The Bare Necessities (Non-Profane Edition) (30 page)

Claire shook her
head. “Sorry Mum,” she said slowly and closed her eyes waiting for
the reaction. When nothing was said, she looked up to see her
mother sobbing in the armchair. “But we will help financially,” she
told her. “That's not a problem.”

“I’m not a charity
case,” Teri shouted at her daughter. “I don’t want your money.”
Claire said nothing and Teri threw the letter on the floor and took
a few deep breaths. “Go on, go back to your band,” she yelled.

Claire didn't
waste the opportunity and dialled Jack as she left. “Jack, is there
any chance I could stay with your Lucinda? Just for a few
days?”

* *
* * *

Paige stopped
outside her family flat and hesitated. She wasn't sure what sort of
reaction she would get, but slowly put her key in the lock and
opened the door. She could hear the television from the front room
and gently walked up the stairs. Her heart was pounding in her
chest, but the young singer was in dire need of additional clothes
and had returned to take a few more of her belongings.

“Paige,” a voice
shouted excitedly as she was about to go into her bedroom. “Oh my
God, Paige, come here.” Paige scowled at her sister bounding down
the hallway, to embrace the girl desperately trying to maintain a
degree of stealth.

“Paige?” Her
mother cried and appeared in the doorway. “What are you doing
here?”

“Just getting a
few belongings,” she admitted and Hazel threw herself into the arms
of the eighteen year-old. “Bloody hell, Hazel. Careful!” Paige had
been propelled against the wall and wiped her face as she pushed
her sister from her. “I'm just short on a few things, that's
all.”

“Like what?” Her
mother asked, and the frowning face of Robert Simmons appeared
behind his wife.

“That
Rees-Montague family done the dirty on you yet?”

“No,” Paige spat
and her eyes narrowed. “And I am staying with Jack's Aunt Lucinda.
Ring any bells?”

Her father tensed,
and he shook his head. “No.”

“Liar!” Paige
cried and opened her arms as she walked towards him. “I know you
were married to her, and I know what happened when you got
divorced.”

“What?” Hazel
asked.

“Dad was married
before Mum,” she told her sister. “And it was to the woman I am
staying with. And she was told that unless she divorced Dad she
would lose her inheritance. So Dad ran away because he was scared
to fight for what he wanted.”

“Stop this,”
Paige's mother cried.

“No,” Paige
yelled. “'Cause it needs saying. Your hatred of the family is what
happened to you, twenty-odd years ago. And that has meant you hate
Jack and Claire and me and its not fair.”

“We don't mess
with them,” Robert told her. “They are nasty people. They will rip
us apart like they've tried to do before.” He gulped and clenched
his fists. “I don't want you to have anything more to do with that
Rees-Montague lad. Singing naked with Claire is fine but not with
that family.”

Paige snarled.
“Oh, 'cause at the hospital, I was causing awkward questions for
you at work. And Jeremy getting beat up. So that's all OK now, as
long as I am not with Jack.” Paige glared at her father and
gestured wildly at him. “This is all about you and your hatred of
Lucinda, of Paul, of that family.” Robert shook his head at his
daughter's accusations and Paige crossed her arms. “I'm eighteen
now,” Paige reminded her parents. “And I know you don't like it,
but I won't be giving in. I am not you, Jack is not Lucinda.”
Robert took a step towards his daughter, and she backed away.
“Twenty years ago you walked out on someone you loved because you
were weak. I am not going to make the same mistake.” She gulped and
rubbed her eye. “I am not that stupid. And you should be proud of
me for that.”

“They'll destroy
you.”

Paige's eyebrows
rose slightly. “Really? They can try. I don't give up. Life's too
short to let other people run it for you.” She watched the face of
her father change. “Lucinda taught us that. She probably said the
same thing to you, but you were too stubborn to listen to her.”

“That's enough,”
Paige's mother cried at her daughter. “Don't talk to your father
like that.”

“When he stops
trying to wreck everything I won't have reason to talk to him like
that. He's as bad as Paul and his father.” The angry Suzanne
Simmons stepped forwards and slapped her daughter on the cheek,
causing Paige to squeal.

