Chasing the Browns

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Jack had walked in.

It had all gone downhill from there.

I was trying not to remember what happened – the look on his face, the way him and his brother had shouted at each other – but it wasn’t easy.

And then there was going to school, too. Forensic investigations finished early yesterday, so we were in the all-clear for attending today.

‘Mum, I feel ill.’

‘Take a paracetamol.’

‘I’m on my period.’

‘Take a hot water bottle with you.’

I stared in shock. ‘Mum! I’m not going to do that!’

She shrugged. ‘Some people used to, when I went to school.’

‘Mum, times are different now. We actually watch TV in colour.’

She smiled, watching me eating my toast. I was trying to eat really slowly to add to the I’m-ill-maybe-I-shouldn’t-go-to-school effect. ‘Hurry up, Lea. We haven’t got all day. Look, if you really feel that ill—’

I grinned. ‘I don’t get to go to school?’

‘—I’ll drive you instead.’

I frowned, throwing my toast crust onto my plate. ‘Mum,’ I whined.

‘Lea!’ She mimicked my tone, smirking. She was enjoying this.

‘I feel really ill,’ I said, trying to cough convincingly.

‘Take another paracetamol.’ The look on her face told me she wasn’t buying it. At all.

‘Isn’t that, like, overdosing or something?’

‘Not unless you take a third,’ she said, scrutinising me.

‘And what if I—’

‘Before you ask,’ she said, cutting me off, ‘there’s only one more left.’

‘Mum!’ I whined again. ‘You said you used to bunk off school loads when you were younger, though,’ I said, hoping she’d let me off now.

‘You said it yourself, Lea.’ She took my plate from the table. ‘Times are different now,’ she said, quoting me. Then she smiled, knowing she’d won this one. ‘Get in the car, sweetie.’

‘Fine.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘But there’s nothing stopping me jumping out of the car, Mum.’

‘Lea!’

*

I was having trouble digesting the fact that I had Biology first period. My fingernails had suffered the worst, though; anymore nail-biting, and I would be chewing my nail beds.

Ouch.

There was no way I’d be having the same Biology teacher today – or anymore, for that matter.

It was bad enough that I’d had to come in to form to see a substitute teacher taking Mr Granger’s place as form tutor.

‘What’s wrong?’ Poppy asked. She was the only one who wanted to sit next to me in form. Nina and Marie were on the other side, laughing too loudly to actually be finding something funny.

I shook my head, trying a little. ‘Nothing.’

She raised her eyebrows, giving me a stern look.