Part 2 (1/2)

'I will,' I said. 'And thank you for ... for your name. Thank you.'

I had no last name. None that I could remember, anyway, and so you had lent me yours, just until I remembered or discovered my own.

'Tessa Connolly,' you said. 'It has a nice ring to it.'

Then you held me close and whispered in my ear, 'Be brave, Tess. But please, be conscious, too. Be mindful. Look after yourself. And write in your book, okay?'

I promised I would. 'Every day.'

'Good girl,' you said, and patted my hair.

As you turned to get back in the car, I saw the sun sparkle on the tears in your eyes. It made you look as if you were lit from within. Like your soul was glowing.

I waved at you as your car went backwards out onto the road. You really are so clever to make your car work. It does look very complicated.

I wondered, suddenly, if I would ever drive a car. I supposed I would but, right then, the thought terrified me.

'First things first,' I said to myself as I walked towards the high metal gate that cut through the wall of Cascade Falls.

I took a deep breath, and pushed.

'It's okay, Tess. You weren't to know about the intercom,' said Ms Hindmarsh as we walked towards the big building that hid behind the gate.

I was so embarra.s.sed I couldn't even look up from the ground.

Intercom.

Another word I did not know the meaning of only five minutes ago. Five minutes ago, when the heavy gate would not budge no matter how hard I pushed, and I rattled on its bars and yelled at the top of my voice, 'h.e.l.lo? Cynthia? Ms Hindmarsh? It's me, Tessa. I'm here!'

I really wished wished I had known the word 'intercom' when, a couple of minutes later, Ms Hindmarsh appeared at the gate with a burly man in green overalls, who was saying to her, 'There she is, Cynthia. I told you she was a loony! You want me to call the cops?' I had known the word 'intercom' when, a couple of minutes later, Ms Hindmarsh appeared at the gate with a burly man in green overalls, who was saying to her, 'There she is, Cynthia. I told you she was a loony! You want me to call the cops?'

'Actually, Bernard, I think it might have been the police who brought her here. Well, one particular police officer anyway. Am I right, Tessa?'

I nodded. 'I didn't know how to get in,' I mumbled, feeling embarra.s.sed already. Why had that man said I was a loony? I only wanted to get inside. That didn't make me a loony!

'Why didn't you just press the b.u.t.ton?' asked Bernard.

'I didn't see a ...'

I glanced to one side and saw a big black box with a green b.u.t.ton in its middle and the words 'Push to talk'.

'That b.u.t.ton?' I asked. 'But I already was was talking. I was yelling! I didn't need a b.u.t.ton for talking. I needed one for getting inside the wall.' talking. I was yelling! I didn't need a b.u.t.ton for talking. I needed one for getting inside the wall.'

Bernard snorted, his face turning pink. 'Is she serious?' he asked.

'Bernard, thank you,' said Ms Hindmarsh. 'You can go now. I'll take it from here.'

Apparently the b.u.t.ton is something like a 'two-way'. If you press it, it lets you talk to Ms Hindmarsh's secretary, Miss Bloom, even though she is miles away inside the walls of Cascade Falls. If she decides that you should be allowed to enter, she presses a b.u.t.ton on her her side, and the gate magically opens. side, and the gate magically opens.

I really don't remember seeing anything like an intercom b.u.t.ton before. I felt, not for the first time, as though I had woken up in an HG Wells novel.

Ms Hindmarsh was very nice about it, but I felt silly anyway.

It took me a good couple of minutes before I felt my embarra.s.sment fade just enough that I could look up at Ms Hindmarsh. She was very pretty and young and had curly blonde hair and a very small nose with freckles on it. Not as many freckles as you have, Connolly, and they are smaller. Kind of like a fine sprinkling of dark pollen across her nose. Her face was happy and kind, and I immediately felt I might like her, especially because I knew she was your friend.

And then, after I looked at her and she smiled, I looked up at my new school.