“How dare you!
Come back here and bring up what happened. You have no idea …”

Paige pushed her
mother away. “I know enough,” Paige yelled and opened the door to
the lounge, stopping in her room to grab some underwear. “Paige,
you're not going again, are you?” Hazel begged, and Paige turned to
hug her sister.

“I'll be back,
soon,” Paige tearfully promised. “Real soon. But I can't stay
here.”

“But Mum and Dad
didn't mean it,” Hazel cried but Paige just shook her head.

“She did,” Paige
told her. “And I meant what I said too. They are weak.”

* *
* * *

Paul stood in the
doorway of his sister's house, and she shook her head. “No, I am
not letting you in,” she said firmly. “Not until you embrace Jack's
little project.”

“You're drunk,” he
snapped at the woman with glazed eyes and a glass of wine in her
hand. “You need help. Now I want to see my son.”

“Do one,” Lucinda
cried and finished her drink.

“You always used
to stay at my house whenever you needed to.”

“So,” Lucinda
muttered. “I came into your house and caused no trouble. You are
going to shout at your son and my guests, and I don't want it.”

“Well I want to
talk to him,” Paul shouted. “I'm his father. It's my right.”

“You give him any
ultimatum and you're in trouble,” Lucinda warned him. “Go around to
the back, I'll send him out.”

“What? I am not
…”

“Shut up Paul. You
may have been able to bully me twenty years ago but not now. Paige
and Jack are doing what I should have done.” Her eyes narrowed, and
she pointed towards the back gate. She slammed the door angrily and
walked to the lounge. “Your father is here and wants a word.” Jack
groaned, and she shrugged. “Go talk to him. Maybe he might listen
to you. I doubt it.”

“Yeah,” Jack
muttered and got up from the couch.

“Hey, before you go out,” Lucinda called to her
nephew and stopped him at the door. She took a tall glass from the
sideboard, and filled it full of whiskey from the cabinet. “He'll
need it,” she told him and unlocked the back door. “If you are
honest, he will. I'm relying on you.”

The angry face of
Paul was waiting for Jack on the little bench in the garden, and he
called him over. “Lucinda said you would need this,” Jack muttered
and offered his father the large glass of spirit. He snorted and
took a sip.

“This has to
stop,” Paul barked angrily. “And I know you think that it is all
fine and dandy, but I ask you, how many bands are still going now
and making money that were making money forty years ago.
Practically none. This isn't a career, and it won't end well.”

“I am not
stopping. I like being part of a band. We played to Wembley. We
opened for Flee Wilson. We are doing so well. Don't you find that
exciting?”

“No,” he shouted
and took another gulp of the whisky. “It's no future. Do you think
we paid fifteen thousand pounds a year to send you to one of the
best schools in London for you to go prancing around naked on
stage?”

“No,” Jack
admitted. “But Aunty Lucinda …”

“Oh stuff Lucinda.
She's an alcoholic.” He held out the whisky and snorted before
taking another sip. “What the hell does she know?”

“She told me that
she was once happy and let herself get railroaded into doing
something she didn't want to do. And I am not like that. She says
if you love me, truly love me, you will support me.”

Paul spluttered
and banged his fist on the bench. “Your mother and I do love you
which is why we don't want to see you throw your life away.”

“But I am not. I
am doing my own thing. You always said I was intelligent so just
see that I have made a choice, and it is my choice. You can't
change that.”

Paul took a few
deep breaths and groaned. “Well this is my choice,” he told him.
“Unless you leave that band by this time next week I shall write
you out of my will.” He gulped and downed the whisky, throwing the
glass into the garden. “I will not tolerate this. This madness has
gone on for long enough. I expect you at work a week on
Monday.”

Jack looked at him
stunned. “But …”

Paul shook his
head. “And I will stop paying for anything I pay for. What? You
think Lucinda will support you?”

“I expect our
music to support me.” Paul snorted. “I know what granddad did to
Aunty Lucinda and I am not making the same mistake in giving
in.”

“Lucinda made a
mistake and corrected it. I expect the same from you.”

“I won't be giving
in. This is my life.”

“I am not joking,”
Paul shouted. “The company is worth millions. If you want to walk
away from your family fortune, go ahead. But I will not be
relenting. My will, it will be changed. I do not want you getting
involved with that Simmons girl.”

