Page 73 of One Step Behind
‘Have you been following Rachel?’ he asks, looking at me as though I’m a plot twist in one of his sci-fi novels he can’t figure out.
‘I was trying to talk to her, that’s all. It was important. I didn’t mean to scare her.’
‘You of all people know what it feels like to be harassed.’ Stuart’s voice is a whispered squeak. ‘What’s got into you?’
‘For Christ’s sake, I wasn’t harassing her. She got the wrong end of the stick, that’s all. I’ll explain it to her on Monday and apologize.’
‘I really think—’
‘Let’s talk about this later,’ I cut in, spotting Archie. He’s on his tiptoes by the teacher, craning his neck to see us. When he catches sight of us he whoops and fist-pumps before racing flat out and leaping into Stuart’s arms. ‘Daaaaddyyyyy,’ he cries like he hasn’t seen Stuart for a month. I try not to let it bother me, but it does.
Beth appears a few minutes later, red-faced and teary-eyed.
‘Hey, what’s wrong?’ I ask.
‘Nothing. Can we go?’
‘In a sec. Tell me what’s wrong first. Has something happened today? Shall I speak to Mrs … Er …’ The name of Beth’s teacher is a blank space in my head.
‘Mrs Claybourne.’ Beth sighs, eyes on my feet. ‘And no. Don’t. I just want to go home.’
‘OK, let’s go.’ I don’t push it. I’m as keen to get out of here as she is. We start to move, Stuart first, then Beth, then Archie and me.
‘Can you hold my water bottle please?’ Archie asks, pushing it into my hands. ‘We did art today. I want to show you a drawing I did of a stag beetle. It’s really cool. I got two merits. Did you know stag beetles can grow up to twelve centimetres?’
I put my arm around him and hurry him on. ‘I’d love to see your drawing. Can it wait until we get home though?’
‘OK,’ he says, still digging in his bag, feet moving slowly. We’re at the gates in the mosh pit of other parents and children. There’s a jam ahead – a boy has fallen off his scooter. I can hear him screaming in pain. I peer over to check if he needs any help, but it looks like grazed hands and humiliation more than hurt.
‘This way,’ I say to Archie, tugging him around the fallen scooter.
I’ve lost Beth in the melee. I think she’s up ahead with Stuart, but I look behind me just in case and catch a glare from Bradley. He’s walking with a group of mums he seems to know. They’re all staring at me like I’m some kind of monster.
As we leave the gates I catch sight of Beth and Stuart further up the road. Archie rushes after them and I follow close behind.
The moment we’re through the front door Beth runs upstairs and shuts herself in her room. I don’t stop her, but twenty minutes later I take her a snack and a glass of water.
‘What’s going on?’ I ask, pushing her legs over and sitting on the bed beside her.
‘Lacey says I can’t go round to her house any more.’ Beth’s eyes brim with fresh tears. ‘We fell out at school.’
‘Oh.’
‘She said I can’t come to her sleepover in the summer holidays and now I’m the only girl in the entire class who isn’t going. So I said that she was stupid.’
‘Beth,’ I reprimand.
‘I know it’s not nice, I just said it because I was upset and because she said it first. I really, really wanted to go to the sleepover. Can you speak to her mum and ask her to ask Lacey to let me come?’
‘I … I’m not sure.’ Anger burns inside me. Has Rachel said something to Lacey about me? ‘It’s probably just a misunderstanding. It’ll blow over on its own. Besides, the summer holidays are still weeks away.’
Beth nods, causing two fat tears to roll down her face. I catch one with my finger before reaching out to hug her. She wraps her arms around me and I breathe her in. She smells of grass and suncream and something Beth-like I can’t describe that fills me with love.
‘It’s going to be all right.’ I try to believe my own words. ‘I promise,’ I whisper as the reality of what I’ve done sinks deeper inside me – a cement block plummeting into the ocean.
Chapter 43
Jenna
