What Alice Forgot (46 page)

Alice was walking toward the library at the school (her body seemed to know that it was through that double red door at the corner of the schoolyard) when Dominick appeared. He looked ruffled, his face creased with worry.

“Alice,” he said. “I saw you through my office window. I've been trying to phone you.”

“Sorry,” said Alice. “I keep forgetting to charge my phone. Memory!” He didn't smile. “I called Nick, too,” he said. “He's on his way.”

“You called Nick? Why?” Was he going to fight him for her hand? Challenge him to a duel? (Except Nick didn't want her hand anymore. So, you know, maybe not much of a fight.
Sure, mate, have her.
)

“We've got a problem,” said Dominick. “A serious problem with Madison.”

“
I
s she all right?” Terror flooded Alice's bloodstream, making her legs wobble so badly she had to hold on to Dominick's arm to steady herself.

“Oh, yes, sorry.” Dominick smiled distractedly and patted Alice on the arm. “Physically, she's fine. It's just that we've had another incident, and I don't think we can ignore this one.”

“Another incident?”

“Another bullying incident.”

“Someone is bullying Madison?” She would throttle the kid. She would demand to see the parents. She was light-headed with rage. Someone had hurt the Sultana and she was going to have the brat for breakfast.

“Alice,” said Dominick. He looked a little stern. School-principal stern. “It's Madison who is the bully.”

“Madison wouldn't bully anyone.” She knew her daughter. She'd only known her for five days, but she knew her.

And sure, maybe she could be moody and a little, well,
aggressive
, toward her brother and sister when she was riled, but that was just normal sibling rivalry (she hoped). Her heart was in the right place. Look at the way she helped Olivia choreograph her butterfly dance. Look at the way she helped Tom with his geography homework the other day. Okay, Tom said she was being annoying, and it had ended up with Madison stomping off in floods of tears and Tom slapping his hand to his forehead and rolling his eyes like a miniature version of his father, but, well . . . Alice's daughter would not, could not, be a bully.

“Are you still—not yourself?” asked Dominick carefully.

“Not quite,” said Alice.

“Well, this isn't the first time we've had problems with Madison. A little boy had to have stitches a few weeks ago after an altercation with Madison.”

Ah, thought Alice. That was the “little incident” that Kate Harper had mentioned at the gym.

“I know she's having problems, after Gina's death, and with the divorce,” continued Dominick, his forehead puckered with school principal-ish concern. “Alice, I'm so sorry, but this is really—oh.” His voice changed as he saw someone over Alice's shoulder. “Here's your, ah—your . . .”

Alice turned around and saw Nick coming toward them. He was wearing his suit and tie and talking into his mobile phone. His aura of business and decisions and important mustn't-be-disturbed meetings looked alien in the sunlit playground, with the sounds of children chanting something from the open window of a nearby classroom.

Dominick caught her eye. “Hope this isn't too awkward.”

“Yes,” said Alice awkwardly.

As he got closer, they heard him say, “Well, let's say two mil. Does that sound okay? Excellent. Bye.” He snapped the phone shut with one hand and Alice wanted to say,
Oh, Nick, honey, stop being such a wanker.

“Dominick, isn't it?” said Nick, holding out his hand, as if Dominick were there to sell them something.

“Yes, hi. How are you?” said Dominick. He was about a head taller than Nick and looked like a gangly schoolboy next to him. Alice wanted to hug him, but she wanted to hug Nick, too. They seemed like boys dressed up in grown-up bodies.

“This must be pretty important for you to call us both down,” said Nick, an edge to his voice.

“Yes,” said Dominick, and there was an answering edge in his voice. “Madison threatened to stab Chloe Harper with a pair of scissors. She also cut off a huge chunk of her hair and pushed her face into a cake. I'm going to have to suspend her at least until the school holidays. I think she needs to see a counselor.”

“I see,” said Nick, and he seemed to deflate and sag. All the power had gone to Dominick.

“There must be more to the story,” said Alice. “She must have had a reason.”

“It doesn't matter about her reason,” said Dominick (a bit snootily, Alice thought, for someone who was trying to be her boyfriend). “It's unacceptable. And you can imagine how Kate Harper is going to react to this. She's on her way to the school, too.”

So Chloe was the horrendous Kate Harper's little girl. Well, there you go. That explained everything.

“We'll have to—I don't know—offer some sort of compensation,” sighed Nick.

“I don't think money is the answer in this particular case,” said Dominick.
Ke-pow.

“I didn't mean—”

“Anyway, I've got both girls waiting for us in my office,” interrupted Dominick.

Alice and Nick followed behind him like naughty children. Alice made an “Isn't this appalling” face at Nick, and he grimaced.

In Dominick's office, Madison and another little girl were sitting on chairs in front of his desk. The little girl was sobbing in an outraged “I
so
deserve to cry” way, cradling something in her arms, and Alice saw with sick horror that it was a long, blond plait. She had bits of chocolate cake and cream and cherries smeared all over her face and school uniform and the shocking, hacked-off line of her blond hair stuck up over the back collar of her uniform.

“Oh, Madison,” said Alice involuntarily. “How
could
you?”

