The Honeymoon Sisters (11 page)

‘But these are just arguments for the school uniform debate, Mrs Smee,’ Katy said.

‘Yes, well, quite frankly I can imagine the zoo debate getting rather one-sided.’ She was staring at Sadie as she said that. ‘However, if you wish, we can have a debate about zoos at a later point.’ She handed round the sheets, completely ignoring everyone’s protests.

Sadie looked terribly disappointed and she even stayed behind afterwards to try and convince Mrs Smee to change her mind. I stayed too, but for a different reason. My tummy cramps were back and I felt like I needed to sit down for a minute.

‘Are you all right, Poppy?’ Mrs Smee asked as she noticed me sitting there clutching my abdomen.

‘I’ve got a bit of tummy pain, that’s all,’ I muttered.

‘Sadie – please take Poppy to the medical room,’ she instructed.

‘But –’ Sadie was scowling.

‘It’s
OK
, Mrs Smee … I can go on my own,’ I said as I stood up quickly.

Unfortunately Mrs Smee insisted – I had a feeling she was only too pleased to get rid of Sadie herself – and my cousin ended up accompanying me, looking extremely cross.

Chapter Fifteen

‘She’s a miserable, dictatorial old bat,’ Sadie spat out as soon as we were no longer close enough to be heard.

‘I think she just wants to play it safe and not offend anyone,’ I said quietly.

She snorted. ‘Can you imagine what those debates in the House of Commons would be like if nobody wanted to offend anyone else?’

I smiled. Now she was starting to sound like my dad.

She turned to me to say something else, but stopped when she saw me hugging my tummy. ‘So what’s wrong with you? Is it your time of the month?’

I didn’t get what she meant for a moment. ‘Huh?’

‘You know … is it your
period
?’

‘Oh!’ To be honest it hadn’t even occurred to me that this could be period pain. I hadn’t started my periods yet and since Mum had told me she hadn’t started hers until
she was fourteen, I’d always assumed I had a little while to go.

Sadie was staring at me impatiently. ‘Well?’

‘I don’t think so!’ But even as I said it I thought about the low crampy pains I’d been having on and off since last night.

Sadie led me towards the nearest girls’ toilets. ‘You’d better check. Cos you seem like a big bag of hormones to me.’

‘Of
nerves
, you mean,’ I mumbled.

‘
Hormones
,’ she repeated firmly. ‘Believe me, I’ve seen Alison like this enough times to know.’

So I did as she suggested, and once we were safely inside the toilets I went into the nearest cubicle and had a look.

And there it was.

Not bright red blood, but some brownish-red spots. Mum had told me that’s how it would probably start.

‘Well?’ Sadie demanded impatiently from the other side of the door.

‘You were right,’ I said. I felt a bit stunned actually.

‘You’ve started?’

‘I think so.’ And I know it probably sounds sappy but I really just wanted to go home and see Mum.

‘Told you!’ Sadie sounded almost triumphant. ‘It’s probably why you’ve been so cranky.’ She immediately went all serious and businesslike as she instructed, ‘Wait here and I’ll go and ask in the office for a sanitary towel or something.’

‘No, it’s
OK
!’ I called out urgently. ‘I’ve got some stuff in my bag.’ As I sorted myself out I could hear Mum’s voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t be afraid of the changes taking place in my body and that each one was just another step in my journey towards womanhood. I knew she was going to think this was a really special thing and make a massive fuss of me when I got home.

But meanwhile I still had to get through the rest of the day at school.

A few minutes later as I emerged from the cubicle, Sadie looked puzzled as she asked, ‘So how come you’ve got stuff in your bag already?’

‘Oh … Mum put it in there ages ago. She didn’t want me to get caught out.’

‘Oh.’

I went to the nearest sink to wash my hands, sensing that something was up by the way Sadie had gone so quiet. ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked her.

‘Nothing.’ But as we left the toilets together she murmured, almost self-consciously, ‘You’re lucky, that’s all.’

‘Lucky I’ve started my periods?’ I said, pulling a face, but she was shaking her head emphatically.

‘No, no … not
that
. It’s just … well … it’s just really sweet of your mum to make sure you’re all prepared like that.’

Then, of course, I got it. I mean, it must be pretty horrible not having a mum around when you start your periods.

