Page 55 of Autumn in Sycamore Park
Gavin gave a sage nod. ‘That sucks, Miss.’
‘Yes, it does. It sucks very much. So I need you to be extra nice to Matthew. No threatening him with dead arms, no throwing his pens on the floor, no calling him a flid or a pindick.’
Gavin sniggered, then slapped a hand over his mouth, his face turning grave again. ‘Sorry, Miss. It’s just, you can’t say that.’
‘I know. That’s why this conversation is secret. I don’t want you to give him any special treatment, just be kind to him. That’s all. I’m trusting you, Gavin. Don’t let me down.’
Gavin stared at his hands for a long time. When he looked up, he frowned, then shook his head. ‘Do you reckon he’d be up for seeing Argyle this weekend?’
‘Probably best not to make him feel any worse.’
‘We’ve got Liverpool at home in the Cup.’
‘Well, at least he should see some goals. I don’t know, you could ask him. Remember what I said, though. Not a word about his mother. Please.’
‘Sure, Miss.’
‘I mean it.’
‘Okay, Miss.’
In the staffroom,Rick was sitting with his casted foot up on a chair while Amy made him coffee.
‘Ah, can you put just a little more sugar in, please, Clair? Not a whole spoonful, just like a quarter.’
‘Sure.’
Jennifer rolled her eyes. ‘Perhaps we could drop you off at the care home on the way home.’
Rick grinned. ‘I have to rest up,’ he said. ‘The cast comes off tomorrow. The last thing I need is to give it a knock and end up with this beauty for another week.’
‘What a shame that would be.’
Rick cupped a hand to his ear. ‘Wait, can you hear that?’
Amy frowned. ‘Is it a sparrow?’
Rick rolled his eyes. ‘No, Clair. It’s the sound of all the eligible ladies in Brentwell crying with disappointment.’
‘There can’t be that many, because I couldn’t hear anything,’ Jennifer said.
‘That’s because you’re facing the playground,’ Rick said. ‘Too much background noise.’
‘How about the one at home?’ Jennifer said. ‘Your girlfriend, or is it your wife?’
Rick glanced at Amy before giving a vehement shake of his head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘The one I spoke to on the phone, who said you were still in bed.’
‘That was me putting on a voice to confuse you.’
‘It didn’t sound like you.’
Rick gave a dramatic sigh. ‘It was probably my sister, then.’
‘You told me you were an only child,’ Amy said.
Rick stood up. ‘I don’t have time for this,’ he said. ‘Some of us have work to do. Idle gossip will get you nowhere, ladies.’
