Sue Welfare - The Surprise Party

‘No, of course I didn’t,’ snapped Megan. ‘But what if they ask me again?’

Hannah shot a sharp look at Simon who took the hint and wandered off.

‘It’s all cool, okay? I’ve just been hanging out with Sadie for a bit and now I’ve come back to pick up a couple of things,’ she hissed angrily.

Megan eyed her suspiciously before taking another look at Simon. ‘What do you mean, like running an errand or something?’

Hannah nodded. ‘Yeah, like running an errand or something.’

Megan didn’t look convinced. ‘Who for? I thought you just said that you were hanging out with Sadie—’

‘I was,’ said Hannah ignoring the question. ‘But I’ve come back to get this stuff sorted out. All right? So where did you say Mum and Dad are?’

‘They’ve gone home to get changed. They shouldn’t be very long. Dad said if we want anything before they come back then we’ve got to go in and ask Liz.’

‘And where’s Liz now?’ asked Hannah, glancing around the marquee.

‘Still upstairs getting ready as far as I know. So are you going to stay and help now?’

Hannah looked over towards the bar, where a woman with big earrings was busy fitting bottles up into the optics. ‘No, not at the minute. I just told you, I’ve got to get stuff.’ Hannah was hoping that if she said it forcefully enough that Megan would assume it was one of the grown-ups who had sent her.

Megan looked as if she was about to argue and then said, ‘Well, all right, but you’d better hurry up and get back. Mum said they were only going to be gone for half an hour and they’re expecting you to be here to help.’

‘I know, I know, now just get off my case, will you?’ snapped Hannah. ‘I just need to do this first, all right ?’

‘Can I come?’

Hannah stared at her in amazement. ‘What? What do you mean, can you come?’

‘With you. It’s going to be so boring here.’

‘I don’t think so,’ said Hannah.

‘You’re going to do something, aren’t you? You’re up to something.’

Hannah sighed. ‘What’s it got to do with you what I get up to?’

‘Why don’t you just let me tag along? I won’t be any trouble, I promise. Please .’

Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘Why would I want to drag you along?’

Megan flinched. ‘I’ll tell them you were here.’

‘Tell them what you like.’

‘You know Mum’s really worried about you going around with Sadie, she thinks you’re going to get into drugs or get pregnant or—’

Hannah swung round. Stepping in close to her little sister, she loomed over her. ‘Why don’t you just shut up? What I do is my business, all right ?’

‘You used to like it when we did stuff together.’

‘Uh-huh, and I used to think there was a tooth fairy too,’ snapped Hannah.

‘I miss you,’ said Megan miserably as Hannah turned away. The words caught hold of her heart and made her wince but Hannah didn’t turn back.

Instead Megan sniffed and went back to her job while Hannah made her way to the bar with a certain determination in her step.

‘You okay?’ asked Simon, hurrying across to catch up with her.

Hannah nodded. ‘I’m fine.’

The barmaid had just put up a bottle of gin on the bar.

Hannah hesitated for a second or two and then, putting on her most helpful-child-on-an-errand face, said politely, ‘Excuse me?’

The woman turned round and smiled. ‘Hi there, honey. You all right? What do you want?’

Hannah took a deep breath and, pretending that she was reciting a list, said, ‘I’ve got to come and get a bottle of vodka and a bottle of champagne, please.’

The woman laughed. ‘Really? What sort of cocktail is that for then? Do you need any mixers? Orange juice or something?’ She indicated the rest of the bottles stacked up in crates.

Hannah glanced up at Simon who pulled a face. ‘I don’t know,’ she said, looking back at the barmaid. ‘I don’t think so. I just had to come and get vodka and champagne.’

‘Righty-oh, well, if you want anything else you’ll have to come back and I’ll sort you out. Hang on.’ The barmaid reached in under the bar. ‘There we go, me dear,’ she said, sliding a bottle of vodka across the counter. ‘You’re not planning a little party of your own somewhere, are you?’ she added, although it didn’t sound as if she was expecting an answer. ‘I just need to book it out. It’s not a problem. I can get the boss to bring me down another bottle when he comes. I’m not in charge of champagne though, you’ll have to go and ask one of the catering staff for that.’ As she spoke the woman took a pad of paper off the bar and began to write. Hannah could feel her colour and her heart rate rising and waited anxiously for the hammer to fall. Instead the woman looked up at her. ‘Was there anything else you wanted, pet?’ she said. ‘Orange juice? Maybe a lemonade or a Coke for you and your friend?’

Hannah realised with a start that it had worked and said hastily. ‘No, no that’s everything. Thank you.’ And grabbing the bottle, she headed off towards the caterers.

‘Bloody hell,’ hissed Simon, stepping up alongside her. ‘That was easy.’

Hannah looked up at him. ‘You think so?’ she said between gritted teeth. ‘I thought she was going to make me sign for it. Here, you can carry it.’

He grinned. ‘Fair enough.’

With Simon holding onto the vodka, Hannah decided to try the same tactic on one of the waitresses, who was busy unpacking a box of glasses. ‘Hello, we’ve come to pick up a bottle of champagne,’ Hannah said brightly, with a confidence that she didn’t feel.

The girl half turned to check her out and then yelled at the top of her voice, ‘Matt, can you come out here and sort this out, please? Someone wants champagne.’ At which point Hannah felt a great rush of panic and willed the ground to open up and swallow her whole, but instead her mum’s friend Matthew, who was busy in the prep area, looked up and smiled at Hannah.

‘Hi there,’ he said, ‘Yeah, that’s okay, it’s Suzie’s daughter. For Liz, is it? It’ll be fine.’ And with that he went back to whatever it was he was doing.

The girl disappeared out into the kitchen area and returned seconds later carrying a chilled bottle of champagne, which she handed to Hannah with a wink. ‘Don’t go drinking it all at once now, will you?’ she said.

‘Course not. Thank you,’ said Hannah, turning away and letting out a long slow breath as she and Simon made their way towards the door.

‘Whatever you do, don’t run,’ said Hannah out of the corner of her mouth.

Chapter Eight

‘So where exactly are you at the moment, Fleur?’ said Suzie, pressing the mobile phone tight to her ear. ‘The signal’s absolutely terrible. It’s really crackly.’

‘That’s probably the twigs,’ said Fleur. ‘I’m hiding.’

‘What?’ said Suzie in surprise. ‘What do you mean you’re hiding?’

‘In a shrubbery, near the lake.’

‘What on earth are you hiding from?’ asked Suzie.

‘Your mother and father. I thought I just saw them coming down this way. I’m supposed to be looking at some folly in the woods but my feet are killing me and it’s bloody miles away. I don’t want the two of them to catch me.’

‘Right . . .’ said Suzie, deciding that whatever the explanation was she could do without hearing any more of it; but Fleur was on a roll.

‘This is all your fault, you know. I’ve been trying to keep them out of your way as long as possible. Your mother’s been really rude to me.’

Suzie considered for a split second whether she should carry on with the family tradition. She had wet hair, was naked except for a bath towel, couldn’t find the new shoes that went with the new dress she’d bought for the party and would still be in the shower if Fleur hadn’t rung and insisted that she really needed to speak to Suzie now . Sam had assumed it was some sort of emergency and had practically dragged her out of the bathroom.