Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson Page B

wouldn’t it? And anyway, even if she wanted to leave old Alec, Hal’s mum wasn’t just going to abandon Hal, now, would she? No, there had to be another explanation.
    â€œShe was banging doors and screeching and everything yesterday morning before she left for the golf thing. She was furious with him. It woke me up, all the shouting.”
    I have to say, that sounded a bit serious all right. People don’t screech in my family, unless they get a fright in the dark or something, but I said, “Look, Hal, this is probably what happened. She probably had a few drinks after the golf tournament, maybe she won or something and she got carried away, and then she thought she’d better not drive till this morning because she’d be over the limit, wouldn’t she? She’s probably seen those ads on the telly where you only have to pick up a drink and the next thing, there’s mangled bodies all over the road.”
    Or maybe she had a few drinks all right, I thought, only she didn’t decide to stay over but instead got into her car and drove it into a ditch. Oh—my—God! She could be lying there with the crows picking out her eyes. But I didn’t say that out loud.
    â€œShe probably stayed over at the golf club or with a friend or something,” I said. “She’ll be home by teatime. You’ll see.”
    I kind of hoped that might be true.
    â€œBut why didn’t she ring?”

    â€œShe probably did. I’m sure she would have phoned Alec.”
    â€œHe never said.”
    â€œHe just didn’t mention it to you. Since you’re not exactly on chatting terms. It’s all very well you two not talking to each other,” I went on, “but how are you going to know what’s going on if you don’t ask ?”
    â€œYeah,” said Hal. He definitely cheered up a bit at that thought. “You’re right. She must’ve rung Him, mustn’t she? He thought I knew, I suppose, so he didn’t mention it. Yeah, that must be it. I will ask Him.”
    â€œGood on you,” I said. “That’s the spirit.”
    â€œI’d better get on home, then,” he said, “and see what the story is.”
    â€œOK,” I said.
    â€œSee you tomorrow, Olivia.”
    â€œYeah, tomorrow,” I said. “No, tomorrow’s the bank holiday. See you on Tuesday, you mean. At school.”
    â€œYeah, well, Tuesday,” he said.
    â€œBye, Hal,” I called as I closed the front door behind him.
    It would all have blown over by Tuesday, I thought comfortably. It was easier to think comfortable thoughts when Hal wasn’t sitting there, slumped in a chair and looking lugubrious. His mother would ring by tomorrow for sure, or she’d come home with a long story about a tire puncture or a missed train or something. It’d be all right. Mothers don’t just walk out on their kids. I never heard of such a thing.

Chapter 14
    I was wrong. Hal didn’t come to school on Tuesday. I couldn’t imagine what was going on in his family. I didn’t even want to think about it.
    Gilda and Rosemarie had had a tiff over the weekend, and they both spent Tuesday trying to get me on their side. The two of them take a lot of energy. I spent the day trying to be nice to each of them exactly the same amount, so they couldn’t use me as some sort of an excuse in this row they were having. Something about a bottle of nail varnish. I don’t really see the point of nail varnish. I did try it once, but it made my fingernails feel all tingly. I didn’t like it. But they ended up both blaming me anyway, even though their stupid row had nothing to do with me. It’s funny how people do that—blame someone else for their own rows. I’ve got used to those two, though, and I didn’t let it bother me.
    I’m not allowed to phone Hal’s mobile from our house phone because it’s too expensive, so