The Good Turn, page 20
‘But we weren’t doing anything wrong!’ I pleaded.
‘No, Josephine, you were doing something very wrong. Absolutely wrong!’ she shouted.
I buried my head in my hands. I knew she was right.
‘Why did you bring them to school at all? What was the point?’
I looked over at my friends. Margot nodded.
‘Might as well tell her,’ Wesley muttered.
‘Well?’ Mrs Herbert demanded. ‘Speak up!’
I put my hand on my forehead. ‘I … we … we have these friends –’ I started.
‘Who don’t go here,’ added Margot, looking at me. ‘They’re too old for school.’
‘– and they are in trouble, and in pain,’ I said.
‘We were just trying to help them get better,’ said Wesley. ‘That’s all. It’s not a big deal, Mrs Herbert. Give us detention or suspend us – whatever you want.’
‘No, Wesley!’ I whispered, leaning forward. ‘We don’t want that! How will we get to Chicane –’
‘Excuse me, young man!’ Mrs Herbert bellowed, cutting me off. ‘This is a huge deal! And I decide what happens next, not you.’ She looked at the three of us for a moment, shaking her head. ‘I don’t understand this at all. You three are brilliant, incredibly bright children – some of my most sensible Year Sixes. Or so I thought.’
Mrs Herbert stood up and stared at me in particular. ‘I’m disappointed in you,’ she said.
Those are the worst words someone could ever say, even worse than ‘I told you so’. It left me breathless. I sat back on the chair and began to cry.
‘It’s too late for tears, I’m afraid,’ she said. ‘I’m going to have to call your parents. You leave me no choice. Excuse me for a moment, while I go to reception. Stay here.’ She left her office.
I turned to Wesley. ‘Why?’ I asked, throwing up my hands. ‘If we get detention – or suspended – how will we warn Felix and Audrey?’
Wesley sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I just wanted to get out.’
‘But now we’re even more stuck! Eurgh!’ I shouted, stamping my feet on the floor. This was so unfair and wrong. Frustrated, I kicked my open, medicine-free bag in front of me and my phone fell out.
‘There it is!’ Wesley pointed, which made Margot laugh. I wiped my eyes. ‘Might as well turn it on now since we’re in big trouble anyway.’
I switched it on, and, as it powered up, Wesley coughed over the chime, which made us smile. But my phone continued to chime … and chime … and chime again. I scrambled to put it on silent. When I looked closely at the screen, I had a stack of messages, all from Dad.
I stared at them and gasped. ‘Mum’s in labour,’ I said. ‘They’ve gone to the hospital.’
‘What?’ said Wesley. ‘For real? Today is too much!’ He stood up. ‘It’s not even, what, eleven o’clock, yet? And we’ve already had a weekful of drama. I am happy for you, Josie. It will be great.’
‘It will be.’ Margot nodded. ‘It’s exciting and it might get you out of this trouble. Your mum and dad won’t have time to be mad with you – they’ll be too busy. You’re so lucky – when I was suspended from my last school, my dad was livid.’
‘Suspended?’ said Wesley. ‘What, you? Fancy Margot? Never!’
Margot shrugged and laughed. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’
I stared at my phone. Margot looked at me from the corner of her eye. ‘Are you all right? You’re not still mad about your brother, are you?’
I shook my head. ‘No. I’m not – not any more,’ I said. ‘I’m just thinking.’
‘About?’ asked Wesley. ‘You making a plan?’
I leaned back in my chair. ‘We’ve got to get out of here and get to Felix and Audrey. We can’t sit here, doing nothing,’ I said quietly.
‘I’m standing up, though,’ said Wesley.
‘Look how things change, and change quickly,’ I continued. ‘I didn’t think I’d become a sister today, but I know it will be all right.’ I stood up. ‘This situation between us, the Braithwaites and Mr Kirklees gets more serious every second we sit here. It’s growing beyond our control, sure. But what can we do? We can only control the controllable, right? So let’s do that by being honest, proactive and resilient. By being thoughtful and caring allies. By acting according to the Copsey Code. Points one through to six.’
Margot grinned. ‘That was great, Josie! Let’s recite our pledge.’
‘Nope, I’m good,’ said Wesley, eyeing me suspiciously. ‘You rehearse that?’
‘No, just thought of it,’ I said.
