Always My Best Friend

Prologue

THE BEGINNING OF LILY AND ADAM – PRIMARY SCHOOL, JEDBURGH

‘Lily Macrae is my friend, Stewart Campbell, and if I see you pinch anything from her ever, ever again or try to push her over, I’ll punch you on the nose, and then I’ll tell Mrs Craven and she’ll tell your mum, and then you’ll be grounded…

forever!’ six-year-old Adam Armstrong yelled as he towered over the snivelling little blond-haired boy whose T-shirt he was grasping.

Stewart retorted through his tears, ‘I’m going to tell my dad on you, and he’ll come to your house and kick your dad’s arse, and he’s lots bigger than your dad, you smelly pig!

’ He proceeded to throw the packet of bacon Wheat Crunchies he’d stolen from Lily on the playground of Jedburgh Primary School, the contents spilling out.

He stamped on the crisps, crumbling them under his feet.

Adam laughed in the other boy’s face. ‘Your dad isn’t bigger than mine, and now I’m going to tell Mrs Craven that you said a swear word!

Don’t you ever hurt Lily again, do you hear me?

She’s a girl and you should never, ever hit girls or pinch their snack.

And now you’ve dropped it on the floor, and she hasn’t got one.

You’re just mean and nasty, Stewart Campbell.

And that’s why nobody likes you!’ Adam released the blond boy’s T-shirt and pushed him away.

The boy ran off to the other side of the playground just as the lunchtime supervisor came around the corner.

She must have noticed the gathered crowd of children.

‘Everything all right over here, Adam?’ the tall, red-haired lady asked with a furrowed brow.

Adam nodded. ‘Yes, Mrs Craven. Stewart Campbell said a rude word though, so I told him off and said I was going to tell.’

Mrs Craven raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh, did he now? That boy needs to learn some manners. I think I’ll tell his teacher.

Perhaps a quick call home might be in order,’ she said to herself.

Then she turned her attention to Lily just as the young girl wiped the tears from her eyes and pushed the mass of wild dark curls from her damp face. ‘Lily Macrae? Have you been crying?’

Lily nodded.

Mrs Craven narrowed her eyes. ‘What happened?’

Lily worriedly looked to Adam.

Adam stepped forward. ‘It’s okay, Mrs Craven. Stewart was being mean, and he took her bacon Wheat Crunchies and threw them on the floor and stamped on them. But I told him off for that, too.’

Mrs Craven smiled and ruffled Adam’s scruffy dark hair. ‘Eeeh, for nothing but a six-year-old boy you do look after her well, don’t you, son? You keep that up.’ She patted his head lightly and then turned to walk over to where Stewart had run off to sulk.

Once Mrs Craven was out of sight and the crowd of children had dispersed, Adam turned to Lily. ‘Here, you can have the rest of my crisps if you like.’ He held out the packet of Quavers to her.

‘Thank you, Adders,’ she croaked, almost in a whisper. ‘I’m glad we moved into your street. You’re my bestest friend.’

‘Aye, I know that and you’re my bestest friend, too, Lil, and Stewart Campbell is just a big meanie. You need to stay away from him. I’ll make sure he isn’t nasty to you again though. Don’t worry.’ The two children walked over to the grass and sat down, side by side.

With a mouthful of crisps, Lily said, ‘I’m happy that we break up for summer tomorrow. We won’t see Stewart Campbell for ages.’ She offered Adam the crisp packet.

‘Aye, me too,’ Adam replied, taking a curly Quaver and popping it in his mouth.

‘Are you coming to my house for tea on Saturday? My papá says we can have the paddling pool out if it’s sunny.’ The weather had been warm for two weeks and showed no sign of changing, not unheard of but nonetheless rare for Scotland in June.

Adam nodded. ‘Yep… I can’t wait. My dad got me one of those big water pistols that soak you through, so you’d better watch out.’ He nudged her with a glint in his eyes.

She giggled. ‘Yeah, well, I’m going to make sure I get my big sandcastle bucket out then, and it holds about ten billion gallons of water, so you’d better watch out.’ She nudged him back.

He snorted. ‘It does not! And anyway, I’m a faster runner than you, so you’d better watch out.’ He chuckled.

‘It does, too! And you’re not faster than me… you run like a girl!’ Lily jumped to her feet and set off at a sprint, her musical laughter echoing behind her.

‘I’ll get you, Lily Macrae! Just you wait!’ Adam laughed heartily as he sprang up from the grass and set off in pursuit.

And there began the soundtrack to Adam and Lily’s lives…