Echoing love

Chapter 1 part 4

As soon as lavender woke the next morning, mum started again about the vile thing she'd done to Ellis. She got out of bed and picked out her clothes.
'Kyle says he loves me.' She knew her eyes must be shimmering with the wonder of it.
'He can say what he likes. He'll be told to drop you. His family won't think your a suitable match. Anyway, what's he want with the likes of you? A cook in heavy boots and a course apron? And you smell of onions.'
Lavender giggled. 'So does he.'
'Not all the time he doesn't.'
Lavender ran a comb through her thick hair. It reached halfway to her waist and had to be twisted into a bun on top of her head and covered with a cap at work.
'He thinks I'm beautiful.'
'And so you are.' Mums eyes were watching her with warmth as well as worry. 'Far too beautiful, with your golden eyes and golden curls. You'll never be short of followers.'
'Kyle says my eyes are Amber. And my hair's blonde.'
Lavender knew there was far more to the attraction than looks.
She felt drawn to Kyle; he'd shared his worries and his hopes with her. He'd told her about his home life, all the domestic details the workers were curious about but couldn't know; about Michael Robinson's home and how his family lived.
Kyle's mother had died in childbirth when he was nine and his brother Malik was four. They'd doted on her, but now they had a step-mum who was only nice to them when their dad was within earshot. And their dad was impossible to please. He always sided with his wife.
'Kyle says he's jealous of me, the love and stability I have in my life.' Lavender thought his early life had left him mixed up and insecure.
'Jealous of you? I bed he's never gone hungry. And even if he worked in the sewage he wouldn't have to live here. I'm jealous of him the chances he's had.'
'I've never gone hungry either,' Lavender retaliated. 'We ain't got much money but you manage it well. All the rooms in our flat are always comfortable and clean.'
It was only when mum couldn't eat her breakfast of dippy eggs and toast soldiers that lavender asked: 'How are you feeling this morning?'
'Not to bad.'
'You don't look well.'
Once her mother had been pretty, but the years had faded always her looks. This morning her face was paper white.
'Perhaps you should stay home today.'
'I'll be alright.'
It didn't stop mum carrying on. 'You running about with Kyle Robinson could get us into trouble.'
'I thought you liked him.'
What's it matter if I like him or not? His dad won't see us as the right class. We could be sacked. That's one way he can make sure Kyle sees no more of you. It terrifies me to think of it.'
It was time to leave for work before Lavender was quite ready. She rushed her mother through the back streets in the pale sun of early morning, feeling frustrated by her baggy trousers.
The streets were always busy. Cars speeded past. Great trucks of goods headed to and from their businesses. They lived only a few yards from the overhead railway, and trains thundered through at regular intervals.
The steam of the trains didn't quite cover the petrol smell of the duel carriageway, but there were other smells in this area of Indian restaurants, Chinese takeout, pubs, timber yards and engine works.
Lavender skilfully avoided a drunk stretched out asleep on the pavement. The restaurant was on the next corner, a big stylish place with few windows.
Once inside, Lavender could hardly breathe. The scents of spices and cloves, ginger and vinegar hung like a thick haze in the air. The back room was perfumed with the smell of countless onions that had been peeled there over the years; an assault on her nose to which she'd never grown accustomed. Inside it was dark. A large light showed the huge mound of shallots tipped in the corner.
Dimly seen figures tended to the food in the pots and pans and shouted to each other about the war that had been declared last night.
For Lavender, the thrill of knowing Kyle Robinson loved her shadowed the dislike of the oncoming world war 3 and the embarrassment she felt at dropping Ellis. Now she was fully awake, she tingled all over with expectation for the future, and her eyes were darting round seeking a glimpse of Kyle.
He worked here, but he didn't have to sit by the ovens all day, or at the conveyor belt like Lavender with a knife at the ready, watching for shallots that had missed having their brown skins removed. The restaurant had there own brand to earn extra money on the side and pickled onions was there speciality so Lavenders job had been to watch for those onions that still had there brown skins and to take them to the salting room.

Cast list:
Emilie voe: Lavender fray
Lena headey: Clara fray
Gerran howell: Kyle Robinson
Keith-lee castle: Michael Robinson
Ellis Ferry: Daniel gillies(any tvd fans out there?)
Tracy Ferry: Alice Evans