There was no reply at the Post the next day. In class, Dean gave them a pencil exercise on light and shadow. He didn't look at her. He didn't even look at her drawing. She checked the Post several times before the next class, but there was nothing there. He was definitely avoiding making eye contact. When he returned her homework, he looked at the desk beside her. Martha stopped staring at him long enough to look down at the grade. The handwriting she knew and loved betrayed her. B–. She was dulled to the rest of the lesson and stayed back after the bell, blocking the door before he could leave.
"Are you picking on me, Mr Finlay?" she asked with her eyes ablaze.
"I wouldn't be picking on you if you did the work I know you're capable of," Dean said.
"What have I done wrong?"
"You've become complacent. You're not trying anymore. You think you can cruise by, but there is still work to do."
"That's not what I'm talking about. Why have you stopped writing to me?"
Dean reached into his jacket and handed her an envelope. He moved towards the door as Martha opened the envelope. It was a letter from St Hibbert's, offering her a place, conditional on the results of her exams. That's all it was.
YOU ARE READING
The Keeper
RomanceEvery schoolgirl has crushes, but could a schoolgirl crush last a lifetime? When 17-year old Martha starts at a new school, she carries a glimmer of hope that this time will be different. She doesn't seek popularity, but rather a quiet space where s...