‘Yeah, right,’ said Wesley.
‘Just thought of what?’ whispered Bobby, poking his head round Mrs Herbert’s door. ‘Oi, are you lot all right? I’ve snuck out to check on you – I’m well worried. Are you on drugs? Please say no – you’re supposed to be the smart ones. You know how bad that stuff is!’
‘Of course we’re not, Bobby!’ I said. ‘Where’s Mrs Herbert?’
‘In reception, on the phone.’ Bobby’s eyes widened. ‘She’s not calling the cops on you, is she?’
Earning a criminal record was not part of any of my plans. ‘I really hope not,’ I said. I looked between the door and the window. ‘We have to get out.’
‘Why don’t you just leave?’ said Bobby, with a shrug. ‘What’s Mrs Herbert really going to do?’
I looked at Margot and Wesley, who both nodded. ‘No, we can’t do that.’ I shook my head. ‘That’s bad.’
‘Is it, though?’ said Bobby with a smirk. ‘You’re already in trouble – might as well make it worth it. Just tell Mrs Herbert the whole truth later. I’m sure you’ll get out of it; you’re do-gooders, remember?’
Now I’d experienced walking on the wild side of life, Bobby’s twisted logic made sense. It reminded me of something I’d read on the internet that said jails are bad because they create better criminals. I understood that now.
‘Oh, I know!’ Bobby’s eyes glistened. ‘I could set off the fire alarm, and then you can escape during the chaos?’ He smiled. ‘I love a little fire alarm, especially one so close to break time.’ He rubbed his hands together.
Wesley turned to look at Bobby. ‘You serious, Bobs? You’d do that? You could get suspended!’
Bobby shrugged. ‘Yeah, why not?’ He looked at me. ‘As long as you lot let me in – let me be part of your charity thing.’
‘That’s it?’ said Margot. ‘That’s all you want?’
I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her from speaking. ‘Yes, Bobby, you can apply –’
‘Apply?!’ he said. He thought for a moment, then shrugged. ‘Yeah, all right.’ Margot sat back in surprise. She looked at Bobby and me, then shook her head.
‘When you hear the beeps, just bounce, yeah?’ He left the room.
‘Bobby’s not really going to do that, is he?’ said Margot. ‘He wouldn’t –’
Before she could finish her sentence, the fire alarm blared throughout the entire school and into Mrs Herbert’s office.
‘He would!’ said Wesley. He grabbed his coat and bag. ‘Bobs, you are a legend!’ he shouted. ‘Come on then – what you waiting for?’
Margot and I grabbed our things and ran out of Mrs Herbert’s office. We were immediately sucked into the crowd of excited children pushing against each other in the corridor and hurrying towards the exits. ‘I want to go the Oaken Road way!’ I shouted and pointed to Wesley and Margot over the noise.
‘Why?’ Wesley shouted. ‘It will take longer!’
‘I need to do something first,’ I said. ‘On Mire Road.’
‘Really?’ said Margot.
‘Really!’ I said.
Instead of joining the rest of Six K in the line on the playground, we put our heads down and walked quickly to the exit. Nobody stopped or shouted after us and, thankfully, the police weren’t waiting for us either. We’d made it. Once we were through the gates, we ran down Oaken Road so fast I could barely breathe. We slowed down slightly on Mire Road.
Margot looked around at the people and the parade of shops. ‘I love being out of school when you’re not supposed to be,’ she said. ‘You know – like when you go to the doctors, but then you walk around a bit before you go back, watching what people do in the day? It’s so interesting.’
Wesley looked at Margot from the corner of his eye, but simply said, ‘Yeah, I suppose. Something for your books, right?’
‘Exactly,’ Margot said. ‘You get it.’ She smiled at Wesley. He smiled back.
We walked past Hair Design by Nia and I put my head down. I didn’t want any of Mum’s colleagues to see me and stop us. When we got to the bakery next to Harrowdens, I paused and reached for my phone. I pulled up the Harrowdens website.
‘Listen,’ I said quietly, staring at my screen. ‘We’re about to do a bad thing – something so against the code, it will make you lose your breath.’
‘Go on …’ said Wesley.
‘It’s for a very good reason, of course. If we do this, I hope you’ll both forgive me.’
Accommodating
Move over – make some room for others!
