The important thing is to never give anything away, the one-in-charge continues, especially not to teachers or dorm staff. Every time your dorm co-ordinator calls a meeting, just sit there and look like youre taking in every word but dont let them ever understand what goes on around here after hours.
Which is? Ben Cassidy asks politely.
I beg your pardon? says one of his seniors.
Well, what exactly does go on here after hours?
What are you getting at? the senior persists.
Ben shrugs. Everyones always going on about what goes on after hours but nothing actually seems to go on at all, except maybe meetings like this.
Then to begin with, the one-in-charge says, dont discuss these meetings.
Well, its not as if they dont know whats going on, Ben continues. This one time I was with Hannah and we were eating her scones and she was asking me one hundred and one questions, as per usual. He looks around at the other protégés as if were interested. She makes them herself. Hmm hmm. Beautiful. Well, we got to talking and I said, Hannah, youve lived in this house ever since Ive been here and its got the best birds-eye view of all the Houses, so what do you think goes on here out of school hours?
Thats a great question to be asking someone whos constantly speaking to the principal, Richard says. Youre a stupid prick, Cassidy.
We didnt have much to choose from, the leader of Clarence House says, sending Ben a scathing look and whacking him across the back of the head. Ben looks resigned. In year seven he got bashed up at least once a month, mostly by his seniors. Hed go visit Hannah, which I found irritating because he had his own adult looking after his House and the one thing I hated in year seven, after living with Hannah in her unfinished house for the whole year before, was sharing her with the rest of the school. The revelation that shes a question-asker is even more irritating. Hannah never asks me anything.
What type of scones? I ask him. He looks up at me, but his senior
whacks him again.
Okay, Im over this, Richard says impatiently. Can we just get to the point?
Those-in-charge look at one another and then back to us. And then at me.
I hear the curses instantly, the anger, the disbelief, the hiss of venom under the breath of almost everyone in the room except the seniors. I know what is about to be said but I dont know how I feel. Just numb like always, I guess.
Youre not a popular choice, Taylor Markham, the one-in-charge says, cutting through the voices. Youre too erratic, have a bad track record, and running off with one of the enemy, no matter how young you were, was bad judgement on your part. But you know this place inside out and youve been here longer than anyone else and thats the greatest asset anyone can have.
One of my seniors nudges me hard in the ribs and I guess Im supposed to stand up.
From this point on, the one-in-charge continues, we answer no questions and offer no advice, so dont come to find us. We dont exist anymore. We go home for study tomorrow and then well be gone and our role here is over. So our question is are you in, or do we give this to our next candidate?
I didnt expect a question or an option. I would have preferred if they just told me to take over. There is nothing about this role that I desperately want. Yet being under the control of any of the protégés in this room for even the slightest moment is a nauseating prospect and I know that if Im not in charge Ill be spending many a night on surveillance, freezing my bottom off in the middle of the bush.
When Im ready, I nod, and the one-in-charge hands me a purple notebook and a thick crisply folded piece of paper, which I suspect is the map outlining who owns what in the territory wars. Then the year twelves begin to leave and, like all things insignificant, the moment theyre gone it is like they never existed.
I sit back down and prepare myself for what I know is coming. Five House leaders ready for a battle. One common enemy. Me.
You dont want this. You never have. I think the comment comes from the leader of Murray House, who has never really spoken to me. So the idea that he thinks he knows what I want interests me.
Step down and the five of us will sign you out, Richard says, looking around at the others. Youll be put out of your misery and well get on with running the underground.
Richards got some great ideas, the Hastings House girl explains.
You dont have the people skills, Taylor.
And you never turn up to meetings.
And not once did you gather intelligence against the Cadets last year.
You spend too much time in trouble with Hannah. If shes on your back, shell be on ours.
You just dont give a shit about anyone.
I block them out and try to go back to the boy in the tree.
Are you even listening to us?
Lets just take a vote.
Five says shes out and shes out.
Back to the treeinhaling the intoxicating perfumed air and listening to a song with no end and to a boy with a story that I need to understand.