Back in the IT room, Frank looked anxiously at the clock. AJ and Joe had been gone for twenty minutes. Suddenly AJ returned. He went straight to his seat and sat there in silence. Frank swallowed. Where was Joe? Dare he ask AJ? He hoped Ferguson would ask AJ where Joe was, but the IT teacher was absorbed in his marking. Another ten minutes passed by. AJ continued to sit in stony silence, not bothering to return to his computer. Ferguson kept marking. The click, clicking of the computer pad keys was making Frank more frantic, but outwardly he calmly moved from student to student, checking their progress. Another five minutes passed. Where was Joe?

Joe Hardy was feeling intimidated. The DP had pointed out to him all the reasons why he should just confess to the camera theft. His watch had been found at the scene, and he associated with AJ who was a known ‘bad element’ at the school. Despite his growing fear of this man, Joe looked Darcy squarely in the eye.

‘I didn’t do it, and nothing you do can make me say that I did,’ Joe told him.

Joe had barely finished his sentence when he found himself hauled from his chair by the throat and pressed up against the office wall. So shocked was he that a teacher would use physical force against a student, that Joe had not thought he would need to protect himself. Now he felt pain in his thigh where Darcy’s knee pinned him against the wall, and around his throat where hands were squeezing viciously.

‘Now you listen to me, you young punk,’ Darcy spat. ‘I have decided that you are guilty. You can deny it all you like, but who are people going to believe? Me? Or some pathetic kid with half a brain from a broken home hanging out with losers like AJ?’ He squeezed Joe’s neck tighter. Joe could feel the man’s nails digging into his flesh. He could feel hot breath against his face as the DP spoke. Black spots began to appear in front of his eyes. He struggled to remain conscious. The DP suddenly let him fall to the floor. Gasping for breath, Joe clutched at his throat and rubbed his thigh. Darcy leant over him and smiled with satisfaction as Joe involuntarily shrank away from him.

‘You did steal those cameras, Hooper. I’ll be informing your brother. And don’t bother telling anyone about our little discussion, including Social Worker Sullivan. I’ll be filling in a report to say you felt faint, collapsed, and hit your leg against desk.’ He straightened up and sat back down at his desk.

‘Now I think it’s time you went back to class. Try to learn something!’

Joe struggled to his feet and out into the hall. Somehow he found his way into the sickbay and shut the door behind him. Leaning against the sink, he took several deep breaths. He ran some water into his shaking hands and splashed his face. Staring at his pale reflection in the mirror, a range of emotions consumed him: fear, indignation, shock….but above all, anger. How could an adult, trusted by parents to look after young people, treat students so badly? And what did this new development mean?

Joe wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket. He straightened up and set his jaw. He wanted to find Frank and tell him all about this straight away, but it would be too risky. He’d just go back to class. He could talk to Frank later.