Дэвид Муди - Strangers

‘Want me to have a word, tell them to back off?’

‘Don’t you dare,’ she said quickly. ‘I’d die. I can handle myself, thanks. The last thing I need is you getting involved.’

‘Yeah, but if they’re causing you problems.’

‘Don’t Scott, just don’t.’ She shook her head in despair. He just didn’t get it, did he? She was relieved when Heather, the girl who hung around with these lads, came into the café. Tammy had spoken to her a couple of times in class during the week just gone and was quietly pleased when Heather spotted her then changed direction and came straight over.

‘All right?’

‘Yeah, you?’

‘I’m good. These your folks?’ Heather asked. ‘Nice to meet you all.’

‘Get your arse over here, Heather,’ Sean, one of Jamie’s mates, hollered across the room. ‘You got any cash on you?’ Heather turned around and glared at them, stuck her fingers up out of sight of Tammy and her family, then turned back again.

‘Sorry about them,’ she said. ‘Bunch of morons.’

‘They’re fine,’ Michelle said. ‘I’m Michelle, by the way.’

‘Heather.’

‘You two in the same class at school?’

‘For some subjects,’ Tammy mumbled, still embarrassed.

‘You settling in?’ Heather asked.

‘Getting there,’ Michelle replied. There was an awkward silence. Michelle sensed Heather wanted to go but didn’t want to appear rude. She tried to make it easier for her. ‘You’ll be wanting to get back to your friends.’

‘Hardly friends,’ she laughed. ‘That there’s my brother.’ She pointed to Jamie.

‘Oh, right.’

‘What you doing today?’ Tammy asked suddenly. Heather shrugged.

‘Not a lot. Hanging around town for a bit, I guess. Want to come?’

Tammy was up and out of her seat in a heartbeat. ‘I won’t be long,’ she said to Scott and Michelle. ‘I’ll keep in touch.’

‘Where will you be?’ Michelle asked.

‘Your place ain’t too far from mine,’ Heather answered quickly. ‘We live on the estate. We’ll walk back together later.’

‘Be careful,’ Scott warned. ‘Don’t do anything stupid.’ But they were already gone. A few seconds later and the three boys left too. Scott looked concerned, Michelle less so.

‘We have to let her do this,’ she whispered to him. ‘If we’re going to settle in here, she has to make friends and have some freedom.’

‘Yes, but those lads…’

‘Are just normal lads, same as you were at that age. Besides, I think she’d eat them for breakfast.’

‘I don’t know. I’m not happy about this. What about all the trouble there’s been here?’

‘Ken Potter’s dead, remember?’ she whispered. ‘That’s all done now. And besides, it’s Saturday lunchtime and they’re in the middle of town. They’re safe.’

‘Ah, don’t worry,’ Mary said. Michelle looked up, startled. She hadn’t even realised she was standing next to their table, never mind that she was listening in on them. ‘Those boys are all noise, no trousers. They’ll give it all the attitude they can, but they’re good lads at heart. Now, can I get yous all anything else?’

‘No, we’re done, thanks,’ Michelle said. ‘Lovely meal.’ She meant it. The food had been perfect, just what she’d wanted despite all their original reservations and protestations. Funny how the satisfaction of a full stomach made them all feel a little more settled.

Michelle loaded George back into his pushchair then waited outside with Phoebe as Scott settled the bill.

They passed Tammy on the way home. She was walking along the side of the road with Heather. Jamie, Sean and Joel were following close behind. Tammy did what she could to pretend she hadn’t noticed the car, even when Scott beeped the horn, wound down his window and shouted at her.

Heather and Jamie lived on the grimy-looking council estate Scott had driven them through when they’d first arrived in Thussock. They could see it looming in the distance. Tammy said nothing about what she’d thought of the place that day. Back then it had seemed like something out of a documentary made in the seventies: rows of identical houses which might have been considered tasteful and modern when they’d originally been built, cutting-edge, but which were now hideously dated and impractical. All Tammy had seen last Saturday had been the overgrown gardens and the kids sitting on walls outside squat and ugly apartment blocks. She had to admit it didn’t look quite so bad today. Framed by the mountains in the distance and fields on either side, the place didn’t look as sprawling and endless as it initially had. Maybe it was because last week she’d been at the wrong end of a six and a half hour car journey? Maybe it was because she was on foot now and had time to look properly? Or then again, maybe it was because after a week here her standards were already slipping?

They stopped at the recreation ground, way before they reached the estate. At first Tammy was reluctant to hang around here. Loitering in kids’ playgrounds – that was the kind of thing chavs did back home. She’d given up on street corners years ago. Was this really what she’d been reduced to? Still, when she weighed up all her options and considered the alternatives, this was probably the best way of wasting time she could find. She quite liked Heather. She’d been talking inconsequential crap non-stop since leaving the café, going on about her boyfriend Chez ( he’s nearly twenty, you know ), and how many times they’d done it ( he fucked me here by the swings one time… it was lush ). Tammy was starting to think Heather could be shaped, that the only reason she was rough like this was because of a lack of similarly-aged female company. She decided she’d stick with her for a while and see how things went. Anyway – and there was no way she was going to say this out loud or admit it to anyone – she quite liked Jamie. He could be a real dick at times and he was way less mature than the boys she was used to back home, but he was quite cute. The best of a bad bunch. Better than nothing.

Tammy and Heather sat talking on opposite sides of the slowly spinning roundabout, occasional one-footed pushes keeping them moving. Behind them, Jamie and his mates chucked stones at the metal bins down the side of the community hall. ‘Hey, Graham,’ the weasel-faced one – Joel – yelled. Tammy looked up, still spinning around, and saw a man walking across the bottom edge of the recreation ground at speed, head down, doing all he could to ignore the torrent of abuse Joel was now hurling at him. He had a Co-op carrier bag clutched tight to his chest and he refused to look anywhere but directly ahead. Tammy thought he looked familiar.

‘Who’s that?’

‘Just Graham,’ Heather told her. ‘Bit of an odd-ball. Works at the Co-op. Mops the floors and collects the trolleys.’

That was where she knew him from – he was the one who’d found Scott’s wallet and brought it out to him.

Joel ran after Graham, sprinting down the hill and cutting him off, blocking his way through. ‘Where you goin’, Graham mate?’

‘Home,’ Graham said, head still down, refusing to make eye-contact. He tried to side-step Joel, but Joel anticipated and got in his way again.

‘What’s in your bag? Got any food?’

Graham clutched the bag tighter. ‘Just my dinner.’

‘Leave him alone, Joel,’ Jamie shouted, his intervention surprising everyone.

Joel looked up and grinned. ‘Just chattin’ wi’ me mate.’

Graham tried to pass him again, this time managing to get through. Joel ruffled his hair as he passed, then watched him walk away, now so fast he was almost running.