Strawberry Sisters (12 page)

‘He gave me some pills to take.’ She didn’t exactly sound cheerful about it.

‘That’s good, isn’t it? When are you coming back to school?’

‘I don’t know. I am actually feeling a bit better at the moment.’

‘Fantastic. Because Mr Champion has decided that he can’t rest until we all know the many fascinating ways of joining two bits of wood together and I need you there to share in the
good times.’

She smiled. ‘Can’t wait for that. How was rehearsal?’

‘Mr Garcia said that if Bartek and I start using the brains and the lungs nature gave us there’s a glimmer of hope that we might not entirely embarrass ourselves at the
concert.’

‘Wow. That’s practically a hug coming from him. You two must be his favourites.’

‘Bartek said that if Mr Garcia starts using his lungs we’d better all take shelter because his shouting will blow our heads off.’

‘That’s pretty funny.’

‘He is funny. You’d like him. And he’s so upbeat. He always makes rehearsals fun.’ I couldn’t help adding, ‘I wish you were there.’

‘Me too.’ She looked sad and I felt like an idiot because I was supposed to be cheering her up.

‘There’s always the spring concert next term,’ I said.

‘Yeah, maybe.’

There was another pause. I’d never had to think this hard about what to say to Lauren before.

‘So . . .’ I started. I was going to tell her about what Iron Hair had said to Jasveen when she saw her running in the corridor, but then I thought that maybe I ought to be asking
more about what was going on with Lauren. ‘Did the doctor tell you what the recovery time is from this syndrome thing?’

Lauren stood up and threw herself on to the bed. ‘Never mind all that stuff. Tell me what Cute Josh has been doing.’

In the end, we had a really good chat about almost everything except Lauren’s health. I told her about Mr Champion’s toxic new aftershave and how Cute Josh had worn his hair parted
on the other side, and she showed me the bracelet her dad had sent her from his latest business trip. Lauren’s mum didn’t interrupt us or tell me it was time to go, even though I stayed
until eight thirty.

That night, I went to bed feeling happy. Lauren wasn’t dying. She had a diagnosis now and some pills to help her. I was doing quite well at being less snappy with people.
Singing with Bartek was good fun and our duet was coming along nicely. All I wanted was for Lauren to come back to school and then everything would be perfect.

Usually, Saturday is my favourite day of the week, but recently, without Lauren to hang out with, they’ve all been a bit of a disappointment. By half past ten, Lucy was
back from her ballet lesson and practising flying leaps in the Pit because she was hoping to get them high enough to knock Madame Donna’s glasses off next week. Ella had gone to the fabulous
Crystal’s house and Chloe was kicking a ball about in the garden. Mum was planning lessons at the table in the sitting room and I was slumped on the sofa. I was the only one without anything
to do. Fantastic.

‘I am so bored,’ I sighed.

‘I’m sorry to hear that, love,’ Mum said. ‘Why don’t you visit Lauren?’

‘I rang. Her mum says she’s resting and then she’s got to do some schoolwork.’

‘Can’t you go out with your other friends?’

‘Milly and Jasveen have gone to London for the day. I tried Olivia and Bethany, but they’re not answering their phones. They’re probably doing something together because
they’re best friends. Everybody is in pairs, and even when they let me tag along, my best friend is missing and it isn’t the same.’

‘If it’s any consolation, I’m a bit fed up too. Shall we make some cookies?’

I looked at Mum. I mean, properly looked at her. Most of the time you don’t really see your own mum because you think you know what she looks like and your eyes just kind of skim over her.
She didn’t look great, but I’ve seen her look worse. Last half-term, when her school was being inspected, she was exhausted all of the time; now she looked more . . . droopy. Her hair
was all flat and her skin was pale and she just seemed washed out.

Mum started stacking up her books and gave me a wink. Even though she was down, she was trying to make me feel better. My brain started whirling around, thinking about Mum. I’ve got to
admit that I’m not very good at thinking about other people. For a long time after the divorce, I was upset, and the problem with feeling angry and hurt inside is that it takes up a lot of
your thinking. You’re so mad about the way you feel that you don’t notice how anybody else is feeling. And, even though I made up with Dad before half-term and decided that I
wouldn’t be so mean and selfish any more, thinking only about yourself is a really bad habit to get into because it’s quite hard to stop. But looking at Mum, all pale and limp, I
stopped worrying about my day and instead I saw a way that I could make hers much better, even if it wasn’t going to be very much fun for me.

‘Mum,’ I said. ‘I think you should go out for the day. Why don’t you ring Susan?’

Mum blinked in surprise. ‘Well, I suppose we could all go shopping or maybe swimming. Would you like that?’

‘Never mind me; you should go out just the two of you with no annoying kids interrupting.’

‘I don’t know, love. I don’t like leaving you girls.’

‘I told you before; I’m old enough to be in charge.’

She didn’t look so sure.

‘I won’t let them get up to anything,’ I said. ‘No breaking stuff or painting stuff or jumping on stuff.’

She smiled. ‘And no using the drill?’

‘I won’t let Lucy anywhere near it.’

‘I suppose it is daytime.’

‘Yep. And we all know that burglars and kidnappers only come out at night.’

I regretted joking because her smile disappeared. ‘Perhaps I’d better not.’

‘You definitely should; you deserve a day out.’

She thought about it. ‘You haven’t even got Ella here to help . . . But I suppose, if you promise not to let Lucy out, not any further than the garden . . .’

‘I promise.’

