I think it was during a Maths lesson in our second week at the Internet School that James got the first call. He'd decided after that first day to try to get in contact with the police. I think it's safe to say, in fact, that we four all thought it was the police calling him. He'd been going through some differential equations and had seemed to be nodding off as he delivered his lesson. He's never as interested in Maths as he is in Drama or History, for example, but he normally still manages to entertain us with body language and facial expressions.
"So, you, um, multiply the coefficient by... " he had yawned, " ... the power. Then take one off the power."
He had blinked rapidly and tried to rouse himself. Then the jangling sound of his 'Don't Stop Me Now' ringtone had begun to emanate from his pocket and he'd excused himself from the room. We could hear him muttering something into the phone very quickly and very quietly and all four of us tensed visibly.
"Is he okay?" Tom asked me.
"I don't know," I replied distractedly, "I was up early this morning and he was just pacing around the living room yelling about cannons."
"Cannons or canon?" Tom frowned.
"I would have thought canon but he's become a little unpredictable recently and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was debating the failings of pre-Dreadnought war ships with himself," I murmured.
James re-entered the room and ushered in one of the members of One Direction - we had music next - urging them to take the maths lesson. He signalled for the four of us to come with him. By now the class was used to this and we'd come up with the more comprehensive cover story that we were involved in a fanfiction project. I shrugged at Tom and followed Annisa, Eliphia and Hanien out of the class.
This time James took us back to our common room and sat us down in the kitchen.
"I did something stupid," he began, "I made a rash decision and I regret it now but it can't be undone. I got on Facebook, got accepted into my own fan group and sent Paul a private message. I told him I couldn't do as he asked but that I was not giving up. I ... arranged to meet him. That's who the call was from. He was confirming the time and place."
"Where are you going to meet him?" Hanien asked.
"Cream 'O' Galloway Park," James replied, "It's public enough that he can't harm me but spread out enough that we can talk without people overhearing us. Do you know it, Joanne?"
"Yeah," I replied, "It's my favourite play-park all time! What do you need us for, then?"
"Well, it's quite hard to get time off here but Benedict suggested we all take a school trip to go camping. I guess I just wanted to give you warning. I think the classes are going to dissolve and mix with one another so it should be easy for me to get away. I want to know if any of you would like to come with me. It could be potentially dangerous and I personally don't think it's a good idea but for Eliphia and Joanne especially, whose friends have been kidnapped, I thought I owed you all to at least ask. You've all been so helpful over the past few weeks, I had to at least give you the choice. And, I have to admit, I'm significantly frightened by the prospect of going alone." James held his head aloft to show he was not afraid of admitting his fear.
I glanced at Eliphia, who had been a member of the James McAvoy Fan Club when I joined and had therefore known Jan and Tara for longer. Her hands were set in fists and she was rubbing her knuckles with her thumb. Annisa and Hanien seemed similarly determined. I took a deep breath and stood from my seat at the kitchen table. I found the others also now on their feet and joined them in circling round the side of the table to where James was now also in the process of standing. We stood in a semi-circle in front of him and wrapped him into a hug.
"So that's a yes, then?" he croaked as he emerged from the huddle, seemingly willing back tears.
"Absolutely," Eliphia whispered.
Annisa, Hanien and I nodded our assent and James nodded back.
"Okay," James raised his voice back to normal level, or even slightly above, "Any ideas for a campsite, Joanne? I reckon there would be some objections to wild camping from all the girls."
"Hey, you'd object too if you couldn't pee standing up. Anyway, I know one near Dumfries. It's quite close to Wigtown. Oh... wait... "
"What?" James raised an eyebrow.
"There may be a slight problem," I murmured, "Just how allergic are you to horses?"
"So, you, um, multiply the coefficient by... " he had yawned, " ... the power. Then take one off the power."
He had blinked rapidly and tried to rouse himself. Then the jangling sound of his 'Don't Stop Me Now' ringtone had begun to emanate from his pocket and he'd excused himself from the room. We could hear him muttering something into the phone very quickly and very quietly and all four of us tensed visibly.
"Is he okay?" Tom asked me.
"I don't know," I replied distractedly, "I was up early this morning and he was just pacing around the living room yelling about cannons."
"Cannons or canon?" Tom frowned.
"I would have thought canon but he's become a little unpredictable recently and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was debating the failings of pre-Dreadnought war ships with himself," I murmured.
James re-entered the room and ushered in one of the members of One Direction - we had music next - urging them to take the maths lesson. He signalled for the four of us to come with him. By now the class was used to this and we'd come up with the more comprehensive cover story that we were involved in a fanfiction project. I shrugged at Tom and followed Annisa, Eliphia and Hanien out of the class.
This time James took us back to our common room and sat us down in the kitchen.
"I did something stupid," he began, "I made a rash decision and I regret it now but it can't be undone. I got on Facebook, got accepted into my own fan group and sent Paul a private message. I told him I couldn't do as he asked but that I was not giving up. I ... arranged to meet him. That's who the call was from. He was confirming the time and place."
"Where are you going to meet him?" Hanien asked.
"Cream 'O' Galloway Park," James replied, "It's public enough that he can't harm me but spread out enough that we can talk without people overhearing us. Do you know it, Joanne?"
"Yeah," I replied, "It's my favourite play-park all time! What do you need us for, then?"
"Well, it's quite hard to get time off here but Benedict suggested we all take a school trip to go camping. I guess I just wanted to give you warning. I think the classes are going to dissolve and mix with one another so it should be easy for me to get away. I want to know if any of you would like to come with me. It could be potentially dangerous and I personally don't think it's a good idea but for Eliphia and Joanne especially, whose friends have been kidnapped, I thought I owed you all to at least ask. You've all been so helpful over the past few weeks, I had to at least give you the choice. And, I have to admit, I'm significantly frightened by the prospect of going alone." James held his head aloft to show he was not afraid of admitting his fear.
I glanced at Eliphia, who had been a member of the James McAvoy Fan Club when I joined and had therefore known Jan and Tara for longer. Her hands were set in fists and she was rubbing her knuckles with her thumb. Annisa and Hanien seemed similarly determined. I took a deep breath and stood from my seat at the kitchen table. I found the others also now on their feet and joined them in circling round the side of the table to where James was now also in the process of standing. We stood in a semi-circle in front of him and wrapped him into a hug.
"So that's a yes, then?" he croaked as he emerged from the huddle, seemingly willing back tears.
"Absolutely," Eliphia whispered.
Annisa, Hanien and I nodded our assent and James nodded back.
"Okay," James raised his voice back to normal level, or even slightly above, "Any ideas for a campsite, Joanne? I reckon there would be some objections to wild camping from all the girls."
"Hey, you'd object too if you couldn't pee standing up. Anyway, I know one near Dumfries. It's quite close to Wigtown. Oh... wait... "
"What?" James raised an eyebrow.
"There may be a slight problem," I murmured, "Just how allergic are you to horses?"
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