‘So have you started yours?’ I asked her as casually as I could manage.

She shook her head. ‘Alison reckons it won’t be long now though,’ she added a little defensively.

‘Oh, well … if
Alison
says so …’ Frankly the way Sadie seemed to believe everything this Alison girl told her was starting to bug me a bit.

Sadie looked put out and I realised I’d probably sounded a bit harsh. ‘Actually Alison knows a lot,’ she said coolly. ‘She says I should’ve got Linda to take me to buy a bra.
As if!
’

I couldn’t help looking at her then. She was definitely still a fair way behind me in the bust department – but maybe she wasn’t as flat-chested as I’d previously thought.
So far she’d been very private when it came to getting dressed and undressed and she’d always done it in the bathroom or in her bedroom with one of those
KEEP
OUT
signs that hang on the doorknob.

‘So why
didn’t
you ask Linda?’ I said.

‘Because it would’ve been way too embarrassing! Linda is so … well …
not
discreet. I was dreading starting my periods there because I knew she’d make a massive fuss. She was always reminding me that when it happened I wasn’t to put any sanitary towels down her loo in case it got blocked! And then, the last time we were in the supermarket she suddenly says in this really loud voice, “You
do
realise tampons can block the toilet too, don’t you, hon?” ’

I couldn’t help laughing. ‘At least she called you “hon”.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Ha, ha.’

‘Mum will take you to get a bra if you want,’ I said. ‘You should ask her.’

‘I don’t need her help.’

‘
OK
.’ But for once I didn’t believe her tough act and I decided that when I got home I’d have a quiet word with Mum about taking Sadie bra shopping.

*

After school Sadie and Anne-Marie were both waiting for me at the gate. That was a first! Then I remembered that Anne-Marie wanted us to go home with her.

Normally I’d have been pleased, but today I felt so achy and tired that I really didn’t feel like it. But I didn’t want to let Sadie go on her own so I sent Mum a text to let her know we’d be a bit late as we set off for Anne-Marie’s to see her baby rabbits.

On the way Anne-Marie chatted away as usual but Sadie was unusually quiet. I just hoped she didn’t do or say anything too outrageous when we got there.

Anne-Marie’s mum greeted us with a smile, and she was clearly interested to meet Sadie when Anne-Marie introduced her as my cousin.

Then Anne-Marie led us out the back door on to the large covered patio where all the animals are housed in their various hutches and cages. I was looking at Sadie’s face as Anne-Marie began to give her a tour. There were two hutches with rabbits inside (including some totally adorable baby ones), a few cages with hamsters and mice, an enclosure with guinea pigs and gerbils and one with some little tortoises.

Sadie was soon having a good look at all of them, her face solemn. As I stroked one of the rabbits I watched her
closely. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

‘It’s like a pet shop,’ she murmured – which only made me worry more, since I know she hates pet shops almost as much as she hates zoos. She looked at Anne-Marie in something like amazement. ‘I can’t believe how many animals you’re keeping here.’

‘Mum calls it my petting zoo,’ Anne-Marie said with a grin.

Sadie flinched. ‘I can see why.’

I tensed, half expecting an argument to kick off, but to my amazement it didn’t happen. Instead Sadie thanked Anne-Marie for showing her round and started to make for the small gate at the side of the house. ‘Can we go out this way or is it locked?’

‘Oh, it’s never locked. You don’t have to go right now, do you? Mum won’t mind if you stay a bit longer.’

‘I’ve seen all I want to see, thanks,’ Sadie said firmly. ‘Come on, Poppy.’ And she was already opening the gate and glaring at me to follow her.

Chapter Sixteen

‘How are you feeling, Poppy?’ Mum asked the next morning as I came into the kitchen, where she and Sadie were already having breakfast. ‘Do you want to take some painkillers with you to school?’ Just as I’d predicted, she had been making a huge fuss of me. She’d even got a bit teary when I told her my big news. She’d run me a bath after dinner, then sent me to bed with a hot-water bottle and a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

‘I think I’ll be
OK
, Mum,’ I said.

‘Any more bleeding?’

‘Just a tiny bit last night. I thought there’d be more.’

‘I expect they’ll get heavier and more regular with time.’

‘Excuse me … some of us are trying to eat our breakfast here,’ Sadie piped up, sounding slightly revolted.
Sadie was getting less and less sympathetic the more Mum doted on me, I’d noticed.

