Book Girl and Chestnut Boy

Chapter Thirteen

May unlocked the front door and went in, to find her mother and brothers sitting around the coffee table with a tower of wooden blocks in the middle.

"Careful!" Mum cried as Mark, wincing like he had to do something which hurt, eased an end block out. The row already had the other end piece missing and the whole tower wobbled.

"Yes!" the boy yelled, holding up the piece in triumph.

Then the tower fell, to their utter dismay. Martin laughed. "Mark doesn't know how to play!"

"Shut up, Martin!" Mark shouted, put out that he'd lost.

"Now, now," Mum said when it looked like tensions were about to escalate. "No fighting!" She looked up as the boys continued shouting. By this time, May had dumped her bag and removed her jacket.

"Well, hello there." the lady said. "Nice of you to return home. Where have you been? I tried calling!" She quirked an eyebrow at the peach blouse. "And...Er...Nice top. I didn't know you had one just like mine!"

May rolled her eyes and joined them at the table. "I had a date."

Martin laughed at her and said, "Oooh! May had a date! Did you and Layton kiss?" He made kissy faces at her. Mark was only too happy to join in, forgetting all about his feud. "May and Layton, sitting in a tree, k.i.s.s.i.n.g..."

"Shut up, brats." May brandished a fist at them, making what she hoped was her scariest face. With Mum around, she could just be one of the kids instead of the responsible babysitter. It felt good.

"You could have let us know you were going to be late." Mum said. "Grandma will be coming by tomorrow so I thought I'd take the boys shopping. We bought her a gift."

"Oh, really? Why's she coming over?"

"She misses you all. Can't imagine why..."

"Oh, funny, Mum."

"Anyway, we stopped by for takeout when we went shopping. Got a burger for you as well, but it's gone cold by now."

"I'll have it for dinner!" Martin claimed.

"Oh, shut up." May said. "It's mine."

Before another argument could start over the burger, Mum said, "Right, boys, let's tidy this up and then you can start your homework. Whoever finishes first gets to choose what to watch on TV!"

"I'm choosing!" Mark said.

"Sod off!" Martin said, shoving his shoulder. "You chose last week!"

"Hey!" Mum said, reaching out before Mark could shove back. "No pushing!"

"He started it!" Mark said, glaring at Martin.

May smiled. They were all a lot freer around Mum. When it was just her with the boys, they were more subdued.

"So, it's quite serious between you and this Layton?" Mum said as she mostly tidied the wooden blocks away by herself, while the boys goofed off. May helped.

She shrugged, feeling embarrassed. "I guess so."

"How long have you been together?"

"About...a week and a half."

Mum nodded. "What's he like?"

May shrugged again. "He's...all right."

"Obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be kissing him outside the door when you thought the boys weren't looking."

Martin shot her a victorious grin, as if he'd accomplished something magnificent in spying on her and then telling Mum all about it. May shot him a disgusted look. "You dirty rat." He wagged his tongue at her. Mark found this so funny he snorted when he laughed.