After one of the most embarrassing experiences of her life, Viola Hawkins is left feeling hopeless and demoralised. So when she's told that she's able to work as an undercover agent in a boarding school, she's given a new chance to change her life...
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"Viola." Will's voice lulls me out of my daydream, pulling me back from the memory that has imprinted so vividly in my mind. "You might want to see this."
After wiping my eyes, I stand up, walking over to the photo that he has in his hands. It's out of its frame, and on the other side is the handwritten letter that came with it when Vera sent it to me. It was the first and last letter that came through when she went away.
My one and only Viola, I'll be with you soon. Sorry that I've been gone for so long, but I'll be home before you know it. All this time without you, I can't stand it! Forever yours, Vera (P.s I Love you, lots and lots. More than you know.)
I'm confused as to why he's staring at it so intensely. It's a note, that's all. "Do you see what I see?" He asks, frowning when I shake my head. "Look again."
I try harder, but I can't. All I can see is Vera's scrawled handwriting.
After groaning, he rushes to my desk, pulling out a pen and some paper from my draws, writing down several random letters. But as I move closer, I realise they aren't random. They spell out a word.
"She left you the answer." Will says, pointing to the note that Vera wrote. "It's there, but written so discreetly that you've never seen it. Why would you? I only saw it because I was actively looking."
And sure enough, he's right. In the note, she's made some of the letters bolder than the rest.
Viola - I soon - N that - TH I've - E know - W All - A, L, L without - O Forever - F, R Yours - O, R you - Y lots - S
And sure enough, written on Will's sheet of paper are those exact letters, all jumbled up in the order that they came in.
INTHEWALLOFRORYS
He looks at me. "In the wall of Rory's. What is Rory's? Who is Rory?"
"Maybe she had a friend called Rory?" Rushing to where my laptop sits, unused, I open it, waiting for it to load. "We could check her Facebook. It's still up."
Will nods, his expression serious. "Good idea."
The computer takes a while to set up, seeing as I haven't used it since I was last home, but eventually it does, and we search Vera's name onto Facebook. Her face pops up onto the screen, and I click her profile, filling the screen with her life as a photo montage of her loved ones pop up as her cover photo.
As we scroll down, there are endless messages that people have posted onto her timeline:
Miss you everyday. It still hurts that you've been gone for so long.
Thinking about you. Happy birthday, Vera. We miss you.
