Desperate Measures Read online

  The ponytail man and the toothy woman both nodded in solemn agreement.

  ‘You’re going to split us up, aren’t you?’ My voice sounded odd, as if it didn’t belong to me.

  ‘We will have to consider all the relevant factors,’ said the ponytail man.

  ‘But you don’t even know our dad,’ I blurted out.

  ‘We’ve heard what happened after your mother died.’

  ‘But that’s just it,’ I said, my face burning red. ‘Our mum died. She was very ill and she died and it was sad and horrible. But it wasn’t just awful for us – Dad was totally devastated too. He was so messed up he just couldn’t cope with looking after us at the same time.’

  Mrs Frankish frowned. ‘We know that Vicky, but —’

  ‘But that’s the whole point,’ I interrupted. ‘You only know about Dad after Mum died but you don’t know anything about him before she died. You don’t know what sort of dad he really is at all.’

  There was a silence. As I searched their faces for some kind of positive reaction, I could feel my heart thumping against my ribs as if it might explode at any moment.

  ‘Tell us then,’ said Mrs Frankish gently, after a moment or two. ‘Tell us what your dad was like before your mum died.’

  Suddenly all those special memories that I had deliberately suppressed over the last couple of years came flashing back, jostling and crowding into my brain like shapes in a kaleidoscope.

  I could picture us all about four years ago in the garden of some posh stately home we visited and hear our excited squealing laughter as we followed Dad, stretched out and rolling over and over down a grassy slope to Mum, who was giggling like a schoolgirl at the bottom.

  Back home in our little kitchen, I could smell the rich tomatoey sauce bubbling on the cooker while we watched Dad’s concentrated expression as he forked out a long skein of spaghetti from another pan and then deliberately wobbled it about pretending it was alive so he couldn’t nibble the end to check it was done.

  Out in our street I could see myself, much younger still, on my little pink bike – I could feel the wind on my face and the exhilaration sparking through me as Dad let go of my saddle and chased alongside me on the pavement shouting, ‘Keep going, Vicky! Keep going!’ knowing all the while he was still close by in case I fell.

  And then one of my earliest memories . . . I was on our stairs in the dark, I could smell the pine scent from the Christmas tree as I wandered down crying from a bad dream and found Dad and Mum laughing together as they wrapped up presents in the sitting room. I could feel my cheek against the soft bumpy wool of his blue jumper as he carried me back up to bed whispering softly that everything was all right.

  I felt a surge of happiness. But where should I begin? How could I explain our wonderful, funny, kind dad in just a few sentences? I glanced round at Re and Jamie – their expressions intense and serious. The toothy woman glanced sideways at her watch and fidgeted and immediately I knew exactly how to start.

  ‘The most important thing to know about our dad is that he always made time for us. He used to work really hard, but when he got home it didn’t matter if he was tired or busy or had tons of other things to do, he’d always find the time to listen to us, or talk about stuff or just play.’

  ‘It’s true,’ interrupted Jamie. ‘Every Saturday he’d take us to the park and play football or whatever we wanted.’

  ‘And at bedtime he’d read us each a story,’ Re added. ‘I always wanted the same one. It’s called We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. It’s really good. It’s all about catching a bear.’

  Another memory bounced into my head.

  ‘Hey, remember when Jamie left the door to his hamster cage wide open?’ I asked Jamie and Re who immediately grinned and nodded.

  ‘Jamie came downstairs yelling that Mr Spud had escaped,’ I continued. ‘He was so upset. We looked everywhere, turned the house upside-down . . . Then Mum thought she heard a scratching noise in the bathroom. Dad checked and saw a little hole in the skirting in the corner so he peeled back the lino and spent the whole evening taking up all the floorboards. “Don’t worry, Jamie,” he kept saying as he got hotter and dustier, “I’ll find Mr Spud. You’ll see.” And then finally he said he thought he could see something right in the corner by the pipes, so Jamie got the cage ready to put Mr Spud back in and Dad stretched his arm down and under and felt around and brought out one of Re’s old socks! Then the nesting stuff in the cage wobbled and Mr Spud popped his head out and looked at us all as if to say “Keep the noise down, will you?” He’d been there all the time, fast asleep. And Dad looked at Mum and all the floorboards and all the mess and we thought he was going to explode but he didn’t . . . He just said, “Well that’s sorted then. Sorry to disturb you, Mr Spud,” and laughed. He was so patient . . . Even when we were naughty.’

