Secrets Read online

  She looked shocked. ‘He’d never hit me!’ Her eyes went straight to the scar on my forehead.

  I nodded. ‘Yeah, my mum’s bloke did that. With his belt.’

  ‘How awful!’

  I shrugged. ‘Well, that’s Terry for you,’ I said, acting like it didn’t really worry me.

  I still dream about him every night. Nan says I’ll forget him soon. Maybe this is the one time Nan’s got it wrong.

  ‘This Terry? You said he’s your mum’s . . . bloke?’

  ‘Yeah, but like I said, that’s past history now.’

  We nodded. There was a little pause. We looked away. We looked back at each other – and giggled.

  ‘So, you like it here? With your nan?’ India says.

  ‘It’s great.’ I look back at the stained concrete walls and the black plastic bags spilling rubbish. ‘Well, you probably think it’s a right dump.’

  ‘No I don’t,’ she says quickly. ‘It’s . . . it’s very nice. Sort of cosy.’

  I whoop with laughter. ‘You are a nut, India. Cosy! Look, do you want to come and have some tea and meet my nan?’

  ‘Well. . .’ She looked quickly at her little gold watch.

  ‘You’ve got to get back home, I suppose.’

  ‘Yes. No! There’s no-one there apart from Mrs Winslow and Wanda, and goodness knows where she is.’

  ‘Mrs Winslow?’

  ‘She’s . . . well, she’s the cleaning lady.’

  ‘Wow, you are so posh. Hey, you’re not Little Lady India, are you? Maybe I should curtsey?’

  ‘Shut up! Look, do you mean it? Can I really come for tea?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Your nan won’t mind?’

  ‘Don’t be so daft, of course she won’t. She’ll be thrilled in fact. She’s worried I haven’t made any friends here yet.’

  ‘How long have you been here?’

  ‘Couple of weeks.’

  ‘My goodness, your nan would have a nervous breakdown over me. I’ve been living in the same house for the last five years and I haven’t got any friends. Well, not real ones.’ She pulled a face. ‘Oh gosh, that makes me sound seriously sad.’

  I burst out laughing.

  ‘Don’t laugh at me. I can’t help it.’

  ‘I’m laughing at the “Oh gosh” bit. I didn’t know people really said stuff like that. I’m not laughing at you.’ I gave her a friendly dig in the ribs. ‘Come on, Nan’s flat’s in Elm block. I’d give you a ride on the bike back but it’s Willie’s and he only let me go on it as a special favour.’

  She hopped and skipped along beside me and then panted up the stairs after me. I’m supposed to use the lift because of my asthma but that didn’t seem like a good idea, even though we had to hoick the bike up between us. Boys keep peeing in the lift – or worse.

  I was starting to wonder if it was such a good idea inviting India back. Her eyes went round as saucers when she saw what some of the kids had scribbled all over the walls. Then she nearly jumped out of her funny freckled skin when two of Willie’s mates came barging downstairs, effing and blinding and waving their cans of lager around for our benefit.

  ‘Get out of our blankety blank way, little girlies.’

  ‘You get out of our blankety blank way, big blankety boys,’ I said back, gesturing rudely with my fingers.

  I only did it because I know them, but India looked dead impressed, like I was the really tough kid on the block.

  As we ran along the balcony, me scooting it on Willie’s bike, mean old Mrs Watkins banged open her door, nearly knocking me flying. She started yelling about ‘you kids’ and how someone had smashed her milk bottles the other day and it just wasn’t good enough, she was going to report it, bla bla bla. Mumbly Michael pulled faces behind her in their hallway. He’s her grown-up son but Nan says he’s not quite the ticket. I burst out laughing when he crossed his eyes and smacked his lips open and shut in a pretty accurate imitation of his mum. India started giggling too. Mrs Watkins thought we were laughing at her and yelled even louder. Nan came out on the landing.

  ‘My God, Mrs Watkins, you’re frightening the life out of everyone – and you’ve woken little Britney up and she’s screaming fit to bust. What on earth has happened?’

  Mrs Watkins bellowed like a bull. Nan raised her eyebrows, winked at India and me, and beckoned us along the balcony. She whipped us both inside the flat, shutting the door on Mrs Watkins’ wails.

  ‘Daft old bag,’ Nan said, shaking her head. ‘Don’t take any notice, Treasure, she always carries on like that. And who are you, sweetie?’ Nan put her hands on India’s shoulders, gazing at her with delight. ‘Don’t you look wonderful! What a fantastic uniform. Is that the Girls’ High School?’

  India nodded shyly.

  ‘Thought so! What’s your name, poppet?’

  ‘India,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Oh, stylish,’ said Nan. ‘I’m Rita, pet, but you can call me Nan. All the kids do.’

  ‘But you’re really my nan, aren’t you?’ I said proudly.

  ‘You bet, Treasure,’ said Nan, giving me a hug. ‘Now, darlings, are you peckish? Come in the kitchen.’

  Loretta was boiling the kettle for Britney’s bottle. Britney threshed about in her baby-chair, desperate to be fed right now, this minute. Patsy was waving a rattle at her ineffectually.

  ‘Here, baby, come to Treasure,’ I said, unstrapping her.

  I picked her up and then held her at arm’s length, pretending to be cross.

  ‘Oh, that’s a nice way to say hello! Pee all over the place, right? We’d better get you changed before we give you to India for a cuddle.’

  ‘India?’ said Patsy. ‘Cool name. What’s it like at your school then? I might be going to this special stage school and they’ve got dead posh uniform too. Can I try your funny coat on, eh?’

  I whipped Britney’s nappy off and mopped her up while Patsy pranced round in India’s duffel coat, even though it was huge on her, the hem trailing on the carpet. India knelt down beside me, gingerly holding Britney’s little hand.

  ‘She’s so sweet,’ she said. ‘What’s that cream you’re putting on her?’

  ‘Zinc and castor oil so she doesn’t get a sore bum.’

  ‘You’re ever so good with babies.’

  ‘I’ve had heaps of practice,’ I said, pressing a clean nappy on Britney and stuffing her little legs back into her playsuit. ‘I used to look after my baby brother Gary practically full-time, especially when Mum was poorly.’

  ‘Your mum’s a waste of space as far as I’m concerned, even though she’s my daughter,’ said Nan.

  I thought about Saturday and my hands started shaking so I couldn’t do up Britney’s poppers to save my life.

  Eight

  India

  DEAREST KITTY

  You’ll never ever guess what! I have this incredible new best friend, Treasure. She is so lovely – absolutely ice-cream cool and yet sooooo kind to me. She just rode up on her bike and started chatting to me like we’d been friends for ever.

  I was a bit scared she might be sending me up, but she was truly friendly and invited me back for tea practically straightaway, no big deal at all, she didn’t even need to ask her grandma first.

  Treasure’s grandma looks incredible, long blond curly hair and bright blue eyes and shiny pink lipstick. She was wearing a tight pink top, black trousers and pink high heels when I first met her. She cooked us tea: egg and bacon and baked beans and tomato and fried bread for Treasure and me, two eggs and four rashers and extra baked beans and tomato and practically a whole fried loaf for Willie, just baked beans and tomato for Patsy because she has to watch her figure for her future showbiz career, just toast for Loretta because she was going out with her girlfriends and she’d have a pizza later, and runny egg and soldiers for little baby Britney.

  Nan served up all these different meals without fussing. She just had a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea herself, because she said she didn’t like to eat