Page 27 of A Merry Little Christmas
I looked down at the red object lying at Will’s feet and my heart gave a lurch of dismay. I picked it up and looked at Will. He was trying not to react, I could tell. In fact, he just shrugged and turned away. But I felt like crying for him.
His beloved racing car – the Bugatti model that Caleb had given him as an early Christmas gift – now lay scratched and damaged in my hand . . .
*****
Will shoved the car into his backpack and I helped him to pick up the rest of his things, which were all now soaking wet after lying in the snow.
He told me he was there to meet his mum. They both had dental appointments in Sunnybrook.
‘How long have they been bullying you, Will?’ I asked softly.
‘Bullying me?’ He frowned as if he didn’t know what I was talking about. ‘It’s nothing. Honestly. We were just fooling around.’
I grimaced. ‘Well, it didn’t look like that to me. That boy, Lewis? He should be reported for nasty behaviour like that.’
Will stared at me, an anxious look in his eyes. ‘Please don’t tell Mum. If she thinks I’m being bullied, she’ll go to the school and speak to my teacher and that would just be...’ He trailed off with a shrug.
‘Why wouldn’t you want your teacher to know?’ I asked gently.
He gave another shrug. ‘Look, I wasn’t being bullied. We were just having a laugh, that’s all. Okay?’
Seeing the determined look on his face, I sighed. ‘Okay.’
‘Here’s Mum now,’ he murmured.
I turned and sure enough, Penny was hurrying towards us. Wrapped in a scarf, flat black boots and a long khaki green padded winter coat, she was waving and smiling. ‘Katja! How lovely to see you again so soon.’
‘Yes. You, too.’
‘Will, love, could you run over to the bakery and get me one of those seeded loaves?’ She dug out her purse and handed him some cash.
Will grimaced. ‘Mum, nobody uses cash anymore.’
‘Well, I do!’ she said, and I laughed along with her.
He shrugged. ‘Just saying. Can I get some yum-yum doughnuts as well?’
‘Yes, why not?’ She smiled affectionately after him as he strode away across the snowy village green, hands dug deep in his pockets against the winter chill.
‘He was early meeting me,’ she said, glancing at her watch. ‘I thought he might be in the village store spending his pocket money, so when I parked in a side street over there, I sat in the car for a while before venturing out.’
‘I don’t blame you. It’s absolutely freezing out here,’ I murmured, reflecting that the reason Will was early for her wasbecause that bully boy Lewis had effectively driven him out of the store before he’d even had time to buy anything.
I hadn’t believed Will when he’d insisted they were just fooling around and it was all a big joke. Because stamping on his lovely new car like that was far from funny. But he’d been so anxious that I shouldn’t mention it to his mum.
I was torn, though.
I could see why Will wouldn’t want the bullying mentioned at school. There was a worry Lewis might retaliate and the situation could become even worse.
But Penny needed to know, didn’t she? Whatever Will’s view was on the matter, I would have to tell her what was going on...
What Penny said next, however, sent the subject of bullying flying right out of my head.
‘So I’ve actually been sitting in the car thinking about my life.’ She smiled sheepishly. ‘Debating the pluses and minuses of dating.’
‘Oof. So are you thinking of jumping back into that shark-infested pool, then?’ I joked.
She pulled a face. ‘Not sure. I joined a dating app and I’ve got a date lined up. But I’ve just been sitting thinking about how lovely it is to be single and to be able to live your life exactly the way you want to. No one else to consider. We date strangers we really know nothing about – except what theychooseto reveal to you in their profile.’ She gave a convulsive shiver and stared into the distance. ‘It’s so dangerous when you think about it,’ she murmured, almost to herself. ‘They could be absolutely anybody.’
