He'd been seven years old when his family had emigrated from England to Australia. Starting school afresh in a foreign country had been hard. All kids, apart than him, were seated two to a desk. No one wanted to sit next to the 'pommie'.
When other children threw stationery at him, Miss Pritchard told them off with a conspirational smile.
One morning, slumped at his desk, he sensed someone slip into the seat beside him. He looked up. Eliza.
"Don't worry about them," she said. "They're just a bunch of idiots."