Lola Rose (15 page)

‘Maybe you should scoot off home quick and put them back in her wardrobe. So, Mum's out then?'

‘Yeah, she works at the Coach and Horses.'

‘So is there anyone at home to look after you and Kendall?'

‘Oh yes,' I said quickly. ‘We've got Jake.'

‘He's your babysitter?'

‘Well, he's like Mum's boyfriend.'

‘And you get on all right?' she asked, as we walked towards the park gates, Miss Beale and Miss Buss bounding after us.

I shrugged. ‘He's OK, I suppose.'

‘Did he say you could come out tonight?'

‘I told him I had like a date.'

‘With
Ross
?'

‘No! I just met up with him and those others. And he asked me to come down the park.'

‘Did you think that was a good idea?' said Ms Balsam.

‘Yes. No. Well, I didn't know they'd start messing about like that.'

‘A smart girl like you?'

‘Well, I suppose I went a little bit nuts because it was Ross. I mean, he's so good looking and that. It made me feel really special, like I was somebody.'

Ms Balsam stopped walking. She put her hands gently on my shoulders. She looked straight into my eyes. ‘You
are
somebody, Lola Rose. You're a very special, clever, creative girl, and very mature for your age too. I'm very impressed with the way you look after Kendall. He's OK, is he?'

‘Yes, he likes being with Jake. They play computer games all the time.'

‘So do you feel a bit left out sometimes?'

‘No. Well. Sometimes, yeah.'

‘Lola Rose, I don't want to pry. I know there's probably a lot of stuff you don't want to talk about. But if ever you feel like a little chat you know you can always come and find me at school.'

‘Yes, I know. Thank you, Ms Balsam.'

She gave me a lift home in her car, me in the front, Miss Beale and Miss Buss barking like mad in the back.

Ms Balsam nodded at me when I got out of the car. ‘See you in school tomorrow. I saw Peter's in Ross's little gang. Do you want me to have a stern word with him?'

‘Better not.'

‘If you're really keen on getting a boyfriend wouldn't Peter be a better bet than Ross?'

‘No fear!'

Ms Balsam chuckled. ‘Oh dear. But I take your point. Bye for now then, Lola Rose. I hope you won't get into trouble for coming back late.'

‘I'll be fine,' I said.

Kendall was still up when I got back even though it was way past his bedtime. It was way past mine too.

‘Don't you
ever
go off like that again,' Jake said. ‘Kendall's been crying for you.'

‘No I haven't,' said Kendall, hitting him on the head with George. ‘I don't want stupid old Lola Rose. I can't stick her.'

‘Is that true?' I said. ‘Can't we have a cuddle then?'

Kendall shook his head but I picked him up anyway. He feebly punched me to prove his point and then snuggled into me.

‘Bedtime,' I said, nuzzling his soft, feathery hair.

‘I'm not a bit tired,' Kendall said, yawning.

‘I am,' said Jake. ‘I reckon I've read
Thomas the Tank Engine
at least two hundred times.'

I got Kendall into bed. He went to sleep in seconds. Then I sidled back to Jake.

‘Are you going to tell Mum I dressed up in her stuff and went out?'

‘I should do. But I'm not going to.'

‘Thanks!'

‘I'm just saving my own skin. She'd be mad at me for letting you. Lola Rose, have you
really
got a boyfriend?'

‘Well, I know these boys. But the one I liked didn't turn out very nice so I probably won't be seeing him again.'

‘Maybe that's just as well.'

‘Maybe it is.' I hesitated. ‘Jake, you know you did the flowers on my jeans? Could you do flowers on my denim jacket too, on the pockets, like? Maybe pink, to match the furry bit?'

‘Sure. If you're a good girl.'

‘I will be now.' I didn't kiss him goodnight because I wasn't a little kid like Kendall, but I waved my fingers at him and he waved both hands back to me.

‘Jake's OK really,' I whispered to Kendall when I cuddled up to him in bed.

‘I know that,' Kendall mumbles. I thought he'd gone back to sleep but then he suddenly said, ‘Is he better than Dad?'

‘He's better for us,' I said.

Jake didn't tell tales to Mum but she found out anyway. I'd got her top a little bit dirty and torn one of the little rubber tips off her high heels.

‘You've been wearing my clothes, you little whatsit!' she said the next morning, slapping at me with the crumpled top.

She was in a very bad mood. I'd heard her arguing with Jake in the middle of the night. I got scared though there wasn't a real fight.

‘I just felt like playing at dressing up,' I said quickly.

‘You went out all dressed up too, didn't you? Don't lie to me, Lola Rose. There's mud all over my best shoes, you stupid little cow. How dare you sneak off like that? What were you up to? You might be able to wind Jake round your little finger but it won't wash with me. I'm not having you going out by yourself like that. Or
were
you by yourself? You weren't going with boys, were you?'

‘I went for a walk in the park with Ms Balsam,' I said.

Jake stared at me but didn't say a word. Mum said plenty.

‘What was she asking you, eh? I bet she wondered what you were doing, out by yourself, teetering about like a little trollop in my high heels. Oh God, Lola Rose, you've dropped me in it now.'

‘No I haven't, Mum. She's ever so nice. She says I'm special.'

‘Special needs, more like, gabbing away to that nosy old bag.'

‘She's not nosy. You've got her all wrong, Mum. She's just friendly.'

‘Rubbish!' said Mum. ‘Now listen here, Lola Rose. You keep right out of her way. Don't let her worm anything out of you, OK? Else you'll be put into care as quick as a wink – and Kendall too.'

‘I don't want to be put into care,' Kendall wailed. He didn't know what ‘care' was but he spilled cornflakes all down his T-shirt in his anguish.

