For young readers: The lives of three school friends become entwined in riot-ridden Darjeeling

I could tell she didn’t want to be there. She had that anywhere-but-here look that I would totally wear around the school if I could. Not judgy or anything, but like disappointed as hell maybe, even sad. I couldn’t exactly figure what it was, but it looked like she was dying to run away or something. And, I mean, like who could blame her. Five years later and I still feel that way about St Mary’s. Honestly, if I wasn’t trying so hard to be liked, I’d have this anywhere-buthere look that would be 10 per cent disappointment, 15 per cent sadness, 20 per cent boredom, 25 per cent pure hatred, maybe about 30 per cent jealousy and like an extra 5 per cent of cringe and cranks thrown in like Domino’s oregano or something, but with extra of that garlic.

And I’m only a day scholar, which means I am out of here by 3.30 pm, 5.30 max on days there is some kind of practice, which does happen often actually. Of course, being a day scholar probably is a big reason for my hatred for the place; that and the nuns who have this annoying thing about turning us...

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