Page 37 of A Merry Little Christmas
‘Car keys!’ She was dashing back inside.
‘The snow’s great, isn’t it?’ I said to Maisie, joining her at the door while her mum went dashing around searching for her elusive keys. ‘It makes everything look so pretty.’
Maisie shrugged. ‘It’s okay. If it snows any more, we probably won’t be able to go outside at break time.’ She grimaced. ‘Health and safety.’
‘Yes, of course.’ I paused. ‘Maisie, do you know a boy called Lewis at your school?’
She made a face. ‘Yes. He’s in my class, worse luck. Why?’
‘I saw him bullying Will and I didn’t like it.’
She nodded. ‘Fergie always sticks up for Will when Lewis Hatcher is being nasty to him.’
‘And Fergie’s your boyfriend?’
‘I suppose so.’ Maisie gave a careless shrug and looked away, while blushing to the roots of her hair, which was a bit of a giveaway.
‘Well, it sounds like Fergie is a hero, confronting the bullies.’
‘Yes, but I’ve told him not to say anything when Lewis’s gang are all there. I mean, that would just be crazy.’
‘True. So this Lewis Hatcher bullies Will regularly, does he?’
She nodded. ‘He laughs at Will and makes him go red in front of the rest of the class, and he does things like pull his chair away just before he sits down... that kind of thing.’
‘That’s horrible,’ I murmured.
‘Will’s a good singer. Mrs Hunter really rates him. But Lewis told Will that if he auditioned for the main part in the Christmas show to replace Ryan then he’d be in serious trouble,’ said Maisie darkly. ‘He saidhewas getting the star part, and he probably will because he’s one of Mrs Hunter’s favourites. Mrs Hunter is the music teacher.’
‘Was Will thinking of auditioning, then?’
She shook her head. ‘Too shy.’
Maisie was kicking snow, moulding it into a mound with her foot. ‘Lewis thinks he’s really cool because he’s good-looking and he has lots of girls after him, and the boys all do what he wants because they’re desperate to be in his gang.’ She looked up. ‘Except for Fergie. He won’t take any of Lewis’s ego-trip nonsense.’
‘Well, good for him. I very much like the sound of Fergie.’
‘Fergie’s got a rubbish voice.’ She shrugged matter-of-factly. ‘Otherwise, he said he’d audition so he could beat Lewis to the main part.’
I chuckled. ‘That would teach him a lesson.’
‘Honestly, he’s such a creep. He’s always so well-behaved and helpful in Mrs Hunter’s class so she thinks he’s this mature, well-rounded teenager.’ She gave a derisive snort. ‘Honestly, he gives off such major BDE but really he’s just a mega di –.’ Her eyes widened dramatically and she broke off with a guilty grimace.
‘BDE?’
‘It’s a bit rude.’
‘You can tell me.’
She glanced back to make sure her mum wasn’t there. ‘Big dick energy?’ she whispered. ‘All the kids say it. Not just me.’
I nodded, trying to suppress a smile. ‘So this Lewis gives off major – er, BDE? – but really he’s just a... something beginning with “d”?’
Maisie nodded, clearly wondering if I would dare to say it.
I looked up at the sky for inspiration. ‘Got it! He’s a devil.’
We exchanged a mischievous look. Maisie was far too clever to be taken in by that one.
