✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

135. What Needs to be Done

"Tess!" Tami exclaimed, and his face split into a wide grin. "We were starting to worry. What happened to–"

He went silent when he recognised Spike, who still had bandages covering most of his face. Tess could see how hard he was trying to think of something meaningful to say, but she wasn't sure what she could say to help him.

A minute later, when the bus was moving again, Tess tried to resurrect the conversation.

"Yeah, I was so worried about Spike, I couldn't leave him there by himself. So I've been in Pine Ridge, keeping an eye on him for most of the week."

"Yeah, I mean... I heard something happened, but I didn't realise it was... are you okay, man?"

"It looks worse than it is," Spike said, hoping that Tami could see his smile. Tess knew he was still putting a brave face on things; she'd had to demand that he take painkillers when he got up that morning, because he was twitching in pain with every little movement at breakfast. "I'll be okay soon, and I don't want to miss any more school."

"That's dedication. Are you coming straight from –" Tami started, and then glanced out of the window as the bus passed the side gates of PRMCT. If they were coming straight from the hospital, they would probably have been on the same bus. But the fact that they were already on board kind of proved that wasn't the case. "I guess not. So..."

"Spike moved into our spare room," Tess said with a smile. "I mean, it could have been under better circumstances, but it's good he's got somewhere safe to stay now. Means we won't have to go through all this again."

"Wow! I would have thought your cousin... I mean..."

Tess nodded thoughtfully. She'd seen Tami's girlfriend on the bus more than a couple of times over the last six months, but she was vaguely aware that if his mum knew she was there, she would have to be in a taxi home by nine at the latest, and there was a whole bunch of grey areas. Even for someone with his reasonably tolerant parents, the idea of a partner moving into the same house was beyond the bounds of belief. It made Tess realise just how lucky she was to have Ffrances on her side. Although now she thought about it, with the rock hard determination she had felt on the last day at Pine Ridge, she was sure that she would have been able to find some solution in any case.

"Tess kind of gave her an ultimatum," Spike said. "She can let me stay, or we'll find somewhere else. And you wouldn't believe how well Tess understands all the legal and bureaucratic stuff. Real momma bear moment."

Now it was Tess's turn to blush. She had just done what needed to be done, but to hear Spike talk about it like that... He made her sound like some kind of hero. She didn't know what to say, but Spike and Tami must both have seen her embarrassment, because they quickly changed the subject. It was easy enough to just make small talk until they arrived at school; but then Tess realised that there were things she still needed to do.

She promised Spike she would see him later, and double checked that he had the spare set of house keys from the kitchen drawer. Just in case something unexpected happened and she wasn't there when he got home. Then she told him that she would go into Raybridge, and get some keys cut so that he could have his own, and the spares could go back where they belonged. Spike thanked her for being so organised, and Tess quickly hurried away so that she could get everything finished before school started. After so many days away, she was sure that there would be work for her to catch up on. But somehow now, her first day back, she suddenly felt anxious about being late again. She'd been okay with deciding to be absent for a week, but somehow being late still bothered her.

There was a locksmith ten minutes walk from the school, or ten minutes jogging; a little shop with a hand painted sign, run by a guy who looked like he could have inherited the place fifty years ago, and probably didn't know what else he would do with his life if he retired.