Tanisha?’
Tanisha didn’t look up from her phone but managed a nod.
‘Let me put those in some water,’ said Karol.
He took the flowers and headed to the kitchen. Tanisha lifted her head and watched him.
‘He your man?’ she asked Lilly.
‘No.’ Lilly gave a nervous laugh. ‘He’s doing some work for me.’
‘He’s sexy, innit.’
‘Tanisha,’ Annabelle chided.
The girl shrugged. ‘Just saying.’
Annabelle sighed and a sadness passed over her face. She clearly wanted to say something else to Tanisha but settled for rubbing her knee.
‘So what brings you down here?’ Lilly asked.
Annabelle instantly brightened. ‘Tanisha’s scan.’
Lilly hid her surprise. There was only one hospital in Harpenden and it was private. Annabelle must be paying for Tanisha’s ante-natal care.
‘Do you have the photo?’ Lilly asked.
Tanisha fished into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small black and white picture, already crumpled around the edges. Lilly took it and smiled. It was impossible to make out more than an egg-shaped blur.
‘Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?’
‘A girl.’ Tanisha pointed to a tiny swirl that might be the head. ‘Cos you can see she’s going to have a pretty face.’
‘A beautiful baby girl,’ Annabelle said, her eyes shining.
‘You got any kids?’ Tanisha asked.
Lilly nodded. ‘A boy called Sam and a baby called Alice. She’s only five months old.’
‘Ain’t you a bit old to have a baby?’
‘Tanisha, what have we said about manners and keeping things to yourself?’ whispered Annabelle.
Lilly threw back her head and laughed. ‘Don’t worry. You’re right. I’m far too old.’
When Karol came back into the room, Tanisha gave him a sly smile and shifted in her chair, arching her back.
Annabelle coughed and got to her feet.
‘We’d better be off,’ she said. ‘Lots to do.’
Tanisha stood too, taking the opportunity to jut her hip in Karol’s direction.
‘We haven’t heard anything from the police, so hopefully the whole matter is closed,’ said Annabelle and ushered Tanisha out of the door.
The bedroom is a complete mess with tops and jeans scattered everywhere. The floor is covered in CD cases and bracelets and at least ten pairs of high-tops are thrown in a pile in the corner, their laces tangled together.
If Demi kept her room like this, Gran would have a fit. Then again, Demi doesn’t have half the stuff that Chika does. Not even a quarter. Her school uniform and church outfit hang in the old wooden wardrobe. The other clothes she owns are mostly passed down from Malaya.
Chika catches Demi’s eyes, round as plates, as she clocks the window sill covered in a rainbow of different eye shadows and pencils and sticky tubes of lipgloss. There are six bottles of Charlie Pink and Black.
‘Take one,’ says Chika.
Demi’s hand hovers in mid-air.
‘Go on,’ says Chika and reaches for a roach sitting in an overflowing ashtray.
Demi picks up the nearest can. The metal is cold to the touch. She pops off the plastic lid and smells the nozzle. It reminds her of sherbert.
Chika flicks her lighter and takes a deep lungful of weed.
‘Where’s your mum?’ Demi asks.
‘Out.’ Chika holds the roach at arm’s length for Demi to take.
Demi has never smoked before. She’s seen kids at school huddled in corners sharing a joint, smelled it in the toilets too. She always thought it must be nice to share a secret like that with a friend.
‘Thanks.’ She takes the roach between her fingers. It feels hot, in contrast to the Charlie in her other hand. She puts it to her lips and takes a small puff. The smoke burns her tongue and she spits it out, as if it were solid. Chika laughs and Demi laughs too, handing back the roach. That’s the difference with Chika and the other girls in the crew. When they laugh at you, it’s not like they want to make you look bad.
Demi wonders if she dare ask Chika about Danny, the man
Tanisha didn’t look up from her phone but managed a nod.
‘Let me put those in some water,’ said Karol.
He took the flowers and headed to the kitchen. Tanisha lifted her head and watched him.
‘He your man?’ she asked Lilly.
‘No.’ Lilly gave a nervous laugh. ‘He’s doing some work for me.’
‘He’s sexy, innit.’
‘Tanisha,’ Annabelle chided.
The girl shrugged. ‘Just saying.’
Annabelle sighed and a sadness passed over her face. She clearly wanted to say something else to Tanisha but settled for rubbing her knee.
‘So what brings you down here?’ Lilly asked.
Annabelle instantly brightened. ‘Tanisha’s scan.’
Lilly hid her surprise. There was only one hospital in Harpenden and it was private. Annabelle must be paying for Tanisha’s ante-natal care.
‘Do you have the photo?’ Lilly asked.
Tanisha fished into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a small black and white picture, already crumpled around the edges. Lilly took it and smiled. It was impossible to make out more than an egg-shaped blur.
‘Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?’
‘A girl.’ Tanisha pointed to a tiny swirl that might be the head. ‘Cos you can see she’s going to have a pretty face.’
‘A beautiful baby girl,’ Annabelle said, her eyes shining.
‘You got any kids?’ Tanisha asked.
Lilly nodded. ‘A boy called Sam and a baby called Alice. She’s only five months old.’
‘Ain’t you a bit old to have a baby?’
‘Tanisha, what have we said about manners and keeping things to yourself?’ whispered Annabelle.
Lilly threw back her head and laughed. ‘Don’t worry. You’re right. I’m far too old.’
When Karol came back into the room, Tanisha gave him a sly smile and shifted in her chair, arching her back.
Annabelle coughed and got to her feet.
‘We’d better be off,’ she said. ‘Lots to do.’
Tanisha stood too, taking the opportunity to jut her hip in Karol’s direction.
‘We haven’t heard anything from the police, so hopefully the whole matter is closed,’ said Annabelle and ushered Tanisha out of the door.
The bedroom is a complete mess with tops and jeans scattered everywhere. The floor is covered in CD cases and bracelets and at least ten pairs of high-tops are thrown in a pile in the corner, their laces tangled together.
If Demi kept her room like this, Gran would have a fit. Then again, Demi doesn’t have half the stuff that Chika does. Not even a quarter. Her school uniform and church outfit hang in the old wooden wardrobe. The other clothes she owns are mostly passed down from Malaya.
Chika catches Demi’s eyes, round as plates, as she clocks the window sill covered in a rainbow of different eye shadows and pencils and sticky tubes of lipgloss. There are six bottles of Charlie Pink and Black.
‘Take one,’ says Chika.
Demi’s hand hovers in mid-air.
‘Go on,’ says Chika and reaches for a roach sitting in an overflowing ashtray.
Demi picks up the nearest can. The metal is cold to the touch. She pops off the plastic lid and smells the nozzle. It reminds her of sherbert.
Chika flicks her lighter and takes a deep lungful of weed.
‘Where’s your mum?’ Demi asks.
‘Out.’ Chika holds the roach at arm’s length for Demi to take.
Demi has never smoked before. She’s seen kids at school huddled in corners sharing a joint, smelled it in the toilets too. She always thought it must be nice to share a secret like that with a friend.
‘Thanks.’ She takes the roach between her fingers. It feels hot, in contrast to the Charlie in her other hand. She puts it to her lips and takes a small puff. The smoke burns her tongue and she spits it out, as if it were solid. Chika laughs and Demi laughs too, handing back the roach. That’s the difference with Chika and the other girls in the crew. When they laugh at you, it’s not like they want to make you look bad.
Demi wonders if she dare ask Chika about Danny, the man
Similar Books
