The Youngest Booth

Chapter 8

Jay's P.O.V.

We had a nice Christmas. Didn't do much but we are skint so I can't complain. Mum's got a new boyfriend. He is actually quite nice. Junkie of course but not too bad.

It was the morning of Hayley and Missy's mocks. I was standing in the kitchen with Nas and Missy when mum and Greg started going for it on the sofa. I snorted with laughter and turned away. We were waiting for Hayley to be ready.

"Oh here she is. All ready for her mocks, you gone make your mam proud, do you hear?" Mum said.

"What about me?" Missy asked.

"Don't worry love, there's more to life than exams," Mum said, sympathetically. I choked on my toast. No way did mum just say that. Missy looked pretty upset.

"You're gonna do well," I whispered to her on the way out. She smiled at me. 

~at lunch~

"You seen Missy?" Hayley asked.

"No. Why?" I asked.

"She walked out in the middle of the exam," Hayley explained.

"Oh fuck poor her," I said. I saw Alya and her group of cronies sitting at a nearby table laughing.

"Did you hear she walked out the exam? So stupid she should stick to boys not exams," Alya said. They all burst in to fits of laughter. I stood up and walked over to her.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?" I yelled at her.

"Aww she can't even stick up for herself. She has to get her little brother to do it for her," she laughed. It took everything in me to not smack her.

"Aww says the one who has to get daddy to save them all the time," I retorted. Everyone was laughing.

"At least my mum isn't a junkie," she said. I smacked her tray onto the floor. 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I shouted at her.

"OI!" Riz yelled, "Leave her alone!" He grabbed me and pulled me away. I smacked him hard on the arm. He kneed me in the stomach and a fight broke out.

"Oi no fighting in my bloody kitchen!" Mrs Paracha yelled. Mr Bell and Miss Keane saw what was happening and ran to pull us apart. It took both of them to pull me away and out the hall.

"Calm yourself down," Miss Keane said. I kicked the locker nearest to us but started to take deep breaths.

"Come on we are going to Miss Carter's office," Mr Bell said once I was calm.

I was sat in Miss Carter's office with her, Miss Keane, Mr Bell and Sadiq. 

"Well why Jay?" Miss Carter asked. I didn't say anything.

"Go on answer her," Sadiq told me.

"It's not your job to deal with things like this," Mr Bell told him. Sadiq looked annoyed but he didn't say anymore.

"Alya was saying bad stuff about Missy and my mum," I explained.

"And how did this lead to a fight with Riz?" asked Miss Keane.

"He pulled me away so I smacked him," I told them.

"Oh for goodness sake Jay," Miss Carter sighed. I explained the full story and I could see Sadiq rolling his eyes.

"As if Alya would say that," Sadiq said. I got up and walked over to him but Mr Bell held me back.

"Jay go to isolation please," Miss Carter told me. 

"Isolation?! He should be suspended," Sadiq shouted.

"It's only cos your kids are involved, you wouldn't give a shit if it was someone else," I shouted as I stormed out. Miss Keane followed me out.

"Jay stop a second," she said. I spun round.

"What?" I snapped.

"Can you make sure Missy is alright?" she asked. I softened slightly.

"Of course," I replied.

~a few days later~

When I arrived back from school loads of people were in my house. Mum had been dumped and she needed looking after.

"What kind of bloke ups and goes without even a note?" Missy asked as she brushed mums hair.

"Not even a poxy text Kaneez," Mum said.

I was about to go upstairs when we heard a familiar voice.

"Simone, I know you are in there." We all ducked behind the sofa.  Missy answered the door. 

"Come on Missy love I think I have got a way we can sort this out," she said as she bustled in. Linda peered behind the sofa and saw us all on the floor. I smiled up at her.

"Leave my kids out of it Linda, it's my debt," Mum said. 

"Well it's either Missy or a late payment fee plus a weeks worth of interest," Linda told her. We all looked at Missy.

"I can sell the bed if you want?" I suggested once Linda had left.

"Where would you sleep?" Hayley asked.

"On a mattress on the floor," I replied.

"No it's fine I'll do it," Missy sighed.

"No way! You need to be at school," I said.

"All I am gonna end up doing is working at the chicken shop anyway," Missy said.

"No you're not. Missy Booth you are gonna go far. I will sell the bed frame and we will see where we're at," I said to her.

"A bed ain't gonna cover a TV though is it," Missy said. I didn't say anything because I knew she was right. I didn't know what to do but I knew that I couldn't let her give up that easily.

"We will find a way," I reassured her. 

"No we won't Jay!" she shouted.

"Oh for fucks sake fine. Give up on life and become the failure everyone says you are," I yelled at her and I stormed out the room.

Missy's P.O.V.

What Jay said had really hurt. He was the only one who ever believed in me. I knew that even Nana and Hayley doubted I would go far.