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"I won’t stand for racisize or I’ll report you"

"Me?" I gasp "Racist? You’re nuts Isn’t she, Kray?"

Kray chuckles weakly but says nothing He doesn’t want the hassle

"Tell her I’ood friends and were just having a laugh"

"Leave him alone," Nancy says "Pick on htly "All right" I ht up onabout blacks," I murmur I know it’s rasses ize or push through with the hard-nosed, racist routine And I wasn’t brought up to apologize Certainly not to the likes of her

Nancy pushes me away "You’re scum," she sneers

"At least I’ into hateful character with alar ease

"You’ll be suspended scum once I tell a teacher what you said"

"Is that how you deal with people ind you up?" I jeer "You run to the teachers?"

"Yeah"

I shrug "Go on then It’sabout me, I’ll complain too You pushed me That’s physical assault and everyone saw it"

"Rubbish," she snorts

"You raised your hands and pushed me That’s a direct attack" I step up close to Nancy and sGo on, knock ht, don’t you? It’s what you were born for Well, that and basketball"

Nancy’s fingers bunch into fists She’s treh ground if she does If she strikes the first blow, she won’t be able to turn me in It doesn’t matter if you’re provoked - school policy is that you should never react

"Go on," I whisper, then sink lower than I ever thought I would, andnoises

Nancy shrieks and slaps h

"Is that the hardest you can hit?" I ain, a flurry of feeble blows I don’t even bother to raise my hands to protect one mad I think she has rabies Don’t let her bite I’s catches my cheek and tears into it I hiss and slap her away A thin trickle of blood flows frooads Nancy on She throws herself atshrilly I put a hand on her face to push her away She bites rit ain Losing my temper, I step back and let fly, a real punch My fist hits the side of her face and she goes down She lands hard and cries out I start after her to finish her off, but Elephant and Kray get in my way

"Easy, B," Kray says "She’s not as tough as you"

"I don’t care," I shout "She bit onna - "

"B Sroan It’s Stuttering Stan, one of the PE teachers He doesn’t really stutter but he trips over his tongue sometimes

"You’re in for it now," Nancy cackles, ser

"You hitStan," she crows

I spit at her as if I were a child, then turn and stand to attention, staring directly at Stuttering Stan as he strides towardsI know I should feel asharee I do But to , because I know Dad would be proud if he could seeor two