Hopewell High Read online

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Bonus Bits!

  Chapter One

  The moon shone over Hopewell High. It was 11pm, and everyone was supposed to be asleep. But in the dormitory called the Nest, Daisy was still awake. Daisy often found it hard to sleep.

  Long after her friends Alice, Samira and Hani had fallen asleep, Daisy stared at the ceiling. Her brain was buzzing.

  She decided to switch on her phone. She put her head under the duvet to hide the light, so as not to wake her friends. But who could she message? She gave a sigh. She missed talking to Storm, her ex-boyfriend. He’d been good fun, but in the end they were just too different. Daisy liked makeup, parties and shopping. Storm liked computer coding and rugby. After Storm, she’d fancied a boy at the gym. But he’d turned her down because he was gay. Daisy hated being without a boyfriend.

  Then she had an idea and she smiled. Why not? She logged into a chatroom she hadn’t visited for a while. It was for fans of an indie band, and there were usually lots of people up late wanting to talk.

  Cutie has entered the chatroom

  Tattoo405: CUUUUUTTTTIIIIEEEE!!

  Winterfairy: We haven’t seen you in like YEARS!! What you been up to?

  Cutie: Hi guys! Oh you know not much. What’s new today then?

  Winterfairy: Tats’s mum wants a new tattoo. I’ll show you the options.

  Images loading…

  Cutie: I can’t see anything, just three grey squares?

  Winterfairy: Oh this stupid computer. AAARGH!

  Tattoo405: Basically she’s got it down to three – a unicorn, a rose twined round a book, or a ghost.

  Cutie: Wow they’re pretty different.

  Darkglasses: I said she could have a ghostly unicorn with a rose sticking out of its bum.

  Cutie: Hahaha!! I like it, tell your mum to have that Tats!

  Tattoo405: Yeah thanks DG, always got something SO helpful to say.

  Darkglasses: *takes a bow*.

  Winterfairy: Oh look, our pet troll is back in the room ;)

  Darkglasses: YOU HURT ME.

  Cutie: If you’re a troll, do you lurk under a bridge? Must be hard to see with dark glasses on.

  Darkglasses: Ha! You’re funny, cutie. Are you pretty too?

  Cutie: Who even are you? I’m sure I’d have remembered you from last time I was here…

  Darkglasses: Oh, I’m recent on here. Get bored easily, and I never sleep.

  Cutie: Me neither! ARE YOU REALLY ME?

  Darkglasses: Somehow I doubt it. If I were you, I’d be grabbing my own boobs.

  Tattoo405: You are gross and insulting.

  Darkglasses: It’s what all boys would do if they were girls.

  Cutie: You’re funny

  Daisy smiled at the phone screen. She didn’t know who Darkglasses was but he was just the kind of boy she liked to talk to – a bit of a rebel, not afraid to say what he was thinking. And then her smile grew wider as a new messaging window popped up.

  Darkglasses has invited you to join a private conversation. Y/N?

  Without hesitation, Daisy hit ‘Y’.

  Chapter Two

  Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the Nest, but Daisy was still fast asleep. The other three were getting dressed. “She’s going to miss breakfast,” Samira said.

  “Miss Redmond will be cross if she does,” said Alice. The girls’ house mistress did not like girls missing breakfast.

  Hani picked up a pillow and threw it at Daisy’s head. “Wake up, sleepy!”

  “Huh? Wha…?” Daisy blinked and stared at them. Then she grunted and closed her eyes again. “It can’t be morning.”

  “It is.” Hani glanced out of the window. “You know that big yellow ball in the sky? It’s called the sun. It comes up every morning. That’s how you know it’s morning and time to get up!”

  Daisy threw the pillow back at Hani. “Go away,” she croaked. “I’m sick.”

  “You’re not.” Alice pulled back Daisy’s duvet. “Come on. Don’t get in trouble.”

  “I am sick!” protested Daisy. Her eyes went all dreamy. “I’m lovesick…”

  The other three girls groaned. “Not again!” said Samira.

  Hani sat down on her bed with a thump. “Oh, go on, tell us. Since you’re going to anyway!”

  Daisy sat up and pushed her long dark hair out of her eyes. “I don’t know his real name,” she began. The others groaned again. “No, no, listen!” protested Daisy. “He’s just the best thing ever. I got chatting to him last night online, and before I knew it, three hours had gone by. Three hours! I’ve never talked to anyone for that long before. He just totally gets me. He’s into the same things. He really listens to me, you know?”

  She sighed happily. “This is completely different from before. I really think he’s the one.”

  Samira rolled her eyes. “If you spent as much time on your studies as you do on your boyfriends…”

  “I’d be as dull as you,” Daisy snapped. “Can’t you just be happy for me?”

  Samira stared at her, shocked. Without another word, she ran from the room.

  “That was harsh, Daisy,” said Alice.

  Daisy looked ashamed for a moment. Then she frowned. “She’s such a geek, that’s all. She thinks education is the most important thing in the world.”

  “Well,” said Hani slowly, “that’s because where she comes from, it is. Iran isn’t like England.”

