TOUCH wood

Jenny Gordon, 32, from Warwick

Clutching my dinner tray, I walked through the noisy canteen, looking for a place to eat my lunch. Spotting an empty bench, I went to sit down – but the girl sitting on the bench next to me swung round to glare at me.

‘Sorry, you can’t sit there,’ she said.

‘W-why not?’ I stammered.

‘Someone’s sitting there,’ she said. Clearly, there wasn’t anyone sitting there, but I picked up my tray and muttered, ‘Sorry.’ As I walked away, I heard her and her mate sniggering behind my back. Tears pricked my eyes. I felt so alone.

It hadn’t always been