SOMEONE DIFFERENT (6 page)

‘What was?’ I dragged my eyes off the lass and looked at Becky.

‘That, what you did; calming her down so quickly.’

I gazed at the girl again.

‘I meant the horse,’ Becky said.

I turned back to see her smiling, and I couldn’t help smirking a bit as well.

***

‘You’re right in there, mate.’ Billy’s voice was way too loud as we walked down the drive towards the bus stop.

‘Shut it will ya, they’ll hear ya.’

‘All that whisperin’ and holdin’ hands and stuff. I can’t believe it; I let ya have her an’ all – it coulda been me, that.’

‘Yeah, right.’

‘It coulda
– she were proper beggin’ it; she din’t care who.’ He shook his head. ‘God, I bet she’ll like even buy ya fancy stuff an’ give ya money an’ that, just to keep ya sweet.’

‘Stop chattin’ shit. Nowt even happened.’

‘Not yet, but it will if she’s got owt to do with it. C’mon, you’re not tellin’ me you didn’t notice them eyes and them tight fittin’ trouser things, an’ the way she wiggled her arse, an’ –’

‘Billy, shut it. It were nowt.’

He grinned. ‘Alright, no need to cry; I’m only sayin’.’ He got a couple of fags out and passed one over, then he reached back into his pocket for a lighter. ‘So, are ya still gonna ask Martin about goin’ somewhere else then?’ His voice was fake cheerful.

I lit the fag and looked away. Just picturing her made my stomach sort of scrunch up.

Billy laughed. ‘Thought not,’ he said.

8 – Anna

It didn’t hurt one bit, my hand. I ought to have been in agony, I knew that; the lead rope had burned so deeply, my skin had actually split open. But as I stared down, all I could feel was what it’d been like to have him hold it.

It was the way he’d touched it; the way he’d looked. Although his hands had been freezing, his fingers rough, and his nails dirty from working all day, he couldn’t have been more careful. And then, when he saw the cut, it was like it’d actually happened to him.

I snuggled further down my bed, rested my cheek on my pink satin cushion, and smiled like Garfield. ‘Jay,’ I whispered. That’s what Becky had called him as we’d walked away to the office. Jay.

Awe, I wish I could’ve remembered more about him. The tears and the dim light meant it’d been difficult to see anything very clearly when he spoke to me. His hood had covered his hair so I hadn’t seen that at all, but I guessed it was dark brown like his eyes; dark and deep and soft.

He’d been wearing a black jacket, I saw that when we first drove into the yard, and grey tracksuit bottoms as well, I think. Then when he turned round, there was a tear down the front of his jacket, where you could see the white lining inside. But that’s it; I couldn’t remember anything else.

Except that, well, all his clothes were sort of ... worn-looking; kind of grubby and faded. But of course they would be, wouldn’t they? Everyone who works with horses gets their clothes dirty, and their hands, and their nails; it’s what happens.

Oh, I wish I hadn’t let them lead me away so soon; I wish I’d said something else to him.

Would I get another chance tomorrow after school? God, I hoped so. I knew they were working at the yard on more than one day a week, but I didn’t know which ones.

And even if he was there, would he be nice to me again? Or was today just him being kind because I’d hurt myself?

No, don’t think like that. Think about his eyes shining down; his hands touching me.

I pushed the duvet off to cool down, then propped myself up on my elbow and glanced at my watch; eight-thirty. Mum thought I’d left my dinner untouched and gone to bed so early because I was still shaken by what Tia had done. But of course it was just so I could have some peace to think about him without being interrupted.

Somewhere, right at the back of my mind, there was a vague worry that Miss Welbourne would be phoning soon about the tuition, that Tia and I were never going to bond, and that I would never be able to handle her properly.

But my stomach didn’t crumple, my hands didn’t shake, and not one, single tear sprung in my eyes.

I looked at my hand again and beamed; what an awesome day!

9 – Jay

Like I’d told Billy, it was nothing, was it? It might’ve seemed like it at first, but I mean we’d only said a few words to each other, and she’d been proper shook up; she probably didn’t even know what she was doing.

And I suppose all she cared about, was that somebody’d stopped the horse for her. It could’ve been anybody: me, Becky, one of the other lasses who worked there – what did it matter to her? People probably did stuff for her all the time; I was just one of them. I bet she’d forgot I even existed by the time I let go of her hand.

So what was it then? Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her, and why did I wish I was going back there tomorrow instead of having to go into school?

My stomach rumbled like a ten-ton lorry. I ignored it and pulled the duvet up higher. Then, closing my eyes, I imagined her face again. The tears where still there, but her blue, oval eyes and her soft, shy smile sort of sparkled through.

Oh, for God’s sake get over it. She was just some stuck up little rich kid who wouldn’t look at me anyway, and even if she did
, like Billy said, it was just cos she was after a bit of excitement, and she’d settle for anybody who’d give it her.

Well, I’d got all
the excitement I needed right there. I didn’t need her, and I didn’t need all the agro she’d bring either. Forget her; stick to what you know, mate, I told myself.

But my last thought before I went to sleep, was about her.

***

‘Weck up!’

My arm nearly got yanked out of its socket.

‘I said, weck up; ya thievin’ little bastard.’

He wasn’t shouting, my dad, but his voice made me shiver.

‘W ... what’s wrong?’ I said, sitting up. I’d been absolutely bang out, but I knew I had to wake up fast. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus in the dim light that shone through from the landing.