  “I know that,” Daisy said.

  The school bell rang for breakfast. “You go,” said Daisy, waving a hand. “I’ll be down in five minutes.”

  Hani and Alice looked at each other and shrugged. Then they headed off down the corridor.

  Daisy checked they’d gone and then picked up her phone. She’d finished chatting to Darkglasses at 2am! But as she unlocked the screen, she could see she had five new messages, all from him.

  Daisy smiled, her heart filling with happiness. Her friends could sneer all they liked. But Daisy had a new boyfriend and he was PERFECT.

  Chapter Three

  Samira still wasn’t talking to Daisy by the end of the day. “I wish you two would make up,” Alice whispered to Daisy while they were doing their homework.

  Daisy shook her head.

  “We’re just so different. She’s a total egghead. A brainbox. A geek. I mean, she’s great, but we just look at life in a completely different way. She’s like my opposite.” She leaned closer to Alice. “Here – do you want to see the photo that Darkglasses sent me?”

  Alice took the phone under the table and peeked at it. On the screen was a photo of a lad in dark glasses. All you could really see of him was his eyebrows, his nose, and one corner of his mouth.

  “Isn’t he hot?” Daisy whispered.

  Alice laughed. “Daisy, you can hardly see anything!”

  “Girls!” Miss Redmond’s voice was sharp. “No talking during prep!”

  Daisy slipped the phone back into her pocket. She couldn’t wait until bedtime so she could message Darkglasses again.

  At bedtime, however, Hani said to her, “Daisy, you really should get some sleep. You’ve been yawning all day.”

  “Don’t bother telling her,” Alice said to Hani with a smile. “She won’t listen to you. Look at her. She’s already logging on!”

  Samira said nothing, but got into bed and switched off her light.

  Daisy didn’t even hear the others trying to talk to her. She was already lying in bed, staring at her screen and smiling.

  Da
rkglasses: Hey cutie. Did you have a good day?

  Cutie: Not too bad. One of my friends isn’t talking to me.

  Darkglasses: You girls. Talking, not talking, friends, enemies…

  Cutie: You mean frenemies.

  Darkglasses: That word is NOT A REAL WORD!

  Cutie: It is too! I guess Samira and I are frenemies sometimes. She’s just so different.

  Darkglasses: How so?

  Cutie: She’s really serious. She thinks studying is the most important thing ever. She gets annoyed if I don’t do my homework.

  Darkglasses: What is she, like, your mother?!

  Cutie: I know!!

  Darkglasses: I think you’re quite serious underneath.

  Cutie: Me???

  Darkglasses: Yeah. You’re all bubbly and social and funny but I think underneath there’s another you.

  Daisy stared at the screen, her heart thumping. No one had ever said that to her before. It was as if Darkglasses had seen straight through into the very middle of her. It made her feel… nervous.

  Darkglasses: Hey, you still there?

  Cutie: Yes.

  Darkglasses: Did I say something wrong?

  Cutie: No. Not at all. It’s just… everyone only ever sees what’s on the surface. No one has ever said there might be another me.

  Darkglasses: Well, am I right?

  Cutie: You are.

  Darkglasses: What’s the ‘other you’ like?

  Cutie: I’m nervous.

  Darkglasses: Why?

  Cutie: This is like telling you all my secrets - I don’t even know you! ;-)

  Darkglasses: You want another photo?

  Image loading…

  Daisy opened her eyes very wide. He wasn’t wearing his dark glasses this time. He was looking straight at the camera. He had very dark hair, dark eyes and the nicest lips she’d ever seen. Kissable lips. “Wow,” she breathed.

  Darkglasses: Don’t mention the spot on my chin

  Cutie: What spot, where??

  Darkglasses: DO NOT ENLARGE PHOTO it is as big as a volcano

  Cutie: Haha. I don’t see it. You’re gorgeous.

  Darkglasses: Wow, thanks. You really think so?

  Cutie: Don’t you KNOW?

  Darkglasses: I’m not really the popular sort. I don’t exactly have girls falling at my feet.

  Cutie: Well I don’t know why. I’d fall at your feet.

  Darkglasses: Careful! I might ask you to do that ;-)

  Cutie: You wish!!!

  Darkglasses: Now you know what I look like. What about you? Send me a photo

  Cutie: What’s your name first?

  Darkglasses: Seriously? It will be such a disappointment. Can’t you think of me as the Mysterious Darkglasses?

  Cutie: If you want a photo, tell me your name.

  Darkglasses: Oh, all right! It’s Liam. See? Boring. Now send me a photo.

  Cutie: It’s dark. I’m in bed, all the lights are off.

  Darkglasses: So? Switch them on!

  Cutie: I can’t, I’ll wake up the other girls! Hang on, I’ll find the flash. Here you go… it’s terrible, I warn you.

  Image loading…

  Darkglasses: You look like a wild spirit

  Cutie: I do? Is that a good thing?

  Darkglasses: Very good. You are one hot chick, cutie.

  Cutie: Daisy. My name is Daisy.