  ‘When I was little I took all the eggs out of the fridge and dropped them in his wellies,’ said Re.

  ‘I made an insect zoo in his lunch box once,’ giggled Jamie. ‘Dad said he jumped a mile when he opened it because a load of beetles flew out in his face. But when he got home he didn’t shout at me or anything.’

  ‘I can only remember one time when I saw him really angry. And it wasn’t with us,’ I said. ‘Re and I had just started junior school and they wouldn’t let her join in the swimming lessons. Health and Safety or some stupid excuse. Dad was furious and he went up to school to see the head teacher. When he came back he didn’t say much, but that evening he picked up Re’s swimming costume and towel and told her they were going down to the swimming pool. He took her every Monday and Thursday evening for a year and taught her to swim himself. When they had a gala at school in the summer he made sure she was entered for it —’

  ‘And I won three races!’

  There was a loud knock on the door. It swung open and the man in the grey suit popped his head round.

  ‘Mrs Trevellian – they’re all waiting for you.’

  The toothy woman darted him a vague look. ‘I’ll be with you in a moment,’ she said.

  The man nodded and went.

  Mrs Frankish looked at her watch, then turned to us.

  ‘I think you three had better go and find Sandy,’ she said, indicating the door.

  ‘But we haven’t finished yet,’ I said. ‘There’s lots more we need to tell you.’

  Mrs Frankish ignored my plea.

  ‘She’ll be in the waiting room,’ she said. ‘I’ll be down shortly.’

  There was nothing more we could do. We trooped back to the waiting room and watched the smile drop from Sandy’s face as she saw our gloomy expressions.

  Rhianna started to cry and Jamie made a good effort pretending he wasn’t about to.

  But I just felt numb inside. Too numb to cry.

  Chapter 47

  Sandy put her arms round me and hugged me tight.

  ‘What happened?’ she asked, looking at Vicky.

  Vicky didn’t answer. She just shook her head and went and sat down in the corner. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

  ‘They told us we had to wait here,’ I said.

  ‘They don’t want us to live with Dad,’ Jamie said then he burst into tears.

  ‘I’m so sorry. Really I am,’ said Sandy.

  ‘Are they going to send me away to that school now?’ I asked her.

  ‘I don’t know Rhianna.’ She bit her bottom lip.

  ‘They can’t make me go, can they? Not if I don’t want to?’ I looked at Vicky again. ‘Vicky tell me they can’t.’

  But Vicky didn’t say anything. No one said anything. We just sat. And sat. After ages and ages the door opened. Jamie rubbed his face with the back of his hand. Vicky looked up. Her face was white and her eyes were staring. Mrs Frankish walked in.

  Chapter 48

  I tried to search her face for clues to our fate but she was avoiding our eyes, looking down at the papers she held in her hand.

  ‘My colleagues and I have d
iscussed things in the light of everything you’ve told us. And we’ve looked carefully at this prison report on your dad.’ She looked up. Her expression was serious, severe even. I dug my fingertips into my palms and braced myself for the worst. ‘Apart from absconding, it seems he’s been a model prisoner.’ She paused for a moment. ‘We’ve decided to give him a second chance,’ she said quietly. ‘We’re going to recommend that you return to his care.’

  Shocked, it took a second for me to take this in.

  ‘But,’ she continued, ‘this will only be for a trial period and under very strict supervision . . .’

  Rhianna looked at me for an explanation. Jumping up I yelled, ‘We’re going to live with Dad!’

  There was a huge explosion from Jamie. ‘Yessssss!’

  Re squealed with delight. Jamie was leaping around the room, shouting and cheering and bouncing off the walls. Sandy laughed and hugged Re.

  Mrs Frankish watched with a small, bemused smile on her face.

  ‘Thank you so much, Mrs Frankish,’ I said happily.

