White Dolphin (5 page)

I keep my head down as I walk across the classroom. I stop at the place where I usually sit. But there’s someone else already there, in my seat.

‘Find another seat, Kara,’ says Mr Wilcox above the silence. ‘Be quick.’

I spin round and sit down at a spare desk by the window and spread my maths books out in front of me. I glance sideways at the new boy in the class sitting next to Chloe. He’s wearing black jeans and a white shirt. But it’s his face I notice more. The muscles in his neck stand out in straight tight lines, pulling the left side of his face down and sideways. It looks like his face has dropped on one side. His left arm is twisted up against his chest and writhes around as if he can’t keep it still at all.

He sees me staring, so I look away.

At break, Chloe and Ella stay behind with him to talk to Mr Wilcox. I guess they’ve been given the job of showing him around today. They’ve hardly talked to me at all. No one’s mentioned Jake’s nose either. I don’t think anyone would dare in front of Jake and Ethan.

It’s not until the morning lessons have finished, that I can join Chloe and Ella in the lunch queue. I grab a tray and slide it along behind Chloe.

‘Where’s that new boy?’ I ask.

Chloe looks over her shoulder. ‘Felix?’ she says. ‘He’s only doing mornings. He’s just getting to know the school before he joins after the summer.’

‘It’s hardly worth it,’ I say. ‘There’s only a week left before we break up.’

Chloe pours two glasses of water, one for her and one for Ella. ‘Mrs Carter said the school might need to make changes before he comes, like put in ramps and hand rails and stuff. He can’t walk that well.’

‘What’s he like?’ I say.

Chloe shrugs her shoulders and looks at Ella. ‘Dunno. Didn’t say much did he?’

‘Couldn’t wait to go,’ Ella says. ‘Don’t blame him though.’

Beyond Ella, I see Jake sitting at the table. He’s stopped mid-mouthful to watch us talking. Chloe and Ella have seen him watching too.

I take a plate from the stack. ‘Daisy can’t wait till Lauren’s party,’ I say. ‘You got many coming?’

Chloe puts her plate out for chips. ‘About fifteen. Mum’s dreading it. Dad’s just got back from sea and he’s dead tired. Mum wants us to help.’

Chloe’s dad works with Uncle Tom on Dougie Evans’s boats too. He’s come home to fifteen Daisys, high on fizzy drinks and birthday cake.

‘I don’t mind helping too,’ I say. ‘I’ve got to bring Daisy along, anyway.’

Chloe glances across at Jake and then at Ella. ‘We’ll be fine,’ she says. The words come out too quickly. ‘It’ll be a bit crowded in our house. We won’t need any help.’

Ella stares down at her tray.

‘All right,’ I say. I feel my eyes smart with tears. Chloe and Ella have always let me join in with them before.

‘Chips or jacket?’

I look up. The dinner lady is holding out a scoop of chips in one hand and a baked potato on a fork in the other.

‘Chips,’ I say.

She empties her scoop of chips on my plate and I pick up the ones that scatter across my tray.

Chloe slides a chocolate brownie on her tray and turns to me. ‘I’ve got to pick up Lauren and her other friends from school, so I’ll take Daisy too,’ she says.

I nod and pretend to concentrate on the plates of pudding and the bowl of fruit in front of me. ‘Tell her I’ll pick her up at half five.’

I watch Chloe walk away. She sits down next to Ella on the long table by the window. Jake and Ethan are at the table too. Jake glares at me. His face is a blue black mess of bruise. A bright white plaster sits across his nose.

I grab an apple and walk across the hall feeling Jake’s eyes on me all the way. The table is full. If Chloe moved up I could sit next to her, but her back is turned to me and her elbows are spread either side of her tray. The other tables have older children from Years Eight and Nine. I take my tray and sit at an empty table by the door.

I try to force my lunch down, but my mouth is dry and the chips stick in my throat. I push them to the side, hide them under my knife and fork and take a bite of apple. It’s Friday at least. No school for two whole days, and then only one more week until the summer holidays begin.

‘Having fun?’ Jake puts his empty tray down on the table and sits opposite me. Ethan leans against the door frame and smirks.

I look across at Jake. Close up, one eye is bloodshot red. The edges of the bruise are sickly yellow.

‘You don’t think you can make up for this with a box of chocolates do you?’ The corner of Jake’s mouth curls up as he speaks.

‘It wasn’t me who sent them,’ I say.

I wait for him to go, but he sits there, staring at me.

‘You know why my dad hates you so much?’ he says.

I stare down at the half-eaten apple on my plate. I know the reason why. I’ve heard all this before.

Jake leans across the table. ‘Aaron’s dead because of your mum.’

I grip the edges of my tray. The fork rattles against the china plate. ‘Your brother didn’t have a life jacket on when he was found,’ I say.

Jake snorts. ‘My dad says you’re going pay for this.’ He lowers his voice so not even Ethan can hear. ‘Soon you and your dad will have
nothing
left.’

I
 slip my hand through Daisy’s. ‘Good party?’ I say. Her fairy tutu rustles as we swing arms, and she skips along beside me.

Daisy nods and smiles up at me. ‘Why didn’t you come too?’

I glance back at the house. Lauren’s waving from the door, but there’s no sign of Chloe or Ella.

‘I had to get some shopping for your mum,’ I lie.

Daisy runs ahead and pulls me by the hand. ‘Will you play with me at home?’

I shake my head. ‘I’m going out.’

‘Where?’

‘Just out.’

She stops and pulls away from me. ‘You’re going to look for the white dolphin aren’t you?’

I hold my hand out. ‘Come on, Daisy,’ I say. ‘I told Aunt Bev I’d get you home.’

It’s not entirely true, but I want to go back to the cove and I can’t take Daisy with me.