  Darkglasses: Hi Daisy Now that we’ve seen each other, tell me about the ‘other you’ that nobody knows… ;)

  Chapter Four

  In the days that followed, Daisy found she was thinking about Liam all the time. Every minute that she wasn’t online with him, she missed him. He understood her like no one else ever had. He listened to her. He didn’t talk about himself all the time.

  He didn’t tell her she was stupid if she didn’t understand something.

  Daisy found it hard to concentrate in lessons. She got told off more and more often. Miss Redmond, the house mistress, asked Daisy to come and see her. Daisy went into her office and sat down.

  Miss Redmond smiled at her, but it was in a not-happy way. “I’ve been hearing things,” she said. “Things from other teachers. You’re not listening in lessons. You’re not doing your homework. You look half-asleep too. Now, Daisy, this isn’t good enough. You have a brain, but you’re not using it. What’s going on? Is there something the matter?”

  Daisy looked at her. Miss Redmond was tall, with brown hair in a plait. She was a kind person, and she’d helped Daisy out in the past. But this time, Daisy couldn’t tell her what was going on. She couldn’t tell Miss Redmond that she was in love. Miss Redmond wouldn’t understand. And if Miss Redmond knew how late she was staying up, she’d probably take away Daisy’s phone. The very idea made Daisy feel sick. She couldn’t lose touch with Liam!

  “I’m fine,” she said, with a shrug. “I’m just a bit bored, that’s all.”

  “Bored?” repeated Miss Redmond, lifting her eyebrows.

  “Yeah.” Daisy pretended to yawn. “I just don’t find the lessons very interesting at the moment.”

  “I see.” Miss Redmond’s lips pressed together in a straight line. Then she said, “May I remind you, Daisy, that your parents are paying for you to be here? They are paying for you to learn. They are not paying for you to be bored. I suggest you have a think about that, and change your attitude.”

  Daisy shrugged again. “Whatever.”

  Miss Redmond sounded very sharp now. “Consider this an official behaviour warning, Daisy. I will be keeping an eye on you.”

  “OK.” Daisy got up and left. On the outside, she looked confident. On the inside, she felt like jelly. She couldn’t believe she had just been so rude to her house mistress! And Miss Redmond was so nice, too! It made her feel awful.

  Daisy climbed the stairs to the Nest. Her three friends were waiting for her. “What did she want?” asked Alice.

  Daisy rolled her eyes. “Just wanted a moan.” She grinned. “I told her I was well bored.”

  The other three looked shocked. “You did not!” said Alice. “Daisy, you’ll be in so much trouble!”

  “I don’t care,” said Daisy. “This place is so dull sometimes!”

  Alice stared at her. “What’s got into you?”

  “It’s that boy,” said Samira suddenly. “She’s obsessed.”

  “I am not,” said Daisy, cross. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  There was a pause.

  “You used to say that about us,” said Hani quietly. Then Daisy’s three friends looked at each other and left the room.

  Daisy sat down on her bed. She felt very upset. She hadn’t meant to insult her friends. She wished she could tell them how Liam made her feel; how he cared for her. How she loved every word he wrote. How she was trying to find a way to meet him – somehow, somewhere.

  But she was afraid her friends would laugh. They had heard all about her boyfriends in the past. They wouldn’t take her seriously – and yet, Daisy knew, this one was very serious. He saw through her confident side. He knew the real her, the one underneath. The one with worries and fears, just like everyone else.

  Daisy wiped the tears from her face. So what if her friends had turned their backs on her? There was only one person she wanted to talk to now.

  Daisy reached into her bag for her phone.

  Chapter Five

  Darkglasses: I’m so sorry, cutie. They don’t sound like friends to me.

  Cutie: I wish I could meet you, Liam. Where do you live?

  Darkglasses: Oh, miles away from you. Yorkshire.

  Cutie: Nooooooooooooooooo!! Come visit me

  Darkglasses: Haha! Maybe I will one day

  Cutie: I’d love that. Sometimes I feel like you’re the only one on my side.

  Darkglasses: I am totally on your side. Which side? Do you have a best side?

  Daisy laughed and took a selfie of the side of her face.

  Image loading…

  Darkglasses: T
hat’s a nice side! What’s the other side like though, so I can compare?

  Image loading…

  Cutie: Well?

  Darkglasses: Hmm. Let me study them more closely. Left… right… hmm. I think your right side is the best. But only by a tiny margin. Both sides are kissable.

  Cutie: :-O

  Darkglasses: What? Wouldn’t you like me to kiss you?

  Cutie: I SO would.

  Darkglasses: Send me a photo of where you’d like to be kissed.

  Image loading…

  Darkglasses: That’s a very nice pair of lips. Have they seen a lot of action?

  Cutie: Liam, you are so RUDE! You don’t ask a girl things like that! … A bit of action, yes ;-)

  Darkglasses: Ha! I knew it! Daisy the naughty schoolgirl. Dirty Daisy.

  Cutie: You’re the one who started it…

  Darkglasses: I want to know more. What does the rest of you look like?