What I saw made me stop very still and catch my breath.

It really was lovely.

You were right, Connolly. Cascade Falls is very pretty indeed!

There are trees and there is gra.s.s, which made me glad. And the building itself was not as horrid to me as the other intimidating boxes we had pa.s.sed. It seemed welcoming, and its shape seemed, to me, like the way buildings should should be shaped. be shaped.

It is not a very very large building. More medium-sized. It is a bit bigger than the Church of St David's that you showed me in the city, but smaller than the art gallery. large building. More medium-sized. It is a bit bigger than the Church of St David's that you showed me in the city, but smaller than the art gallery.

Its roof is pointed in three places, and in each of the points there is a lovely stained gla.s.s panel, with pictures of angels and birds and animals. Tasmanian animals. I saw a possum and a wallaby and on the largest panel the centre one there was a Tasmanian devil and a Tasmanian tiger. I was proud to remember all of the names of the animals, and I thought the last ones the devil and tiger were especially captivating. I looked at the sun gleaming on the gla.s.s, and I felt my belly ache with longing.

I did not know what it was, but I longed for something something just outside of memory and the dull pain of it vibrated around my body. just outside of memory and the dull pain of it vibrated around my body.

I shook my head. I willed tears away. I do not cry. I do not cry.

'Do you like our stained gla.s.s?' asked Ms Hindmarsh.

'It's lovely,' I replied.

'Thank you,' she said, smiling. 'My husband's great-great-great-grandfather started it, way back in the 1830s, and my husband finished it a few years ago.'

Ms Hindmarsh suddenly looked as though she was in pain. I remembered what you had told me about Ms Hindmarsh's husband being 'gone'. I tried to make her feel better.

'He was very talented,' I said.

'Yes, he is,' said Ms Hindmarsh. I opened my mouth to say something about what you had told me about Raphael being gone. Why had Ms Hindmarsh said 'is', as though he was still alive? But Ms Hindmarsh looked so sad, Connolly. I knew it would be wrong of me to ask. Perhaps it hurt her too much to think of him as gone.

'I only hope you like the rest of Cascade Falls just as much as you like this,' she went on, wrenching her eyes away from the stained gla.s.s. Her voice was brighter now. 'Has Rachel told you much about the school?'

'Rachel?' For a moment, the name was foreign to me, and then I remembered. 'Connolly?'

'She's always Rachel to me,' Ms Hindmarsh said, smiling. 'Occasionally, she's even ”Rachie”, but don't tell her I told you that. She hates hates that name! We've known each other for a long time, Tessa. We went to school together up in Campbell Town, and to university together down here. The first day I met her, I called her Rachie and she told me if I ever called her that name again she'd punch me in the face. She was a bit more, well, unruly back then. But we all were. Comes from being in a small town, I think. The boredom was crus.h.i.+ng. Well, I thought it was. Raphael liked the bush ...' that name! We've known each other for a long time, Tessa. We went to school together up in Campbell Town, and to university together down here. The first day I met her, I called her Rachie and she told me if I ever called her that name again she'd punch me in the face. She was a bit more, well, unruly back then. But we all were. Comes from being in a small town, I think. The boredom was crus.h.i.+ng. Well, I thought it was. Raphael liked the bush ...'

Ms Hindmarsh trailed off, her face growing serious. 'Oh, listen to me, Tess,' she said, squeezing my arm. 'I've gone all nostalgic and sentimental! I promise you, I am a very competent and capable princ.i.p.al as well as being a complete sook!'

I returned her smile. I did like Ms Hindmarsh. Not as much as I like you, Connolly, but she seemed very nice, and I felt myself relaxing immediately. My breathing calmed down. My heartbeat slowed. I felt safe.

'Now, Tess, I think Rachel told you I've lined up a peer mentor for you to show you the ropes how to get to your cla.s.ses, where the bathrooms are, that sort of thing?'

I nodded. 'It's the daughter of one of Vinnie's friends?'