  She turned to me. ‘Don’t mess up this trial with your dad, Vicky.’

  ‘We won’t.’

  She patted my arm with her long bony hand, then without another word hurried out of the waiting room.

  Chapter 49

  We had to wait for days and days but then the letter came. It said we were definitely allowed to live with Dad. Sandy read it and told me. I wanted to go and pack my stuff straight away but Sandy said it was too early because we weren’t going for another two weeks so we had to go to school as usual.

  At school I told everyone in the Unit that we were going to live with Dad. Mrs Edwards said it was wonderful news and she was really pleased for me. She said I could draw a picture of Dad, Vicky, Jamie and me in our new house so I drew us standing outside a little white cottage with lovely red roses all round the door. Then I drew the garden with lots of trees and veggies growing in it and six chickens pecking on the ground and two pet rabbits in a big run on the grass. On the other side of our house I drew a big blue lake with a little island in the middle. Last of all I drew Mum and Peter’s spirits on the island using Mrs Edward’s special silver and gold pens and stuck sparkly glitter all round them both. I drew one of Mum’s arms up in the air because she was waving to us. It took me until break-time to finish it. Mrs Edwards said it was the best picture I’d ever done and pinned it up on the wall.

  At break-time Maxine and I were walking along the corridor when we saw Charlene Slackton. She was standing by the noticeboard with Manky Matt. She had her arms round his neck.

  As we walked past she said to me, ‘What you staring at Der-Brain?’ She looked at me nastily but I stopped and looked straight back at her.

  ‘I’m not a Der-Brain,’ I said.

  I didn’t feel scared of her any more. Do you know, I just felt cross. She got on my nuckets.

  I walked right up to her. I could see lots of spots underneath her orange make-up.

  ‘I’m not a Der-Brain,’ I said again.

  She took a step back, and wobbled a bit on her high heels.

  ‘Only joking . . .’ she said.

  Manky Matt grinned at me. Charlene turned to him.

  ‘What’s up with you?’ she said.

  ‘Nothing,’ he said but he stopped smiling straight away.

  When I walked home with Vicky after school I told her what happened and she laughed.

  ‘It’s not funny,’ I said. ‘Charlene Slackton’s a bully.’

  ‘Bet you she won’t bully you any more,’ Vicky said.

  ‘She better not pick on Maxine either,’ I said.

  At the weekend, Sandy took us to see Paul and Sarah. Sarah had come home from hospital. We went in and Paul was smiling all the time and he said come and meet our new addition. I didn’t understand what he meant but we followed him upstairs into my old bedroom with the new fluffy duck and rabbit curtains. Sarah was standing next to a wooden cot, and she was smiling too and holding a tiny doll wrapped up in a soft white blanket except it wasn’t a doll. It was a baby. A real live baby.

  ‘Her name’s Grace,’ said Paul, stroking her head with his little finger. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’

  I had a good look but I wasn’t too sure. She didn’t look a bit like Baby Emma even before I poked out her eyes. She had lots of tufts of black hair at the sides of her head but was bald on top like a little old man and she went all red and wrinkly when she cried. But Vicky said she was the most gorgeous baby she had ever seen so I had another look. Then I put out my finger and Grace grabbed hold of it and wouldn’t let it go for ages but I didn’t mind at all because her hand was soft and podgy.

  Sarah let me and Vicky take turns to hold her. She showed us the right way so we wouldn’t drop her and Grace wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Paul and Sarah were still smiling and I felt good because they were happy even though there was nowhere to sit down with all the baby stuff and mess everywhere.

  ‘We’re going to live with Dad again,’ I told them.

  ‘That’s fantastic,’ said Paul. ‘But we’ll miss you all.’

  ‘Would you like another doll as a present?’ Sarah asked me. I had told her what had happened to Baby Emma at the lake and she was sorry. She knew I’d had Baby Emma ever since I was little.

  ‘No thank you,’ I said. ‘I’m probably too old for dolls now. Actually, I don’t even believe in Father Christmas or that Mrs Frankish is a witch any more.’

