SOMEONE DIFFERENT (11 page)

We both laughed, until eventually Jay stopped and said, ‘OK then, I suppose I’d betta let ya have your bath in peace. Talk to ya tomorrow?’

‘As soon as I wake up,’ I said. ‘Night.’

‘Yeah, night.’

There was a short silence, then he hung up.

My shoulders flopped as I sank into the bath. Jay had washed the memory of Rory away long before I’d even got into the water, and as I lay watching the thousands of pink bubbles floating on the surface, it honestly felt like nothing could ever make them pop.

17 – Jay

Becky got me to have a go on a horse that Monday morning. She asked Billy if he wanted to as well, but she might as well’ve asked him to get on the Titanic.

She put me on Major and attached a long rope thing to him, then we went into the ménage – which was this big fenced off area covered with woodchip. He walked for a bit, which was cool, then she made him go faster, and I started to feel like a sack of spuds balancing on a washing line.

‘Jay, you’re doing brilliantly,’ Becky called from the middle.

We kept on going round and I sort of settled into the rhythm of his steps. After a few minutes, Becky told me how to slow him down and she came over to us.

‘How much do you weigh?’ she said.

‘Eh?’

‘Go on, tell me – how much do you weigh?’

‘I dunno. Probably about ten stone, or a bit less.’

She smiled. ‘I thought you might.’

‘So, go on then; your turn
– tell me why?’

‘Well, let me be absolutely straight with you. I’ve never seen anyone get on a horse for the first time and ride like that. You’re a natural. And it’s not just the way you ride, it’s your whole demeanour with them; how you form a bond.’ She patted Major’s neck and looked up at me. ‘What have you got planned for after you leave school?’

I shrugged. ‘Nowt, really.’

‘Would you consider a career with horses?’

The laugh shot out proper loud. ‘Me?’

‘Yes, you! There’s a residential racing school
I know, where one of my friends works. They train people for careers in the racing industry – I think you could make a cracking jockey, Jay, with the right guidance.’

I nodded and smirked. ‘Oh Yeah, I can just see me chillin’ with all them proper horsey types. Ya know; top hat, glass of Champers, talkin’ about the new Jag.’

She smiled then tutted. ‘They’re not all like that. And you have so much talent; you could do really well.’

‘Nah.’ I shook my head. ‘I don’t know owt about it. I’d be crap.’

She was about to say something else when the collie dogs appeared at her feet and started jumping up all over her. ‘Oh, hello, you two,’ she said. ‘I thought a girl in your condition might be a bit more sedate, Lady, but obviously not.’ She stroked their heads, then glanced around until she saw the old guy who owned them. She waved at him and he touched the peak of his flat cap.

‘Come on then, Jay,’ she said. ‘You can have another ten minutes on Major before lunch.’

And the old guy stood watching me as I tried to keep my hands down, sit up straight, keep my feet still, and everything else Becky’d told me to do.

I was that busy trying to concentrate on it all, I didn’t see Martin standing at the gat
e ’til his voice made me look over.

‘Hello. How are you doing?’ He said to Becky.

‘Fine thanks.’

‘Is it possible I could have a word with Jay for a minute, please?’

‘Bastard,’ I said under my breath, but I had to get off Major and follow him.

He took me over to the far side of the yard. ‘We’ve had a report from G4S – the company that monitors your tag. They’re saying that a curfew violation occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.’

I pulled a face and shook my head. ‘They must’ve got it wrong. I was at home the whole time.’

‘It’s very, very rare they get it wrong, Jay.’

‘
Very rare
– see, that’s not never, is it? I’m tellin’ ya, they’ve got it wrong.’ I put my hands in my pockets, leaned against a stable door and tried to look cool – even though my heart had speeded right up.

Martin put his teacher’s voice on. ‘You remember what was said in court, don’t you? It’s really serious if you don’t adhere to the conditions of your order; it would almost certainly lead to a custodial sentence.’

I shrugged. ‘You can’t do that; I haven’t done owt wrong.’

‘We can, Jay. If I breach you because of this violation, you’ll have to go back to court.’

I wet my lips. ‘Martin, I’ve never broken any of my conditions before, have I? Not once, in all these months? I’ve stuck to the curfew, turned up for all the appointments; I’ve done everythin’ I should’ve done. Honest, I was at home – ask my dad if you don’t believe me.’

He looked round, scratched his head, but didn’t answer.

A few seconds later, Becky led Major across the yard towards his stable.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ she said to Martin as she passed. ‘But I really wanted to tell you how well Jay’s doing here. He’s great with the horses, and he always works hard. In fact, I’m so impressed I’m going to speak to the owners about offering him a job here at the weekends and school holidays.’

‘You’re kiddin’?’ I was gobsmacked and chuffed at the same time – and for more than one reason.

Martin smiled. ‘Well, that’s really encouraging to hear, thank you.’

Becky nodded and carried on, and Martin looked at me again. ‘It’s not something I do often, Jay, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this once. You’re right about not breaking your order before, and it seems you’re very well thought of here. You know what I’m going say next though, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, yeah ...’ I smiled.

‘There’s no way I’ll be able to do it again; anymore violations or offences and it’ll be up to the judge.’

He went to see Billy for a bit, then left.

Becky came back over to me. ‘Is everything all right?’ she said.

‘Sure. Did ya mean what ya said about the job?’

‘Mmm, of course. Our busiest days are when the kids aren’t at school; it makes sense to have you here then.’

I flicked my head towards the white house at the top of the hill. ‘What d’ya think they’ll say about it?’

