Free Monster by C.J. Skuse

I longed to see my dad’s blue Volvo Estate beetling down the driveway, sweeping round the turning circle at the front of school. To see Mum and Dad get out of the front. To see my brother Seb leap out of the back seat and come running up to hug me. But it was so far away. They were so far away. The night grew darker and emptier.
    The door to the common room burst open and Dianna Pfaff stormed in, mumbling and cursing under her breath.
    ‘
Bloody
stupid do this do that. Hateful …’
    ‘Hi, Dianna,’ I said. She did a double take.
    ‘Natasha,’ she said. ‘Margaret. Pup.’
    ‘Princess,’ said Maggie, slamming down a jack on top of my jack. ‘SNAP!’
    ‘Dammit!’
    Maggie smiled, collecting up her cards. I had seven left. It was the third game in a row that I’d lost, but I didn’t mind.I’d seen a bright side—me, Maggie and a fairly sweet Pup on our own with Matron over Christmas. We could make the best of it.
    I looked over at Dianna, who was removing a plastic container of Rice Krispie cakes from her locker. ‘Everything okay, Dianna?’
    She closed her locker. ‘No, not really. I just got off the phone to my mother. Looks as though I’ll be staying for Christmas as well.’
    Then again …
    Maggie groaned. ‘Oh you are fu—’
    ‘SNAP!’ I shouted as Maggie took her eye off the stack. Then the door opened again and the one person I wished had been oven-roasted with our reconstituted turkey strode in and removed her coat.
    ‘Oh, are you staying for Christmas too, Clarice?’ asked Dianna.
    She looked straight at me. The sling had already gone, not surprisingly—Clarice was all about the effect—though there was still a plaster over her nose. ‘Yeah. I am.’

8
Scream
    M atron wasted no time in doling out holiday chores to the unhappy band of sisters in the main hall before supper.
    ‘Dianna, yard duty, entrance hall and breakfast washing-up—’
    ‘But I’m—’
    ‘No buts. Natasha, dog walking, common room and litter.’
    ‘Yes, Matron.’
    ‘But, Matron—’ Dianna persisted.
    Matron wasn’t listening. ‘Margaret. Margaret?’
    I put up my hand. ‘She’s in the Chill … the basement, Matron, finishing off her detention. Orders from Mrs Saul-Hudson just before she left.’
    ‘Oh yes, of course. Well, Margaret will be on kitchenlaundry, dorms and lunchtime washing-up. I’ll inform her when I go down to let her out.’
    Dianna looked like she had a bonnet full of bees. ‘But Matron, I’m Head—’
    ‘If you say “But I’m Head Girl, I shouldn’t have to do chores,” Dianna, I shall give you
extra
chores to do. Understood?’
    Dianna shut up. My heart gave a little leap of delight. I loved it when she got owned by a member of staff.
    Regan appeared behind us on the stairs. A shudder ran through me. I hadn’t even noticed her arrive.
    ‘Regan, good of you to join us. You’re on bedroom laundry, corridors and Hall.’
    ‘Yes, Matron.’ She nodded meekly.
    ‘Tabitha, bathroom, evening washing-up and morning post duty. And sit on your own bottom, please. You are not a baby.’
    ‘Yes, Matron,’ Tabitha squeaked. She had been sitting on my lap, but she quickly slid off onto the stairs.
    ‘And Clarice Hoon, dining room, kitchen and Music room.’
    Clarice checked the huge pink plastic watch on her wrist. She now had no plasters on her face, but all her Nash-inflicted bruises and thumps had been plastered with concealer. ‘Yeah, all right.’
    ‘Yes, Matron.’
    ‘Yes, Matron. Ooh, and Matron?’
    Matron snapped her head round like a snake, glaring at Clarice. ‘What?’
    ‘Can we have our phones back? Now it’s Christmas hols, I want to call my boyfriend.’
    ‘You may not have your phones back until your parents arrive.’
    ‘What?’ Clarice cried. ‘Why?’
    ‘Because,’ said Matron, ‘I am under strict instructions from Mrs Saul-Hudson that owing to certain pupils flouting phone privileges, no girl is allowed their phone back until they go home.’
    We