“I'm freezing," moaned Isabella. "I shall freeze to death.""Cheer up, my southern flower." Jake hauled on the oars. "This was your brilliant idea. Anyway, you can die spectacularly of pneumonia, and someone will write a great tragic opera about you."Isabella gave him a teeth-chattering grimace, but her expression turned dreamy and distant as if she was already imagining her last heart-rending aria. Cassie cleared her throat in exasperation. "Can we not talk about spectacular deaths?”

“What about Katerina? Is she Head Girl?""Boss Cat, more like." Isabella wrinkled her nose."Where's she from?""Sweden," said Isabella carelessly. Oh, right. So Cassie's movie-star casting had been spot-on. Not that she could imagine Katerina ever Vanting to Be Alone, though. Who else was Swedish? ABBA? Cassie wrinkled her nose. Not a good comparison. "I can see her in a silver catsuit, though," she muttered under her breath.”

“Where did you get that?" shouted Cassie, rubbing her temples fiercely, fighting to focus."This?" Isabella swung at a hooded figure as it made a lunge for her, cracking her weapon into its head. The figure dropped like a stone. "I bring this to school every term, Cassie! I knew it would come in handsome.""Handy," said Cassie, shaking her head clear at last.”

“You have the blade!" she hissed. "You.""I'm really sorry," said Jake. "Is that against school rules?""Don't do the banter thing," moaned Isabella. "Let's run.”

“But then Klaudia's lips curled ino a conniving smile."Actually, Aria, I'm going to fuck your boyfriend. Tonight."Aria started at her. It felt like Klaudia had just punched her in the throat. "Excuse me?"Klaudia scooted closer to Aria. "I'm going to fuck your boyfried," she said again -in textbook-perfect English. "Tonight. And there's nothing you can do about it.”

“Maybe you can explain to me what is so spectacular about her, because you gay girls can’t seem to keep your hands off that daffy redhead.”