‘I’ll talk to him. With respect, we won’t be paying you an awful lot if you do accept the offer, Jay. He’s a business man – not paying an awful lot appeals to him.’

Becky winked at me as she walked away, and I stood there grinning like an idiot.

18 – Anna

The blob of strawberry yogurt dropped off my spoon and splodged back into the pot. I’d only opened it because there was still twenty minutes of lunchtime left, and I thought I might as well sit there in the school dining hall as anywhere else.

The other girls chatted and laughed around me. I was barely listening though – my own thoughts being
way
more interesting than anything they had to say – until Lizzie tapped me on my arm. ‘So, would you like to come then?’

I blinked. ‘To where ...?’

‘To my party on Saturday night?’

‘I err ... I’m not sure, we might already have plans. Thank you though.’

‘Oh, Anna; go on, try to come,’ Lizzie hutched her chair nearer to the table. ‘My parents are going out to dinner, we’ll have the run of the whole house; it will be totally awesome. You can bring a guest if you like.’

Sophie glanced at Beth and smirked. ‘There’s no need to worry if you are on your own though; I’m sure there will be some other girls there who don’t have boyfriends.’

And I really don’t know why I did it. Maybe to prove myself? Or to try to impress them? Or just to wipe that caustic look off Sophie’s face?

But I did it anyway. I held my head high up in the air and said, ‘Oh, if I do come, I’ll definitely be bringing someone.’

They couldn’t have been more shocked if I’d told them I’d murdered my mother.

Lizzie closed her mouth. ‘No way! Well, go on then, tell us everything.’

Two delicious thoughts clinked together in my head, forcing my lips into an uncontrollable grin. One: how totally gobsmacked they’d be if I did tell them everything. And two: the gasps and gossip and jealousy that would fly around if I walked into Lizzie’s house on Saturday night with someone as completely gorgeous and stunning as Jay.

All three of them leaned in a little closer.

‘There really isn’t that much to tell.’ I was enjoying the game now; I’d never been so interesting. ‘He’s just someone I’ve met.’

‘Do we know him?’ Beth said.

I smiled. ‘Well, I’d be surprised ...’

‘So how did
you
meet him then?’ Sophie asked.

‘Through the riding school.’

‘Does he compete?’ You could actually see Beth wracking her brains. ‘Was he at that big indoor show a few weeks ago?’

I stood up. It was just sooo funny watching them all trying to work out who he was – and, whether he really even existed. But I decided not to give anything else away – for the moment, anyway. ‘I’ll see you all in registration,’ I said sweetly, and I left them to their wonderings.

***

My ribs were almost bursting with excitement later that day as I hurried down the lane with our two yapping dogs. They girls had done nothing but fish for information all afternoon: ‘What does he look like ... how old is he ... which school does he attend ...?’ Generously, I’d tossed them a few bits to keep them going, but I still hadn’t said anything major.

So, when I saw Jay standing by the edge of the woods in the dim moonlight, I couldn’t help myself. I ran the last few metres, threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him like I was I never going to stop.

‘Well
, that were worth waitin’ for,’ he said, when I finally drew back a little. ‘What’s happened? Have ya won the lottery or summat?’

I beamed at him. ‘Sort of. Anyway, what are you doing on Saturday night?’

Even through his coat, I felt his body stiffen. ‘Why?’

What could be wrong? The giddiness slowly faded, and I answered him in a quiet voice. ‘It’s just that, well, I’ve been invited to a party at one of my friend’s houses – and I was sort of hoping you’d come with me.’

He put his head down. ‘Anna, I can’t – I’m sorry.’

My disappointment was nothing compared to how worried I started to feel. ‘It’s OK, honestly; it’s really not that important. But what’s the matter?’

He looked at the dark sky, then reached up and stroked my cheek. ‘Do you know why I’m here?’

I frowned. ‘Because you’re on a work experience placement.’

‘Yeah, but do ya know why?’

I shook my head a little. ‘Well, no; not really.’

Jay tried to smile, but his anxious face wouldn’t quite let him. ‘It’s because ... I’ve been found guilty of a crime.’

‘What?’

He paused for a second, then went on steadily. ‘I’m on an order with Youth Offendin’. It means I have to come here, and it also means I’m on a tag with a curfew – so if I’m not in our house by seven o’clock every night, they’ll bang me up.’

Oh my God. A hundred different thoughts collided in my mind, and the most powerful one was that I didn’t know him at all.

Foxglove, one of our Jack Russells, came sniffing around at Jay’s heels then, and he bent down and rubbed her head gently – keeping his eyes firmly away from mine.

I stared down at him. A criminal?
Lawless thug ... mindless yob ... scum
?

It just couldn’t be right. Jay wasn’t like that ... was he?

At last, in a whisper, I managed to say, ‘What did you do?’

He took a small step backwards as he stood up. ‘It were a break in,’ he said quietly. ‘Not anybody’s home or anythin’ like that – just an old warehouse. But me and Billy were both there ...’ he stopped and sighed, ‘ ... and we got caught.’

‘Did you ... take anything?’

He paused, then said, ‘We didn’t end up with anythin’, no.’

The sense of relief was massive. I mean that wasn’t so terrible, was it? It wasn’t violent, or threatening, or abusive. He hadn’t hurt anybody.

I moved closer to him and rested my head against his shoulder. His heart thudded so hard I could feel it.

‘Are you OK?’ he said, putting his arm around me.

‘Sure.’ I nodded. ‘Really, it doesn’t matter; it’s all in the past ... isn’t it?’

‘Yeah. An’ I promise, in a few months when I’m off the tag, I’ll make it up to ya
; we’ll go to as many parties as ya want.’