CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I wasn’t in a good head space the next day.
My evening with Caleb, which I’d looked forward to so much, had been a disaster. I’d been determined we’d get back on track, but it was beginning to look as if our individual tracks, far from being in synch, were starting to head in different directions.
I’d texted him first thing, just to ask how he was after our evening had ended so abruptly. But I’d heard nothing by lunchtime and, not wanting to sit around on my day off thinking about Caleb and wondering, I decided to do some Christmas shopping – just to fill in time, really.
I still hadn’t heard from him by the time I got home, and by then I was feeling increasingly panicky and heavy-hearted.
The night stretched ahead, full of doubt and dread.
It was a horrible feeling when someone you’d had such a great rapport with all of a sudden seemed out of reach. With no explanation.
I was almost glad when my alarm went off at six the following morning. I was baking at the café, on an early shift starting at seven, so at least I had work to take my mind off things.
With Christmas almost upon us, the café was super-busy and I was thankful for the distraction. And then, as I walked home at three, finally a text from Caleb pinged through.
He apologised for the delay in replying, again blaming work.
But this didn’t really put my mind at rest. In the old days, he’d always have found time to reply, no matter how hectic his schedule might be. Also, there was no mention in his text of us meeting up. It was just a vague ‘See you soon’ and one kiss.
*****
When I got back to the flat, I barely had time for a cuppa before heading out again, back to the café. Ellie had called a meeting for four o’clock to talk about how our plans for the Christmas market were going.
I popped into the village store for milk on my way over there, forgetting that school would have ended for the day and the store would be busy.
Sure enough, it was full of schoolkids buying sweets and drinks, so I lined up behind them with my carton of milk, smiling wistfully as I watched them larking around and laughing.
I used to be so full of high spirits myself when I was their age, with Christmas Day so near . . .
This year, the festive season was just one big question mark for me.
I’d had such high hopes of spending a romantic time with Caleb. But would we even be together by the time Christmas Day dawned?
Ahead of me in the queue was someone I recognised.
Will.
One of the other boys bumped into him from behind and Will turned around and met my eye. My impulse was to smile and call ‘Hi, Will’ but I stopped myself in time. It wouldn’t exactly be cool for him to be speaking to one of his mum’s friends when surrounded by his mates from school!
Instead, I just gave him a small smile and he acknowledged me with a raise of his eyebrows.
Next second, the same boy pretended to bump into him again.
He was bigger than Will – taller and chunkier – and the way he jabbed his elbow into Will’s back, making him flinch, made me realise that the first time he’d done it hadn’t been an accident.
Will flushed bright red and the bigger boy made a scornful comment which I didn’t quite catch, but which made the other boys crease up with laughter.
Will was standing there awkwardly, his lips pressed together, staring down at the ground, and my heart went out to him.
Schoolkids could be so horrible to one another – and this nasty bully, surrounded by his gang of toadying mates egging him on, was clearly getting a kick out of making Will squirm.
‘Stop it, Lewis!’ ordered one of the girls, who was standing with her friend nearby.
‘Yes. Put a sock in it, you creep!’ said the other girl, glaring at Lewis in disgust.
But this only resulted in whoops and sarcastic shouts of ‘Ooh, get them!’ – and even more raucous laughter.
Will, blushing even more furiously, turned and walked away. I opened my mouth to ask if he was all right, but he passed by without even looking at me, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground.
I glared at the bully’s head, hoping he could feel my disgust. Bullies really were the lowest of the low. I’d experienced some of it myself at school because of my Russian heritage and it had been hard for a while. Poor Will really didn’t deserve it.
Was it a one-off? Did this ‘Lewis’ just pick on random kids when he felt like it. Or did he have it in for Will especially? And if so, did Penny know it was happening?
The schoolkids got served at last, and I bought my milk and went out, crossing the road to walk over the village green to the café.
It was after four now and already dark, but the lights on the Christmas tree were glowing brightly in the freezing air, helping to spread a message of hope and joy during the festive season.
Then I saw them.
Lewis and two of his mates.
Clustered around Will on the green, they were pushing him around and laughing, and as I watched, Lewis dragged off Will’s backpack.
He held it upside down and shook the contents all over the snow, then he bent and picked something up, holding it aloft and making his mates laugh.