I pushed Harrowdens’s door open. It caused a little bell to ring, which made Sundeep look up from his desk. Sundeep looks just like Bobby, except older, taller and muscular, which I find very weird and unsettling.
We cautiously went in. I’m sure Margot would describe the office as bleak, but it’s not too bad. It’s functional. It had thin grey carpet and white walls with photographs of available properties in plastic frames attached to them in messy, misaligned rows. There were rows of keys on pegs by the small dark corridor that led to the back of the office. At the end was a small kitchen, a toilet and the fire escape. I know, because I’ve been here many times before.
‘Josephine?’ Sundeep said, squinting up at me. I nodded. He put an orange-juice-filled champagne flute down on his desk. ‘Josephine!’ he said, recognizing me after he put his glasses on. ‘Sorry, can’t see all that well close up. You all right? Oh! Congratulations on your forthcoming brother. I’m excited for you!’ He looked at Wesley and Margot, then back up at me with questioning eyes. ‘What you all doing here? If you’re not at school, why aren’t you at the hospital?’
‘We’re on our way now. Wesley and Margot got permission to come too.’
Wesley leaned over and waved.
‘But,’ I said, maintaining eye contact with Sundeep, ‘I just got a message from Dad. He said he left his wallet here and –’ I laughed – ‘of course he can’t leave Mum to get it.’
‘He needs it urgently, too,’ added Margot, keen to be included in the deception. ‘Nia needs some labour snacks.’
‘Not a problem,’ said Sundeep. ‘It’s the least I can do. Your dad really came through and helped me this morning – what a legend.’ He stood up, reached for his juice and enjoyed a quick sip.
I could feel my heart rate increase. ‘Oh yeah?’
‘Yeah!’ said Sunny. ‘I finally got the go-ahead on a property I’ve had, unlisted, for ages – since I’ve been here. I can sell the land, get some commission and have a proper pay day.’ He wriggled his shoulders in delight.
‘What kind of go-ahead?’ asked Wesley, biting at his nails. ‘I’m interested in becoming an estate agent. I need to know how these things roll, innit,’ he lied.
‘Ah great! Well, welcome to the profession – if you ever want any work experience, just let me know.’
‘Yeah right,’ said Wesley. Sundeep seemed confused for a moment, but Wesley quickly smiled.
‘I needed sign-off on an order to demolish a building to clear the land – it’s much more attractive and valuable without the eyesore that’s currently on it. I don’t think it’s an iconic building.’ He lowered his voice. ‘I could never say that to the owner though – he is very attached to it, holds lots of sentimental value for him. It’s been in his family for many, many years.’
‘Oh no,’ said Margot, her hand flying to her mouth. She turned to look at Wesley and me.
‘Oh yeah!’ Sundeep smiled. ‘It’s a real blessing, just bang! Out of nowhere – a bit like your brother, Josephine!’
‘Ha, yes … yeah, exactly,’ I said. ‘A blessing.’ My palms felt wet. ‘So it was a sudden decision on the owner’s part?’
‘Yep,’ said Sundeep. ‘I got a call randomly last night, asking for a meeting to sign the paperwork first thing.’
I felt dizzy. I leaned forward and held on to Sundeep’s desk. He put his arm on my shoulder. ‘You all right?’
‘Fine, fine, just giddy with excitement for you!’ I laughed weakly. ‘That’s … so great.’
‘Innit?’ said Sundeep. ‘It was so weird. When he came in this morning, he was cheerful, which is very unlike him – he’s one of the rudest people I’ve ever met. Anyway, yeah, he said he was ready to sell. Some problem he had with old, lingering rats had been resolved.’
I knew which rats he was referring to. I grabbed my stomach; it was very possible I was going to vomit. I leaned back and gulped big breaths instead. Margot’s hands trembled when she touched my shoulder.
‘Wow,’ said Wesley. ‘Wow!’ He shook his head.
‘It’s funny, because I never saw any rats in that factory – not on the bottom floor, anyway. I never went upstairs – too dangerous and creepy for me.’ Sundeep shuddered. ‘I don’t like ghosts. Bobby had one in his wardrobe for a bit, did he ever tell you? It wasn’t fun. Anyway!’ He clapped his hands. ‘Let me get what you came for.’ He smiled at me.
