Ngā whānau [The families]

"Jenny, don't be late home from school today, please. We have to get your ballet gear organized for Saturday."

Jenny's mother repeated herself and then added, "Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Yes, Mum," was all Jenny had to say, as she grabbed her bag and closed the front door behind her. Jenny already had a bit of a headache, and it was only Tuesday morning.

School went pretty much the same as any other day. The usual lessons. The usual stupid boys with smirky faces. The usual homework tasks set. The only thing that was different was that Jenny, now a senior, was asked to go to a lunchtime meeting with the other prefects.

Ms. Gilhooley smiled at them all and went right to her point. "I won't keep you long because I know some of you have other duties. But we would like some volunteers to help with the new students this term. We would like some of you to volunteer to be mentors, please." She glanced around the prefects. One or two put their hands up straight away. Jenny was not one of them.

"Thank you for volunteering, Isaiah," smiled Ms. Gilhooley.

"Miss, I wasn't volunteering. I wanted to ask when we were meant to mentor these new kids?" Isaiah had a rather patronizing tone to his voice. "I mean, I have sports practice most days after school ..."

A few affirmative nods and a "yeah" or two greeted his comment.

"We were thinking Tuesdays and Thursdays during term one. Perhaps for half an hour at this stage. We would like you to get to know some of the new students who we think may need a little bit of support at school. You could ask them if they had any questions and give them assistance with studies perhaps—and definitely give support if they feel lonely ..."

Isaiah was sighing, and one or two others looked supremely uninterested.

Joanna Skipper and Gerald Hope, however, did volunteer.

"What about you, Jenny? Can you help us, please?"

Jenny was reluctant, but she was also aware that she "should set an example" because her mother always said so.

"OK. I will help," she replied softly.

At 3:15 that afternoon Jenny was introduced to Charm. Charm had recently moved into the district, although Jenny later learned that Charm's family had once lived in the area several years previously. They were nearly seven years apart in terms of their ages and in terms of their year level at the small area school.

Charm lived up to her name: she smiled at Jenny when the two were introduced and seemed very happy to have a "senior" to help her settle into the school. In fact, that's what she said straight away.

Jenny asked if the younger girl had any questions, to which Charm immediately responded with, "My form teacher is Mr. Sellars. He is trying to be a funny guy because he keeps on telling us jokes all the time. But his jokes aren't funny."

Jenny did not know what to say. She did not know Mr. Sellars as he had never taught her. So she smiled and said nothing.

"Do you play any sports?" was Charm's next sally.

"I used to play netball ...," Jenny trailed off. She wasn't going to tell the younger girl that her own mother had nagged Jenny about quitting netball, because "it takes up too much of your time."

Charm was waiting for the rest of the sentence, but all she received was, "How about I meet up with you tomorrow at lunchtime and you can tell me about anything at school that you need help with?" Jenny knew her mother would probably berate her for not going home straight after school, so she was attempting to scale down the conversation.

"OK,'" smiled Charm. "But where?" she added.

"How about I come and find you in Mr. Sellar's room when the lunch bell goes?"

"Sure," Charm said.

________

Jenny found her mother drinking wine on the front porch. Their small car was out on the...