‘There. Now look what you've made him do!' said Mum. ‘And we're late for school as it is. Come on, mucky pup, let's get you shifted.'

‘Lola Rose can change him and take him to school,' said Jake. ‘We're going to the doctor's, Vic.'

Mum went red in the face. ‘
You
might be going to the doctor's, matie. I'm certainly not going to waste my time sitting in some dismal surgery breathing in everyone's germs. Come here, Kendall.'

My heart was thudding. ‘What's the matter, Mum? Are you ill?'

‘Of course I'm not ill. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me,' she insisted.

‘Victoria,' said Jake.

‘Shut
up
, will you,' said Mum.

I kept on at her but she wouldn't tell me anything. I did as Jake said and took Kendall to school. I kept worrying about it all morning.

‘What's up, Lola Rose?' said Harpreet at lunch time. ‘You're not in a huff with me, are you? Is it because my mum wouldn't let you stay for dinner? She's a bit funny like that. I'm ever so sorry.'

‘It's not your mum I'm worrying about, Harpreet. It's mine,' I said. I stopped eating my half of Harpreet's banana. ‘Jake was nagging at her to go to the doctor's this morning. They wouldn't tell me why. Mum kept saying she wasn't ill but why else would she need to go?'

‘I know!' said Harpreet. ‘She could be having a baby!'

I stared at her.

‘Don't look so gobsmacked. Your mum could be having Jake's baby, right?'

‘I-I suppose so,' I said. ‘Though I don't think she wants any more children.'

‘These things happen,' said Harpreet, in a very worldly-wise way.

I tried to get my head round the idea of a baby. I pictured this little squirmy pink creature with Jake's long hair falling right down to its toes. Maybe I could brush it and plait it and play hairdressers. Kendall wouldn't always let me pick him up and baby him nowadays. Maybe it would be fun to have a real baby to play with. Mum didn't have much patience with babies. I could look after it for her and pretend it was mine.

I gobbled up the rest of the banana and then got stuck into my six squares of Cadbury's chocolate. I stroked the wrapping paper. Maybe we could dress the baby in purple? I could get Jake to help me make little purple dungarees with red flowers on the pockets. The baby could have a tiny purple teddy to match . . .

I spent the afternoon designing baby outfits on the back of my school jotter. I went arm in arm with Harpreet to pick up Kendall and Amandeep from their after-school club. We talked babies all the way home.

‘Who's going to have a baby?' Kendall asked.

‘Mum. Well, maybe she is. Harpreet thinks so,' I said.

‘Mum!' said Kendall, astounded. ‘She's not! She hasn't got a big tummy.'

‘Not yet. It'll grow.'

‘Is
our
mum going to have a baby?' said Amandeep.
‘She's
got a big tummy.'

‘I know, but she's just fat. I hope
I
don't get fat like her when I'm grown up,' said Harpreet, rubbing her hands up and down her skinny hips. ‘My sister's getting a bit fat around the tummy. If
she's
pregnant our whole family will go bananas.'

‘I don't want Mum to have a baby,' said Kendall.

‘Yes you do. You like playing babies in the playhouse. I could show you how to bath the baby and feed it and change its nappy,' I offered.

‘I don't want to change pooey nappies!' said Kendall.

‘I changed heaps of
yours
!'

‘Kendall wears a nappy!' Amandeep exclaimed.

‘I don't!' Kendall shrieked. He punched me hard in the stomach. ‘Tell her I don't.'

‘Ouch,' I said, doubled up. ‘Will you give over punching, it
hurts
. Listen, you must never ever hit Mum in the tummy now. You could really hurt her –
and
the baby.'

‘Kendall wears a nappy, a nappy, a nappy!' Amandeep chanted.

Kendall punched her too. She punched him straight back, her little fist as hard as a stone. Kendall howled. I ended up having to carry him half the way home.

‘It's your own fault, stupid,' I said, after I'd said goodbye to Harpreet. ‘You hit her in the first place. And she's much better at fighting than you are. You shouldn't take any notice when she teases you.'

‘But I
don't
wear a nappy!'

‘I know. And she knows. She was just being silly.'

‘I don't like her any more. I want George!' Kendall butted my shoulder with his head, trying to turn me into turquoise plush.

George had been banished from school because he'd attacked too many children in the infants. He lurked behind Kendall and then bobbed out and gnawed their legs. Kendall's teacher kept telling him off. Kendall said it wasn't him, it was George, and sharks couldn't help biting legs, it was their nature.

Kendall's teacher had a word with me. I told Kendall to quit it. Kendall said he'd try, but he couldn't always stop George.

‘Bitey bitey bitey,' Kendall shouted, while George attacked a big boy called Dean who said Kendall was a nutter. George couldn't
really
bite – but Dean could. He bent down and sank his teeth straight into Kendall's skinny leg.

Mum was furious when she saw the bite marks on Kendall. She was all set to charge up to the school and have a punch-up with the teacher, big Dean and his even bigger mother. I told Mum the whole story and she backed down. She whacked Kendall over the head with George and said he had to stay shut up at home while Kendall went to school.

Kendall wept and wailed every morning when he had to say goodbye to George. Mum told him it was his own fault and wouldn't give in.

Jake bought Kendall special shark-shaped turquoise jelly sweets to cheer him up on the way to school. Kendall sucked the shark sweets but howled just as hard. Turquoise drool ran down his chin and dripped onto his T-shirt.

I tried to turn Kendall's bed into an aquarium for George, spreading Jake's blue denim jacket over the cover and draping my green socks here and there like seaweed. I said George could be a basking shark, so he'd love lolling around all day doing nothing.

‘He'll miss me terribly,' Kendall wept.

‘If he gets a little bit lonely he can always snuffle into your pillow and pretend it's you,' I said.