He dragged me closer and his nails dug deeper into my wrist. ‘
What’s wrong
? I’ll tell ya what’s wrong, you useless bag of shit. You nicked five quid outa my pocket, din’t ya?’

God. Not that, not after all this time. I took in a quick gulp of air
. His breath stank like sour milk, but I daren’t turn away. My right hand found the corner of my pillow and I squeezed it. Could I convince him he’d got it wrong? Could I still get out of it somehow? It had to be worth a try, right? I shook my head, and said proper quietly, ‘Dad, I never ... I –’

The air hissed as he sucked it in through hi
s teeth. His hand whipped up, and I tried to dodge backwards, but I was cornered; there was nowhere to go.

His fist blasted into my cheekbone like a lead football. It smashed the side of my head against the wall, and the inside of my lip splattered as my teeth bit into it. The pain shook right through me. I lifted my hand up to cover my left eye, and I felt the hot liquid running down my face.
A high pitched ringing in my ears nearly deafened me.

‘Don’t fuckin’ lie to me, lad. It were when I told ya to teck two quid, but you took it all, didn’t ya; everythin’ I’d got?’

I tried to breathe slowly cos of the pain, but my heart was racing. ‘That was over a week ago.’

‘Yeah, well I’ve remembered about it tonight.’

I held my breath as his arm rose up again, but at the last minute he had to grab hold of the windowsill to steady himself. He coughed, then swayed slowly towards my bedroom door, mumbling and grumbling as he went, ‘Well, ya can get lost, sling your hook. It’s my bleedin’ house, I don’t know why I put up with ya ...’

I started to relax just a bit. But as he reached for the door handle he made a sort of choking noise, bent forward, and threw-up all over the place.

It splashed against the wall and the door, and pattered down onto the carpet. The stench of stale beer and old doner filled the room, and despite the pain, my face screwed up until I covered my nose with the duvet.

After what seemed like ages, he coughed a few more times, wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and shuffled off into his own bedroom.

I waited ’til he started to snore a few minutes later, then I stood up and put the light on. Everything was covered. The lumpy, orangey-red liquid had even gone on my bed. I shuddered, partly cos of the mess, and partly cos of the cold, then went and got a load of towels.

If there’d have been anything inside me, I’d have been sick as well as I tried to clean it up; it was like it just spread out more, but never really got any less. Eventually though, I just had to leave it; the smell made me gip, my head spun like a cement-mixer and my eye had almost closed up completely.

Really carefully, I got back into bed. I used one of the clean towels to dab the blood off my face, then I put my head back, closed my eyes, and listened to him snore. It’ll be OK, I told myself; as long as he keeps on snoring, it’ll all be OK.

***

‘Jesus Christ, Jay.’

Billy stood on our doorstep at half-three the next day, and scowled at my purply-black, cut-up eye.

When I turned away, he followed me into the living room.

‘I thought he’d given up with all that?’ Billy slammed himself down on to the settee.

‘Yeah, well ...’ I shrugged and looked out of the window.

Billy sighed right loud and shook his head. ‘Why d’ya let him do it, Jay? I mean when Callum Taylor started on ya at Christmas, ya banged him clean out; one punch and he were on the floor, and he’s twice as big as your dad. I don’t get it, why don’t you just batter him?’

I couldn’t help smiling a bit; everything was so simple to Billy.

‘Well?’

Well, I thought, because when he’s like that, he makes me feel like I’m five again. But I didn’t say it.

Billy looked at me then jumped up. ‘In fact, where is he? I’ll do it. Somebody’s gotta show him he can’t keep gettin’ away with it.’

‘Billy, leave it, yeah? It’ll be OK.’

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. ‘But, Jay –’

‘You know it’s best to just leave him to come round. I don’t wanna go makin’ it any worse, do I?’

It was quiet for a bit, then Billy shook his head again and sat back down. ‘Was he alright with ya this mornin’?’

I nodded. ‘Yeah, proper nicey-nicey. Phoned school an’ everythin’ to tell ’em I were ill.’

‘That’s only
cos he dun’t want nobody comin’ round an’ seein’ ya like that.’

‘I know. But it’ll be better in a few of days.’ I leaned against the arm of the chair. ‘So, what’s it been like at school then? Anythin’ new happened?’

‘Nah. Oh, except ....’ A huge grin spread across Billy’s face. ‘Latina Mason were shaggin’ this Year Ten lad in exchange for fags right, and they got caught behind C block by that RE teacher that always stinks of bud. The kid’s zippin’ his trousers up and she’s busy pullin’ her skirt down, when the pack of Regals falls out of her coat pocket. Latina turns to the teacher an’ says, “Oh, sir, ya won’t tell my mum I smoke, will ya?”’

Billy laughed out loud and I joined in, until the pain in my cheek made me hold my breath.

A few seconds later he stood up. ‘You’ll not be goin’ again tomorrow then, will ya?’ he said as he got to the door.

‘Doubt it.’

‘But you’ll be back up at them stables on Thursday though, eh?’

‘I’m not sure.’

‘Not sure
,
my arse. You wouldn’t miss the chance to see that lass for all the weed at Patsy’s. I’ll see ya at the bus stop at half eight, yeah?’

I smiled. ‘Yeah, OK.’

He went out into the hallway, then turned back and looked at me. ‘Jay ... you will be alright, won’t ya?’

‘Course. He’ll be on his best behaviour for a bit now.’

Billy nodded and went.

I walked into the kitchen and got a can of Carling. He was right; I wouldn’t have missed the chance to see her for anything. And somehow, looking forward to that, meant everything else didn’t seem so bad.