Mum looked across at her sharply, and Sadie must have quickly remembered that she was meant to be sucking up, at least in front of Mum. ‘Sorry … it’s just that it’s not an
illness
, you know!’

Sadie’s mood had been getting progressively worse ever since we’d left Anne-Marie’s the day before. On the way home I’d asked her what she’d thought of Anne-Marie’s pets and she’d responded by glaring at me and saying that the sight of all those enclosures made her feel sick.

‘So why did you say you wanted to see them if you knew it would upset you?’ I’d asked impatiently.

But she had told me gruffly that it was none of my business.

Just as I was finishing my cereal the post arrived, and with it a letter for Sadie.

‘It’s from my dad,’ she said a little shakily when Mum gave it to her. She didn’t open it in front of us but immediately took it upstairs.

‘Mum, can Sadie go and visit her dad in prison if she wants to?’ I asked as I sat finishing my toast. It was something I’d been thinking about quite a lot. I couldn’t even
imagine
how I’d feel if my mum or dad got sent to prison. I mean, no matter what they’d done, you’d still want to
see
them again, wouldn’t you? Unless they’d done something
really
evil.

Mum was nodding. ‘Of course she can.’

‘So when did she last go?’

‘She hasn’t been to see him at all yet.’

I frowned. ‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know. She’s angry with him, I expect. Hasn’t she said anything about it to you?’

I shook my head. ‘She doesn’t talk about him.’

As I stood up, Mum said, ‘Well, be sensitive if she brings it up. She may not have forgiven him yet but he’s still her father.’

I nodded, getting myself ready for school before knocking on Sadie’s bedroom door. ‘It’s eight thirty. Are you coming?’

The door was flung open and she stood there in her uniform looking like she’d been crying. Her reddish-brown bob was a lot less sleek and shiny than it usually is and her blue eyes were watery.

‘Are you
OK
?’ I asked.

‘I’m fine,’ she snapped. ‘Let’s go.’

We walked along our road in silence, with Sadie
seeming moodier than ever. Finally I couldn’t stand it any more.

‘So is your dad
OK
?’ I asked her.

She looked at me like I was stupid. ‘He’s locked up in a prison cell. Of course he’s not
OK
.’

I wasn’t sure what to say to that so I just nodded dumbly.

After a bit she added, ‘He’s never been good in confined spaces. The idea of being shut up in prison really frightened him. He got stuck in a lift once and he had a massive panic attack.’

‘Oh dear,’ I murmured, though inside my head I could also hear Dad’s voice saying: ‘Well, he should have thought of that before he stole all that money, shouldn’t he?’

‘I don’t suppose his cell … room … whatever they call it … is
that
small,’ I said in an awkward attempt to comfort her a little. ‘I mean, it’s got to be a lot bigger than a lift in any case, cos it’s got to have a bed in it and … well … Is it just him in his cell or is he sharing it with somebody else?’

‘I don’t know!’ she snapped. ‘He doesn’t tell me anything about what it’s like there! He just goes on about how sorry he is and how much he wants me to go and see him. And he asks me loads of questions as if he thinks that’s going to make me write back.’

‘Haven’t you, then?’ I asked her in surprise. ‘Written back, I mean.’

‘No.’

‘Because you’re too angry with him?’ I asked hesitantly.

‘I’m angry that he thinks he can leave me like that and still get to know what I’m doing every day. I just don’t think he has any right, do you?’ She paused. ‘You know, every time he writes he tells me how the family visiting room isn’t scary or anything, and how there’s nothing to be afraid of.’ She sniffed. ‘As if that’s the reason I don’t go and see him – because I’m scared!’

‘Sadie, I know you’ve every right to be angry with him, but –’

‘Well, wouldn’t you be angry if
your
dad ditched you like some piece of old rubbish?’

‘Sadie, your dad didn’t
want
to leave you!’ I protested. ‘He didn’t get sent to prison on purpose!’

‘He must have known he might get caught!’ she snapped. ‘You know he wrote that he only did it for me – so that he could have more money and give me a better life. Who does he think he’s kidding? I’ll never forgive him for leaving me – for forcing me to go and live
with Linda. He’s
ruined
my life! That’s what he’s done! How could he have been so stupid?’