  I thought for a second. ‘I still like little china penguins that bring you luck, though. I’m not too grown-up for them.’

  ‘Maybe we could get you one of those then?’ said Paul with a smile.

  ‘No need.’ I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the little penguin Elizabeth gave me. ‘I’ve already got one. And it’s very lucky.’

  I told them about Elizabeth and her big spooky house and how she saved us from the dogs in the garden.

  ‘We’re going to go back and see her one day. She lives quite near Daniel.’

  ‘So who’s Daniel?’ asked Sarah.

  Vicky went bright red.

  ‘Vicky’s boyfriend,’ I giggled.

  ‘He’s not!’ said Vicky loudly but her eyes were all bright and she was grinning.

  Chapter 50

  ‘Vicky?’

  At the sound of Daniel’s voice, I felt a net full of butterflies flap excitedly inside my stomach.

  ‘How’s it going?’ he asked.

  I could hear Jip barking in the background and wished they were both with me, right here, right now, instead of miles away down the other end of a very long phone line.

  ‘We’re going to live with Dad on Saturday,’ I told him.

  ‘At last . . . Bet you can’t wait.’

  ‘Sandy’s been fantastic, but you’re right. We’re all really excited. And Re’s had her stuff packed for over a week now.’

  Daniel laughed.

  Then he said something I’d never expected to hear.

  ‘I’ve . . . I’ve got some news too. I’m back at school now.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘My parents sorted it and I went in yesterday.’ He gave another small laugh. ‘Nearly walked straight out again but I’m glad I didn’t.’

  ‘Why, Daniel? Why did you change your mind?’ There was a silence. What on earth had happened, I wondered.

  ‘Something to do with this girl I met.’

  ‘Oh.’ A sudden dart of jealousy stabbed me hard, instantly puncturing all my hopes and dreams.

  ‘Vicky? You still there?’

  ‘Um. Yes . . . course.’ I forced myself to sound cheery. ‘So . . . you . . . you met a girl then? I mean great, that’s great. What’s she . . . Is she . . . ?’ I trailed off miserably.

  ‘She’s you . . . actually.’

  Blushing like a beetroot, I punched the air, dancing in silent celebration. Thank goodness he couldn’t see me.

  ‘But . . . I never said you should go back to school.’

  ‘N
o, but you sort of made me think about stuff. Face up to things I didn’t want to face up to.’

  ‘So was it OK? What happened?’

  ‘It was all right. As much as double maths followed by double French can be on a wet Monday afternoon. It was weird being around so many other people. I suppose I’ll get used to it.’

  ‘What about the other kids?’

  ‘There’s a couple of lads I’m friendly with. We played footie together at break. They seem OK.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘If . . . if anyone tries to take the mickey – and they haven’t yet – I think I can handle it now.’

  I thought back to that last day at the lake when I’d nearly drowned and how he’d kept so calm and in control. I remembered the look on his face when he handed back the mobile to the beady-eyed girl and told her to get lost.

  ‘You’ll be fine, Dan. I know you will.’

  ‘I meant to tell you,’ he said. ‘I went back to the cave. I found something on the floor.’

  ‘What is it?’ I asked.

  ‘It’s a surprise. When you’ve got your new address, let me know and I’ll send it to you.’

  ‘OK. Thanks.’ I wondered if it was one of Re’s Barbies or even the map we’d bought.

  ‘I really miss you, Vicky,’ he said suddenly.

  The fluttering butterflies in my stomach went loopy, turning backflips in unison. If I were Rosie I could have instantly replied with something brilliant, witty and wonderful. But I’m me, so my best shot was to tell him the truth.

  ‘I miss you too.’

  ‘Come up and stay in the holidays,’ he said urgently. ‘It’s not long away. I’ve already asked my parents. They’re cool. They can even lend you our big family tent and camp beds and – you can all come and stay the whole week.’ He stopped. ‘I mean . . . that is . . . if . . . if you want to . . .’

  ‘Daniel, I would love to.’

  The next day at school I mentioned Daniel to Rosie.

  ‘Hmmm,’ she said. ‘I’ve had my suspicions you’ve been concealing a romantic attachment.’