I couldn’t see what it was but he was taunting Will with it, mocking him with babyish ‘vroom-vroom’ noises.
Will made a grab for the object but Lewis was taller – bigger all over – and Will didn’t stand a chance. After holding it up, tantalisingly just out of Will’s reach, he let it drop to the ground. Then he stamped on it several times.
I couldn’t stay silent any longer.
Hurrying over, I called out to Will and he turned and saw me.
I marched towards his tormentors and the ring-leader, Lewis, must have sensed how angry I was because he drawled, ‘Hey, come on, guys. Let’s leave the stupid plonker to clear up his mess,’ and they scarpered, running off across the green.
I looked down at the red object lying at Will’s feet and my heart gave a lurch of dismay. I picked it up and looked at Will. He was trying not to react, I could tell. In fact, he just shrugged and turned away. But I felt like crying for him.
His beloved racing car – the Bugatti model that Caleb had given him as an early Christmas gift – now lay scratched and damaged in my hand . . .
*****
Will shoved the car into his backpack and I helped him to pick up the rest of his things, which were all now soaking wet after lying in the snow.
He told me he was there to meet his mum. They both had dental appointments in Sunnybrook.
‘How long have they been bullying you, Will?’ I asked softly.
‘Bullying me?’ He frowned as if he didn’t know what I was talking about. ‘It’s nothing. Honestly. We were just fooling around.’
I grimaced. ‘Well, it didn’t look like that to me. That boy, Lewis? He should be reported for nasty behaviour like that.’
Will stared at me, an anxious look in his eyes. ‘Please don’t tell Mum. If she thinks I’m being bullied, she’ll go to the school and speak to my teacher and that would just be . . .’ He trailed off with a shrug.
‘Why wouldn’t you want your teacher to know?’ I asked gently.
He gave another shrug. ‘Look, I wasn’t being bullied. We were just having a laugh, that’s all. Okay?’
Seeing the determined look on his face, I sighed. ‘Okay.’
‘Here’s Mum now,’ he murmured.
I turned and sure enough, Penny was hurrying towards us. Wrapped in a scarf, flat black boots and a long khaki green padded winter coat, she was waving and smiling. ‘Katja! How lovely to see you again so soon.’
‘Yes. You, too.’
‘Will, love, could you run over to the bakery and get me one of those seeded loaves?’ She dug out her purse and handed him some cash.
Will grimaced. ‘Mum, nobody uses cash anymore.’
‘Well, I do!’ she said, and I laughed along with her.
He shrugged. ‘Just saying. Can I get some yum-yum doughnuts as well?’
‘Yes, why not?’ She smiled affectionately after him as he strode away across the snowy village green, hands dug deep in his pockets against the winter chill.
‘He was early meeting me,’ she said, glancing at her watch. ‘I thought he might be in the village store spending his pocket money, so when I parked in a side street over there, I sat in the car for a while before venturing out.’
‘I don’t blame you. It’s absolutely freezing out here,’ I murmured, reflecting that the reason Will was early for her was because that bully boy Lewis had effectively driven him out of the store before he’d even had time to buy anything.
I hadn’t believed Will when he’d insisted they were just fooling around and it was all a big joke. Because stamping on his lovely new car like that was far from funny. But he’d been so anxious that I shouldn’t mention it to his mum.
I was torn, though.
I could see why Will wouldn’t want the bullying mentioned at school. There was a worry Lewis might retaliate and the situation could become even worse.
But Penny needed to know, didn’t she? Whatever Will’s view was on the matter, I would have to tell her what was going on . . .
What Penny said next, however, sent the subject of bullying flying right out of my head.
‘So I’ve actually been sitting in the car thinking about my life.’ She smiled sheepishly. ‘Debating the pluses and minuses of dating.’
‘Oof. So are you thinking of jumping back into that shark-infested pool, then?’ I joked.
She pulled a face. ‘Not sure. I joined a dating app and I’ve got a date lined up.
But I’ve just been sitting thinking about how lovely it is to be single and to be able to live your life exactly the way you want to.
No one else to consider. We date strangers we really know nothing about – except what they choose to reveal to you in their profile.
’ She gave a convulsive shiver and stared into the distance.
‘It’s so dangerous when you think about it,’ she murmured, almost to herself. ‘They could be absolutely anybody.’