Jack gulped and
got up from the bench. “This conversation is over,” he told his
father firmly and picked up the empty glass that lay abandoned on
the grass. He took a deep breath. “And Paige and Claire are my
friends. They will stay so. And one day, I hope Paige and I might
be more than just friends so you better get used to it.” He turned
and walked up the garden path with his father shouting angrily
after him. “This conversation is over,” he repeated, and opened the
back door and placed the empty glass on the table, before closing
the door with a slam. “He told me what your father told you,” he
said to his aunt. “I'll lose my inheritance.”

“He did what?”
Lucinda asked Jack.

“He said that I
need to cut ties in the next seven days or he will write me out of
his will.”

“The bastard,”
Lucinda shouted and looked at her brother walking out of her
garden.

“Please don't tell
Paige or Claire,” Jack begged. “It's my problem, not their's.”

“I won't,” Lucinda
promised and picked up the telephone with a smile. “Hello, is that
the Police?” Lucinda asked. “Yes, I'd like to report a
drink-driver. He has is just leaving my house in Purley and is
driving to Barton Drive in Kingswood in a black BMW. Yes, he's all
over the road.” She looked at the shocked teenager in front of her
and shrugged as she put the phone down. “What? Two can be
underhand.”

“But, that's
mean,” Jack told her, and Lucinda smiled.

“Yeah, I know.
Very unclassy. I think I learned that from my nephew.”

* *
* * *

“Hey Claire,” Lucinda called and passed her a glass of
wine. “You OK?”

“Yeah,” Claire muttered morosely and Lucinda closed the
door to her lounge.

“Just that since you've moved in, you've been quiet.
Everything OK?” Lucinda took a swig from her own glass of alcoholic
beverage and then sighed. “I can see an unhappy teenager from a
mile off.”

“It's Mum,” Claire muttered. “Jack's father has made an
allegation against her that he won't withdraw unless I stop Jack
being in the band.”

Lucinda groaned. “The twat,” she cried and shook her head.
Claire sniffed and put her head in her hands, sobbing gently.

“Mum says she will go to prison and it caused a fight
between us, and I don't know what to do for the best. It's not fair
and it's all my fault.”

Lucinda hummed and her eyes focused on the television.
“I'll sort,” she promised and picked up the telephone on the coffee
table.

“No, Lucinda. It's …”

“It's nothing,” Lucinda replied. “Taunting Paul is one of
my favourite hobbies at the moment. In between masturbation and
drinking.”

Claire blushed as she laughed involuntarily and Lucinda
dialled her brother who answered abruptly. “Ahh, dear big brother,”
the flamboyant aunt cried. “I have some news for you.” She waited
for Paul to complain and then gleefully continued. “I just heard
what you are doing to Teri Baynes, and I thought that it was so
nasty, I had no alternative but to rush to the factory tomorrow
morning. And I am going to be doing a proper clear-out and …
pardon?”

She rolled her eyes as Paul ranted and Claire held her
breath. “What's that? I really don't like language like that. And
yes I can keep making that threat because I don't mind doing it.
I've done it before for six months and I will do it again.” She
coughed and looked at Claire. “That's one offer, but what about the
injury to feelings, lost wages and stress.” She laughed and blew
air through her teeth. “Higher. And again. Come on Paul, make some
effort. OK, let me check with my assistant.”

Claire giggled as Lucinda put the phone to her shoulder and
whispered to Claire. “He said he will withdraw the charges and pay
your mother ten thousands pounds to settle the dispute.”

Claire's face brightened and Lucinda cackled. “She says
twelve and she will get me so drunk tonight I won't remember I got
a fifty percent share in the factory for a week!” Lucinda giggled
and sighed. “Excellent. I'll see you soon then, big brother. Make
sure that cheque goes in the post tomorrow.” Lucinda nodded at
Claire as she pressed a button on the phone and shrugged. “Easy
really.”

Claire leapt up from the chair and put her arms around the
scheming woman. “Thank you. Thank you, so much.”

“You're welcome,” Lucinda cried. “You should have just told
me. I can't help you if you keep secrets.”

“No,” Claire muttered. “Sorry. I just didn't want Jack to
know.”

“That was probably wise. But you need to keep your end of
the bargain now. Jack and Paige are in their room watching a film
and I have a dozen drinking games to play with someone.”