A sound! I dropped the spray box into the rubbish bin and scuttled down the stairs. My lungs and heart struggled to find their normal position, as I entered the room used for the school committee. My chest tightened with remorse. I padded up and down the room, writhing as if fysically in pain. I threw myself down into a chair and was about to put my head in my hands when I noticed paint on my fingers. I stared at them. This would give me away. I rushed to the tap and tried to wash it off with cold water. But it just made it worse, spreading it stickily and nastily between my fingers like a bad conscience. I sat holding my hands up to dry. Perhaps I could rub the paint off afterwards? The bell rang for class. The paint wasn’t dry yet. I tried to rub it off again, but it didn’t help. How would my friends react when they read what I had written on the wall? I had to laugh to myself in the midst of all my regrets. People would wonder whoever had done it. This episode would at least nip all the animal cruelty stories in the bud, and also the rumour Jonny had almost certainly intended to spread about Rachel and me. Kathleen was cool enough to take it. It was after all, a sort of homage. I listened at the door and could hear that all was quiet in the stairway. It was time I made an appearance. After a minute or two’s waiting I let myself out and ran up to the class room. I pretended to be out of breath and mumbled something about the tram being late as I sat down at my desk, trying to look innocent. We had Mr. 140
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