The creeping, visual promise of metamorphosis lowered Natalia’s dread for PE that Thursday morning. Whilst the boys went out for football on the field with Mr Winterbrook, the girls went to the gym for Netball. Normally Natalia would detest being knocked from pillar to post by the wiry bodies of the other girls, namely the bulldog-like Lisa McGann who would utter ‘sorry, little ‘un!’ but today, Natalia gazed into space in reverie.

Luxton blew the whistle, making Natalia jump.

‘Earth to Natalia! Not woken up yet?’

Blowing for her own time being up, she grinned to herself, as the game proceeded, thinking back to Neill agreeing with her, that ‘Luxton’s past it!’ Was Luxton looking tenser today than usual?

Changed from PE, Natalia headed up to fritt...

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