‘We were talking about our book group going for coffee sometime. Maybe I could see if anyone is free then we could just go to that place down the road.’

So Mum made some phone calls and arranged to meet Susan and two other book club people at the cafe, then she hopped in the shower and put on her favourite flowery dress. By the time she kissed
us goodbye, her hair was bouncing around her face and her eyes were bright and she looked much happier.

When I closed the door behind her, I realised that I was smiling too. The thing about doing something horrible, like keeping Chloe and Lucy out of trouble when you should be enjoying your
Saturday so that Mum can have a nice time, is that it does make you feel good.

In the kitchen, Lucy shrieked.

But you do still have to get through the horrible bit.

After I’d combed all the soggy Weetabix out of Lucy’s hair, and told Chloe that she wasn’t allowed to pelt Lucy with mushed-up cereal even if Lucy did call
her Lumpy Bum, there wasn’t any more trouble. Chloe went back to ball-kicking in the garden and when I went to check on Lucy she was curled up on the broken sofa in the Pit and hunched over
her notebook, scribbling away.

‘Is that your friends book?’ I asked.

‘Nope.’

‘So what are you writing?’ I asked.

‘Nothing,’ she said, scratching the pen furiously across the page like she was underlining something.

‘Who’s the top scorer then?’ I asked.

She looked up at me with what I think she imagines is a chilling stare. ‘You don’t have the security clearance for me to share that information with you.’

‘Fine.’ I backed out of the room.

Mum should never have let her watch James Bond.

Mum seemed really pepped up by her time out. The next morning, I found her making sandwiches in the kitchen.

‘We’re going to the beach for a picnic,’ she said.

‘Isn’t it a bit cold for that?’ I asked.

‘Nonsense! The sun’s out today. Anyway, it will be invigorating; a brisk walk along the front and then I promise we’ll go and play in the arcade on the pier.’

I do quite like going to the arcade. They’ve got this great shooting game where you have to team up with the vampires to kill all the zombies. Me and Chloe are on the top scorers list.

‘Unless you’ve got other plans?’ Mum asked.

‘Nope. Absolutely nothing.’

Chloe appeared in the doorway.

‘What about you, Chloe? Do you want to come to the beach or are you going out with Thunder?’

Chloe pulled a face. ‘I’m not that keen on Thunder at the moment.’

Mum put down the butter knife. ‘That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it? It’s not his fault they won’t let girls on the youth squad.’

‘I know it’s not! But I can’t help it; whenever I see him, he talks about rugby and it makes me cross, so I’m just . . . avoiding him a bit.’

‘Come and sit down, sweetheart,’ Mum said, pulling out a chair for Chloe and another one for herself.

Chloe sighed and sat down.

‘I’ve been thinking about you and Thunder. Because you remind me of myself and Imogen.’

‘Really? I hope I’m you because Imogen has got hair coming out of her ears.’

‘Actually, you are me because I think we’ve both had to struggle with the same problem with our friends.’

‘What problem?’

‘Well, you know that Imogen and I have been friends for a long time? Ever since we first started teaching, we’ve been mates. We don’t see each other so much since we moved out
of London, but we used to spend a lot of time together.’

‘And?’ Chloe asked.

‘We both got married at around the same time and we were both really looking forward to having children. But although it seemed like all of our friends were getting pregnant it
didn’t happen for me and Imogen.’

‘I didn’t know that,’ I said.

Mum smiled at me. ‘I’ve never mentioned it before; it seems incredible now that I’ve got you lovely lot, but for a year or two I worried that I would never have a
baby.’

‘But then you did,’ Chloe said.

‘Ah, but before that Imogen got pregnant.’

‘Did you feel bad?’ Chloe asked.

‘I did.’

‘So I bet it was hard being around her,’ Chloe said. ‘Did you avoid her?’

‘It was certainly tempting. The thing is that we all know how important it is to look after your friends and be there when things are tough for them, but it’s important to share
their good times too. If you care about your friends then you need to show them friendship when times are hard
and
you need to be happy for them when they get the things they want. Even if
that thing is what you desperately want for yourself.’

Chloe flopped forward. ‘I know I’m supposed to be happy for Thunder, but I’m not. I’m just not. It’s not fair.’

‘I think you’re mixing up how you feel about what’s happened to you and what’s happened to Thunder. They’re two different things. You’re allowed to be sad
that you’ve missed out on joining a rugby squad, but that shouldn’t stop you from being pleased for Thunder. You want Thunder to do well and be happy, don’t you?’

Chloe propped herself up on her elbows. ‘Yes, but . . . you’re making it sound easy. Maybe it should be different things, but it isn’t separate inside me; it’s all mixed
up like when Lucy swirls her shepherd’s pie together. I keep trying to be pleased for him, but I’m not.’

‘Then sometimes you have to do what I did at Imogen’s baby shower. You pretend. You take all the friendship and love you have for that person and you use it to cover up how bad
you’re feeling and you say, “Congratulations!” And sometimes, if you’re lucky, saying that will help you to really feel it.’

‘Do you think Imogen knew how you felt?’ I asked.

‘I expect she had an idea. And I think she appreciated the fact that I didn’t push her away or tell her it wasn’t fair. Sometimes being a really good friend is as much about
what you manage not to say as what you do say.’

I could see Chloe was mulling this over. ‘So you’re saying I have to say well done to Thunder?’

‘You don’t have to do anything. Just remember that Thunder hasn’t got on to the squad to hurt you.’

‘OK, I’ll think about that.’ She stood up. ‘And Mum?’