‘What?’ I said – my mind was a mile away, with the Braithwaites at Chicane.
‘The wallet?’ Sundeep said slowly. ‘Your dad’s wallet?’
‘Oh yes, right!’ I said. I stood tall and exhaled loudly. ‘Yes, Dad said it’s at the back of the office, in the kitchen, maybe?’
Sundeep nodded and walked down the corridor to find it.
The three of us stared at each other.
‘Rats?’ whispered Margot. ‘Mr Kirklees called Felix and Audrey rats?’
‘I can’t believe I thought he was nice,’ said Wesley. ‘He played us like an Xbox.’
I nodded. ‘He did,’ I said. ‘But I’ve got an idea that will buy the Braithwaites some time while we work this out.’ I took my phone out of my pocket and showed them the Harrowdens website. ‘Look at that one – that seems like a good flat, right?’
‘It does, but what’s your point?’ said Wesley. ‘Elm Rise is an all-right road, but you can’t afford to move out – and it’s not legal for kids to live alone.’
‘It’s not for me!’ I hissed.
‘It’s for Felix and Audrey,’ said Margot, a smile creeping across her face. ‘That’s what you meant by breaking the Copsey Code?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Josephine, what’s happened to you?’ Margot’s eyes flashed with delight.
‘Injustice happened around me, that’s what,’ I said. I ran to the row of keys by the corridor.
‘I can’t find his wallet anywhere!’ Sundeep shouted down from the kitchen. He began walking towards us.
My eyes darted between the corridor and the keys. ‘Did you try the bathroom?’ I shouted back.
‘Oh yeah,’ he said, returning to his task, allowing me to start mine.
I looked at my phone. ‘Elm Rise, Elm Rise.’ I stared back at the keys and searched for the right set. ‘They’re supposed to be in alphabetical order!’ I said.
They weren’t.
Margot and Wesley joined me in the search, peering closely at the keys. ‘There!’ hissed Wesley. ‘Elm Rise!’ He pulled the set of keys from the rack, which made the rest of them crash against the wall and jangle loudly.
‘You lot all right in there?’ said Sundeep, walking quickly towards us from the back of the office.
‘Yeah, yeah,’ I said breathlessly. ‘Fine. I was just coming to find you, Sundeep, and I slipped against the wall. Sorry! Dad’s found his wallet. It was in the car the whole time.’
Ending
Knowing when to stop really means a lot.
Wesley put the keys to the Elm Rise flat into his pocket and we walked sensibly and slowly to the end of Mire Road. We didn’t need Sundeep, Mum’s colleagues or anyone else watching us, accosting us or generally thinking we were suspicious. When Mire Road turned into Oaken Road, we broke out into a light jog. By the time we reached Copsey Avenue, we were straight-up sprinting – running as fast as we could to the close, to get to Wesley’s house and the wilderness beyond it. Racing to make sure we did the right thing for Audrey and Felix.
As we ran along the avenue, we looked up at Beechwood.
‘I hate that house now,’ said Margot, her face scrunched tight. ‘I hate him too. I’ve never despised anyone more. Told you I didn’t trust him, or his teeth, didn’t I?’
‘You did,’ I panted. ‘But Mr Kirklees isn’t getting my attention, not now. I plan to deal with him later. Audrey and Felix first.’
Margot nodded. ‘Exactly.’
Wesley unlocked his front door and we ran through his hallway, straight to the kitchen. Ella was in there, making a cup of tea. She looked better today, but baffled by our arrival.
‘Cheese on bread, Wessy!’ she shouted, dropping her mug on the floor and stepping away from the hot liquid and broken shards. ‘Why aren’t you lot at school? Why is Mrs Herbert calling me, telling me you’re missing? What’s this about pills?’
‘Can’t stop, Mum!’ he said, throwing the back door open. ‘We’ve got to right a wrong.’
‘Are you in trouble?’
I shook my head. ‘We’re not, no.’
Ella’s eyes shone. ‘You on an adventure?’
Margot nodded.
‘Well, I never saw you then,’ she said, turning round. She reached for a new mug. ‘Good luck!’ she whispered gleefully.
‘Your mum is the best,’ said Margot as she slipped through Wesley’s Gap. He looked back at the kitchen – and at her, watching us proudly in return. She gave us a knowing nod.
‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘She is.’
