Page 36 of The Best Friend
Beth comes back into the kitchen. ‘Everything okay?’
‘I don’t know,’ I reply. ‘That was Darcy, of all people. She sounded really upset, like she’s been crying. She wants me to go over there now.’
‘Oh dear. Poor thing. I wonder what’s happened.’
‘I don’t know. It’s weird that she called me. She must have closer friends thanme, surely.’
‘Peoplelikeyou, Lou. You’re easy to talk to – sympathetic. You should have more faith in yourself.’
‘Well, you’re family, you have to say that.’
She shakes her head. ‘Let me know what happens. And I think this shows Darcy isn’t out to get you. Enemies don’t usually cry on your shoulder.’
‘We’ll see,’ I say, putting my phone back in my bag. ‘Anyway, I better go. Thanks for this morning. You’re the best sister ever.’
‘Aw, shucks.’
She sees me to the door and we hug before I leave.
I jog down the stairs wondering what could have made Darcy so upset, and what on earth she could want with me.
Fifteen
Summer 1996
‘Why the fuck are you blubbing, Cal? I told you to stop being such a wuss.’ Nicole gritted her teeth and pulled him around into the dirty alley. It stank of piss in the heat and was littered with fag butts and dog turds, but Nicole hardly noticed. Why couldn’t her brother be less of a cry baby? Why was she the one who always had to look after him?
Snot trailed down his nose and he tried to wipe it away with his sleeve, but just ended up smearing it across his cheek.
‘God, that’s vile, Cal. You’re making me wanna vom.’
‘Sorry, Nic.’ He hiccuped and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to hold back his tears.
Nicole clenched her fists. He was so pathetic. He needed to grow a pair. He was eight already but still acted like he was three. What was he going to do when she went to senior school and wasn’t around to look out for him? She grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back.
‘Stop. Fucking. Crying,’ she hissed, shoving her face right up close to his. ‘Or I’ll give you something to cry about.’ She’d copied that line off one of the other care kids. The older ones were always saying stuff like that. And they meant it, too.
‘I’m trying, Nic,’ he blubbered.
She and Cal had been in care for over two years now. A couple of different foster parents had tried them out, but no one had wanted to keep them permanently. It all started back when she and Cal had been done for shoplifting. Social services got involved and said their mum wasn’t well enough to look after them properly – too pissed, more like.
‘What happened?’ she asked, loosening her grip on Callum’s hair.
‘Derek Mullins.’
‘Becky’s brother? The one with freckles?’
Callum nodded.
‘What did he do to you?’
Callum shook his head and started scuffing the pavement with the toe of his shoe.
‘Tell me or I’ll bash you.’
Callum murmured something, but it was so quiet Nicole couldn’t hear.
‘What?’