Madison's face was dead white, her eyes shining with fury. She was sitting very still and straight with her hands in fists on her lap, the image of a little psychopathic killer brought into the police station for questioning.

“You've got some explaining to do, young lady,” said Nick, and Alice nearly laughed. He sounded like a man playing the angry dad in a bad amateur play.

Madison didn't say anything.

“Do you want to tell your parents what happened?” said Dominick, sounding much more authentic.

Madison shook her head passionately, as if she were refusing to reveal state secrets to her torturers.

“She hasn't said a word,” said Dominick to Alice.

The little girl dangled the blond plait in front of her, tears continuing to roll down her face. “Look at my
hair
. My mum is going to
kill
you, Madison Love. My hair is
beautiful
. It will take me years and years and years to grow it back. I will be, like, forty. You just did it because you're
jealous
, and you haven't even said . . .” Her voice quavered, as if she were overcome with the horror of it. “You haven't even said
sorry
.”

“Okay, Chloe,” said Dominick. “Let's calm down.”

“Madison, apologize to Chloe,” said Alice, in a grim, forbidding voice she didn't recognize. “Right now.”

“Sorry,” muttered Madison.

“She
isn't
!” wailed Chloe, looking up at Alice and Nick. “She's just saying that! Just wait till my mum gets here!”

“Actually,” said Dominick. “I don't think we will wait. I think Mr. and Mrs. Love can take Madison with them now.”

He squatted down in front of Madison so they were face-to-face.

“Madison, I'm suspending you from school as of now,” he said. “You can't be a part of this school and behave like that, do you understand? This is very, very serious.”

Madison nodded. Her face had now gone from white to flaming red.

“Right then.” Dominick stood up. “Go and get your bag and meet your parents at the gate.”

Madison shot from the room, and Chloe burst into a fresh flood of tears.

“Okay, Chloe,” said Dominick wearily. “Your mum will be here soon. Just wait here.”

He ushered Nick and Alice out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“There's probably not much point you having to see Kate now, while everyone is in such a state,” he said. “I think you should take Madison home and try and talk to her and get an idea of what's going on in her head. I would seriously recommend counseling. I can give you some names.” There was a sound of hurriedly clicking heels in the distance. “I bet that's Kate. Go.” He waved them away, as if he were saving them from the secret police. “Disappear!”

Nick and Alice fled through the playground. They stopped at the school gates. Nick was panting. Alice wasn't. She was much fitter than he was.

“That was awful,” said Alice. “I feel like I cut off that child's hair myself. And the cake! She spent so long making that cake. Poor little thing.”

“Chloe?” said Nick.

“No, Madison,” said Alice. “Who cares about Chloe?”

“Alice, our child threatened to stab her with a pair of scissors.”

“Well, I know that,” said Alice.

Nick pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket, flipped it open. “I don't see how suspending her helps anything,” he said, while frowning at something on the screen of his phone. “It's like they're putting their hands in the air and saying, ‘We don't know what to do with her.' Absolving themselves of responsibility.” He looked up at Alice. “Not to criticize your boyfriend or anything.”

“I guess it's school policy,” said Alice, feeling both defensive of Dominick and betrayed by him. Didn't kissing the school principal give you a free pass when it came to suspending your daughter?

“Anyway”—Nick looked at his watch—“I'll get back to the office. I guess we'd better talk about this later. I don't know what sort of punishment you're thinking, but obviously it has to be severe—”

“What do you mean?” said Alice. “I think we should talk to her now. Right now. Both of us.”

Nick seemed startled. “Now? You want me to be there, too?”

“Of course I do,” said Alice. “I think we should take her for a drive. And we're not going to jump in and start
punishing
her. I hate that word. Punishment.”

“Oh, sorry. I guess we should reward her. Say ‘Well done, honey, maybe you should consider a career in hairdressing.'”

Alice giggled. Nick smiled. The sunlight was shining directly onto his face. He shielded his eyes with one hand and said, “I'll know when you get your memory back.”

“How?”

“The way you look at me. As soon as you remember, I'll see it in your eyes.”

“Will they shoot death rays at you?” said Alice.

Nick smiled sadly. “Something like that.” He looked again at his watch. “I've got a meeting at midday. I guess I could move it.” He seemed uncertain. “So you mean both of us take her for a drive somewhere?”

Alice said, “Is this really so unusual?”

“Normally you'd take charge and make it clear that my assistance was not required.”

“There's a new Alice in town,” said Alice.

“You're not wrong about that.” Nick seemed about to say something. He stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Here comes our little thug.”

Madison was walking toward them, her school backpack held loosely in one hand so it was almost dragging along the ground, her head hanging.

“Who am I going with?” she said when she got to them, not meeting their eyes.

“Both of us,” said Alice.

“Both of you?” Madison looked up and frowned. She seemed frightened.

“Come here,” said Alice.

Madison stomped over to her, still staring at the ground, and Alice pulled her close and hugged her.

“We're going to work this out,” said Alice quietly into her hair. “You, your dad, and me are going to sit on the beach, eat ice creams, and work out whatever the problem is.”

Madison gave a tiny gasp of surprise and burst into tears.