Cherry Blossom Dreams (9 page)

Sean narrowed his eyes and even I found myself staring at Leo in disbelief. Was he really threatening to send my brother to bed early if he didn’t behave?

‘
Unbelievable!
’ Sean spat at him. ‘And I thought you were cool!’ And he stomped off angrily upstairs.

Leo’s sternness seemed to evaporate the second my brother left the room. ‘Crikey, what’s got into
him
?’ He seemed more bemused than anything.

‘He’ll be all right in a bit,’ I attempted to reassure him. ‘It’s just that Mum doesn’t usually …’ I trailed off, not sure quite how to say it, and knowing that it was only half the problem in any case.

‘She doesn’t lay down the law like that?’ Leo suggested. As I nodded, he sighed. ‘Maybe I
did
sound a bit like a Victorian parent …’

I shrugged. ‘It’s OK. I wouldn’t sweat about it. Though I do see his point about Mr Mann.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Well, when we’re at school you want us to treat you like any other teacher, right?’

‘Of course.’

‘But you’re not treating Sean like any other pupil if you’re discussing him like that with Mr Mann.’

And I went upstairs, leaving him looking thoughtful.

In my bedroom I closed the door behind me and went over to stand in front of the mirror. What Lily had said at Blossom House had really got me thinking. Was it true that I needed to be more image conscious? Was I actually starting to
look
dorky?

Of course my shoes (which I’d left downstairs) were undisputedly high in dork factor, but when I stared critically at the rest of what I was wearing I didn’t think I looked too bad. OK, so my school skirt isn’t as short as some people’s and I suppose I do look a bit shapeless with my shirt so loosely tucked into the waistband of my skirt, but at least it hides the fact that I’m so flat chested. I don’t think my
face
looks dorky. I mean, I don’t wear glasses with thick lenses or have my hair scraped back off my face or look like some mini professor (the way Jillian does).

But I suppose being a dork isn’t just about
looking
odd. It’s about how you behave as well. Being a chess champion is definitely dorky. Being uber-swotty at school is pretty dorky. I wasn’t so sure about writing poems all the time as a hobby, but I suppose some people might think that’s dorky. But what about just being friends with those people? Did that count as dorky too?

I was still thinking about it when Leo called upstairs to tell us that dinner was ready. It smelt yummy. Sean, however, didn’t budge from his room.

Not relishing another showdown between the two of them, and with no sign of Mum returning home any time soon, I decided to take charge of the situation. After all, it’s not just Lily who’s capable of telling people things for their own good that they really don’t want to hear.

‘Sean, just because you’re upset about Monty, you shouldn’t take it out on Leo,’ I told him as I stood in his doorway. When he still didn’t move off his bed, I added, ‘Listen, Sean, you were right about one thing …’ I paused to make sure I had his full attention. ‘You were right when you told Leo he’s
not
our dad!’

Sean gave me a startled sort of look. ‘I didn’t say that!’

‘No, but he knew that’s what you meant when you told him you don’t have to listen to him! And anyway, you were right. He’s
not
our dad. He doesn’t actually owe us anything. So if you’re mean to him he can leave any time he likes!’

We both knew what would happen if Leo left. Mum would shut the curtains and go to bed for weeks. It would be like when she found out the truth about Married Michael – home would be dark and cold and miserable. So even though it was hard having Leo telling us what to do, surely it was better than going back to how things were before?

I don’t know for sure if it was my little intervention that did the trick, but in any case Sean joined us soon after Leo and I had started to eat.

Sean was flushing a little as he stood awkwardly just inside the kitchen door. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

‘Come and eat your dinner before it gets cold,’ Leo told him calmly. As my brother sat he added, ‘Listen, you can’t expect me
not
to care how you’re doing at school, OK?’

When Sean didn’t say anything I kicked him sharply under the table. If he didn’t want to lose Leo, then he was just going to have to suck it up when Leo went all parental on him.

