Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David Page B

meant you were a bit unusual.
    I was looking forward to the Integrating Wealth weekend. It’d be good to meet other people who’d had a similar experience. Other Bulgarians.
    Anyway, I hadn’t forgotten my mission, to find out about Jack’s brutal attack on Raf. How to do it, though?
    â€˜Did you see Raf’s face the other day at school?’ I said to Shaz. ‘Someone had punched him.’
    â€˜I saw he had a bruise,’ said Shaz. ‘And he’s not been in the rest of the week. Maybe he got mugged?’
    â€˜Maybe,’ I said, glancing at Jack. He didn’t seem to be listening, though. He was texting furiously.
    â€˜Jack, what do you think?’ I asked, trying not to sound as though I were accusing him of anything. ‘Did you see Raf’s eye? Do you think he got mugged?’
    â€˜Who?’ grunted Jack.
    Shaz nudged him, ‘Raf . . . you know . . .
Raf
.’
    â€˜Oh yeah, him. Billy-no-mates. Posh-boy Rafe. What about him?’
    â€˜His
eye
,’ I said, meaningfully.
    â€˜What about his
eye
?’ mimicked Jack.
    â€˜It was bruised. What do you think happened? Do you think he got mugged?’
    â€˜No idea,’ said Jack, ‘and couldn’t care less. If someone punched him, it’s no more than he deserved. Did I tell you what he did when we played their team? Useless ref should’ve red-carded him after ten minutes.’
    â€˜And he’s got dodgy motives for chasing after you, Lia,’ put in Shaz.
    â€˜Has he been chasing you, Lia?’ said Jack, with what appeared to be no more than mild interest.‘Funny that, because I was sure he was gay.’
    â€˜He’s only interested in one thing,’ said Shazia. ‘And it’s not what you’d think, Jack.’
    â€˜Sure about that?’ he smirked. I gave him a thump.
    â€˜Shut up, both of you!’ I said.
    â€˜We’ve only got your interests at heart,’ said Shaz, and Jack nodded and put on his most serious face and said, ‘You listen to your elders and betters, young Lia. We know what’s best for you.’
    We dropped Jack off at his house – he had a football match – and Shazia got out too because she was going round to her cousin’s house in the next street. She shoved a tenner into my hand for the taxi fare.
    â€˜No, Shaz, you don’t have to—’ I said, but she shook her head firmly and said, ‘I do.’
    We drove on to the Broadway and I paid the fare – £68.44. They charge a lot for waiting for you. It’s almost never worth it. I wondered if I was compromising Shaz’s soul by not telling her the full amount. But then, she only came with to do us a favour . . . and perhaps I shouldn’t have kept the cab waiting. This was going to be super-complicated. I wondered if our friendship could take it. I really hoped so. I couldn’t imagine life without Shaz at my side.
    I swung into the internet café. It was much busier today, every booth was full. The customers were mostly sweaty men – the smell was appalling – but there were two groups of girls that I recognised from school. They’d obviously found out that Raf worked here – they were whispering and giggling as they pretended to look at Facebook. Alicia flicked me the finger. I ignored her.
    Raf was behind the counter, dark head bent over a newspaper. My heart lurched. But when I got closer I realised it wasn’t him at all. His brother Jasper flashed me a wolfish grin.
    â€˜Hello!’ he said, pushing aside the newspaper, which, I noticed, was an old one with an interview that I’d done about ‘Ten things I love’. ‘You’re Lia, aren’t you? I’m sorry about the other night. Must have got the wrong end of the stick . . . didn’t realise. . . You’re here to see Rafael, yes? He’ll be pleased to see you. I’ll call him, get him to come down.’
    I just