Charlie
"Josh!" I shouted again."What are you doing, we are going to miss the bus!" He somehow didnt see that it wouldnt wait for us.Jo had left at about half seven when i got back, and it was now half eight, so we were alone in the house.
"Charlie?"
"Yes?"
"Can i come to your school instead?" He came out the kitchen with a worried look.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because they zap anyone under fourteen, now come on!"
"Bet they don't."
We walked out the door, and began to go down the road. I held his hand, but i wasnt sure why.
"Charlie?"
"Yes." I was getting a little tired of questions, but it was Josh so i kept listening.
"Can you take me to the beach after school?" I looked at him, surprised.
"Well a boy talked about it at kindergarden." I stayed quiet."And i dont think I'm scared of the water anymore like at cornwall."
"Sure, Josh. Ill pick you up when school finishes and we can play on the beach until Dad comes back."
"Promise? You said we'd still play football together, and we didnt do that."
"Promise, Ill bring a ball to the beach with us."
We got to the corner of the road, not by the beach but the other way, were it joined a street with less flashy houses, and just got there in time for the bus, where Josh marvelled at the cheap ticket machine and counted out the stops carefully on the map.
"Charlie?" He said once again as we stood at the front of the bus, with the seats ful of pensioners and school kids, the female and young portion of which were stealing very obvious glances in my direction. I sighed.
"Yes, Josh?"
"Have you got any friends yet?"
" I have met three very nice people, and two of them you will meet on the beach. You'll like Olly, she's very like you." Josh made a face and i laughed at him.
"Whats wrong?"
"I bet Olly is your girlfriend?" We both laughed again, and got a few looks from the elderly ladies and smiled again.
"Not quite, Olly is your age. And ive only been here two days, and you'll have more friends than me, youll see."
We didnt talk until we got off the bus at the primary school and i walked him to the gate. Josh was wearing muddy jeans and had a broken zip on his favourite coat, so i laughed at him, and told him good luck and all the things you say to kids at school that Mum would normally has said, then watched him run up the steps towards a little guy in red and start talking. Josh was doing good.Kids are like that, always getting on and smiling.
I starting a brisk walk to school, which was only around the corner but i heard the bell go just as i entered the gates, and after five minutes of signing in and trying to find my room i realised i had 'Phys Ed' and the sports hall was the easiest place in the small school to find. And i was late, of course, which meant more attention.
Madison Falls High School must have been big with sports, because i had two lessons a week and an hour and a half today. I walked into the corridor leading to the hall and stopped. On either side of the corridoor, both boys and girls were getting changed into kit. A hulk of a man was patrolling near a group of reluctant lads at the end, and occasionally stealing glances at half-naked girls along one side.
