CHAPTER ONE: EWELINA

"...our new student."

Freddie blinked and looked at the teacher. Next to her there was a girl wearing a colourful t-shirt, blue shorts and pink tights.

"Ewelina," the professor read. "Ewelina Lato, is that correct?"

The girl nodded and then repeated: "Ewelina Lato," but in her pronunciation it sounded slightly different.

"Okay then, darling. Tell us something about yourself, will you?"

She nodded again. Her hair was light brown, short and curly. There was a small violet hair-pin above her brew. She was neither pretty nor ugly. Average.

Ewelina withdrew a piece of paper from a side pocket of her violet messenger bag and unfolded it. She started to read.

"Hello, my name is Ewelina and I'm from Poland. I've just moved to Bristol with my mum. I'm happy I'm with you now, but I don't understand English very well. I will learn it quickly."

Her English was bad, nightmarish. Freddie almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"She's pathetic," Katie whispered. The rest of the class was giggling.

"Fuckin' Polacks," Cook smiled meanly.

"Oh come on," Emily said. "She looks rather nice."

"But won't understand you talkin' to her," Naomi snorted.

"Hey, don't be jealous." Emily grinned at her girlfriend. "I've just said she was nice."

"You will not understand her too," JJ added. "I've heard that Polish is much more difficult than English."

"Who cares," Effie rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Ewelina, where would you like to sit?" the teacher asked.

"Here!" Pandora raised her hand. "Here! With me!"

Effie rolled her eyes again.

"Is that fine with you?" the teacher asked and Ewelina nodded.

"She cannot even say yes?" Cook snorted. "Whoa, maybe she's speakin' my language." He smiled.

"Your language?" Freddie raised his dark brew.

"Body language, bro," Cook licked his lips. "The best language in this fuckin' world, man!"

Naomi giggled.

Ewelina sat next to Pandora and smiled shyly.

"Hi there, I'm Pandora but you can call me Panda as my friends do. I think we're going to be good friends, right?"

"Too fast, Panda," Cook said meanly. "Repeat again. Slowly."

"Oh right." The blond girl nodded quickly. "Stupid me! She doesn't understand!"

Then she said exactly the same but slower.

"Okay," Ewelina smiled and Pandora hugged her.

"You're pretty, Eve! Can I call you that? Eve? I love your tights! And this hair-pin!"

Ewelina looked confused but nodded and Freddie thought she was pathetic.

During the break Pandora introduced her new friend to the rest of the gang.

"This is Emily, she's a gay and dates Naomi. Here, this is Naomi. And Katie's sister, Emily. They're twins."

"I'm sure she has noticed that," Emily snorted. "She's not blind, she just doesn't speak English."

"Oh right. So, this is JJ, he's nice but weird. I mean, sometimes."

JJ shook her hand and Ewelina squeezed his gently.

"Jen dobny," he said and the girl smiled.

"Dzień dobry," she corrected him. "Good morning."

"Yeah, Lesson One's completed!" Cook smiled and approached Ewelina. "My name's Cook and I'd totally love to lick your clit."

Freddie and Effie started to laugh and then looked at each other.

"Oh Cook, c'mon, it was rude! Please, don't mind this moron!" Panda hugged Ewelina. "Don't worry, Eve! So, this is Freddie and Effy. Freddie loves Effy and Effy loves Freddie but Cook and JJ also love her so..."

"Panda, God, stop!" Effy lit a cigarette. "Just shut up! She doesn't have to know everything. And she doesn't understand, so what's the point in telling her all that stuff anyway?"

"Right." Panda looked at Effy. "Sorry, Eff. Uhm. Thomas is missing right now, he's my boyfriend and he's really really nice. You will like him!"

"So, Eve, how's it goin' to be with me and your clit?" Cook asked touching the girl's arm.

"No, thanks you," she said silently.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"Say: yes. It's your Lesson Number Two, 'kay?"

"Yes," she looked at him.

"Yes for what? Me and your clit?"

Everybody giggled.

After classes Panda wanted Ewelina to visit her but the Polish girl disagreed.

"No today," she said with her funny accent.

Freddie took a long walk smoking and thinking about Effy. He decided to withdraw some money at Barclay's. He took his dad's credit card because he run out of his own pocket money. He hoped his father wouldn't notice the missing card.

He entered the bank and leaned against the wall waiting for his turn to use the ATM. Suddenly he saw that Polish girl. Ewelina was standing in a queue and reading some book. Freddie was wondering what she was doing in a bank. How was she going to talk to the accountant? He thought it would be fun so he forgot about his father's card and took some leaflet about loans. He moved slightly and stood behind her. Finally she put away her book and stepped ahead.

"Hi there, you're Sue, right?" She smiled at the woman behind the glass. She sounded different. More English. "You've helped me so much yesterday so that's why I remember you. You remember me too? Oh, that's nice! Anyways, I want to paid this money on my account. Yes, of course... No, I don't remember my number. Can you check it for me? Yeah, it's Ewelina Lato. E, W, E, L, I, N, A. L, A, T, O. That's right, thanks. Here's the cheque."

Freddie was listening to her and he was shocked. Her English was perfect!

"What the fuck?" he whispered.

He moved back and waited for Ewelina to finish her business. Finally she said goodbye and walked to the exit. She had her book under her arm. It was Salem's Lot by Stephen King and it was in English.

When she was zipping her bag, she dropped her book. He didn't hesitate and picked it up.

"Hey, thanks," she said and then looked at him. Her face went blank. "Cholera jasna."

"What the fuck?" he asked. "What's wrong with you? Why do you pretend not to know English?"

She frowned.

"It's not your business," she hissed and quickly took her book from his hand.

"Maybe," he caught up with her when she left the building. "But I'm curious."

"Don't be."

"You ain't tellin' me what to do."

"Maybe," she said quickening her pace. "Just leave me alone. I'm not like you, you fuckin' British teenager." She looked angry.

"So, you're fuckin' Polish teenager then, ain't you?"

"Yes, I am. And I'm proud of it."

"Go back to your country then."

"I wish I could." She said quietly and then louder: "As I said: it is not your business, so fuck off, whatever your name is."

"It's Freddie."

"Whatever."

"See you at school, Eve." He smiled meanly.

"It's EWELINA!" she shouted.

That Polish girl, Freddie thought looking at her walking away from him, she's kinda interesting...