Chapter 5

Without greeting Mr Thomson, I enter the science room, place my bag on a table, and sit in silence, avoiding eye contact with Mr Thompson and Nina.

‘Late again, Magnus,’ he huffs with his hands-on hip.

I shrug my shoulders and look away. Nina is sitting four tables away. It’s obvious she also isn’t happy to be here.

‘Well, if you two think you are both going to sit here in silence, then you have another thing coming,’

Nina and I turn our attention back to Mr Thomson.

‘I have borrowed some tools and a spare tabletop from the woodwork room. You will both spend detention fixing the table you broke,’

‘What! But I never broke it,’ Nina protests.

‘Do not care, Nina, now come and take this hammer,’ he growls.

I abruptly step down from my chair and march to the teacher’s desk, muttering and mumbling in dissatisfaction. Nina takes the nails and hammer, and I carry the tabletop. Nina kneels next to the broken table and assesses it closely. I kneel opposite her and place the tabletop down.

Mr Th