Chapter 8
As everyone busied themselves shaking out rolls of bedding, sleeping bags and pillows, Mab finally managed to get Jess alone in a corner. ‘So, what’s happened? You said there was a problem?’ she whispered.
Jess rubbed her eyes and sighed. ‘It’s George.
The school have finally excluded him. Last time it was only for a day, but now he’s banned for the whole of next week while they decide what to do next.
Oh, Mab, it’s a disaster. Where will they send him?
And what am I going to do in the meantime?
I want to help Leo if he’s going to be good enough to let me come in with you on the project but Mum can’t look after George because she’ll be busy at work.
I had a job to persuade her to put him to bed for me tonight so I could come here.
It’s not an easy job getting George settled. He has his routines, you know.’
‘Oh, Jess, I thought he was doing OK so far today?’
‘So did I, but when I got there to collect him he was up a tree and he refused to come down for two hours. Apparently, he’d gone up there when the head tried to get him to say sorry to his teacher.’
‘Right… so… what was he supposed to be saying sorry for?’
‘Spitting in Jade’s dinner.’
‘Spitting in someone’s dinner? That’s… erm… quite bad, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, and then he ran out of the hall shouting obscenities at the dinner ladies and went and wrote something very rude on the toilet mirror in soap.’
‘I like his style!’
‘Don’t joke, Mab. They didn’t see the funny side, the chief dinner lady called him a holy terror. She’s really scary, Mab. Don’t you remember Mrs Carmichael? She was one of the younger supervisors when we were at school, but she put the fear of God into me even then.’
‘What? George is eight, for goodness’ sake. Everyone shows off sometimes when they’re eight, surely? Stan spent most of his early years trying to upset the dinner ladies. Mrs Carmichael hated him too.’
‘Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?’ Jess gave a watery smile. ‘But in any case, George isn’t welcome at school next week, and I can’t ring anyone for advice for ages because of the stupid Bank Holiday.’
Mab took a deep breath. Her relationship with George had always been slightly uncomfortable.
Her lack of experience with children gave her a tendency to over-compensate when it came to being friendly.
George was extremely good at spotting any behaviour that he classed as weird, which in his book, covered quite a few things.
‘Well then, he’ll just have to come to Leo’s with us,’ she said, pasting on a bright smile.
There was a silence as Mab and Jess both considered this idea. Mab’s heart sank at the thought of what she’d just suggested. She had never had much to do with children, and George was one of the trickier specimens. Jess squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.
‘Well, if you think we can cope?’
‘Why shouldn’t we? If we set one of the little rooms up as a playroom and get lots of drawing things, he’ll be fine.
You remember those fantastic pictures George did of the houses in the high street when he was doing the geography project on the area for school last term?
If Maurice keeps him company he’ll be fine. And he can bring some of his Lego too.’
Jess’s face lit up. ‘OK, let’s try it; I’ll bring some arty stuff and so long as we can keep him off the E numbers, we might swing it.
Thanks, Mab. I really appreciate this. Come on, let’s say goodnight and be off home.
This lot are about ready for bed now. But what did you want to talk to me about? You said it was important.’
‘It’s too late now.’
‘Too late? What’s happened? You’re scaring me.’
‘No, I mean it’s too late at night, we’re all shattered. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I’ll just round Stan up, I think he’s still busy bonding with the brothers.’
After a short tussle with Stan, who wanted to stay and continue his discussion on the chances of Newcastle United moving up a league, Mab, Stan and Jess wandered off down the street, before going their separate ways.
Mab began to stamp along more forcefully when she left the others behind.
Her mortification at being seen in body-hugging wet clothes had been outstripped by thoughts of a naked Den, and bubbling-under annoyance at Sophie’s selfishness.
Mab had thanked Den profusely after she had stopped being sick on his feet, and said how grateful she was that he’d stripped off so quickly and jumped in to save her, even thoughtfully removing his underpants first to save them getting wet.
He had laughed and said that he never wore them anyway, which was another disturbing thought.
On the whole, she longed for her own bed, and the comfort of Maurice sleeping on her feet, growling if she was rude enough to move slightly in the night.
At last the day was over but before she closed her eyes, Mab set her alarm for six o’clock.
This would be her last night in the horrible flat and tomorrow would be moving day and the start of her new life, with a crowd of gorgeous men to talk to.
But it would also be time to tell Leo and Jess about her pregnancy.
The truth, but not necessarily the whole truth.