails broke off, and the key went in deeper and deeper. She was staring at a dead end with devastation and anger unlike anything she had ever felt before. Suddenly her stomach tightened. Her mouth twisted in discomfort. Then into devastation as her bowels leapt into her pants, and Jess's laughter rang in her head. Nicola held her behind. Her mouth and eyes open in shock. She couldn’t believe it. But it was only for a moment. The hysteria hit her hard. Nicola pushed the door, throwing her body weight against it, kneed it, screaming internally all the while. “OH MY GOD, I CAN’T HOLD IT ANYMORE. JUST OPEN. OPEEEEEEEEENNN!!” She felt that she would break the door down, but her efforts and anger didn’t move it at all. An agonising fart inflated inside her. She gasped. She clapped a hand 55 on her behind and bent her knees and pulled an excruciated face. Why...Why did it have to be beans?!! They came out like they’d gone in. PAAPRRRRRT. “AAaAARGHH!!” Another warm load sprayed out, warming her legs - she grimaced in disgust. She dropped agonisingly to her knees and clasped them together. Her bowels, her bum, and intestines were flashing red warnings at her. Enough was enough. They didn’t care anymore whether she was on the toilet or not. They couldn’t go on like this. She tightened up every muscle and cried out, “No, NO, NO!” They rumbled and Nicola’s eyes popped out of her head. Her bowels spurted into her pants and she yelled and grunted. PPPPBBBBBBBBBBBBBTTT. “ARGHH! EEARRRGH!!” But the rumblings kept coming. The tightness in her belly didn’t loosen up one iota no matter how much she shat. Nicola placed one hand on her stomach, the other on her bum. She panted, looking left and right. She didn’t know what to do. Her lips were parted, open. she whimpered, then grunted, then groaned. Then she tightened her grip on her bum and clenched, squealing. Not again, no. No. NO! Her belly was whining like faltering machinery. She held them, reached down and fiddled with keys. Separating them and then grabbing one. She shuffled to the boys’ door and shoved a key into the lock. There she yanked and pulled on the door, fumbling her hands around the handle. The key jammed. She tried the next one... 56  Starting again made it feel as if the writhing, rumbling and cramping would go on until the end of time, and She started again. She tried key after key but none worked. Meanwhile the urge, the fundamental need, imperative, to fart, to shit, was intense and foreboding. But her screaming bowels, and her defiance to them made everything rage rumble and churn all the harder inside her. She pounded the door, rattled the handle, grit her teeth and yelled. “EEEEEAARGHHH!!” Every time a rational thought emerged, that she didn’t have time for this, that she should be working. The consequences of not working...it was interrupted by an urgent, painful rumbling or a threatening fart, and eventually there were no rational thoughts left. She’d truly forgotten all about the marking and the students and her job. She didn’t even care. There was only one inevitable, impounding thing she could focus on. One. A fart escaped and with it a spurt that washed down her leg. She gripped her bum and cried out. “AAARGHH! ARRRGHH!” * Amber stood in front of the mirror, rolling on eyeliner. Something about Beth’s demeanour had made her feel better, that everything would be okay, if she just trusted in it. She hoped it was going to plan. She really did. Her phone buzzed. It was Beth. It said, Ha ha ha. Marking your paper now. Hope someone’s looking forward to Freshers week :) Also, got some funny footage so far, will get some more. You really need to see this :D xx 57  She texted back: Oh God haha :’D did you use the laxative? xD Beth put her tongue to the side of her mouth as she typed her next message: I put it all in her beans :D. And guess who's got the only toilet keys? :p Amber: Oh my God xD Good, get some closeups of her ‘losing the battle’, if you can :p I hope you’re safe! Beth: I’ve been here over an hour. I might’ve missed that already :( Amber: I bet you haven’t. That laxative is the gift that keeps on giving ha ha ! :p Oh my God i hope so!! :D Don’t worry about me. Like I said, I don’t get got :D xD ;) Amber looked up, and felt intense relief. She looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled, laughed, and then laughed hysterically. She took her phone out and texted Will. Told him it was all okay. That she was coming, and they’d be together again soon. It was such a relieving moment. A happy moment. How Amber could have said such awful things to Beth was beyond her. She loved her. * Beth was laughing hard. The gift that keeps on giving. She liked that. And she hoped it was true. And based on the noises she had heard all night, it probably was. Beth’s phone rang and she picked it up. “Beth, are you okay?” “Oh yeah,” Beth replied with a laugh. She’d just made the last mark with Nicola’s pen. “I’m great, Jess.” she said. “I’m done.” “So you got in and out? No problem?” 58  “Nope,” Beth laughed casually. “I’m still here. I won’t be too much longer.” “Don’t panic, but Nicola’s been calling round asking for help.” “She has?” Beth stood up, alert. “Relax. The first person she called was me. I told her I’m comin to pick her up so that she won’t call anybody else. I’m just gonna wait until you’re out to tell her I’m not actually coming.” Beth exhaled and laughed. “Thank God. I’d love to see her face when you tell her. When you spoke to her, how did she sound? I have to know.” “Panicked, flustered, enraged. I don’t know what you did but she’s having a massive ordeal.” ​ Beth felt joyous. It had worked. It had really worked. “Good. I hope she’s crying. I think you know what I did.” She laughed joyfully. “You got some sort of laxative into those baked beans, I imagine. That’s why you were asking which doors are kept locked.” Smugly, expressively, Beth said, “Yep.” “I figured it was something like that. I hope they were strong. And the front door’s locked too, right?” “Yep, and I’ve got the key. So she can’t even get out. Haha. She’s nice and distracted now.” “Okay, just get moving. We can laugh about this later. She can be stuck there without a toilet forever for all I care. But you need to get out of there.” “Okay. I just need to be quick then. Ha! This is so fun, Jess.” “I imagine it is,” Jess laughed. “Glad to have helped.” 59  “Thanks so, so much fo