‘Yes, Leo,’ Sean trotted out in reply, before shooting me a glare as if to say,
Happy now?

Leo looked curiously at both of us and I could tell he was wondering what he’d missed, but the only thing he said was, ‘Good boy,’ before launching into a funny story about school.

The following afternoon I was walking out of school with Priti at the end of the day, when who should appear in front of us but Rafferty.

‘Hi, Sasha,’ he said with a grin.

I think I went bright red from head to toe as soon as he spoke to me. And finally I understood what was going on. I was having my first proper crush on a boy – on my best friend’s older brother. Oh my God! I’ve known Raffy since I was tiny. Once, when I was five, he tickled me so much that I actually wet myself. How could this be happening? And how could I stop him – or Lily – from finding out?

Raffy’s tie was pushed casually to one side and his top three shirt buttons were undone. I couldn’t help staring guiltily at the Union Jack vest he was sporting underneath his shirt. Then I had a horrible thought. I know Lily’s dad has a very hairy chest because I saw it once at a barbecue. What if that sort of thing runs in families? I wasn’t sure I could handle it if Raffy turned out to be that hairy too. Still, there was no hair poking out the top of his vest right now, thank goodness.

‘Oh … hi, Raffy,’ I just about got out without choking. ‘Nice chest … I mean
vest
!’

‘See you tomorrow, Sasha,’ Priti said with a little giggle as she left the two of us alone together.

‘Your face is really red, Sasha. Are you OK?’ Raffy sounded genuinely concerned, as if he honestly thought I might have a bad case of sunburn, or be running some weird fever or something.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

‘Lily told me about your snake problem,’ he continued.

That struck me as a bit odd, because Lily herself had barely spoken to me all day and had left me to hang out with Priti and Jillian. But if she’d told Raffy about Monty, maybe she still wanted to help me after all.

I tried to sound casual as I murmured, ‘Er … yes …’

‘It’s a python, right?’

I nodded.

‘Cool.’

I just smiled stupidly and nodded again.

‘Lily said it got lost in this Blossom House place where you and Sean have been hanging out?’

This time I glanced round quickly to check no one was listening and he seemed to get the hint.

‘Hey, I get it. It’s a secret, right? I should think what you’re doing is pretty
illegal
, huh?’

‘Um … maybe …’ I saw that he was taking his chewing gum out to offer me some – taking it out of the packet, I mean, not out of his mouth. ‘No, thanks,’ I said, then started worrying in case that sounded rude. Fortunately, before I could over-think the whole chewing gum thing, Rafferty spoke again.

‘So … if you like I’ll come to Blossom House with you now and help you look for your snake,’ he offered.

‘Really?’ I just about fainted on the spot.

‘Sure.’ Rafferty’s gaze was directed expectantly at me as he waited for an answer.

‘Well … OK,’ I said awkwardly. ‘Thanks.’ It was hard trying to sound casual. ‘I need to find Sean first though. He already went to have a look for Monty before school so he’s got the key with him. He’ll probably want to come with us.’

I knew Sean would be in no rush to get home after the way Mum had torn into him when she’d got back from work the evening before. She’d been furious with him for showing her up in front of her clients and she’d shown no signs of forgiving him by breakfast.

But when I found Sean in the playground he just handed over the keys and wished me luck. Zack had been off sick that day, so Sean was going round to his house straight after school to tell him about Monty.

Before I knew what was happening, Raffy and I were walking to Blossom House together. Raffy was listening to music and every time I glanced sideways at him he looked perfectly at ease with the fact that he was totally ignoring me. At first I felt a bit alarmed by our lack of communication, but then I reminded myself that this could easily be the sort of ‘comfortable silence’ Mum always says is just as important in a relationship as stimulating conversation.

At last we arrived outside Blossom House, where Raffy quickly put his earbuds in his pocket and gave the place his full attention.

‘Wow! This is amazing!’ he exclaimed as we walked together down the drive. ‘And you guys can really let yourselves inside whenever you like?’

