Lyre Read Free Page B

says anything mean to you in any way, or brings up your race in a negative manner, then you have to let me know.’
    You mean like just now, Yuri wanted to say, although she didn’t. 
    ‘People will be curious about who you are and where you’re from.  It’s just human nature.  It doesn’t mean they’re being racist.’
    Yuri wondered if Mrs. Chibison thought she was stupid and that was why she had to point out the obvious.
    ‘It’s Chinese,’ she said quietly.
    ‘Pardon me?’
    ‘Kung Fu is Chinese.  Not Japanese.’
    The teacher laughed.  This time it seemed genuine.  ‘You’ll have to be sure to tell Bryan that next time you see him.’
    Yuri gave her a tentative smile back.  She wouldn’t tell Bryan anything the next time she saw him.  She’d made that decision long before she’d ever set eyes on him.  This time around she wasn’t going to waste her efforts trying to make friends or fit in.  She was going to keep to herself and work as hard as she could to get the best grades possible.  Because the better she did at school then the faster she’d be able to escape from this kind of life. And, besides, it just hard too damn much every time she had to leave her hard won friends behind. She didn’t think Mrs. Chibison needed to know that though.
    They walked through a series of terribly familiar and yet completely unfamiliar corridors.  Occasionally there would be a display of pupils’ work up on the walls; more often than not with curling faded backing paper and ripped edges.  Before too long, the arrived at a nondescript white door with a sign up stating ‘Key Stage Four Coordinator’.  Mrs. Chibison pushed it open and gestured her inside. 
    The office was tiny and strewn haphazardly with paper everywhere.  There was a desk which appeared to be standard school issue, and behind it a comfortable looking swivel chair.  Against the wall was a broken plastic chair.
    Mrs. Chibison tutted.   ‘Well, that’s annoying.  I asked them to replace that chair over the weekend.  Hold on and I will go and see if I can get something to sit on.  Feel free to sit down on my chair while you’re waiting.  Just don’t move anything around.’ She gave a short laugh before leaving.  ‘I know it looks messy but when it’s like this I also know where everything is.’ 
    Yuri dropped her bag and made her way slowly behind the desk.  The chair was as comfortable as it looked, although if she sat back in it, then her feet barely reached the floor.  She was still short for her age.  She scooted herself forward a little bit until her toes just made contact with the ground.  Then, because she was unable to resist, she pushed off, spinning herself round.  She did it several times before stopping herself.  The door was open after all.  That was a universal school policy kind of thing.  You couldn’t close the door if there was the chance a pupil would be left alone with a teacher.  If the door was closed, then the teacher might be able to do something heinous and no-one would know.  Or the pupil would be able to accuse them of doing something heinous and no-one would be able to prove it.  Yuri sucked air in through the gap in her teeth then pushed it back out again.  Schools could be complicated places.
    Because she didn’t enjoy sitting in Mrs. Chibison’s chair behind Mrs. Chibison’s desk – after all, someone else might come in and tell her off for it – she spun herself around until she was facing away from the door and looking out the window instead onto a filled carpark.  It wasn’t the most inspiring view in the world.  She leant forward and cupped her face in her hands and stared out at nothing.
    ‘Lizzy, you’re here!’ Yuri froze.  It was a female voice, but definitely not Mrs. Chibison’s.  ‘I wasn’t sure if you had a class or if you were dealing with a problem.  I heard what happened to Mike at the weekend.  I am so sorry.  You know if there’s anything I