‘I want to come with you,’ she says. She juts her chin out and just stands there, like she’s not going anywhere. A gust of wind blows her long blonde curls across her face. Her fairy wings flutter. She clutches her wand and party bag in one hand and folds her arms across her chest.

‘Come
on,
Daisy,’ I say. I’m not in the mood to fight. ‘
Please.
’

She shakes her head. She looks like the sugar plum fairy. Sugar-plump and squashed into a ballet dress, about to have a tantrum.

I sit back on a low wall behind me and rest my head in my hands. I feel we could be here a while.

‘I’ll buy you an ice-cream at Zagni’s,’ I say. I jangle some coins in my pocket. I hope I’ve got enough to buy one. Maybe Daisy won’t feel like one after all that party food. But I know Daisy. She never turns down an ice-cream. I wait and watch.

Daisy twirls her wand round and round. She puts her hands on her hips and looks at me. ‘It has to be mint choc chip,’ she says.

‘Done,’ I say. ‘Mint choc chip it is.’

I get up from the wall, ready to go.

‘And a flake,’ says Daisy.

I shake my head. ‘Haven’t got enough money for that.’

‘Chocolate sauce, then?’

I nod. ‘You’ve got yourself a deal.’

Daisy flashes her smile at me and takes my hand. Her hand is small and soft and warm, like putty. She skips along beside me, her tiara bouncing on her curls. And I can’t help smiling too, because Daisy manages to wrap
everyone
round her little finger.

Zagni’s is warm inside. Too warm. Condensation clings to the windows. We stand in the ice-cream and pizza queue and wait. The queue is long and snakes around the chairs and tables by the racks of postcards, shell necklaces, and key rings. We edge forward and I see Jake and Ethan at one of the tables. I want to leave and go back outside, but Daisy has my hand held tightly in hers. I hide behind the man in front of me and keep my head down, out of sight.

Jake and Ethan haven’t seen me. They’re watching a boy and a tall fair-haired woman arguing at one of the tables by the window. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but the woman slams her hands on the table and stands up. Her chair knocks backwards to the floor and she stoops to pick it up. The boy glares at her as she storms past us and out through the door. It’s only now that I can clearly see his face.

‘He’s the new boy,’ I whisper to Daisy. ‘He was in my class today.’

Felix gulps his drink and leans back in his chair. He wipes his sleeve across his face, leaving a trail of orange juice on his chin.

Daisy tugs my arm. ‘What’s wrong with him?’

‘I don’t know, Daisy.’ I pull her arm. ‘Come on, it’s rude to stare.’

I hear Jake explode with laughter and look up. But it’s not me they’re laughing at this time. It’s Felix. Ethan pulls his arm up against his chest and pulls a leery grin. Felix’s face darkens. He looks across at me as if I’m in with them too, so I turn away.

We shuffle forwards in the queue.

But Jake and Ethan aren’t done. I hear them laugh again.

I look round to see Ethan let a trail of saliva dribble down his chin.

Daisy hangs back on my hand. I try to pull her forward but she breaks free.

‘Stop it,’ she yells. ‘Just stop it.’ She stands in front of Jake and Ethan, hand on hip, wand raised like Tinkerbell in front of Captain Hook and Smee. She points at Felix. ‘He can’t help it,’ she says. Her wings bristle and her face glows bright red.

Jake and Ethan snigger. But people in the café are turning in their seats to look at them. Jake stands up, sees me and scowls. ‘Come on, Ethan,’ he says. He shoves past me and mutters under his breath but loud enough for me to hear. ‘It’s just for spastics and losers in here.’

Daisy grips my hand again, tighter this time. I can feel her nails dig in my palm.

I put an arm round her and glance back at Felix. He’s staring at the table, spinning the salt cellar round and round with his good hand.

We reach the counter, about to order, but Mrs Zagni has an ice-cream ready for Daisy. Two scoops of mint choc chip, dripping with chocolate sauce and a chocolate flake.

‘This one’s on the house, Daisy Varcoe,’ she smiles. ‘That’s a big thing you did back there. You’re what the world needs right now.’

Daisy beams and takes the ice-cream.

‘Come on, Daisy.’ I take her wand and party bag. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

‘I just want to say hello,’ she says.

I wait for her by the café door and smile. Daisy wants the whole world to be her friend. She stops in front of Felix’s table, puffs out her chest and grins.

But something happens. Something’s said that I can’t hear. Daisy’s face falls. Tinkerbell’s little light has been snuffed out. She drops her ice-cream. The cone shatters and splatters mint choc chip across the hard tiled floor. Daisy runs right past me, through the open café door, her cheeks burning crimson and streaked with tears.

I
 find Daisy by the harbour. She’s sitting between a pile of lobster pots, sobbing and puffing, catching her breath.

‘What is it, Daisy? What happened?’

She pulls her wings off and throws them in the dirt. She tries to snap her wand, but the plastic just bends and she throws that in the mud and oil too.

‘Did you hear what he said?’ Her eyes are big and full of tears.

I kneel down and put my arms around her. ‘What, Daisy?’

She shakes her head and buries her head in my chest.

I lift her chin up. ‘Come on, Daisy, you can tell me.’

‘He said . . .’ A sob catches in her throat and she gulps it back. ‘He said . . . he didn’t put out an advert for a fat fairy godmother.’

‘You’re kidding!’ I say.

Daisy shakes her head. ‘That’s what he said.’

I try to hide my smile. ‘Forget it, Daisy. He was rude, that’s all.’

She looks at me with her big round eyes. ‘I’m not fat, am I?’

‘Course not,’ I say, and I smile this time. ‘You’re just right the way you are. And it was a brave thing you did back there.’

She looks at me but she’s not convinced. Her face is tear-stained and smudged in dirt. Her whole body shudders with big sobs as she breathes.