I nodded. ‘Follow me.’

After we got through the side gate I paused with my back to the house to give him more of a chance to admire the garden. I was hoping he would make some comment about the cherry blossom trees. Don’t ask me why that was so important, but I knew that Raffy was going to go down in my estimation if he didn’t appreciate how beautiful they were.

Fortunately he didn’t disappoint me. ‘Wow! This is really something! And there must be loads of fruit to nick later on, isn’t there?’

‘Well … no … you see, cherry blossom trees are ornamental – you don’t actually get any fruit.’

‘Really? That’s a bummer.’ He turned his attention to the house. ‘What a shame this whole place is just going to waste.’

‘I know,’ I said. I didn’t want to disagree with him. ‘But now someone’s about to buy it. That’s why we have to find Monty as quickly as possible. Before the house isn’t ours any more.’ Luckily Monty hadn’t made an appearance during Mum’s viewing the day before, and thankfully the couple weren’t interested anyway. But Miranda’s client had called her again this week to confirm that he was still very keen and was going to make an offer.

As I led Raffy inside, I asked, ‘Shall I show you the room he escaped from?’

‘Show me the room you showed Lily yesterday,’ he said eagerly.

I noticed that his eyes were everywhere as we moved through the hall and into the main reception room, where he immediately started wowing just like Lily had. He walked over to look in the mirror, then began to walk round the periphery of the room, hunching down to examine the skirting boards. I thought he was looking for potential snake holes until I realised he was inspecting the plug sockets.

‘What are you doing that for?’ I asked.

He turned to me with a delighted sparkle in his eyes. His eyes were light brown like Lily’s but they had little flecks of green in them too. I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed the exact colour of his eyes before.

‘Lily’s right,’ he said. ‘This
would
be the perfect place to hold our party!’

‘What?’ Suddenly I realised what he meant. ‘No way, Raffy,’ I told him firmly. ‘I already said no to Lily.’

But he completely ignored me and carried on talking. ‘You know we can’t have the party at our place any more, don’t you, Sasha? But we could easily swop the venue to here. You wouldn’t need to arrange anything – we’ll do all that. Come on, Sasha! It’ll make my day if you let us! Not just my day – my whole year! No, forget that … I mean my whole
life
!’ He was being so dramatic that he soon had me laughing. ‘Come on, Sasha. Do it for
me! Please?
’ He put one hand on my shoulder and I immediately felt shivery goosebumps prick the back of my neck. As he gazed at me with a genuinely pleading expression in his eyes, I found my resolve starting to melt.

‘But is it safe? I mean what about Monty? What if we haven’t found him by then?’

‘It doesn’t matter. It’s not like he’s dangerous. Anyway he won’t come out with all that noise going on. Come on, Sasha … Lily said you’d be too scared to help us, but I told her you’re way gutsier than she thinks. You’ve got to prove me right! Come on!’

‘I don’t know …’ I murmured. I knew I should say no. In fact I already
had
said no. But I liked that he thought I was gutsy.

‘I’ll owe you big time,’ he said. ‘
Please
, Sasha?’ His big melty eyes seemed to hold mine for an extra-long moment. It was like being faced with the adorable puppy of your dreams and the really hunky boy of your dreams all rolled into one.

‘OK, then,’ I heard myself say a little shakily.

OK?
Did I just say
OK
?

Apparently I had, because now Raffy was giving me a huge grin and the sparkle in his eyes as he looked into mine made me feel like I was flying. I had to remind myself that he was fifteen and I was only nearly thirteen, and he probably still thought of me as his kid sister’s dorky friend.

‘I knew you’d say yes!’ he exclaimed with a happy laugh. ‘I’ll tell Lily and we can start to plan everything. You really are the best, Sasha!’

And in a flash he was out through the back door before I even registered that he’d totally forgotten to help me look for Monty. But I still couldn’t stop smiling.