It was the morning of the day.  Calendar event of the decade - the "SOS Demo".

   Richard had never been in school this early – ever.  He must have been mad to let the girls talk him into this one.

   Now, here he was – at a time when he might ordinarily have been fumbling around, trying to locate his alarm clock’s all-important "Snooze" button – putting up posters in the main corridor, with his best mate’s ex-girlfriend.

   Richard couldn’t take this silence much longer, but was determined not to be the one to break it.

   As was Emma.

   And Richard’s resolve was weakening.  Going, going…

   "So, how are things with you?"

   Emma shrugged.  "Okay, I suppose."

   "Are you still pissed off with me?"

   "No."

   "Yes, you are."

   "Well, if you already knew that, why ask?"

   "I want us to be friends.  I do care about you, Emma.  But you were using me, to get back at John and Charlotte.  That’s not on."

   "Well, don’t you want to get back at them?"

   "Not really.  It’s not my style.  How’s Catherine?"

   "She’s fine.  She and Jason have finally set a date for the wedding."

   "That’s great news, Emma.  Tell her I said, 'Congratulations', won’t you?"

   Emma nodded.  "I’ll tell her.  How’s Steve?  Still two-timing Julie Bishop with her best friend?  Guess I know exactly how that feels now, don’t I?"

   "Steve’s not a bad person, Emma.  His relationship with Julie is more complicated than most people realise.  Listen, why don’t you give John another chance?  You’ve both been dead miserable since you broke up, and he’s sorry for what he did to you."

   "Actually, Richard, I tried.  He didn’t want me – satisfied?  He told me he really likes Charlotte.  Apparently, he’s fancied her for ages."

   "He said that?"

   "Yeah – as good as.  Anyway, come on, Rich - you’re John’s best mate, aren’t you?  He must have said something.  Then again, you 'lads' never talk about those sorts of things, do you?"

   Richard didn’t know what to say to her.  He’d hoped that John would come to his senses, but it evidently wasn’t to be.  "I’m sorry, Em."

   "But, of course, Charlotte doesn’t even want John.  Probably still hung up on you.  Life stinks sometimes, doesn’t it?"

   "Me and Charlotte are mates – really good mates, as it goes, but nothing more.  She knows that."

   "Maybe what she knows of your feelings, and what Charlotte feels herself, are two different matters."

   They carried on putting up posters in silence for a while.

   Then, Emma consulted her watch.  "Come on, Richard.  We’d better get going.  We need to meet the others in, like, three minutes time."

   Charlotte had browsed at everything from bottles of shampoo, and make-up, to the scarily impressive assortment of headache tablets.

   "Can I help you, love?" asked a middle-aged woman, with ludicrously bright red hair, and several chins.  The obvious kindness in the woman’s blue eyes reminded Charlotte of her late grandmother.  Although Nan’s eyes had been chestnut-brown, the expression was identical.

   Charlotte had seen what she need, on a previous visit.  It was one of the few items that she hadn’t looked at, since entering the pharmacy, a good ten minutes ago.

   What could she say?  I’m here to buy a pregnancy tester kit, although I’m a few pence short after raiding my piggy bank.  Well, I am a fourteen-year-old school girl, after all – hence the uniform.

   "N-no.  No – thank you."  Charlotte practically ran out of the shop.  She felt as if she were going crazy.

   Of course, it could just be stress, couldn’t it?  That could make your period late.  It was the one shred of hope that Charlotte had left to cling to, and she was clinging.  Boy, was she clinging!