long-windedness.
‘Mum,’ Alex called, as she descended the stairs. ‘Who was at the door …?’ She broke off when she saw Charlie standing in the kitchen doorway. Shock flooded her face.
‘Look who stopped by, dear.’ Mrs. Dench appeared behind Charlie. ‘He came to check on you. Isn’t that sweet?’ She stroked Charlie’s head.
Alex’s eyes widened. ‘Mamá, ¿qué estás haciendo?’ she hissed. ‘Él es no es una mascota.’
It was the first time Charlie had heard her speak Spanish.
He chuckled at her disgruntled tone.
‘Sólo estoy diciendo,’ Mrs. Dench said, as she retreated into the kitchen. ‘Éste es un portero,’ she called out in a singsong voice.
Alex patted down her dishevelled hair as she approached Charlie. ‘Hi.’
‘Hey,’ Charlie said. They stood staring at each other for a moment.
‘You’re … in my house.’
‘Is it okay that I’m here?’
‘Yeah, sure, it’s just … I’m just surprised.’
‘You didn’t come to school, so I thought I’d come see if you were okay.’
‘Oh, yeah. I had the sniffles, so my mum refused to let me out.’ Alex inched closer to him and whispered, ‘Don’t ever sneeze or cough in front of my mother.’
‘Food glorious food, ’ Mrs. Dench sang, ‘hot sausage and mustard …. ’
Glancing over his shoulder, Charlie saw her dancing along to her song.
‘She loves musicals,’ Alex explained. ‘Mum!’ Alex just about screamed at her. ‘We’re going to my room.’
‘Okay, dear, but you two behave,’ Mrs. Dench said in her musical voice.
Alex rolled her eyes, pulling Charlie’s arm as she led him away. ‘I’m sorry you had to see that,’ she said, as they headed upstairs. ‘She didn’t say anything weird, did she?’
‘No. Why?’
‘Well, she’s a little … eccentric.’
‘Is that why you never invite your friends round?’ Alex didn’t respond. They got to the top of the stairs and headed to the left of the landing, entering a large, messy pink room with a double bed and two wardrobes.
Charlie gasped. ‘Oh my god. You’re a girl!’
Alex punched him. ‘Shut up. It’s been like this since forever.
I can’t be asked to paint over it.’ She picked up a pile of clothes off the floor and tossed them into a corner. ‘You’ve probably figured out by now that I don’t have many friends. I used to, it’s just, they always laughed at her. I think you’re my first real friend – not that I have imaginary friends or anything like that – well, apart from that one time when I was five …’
She stopped when she noticed him staring at her, his brow puckered. They went over to the bed and sat down. ‘You thought I’d laugh if I met your mum, didn’t you?’
Charlie asked.
‘No, I know you’re not like that. It’s just … My mum’s bipolar.’
‘What’s that?’
‘It’s a brain disorder. She’s often depressed and has different moods, so you never know what to expect. She’s on medication, but it can get out of hand sometimes.’ She looked down at the floor.
‘Hey.’ He took hold of her hand. ‘I like your mum. She’s nice. You think she’s strange, you should have seen my dad when he ran around the house impersonating animals.’ Alex grinned. ‘Talk about embarrassing.’ Charlie noticed he was still holding her hand and dropped it.
An awkward silence followed, broken only by the sound of banging pots and Mrs. Dench yelling: ‘Everything’s fine.’ They exchanged glances, smiling.
‘What were you laughing at downstairs?’ Alex asked. ‘I wasn’t laughing.’
‘Yes, you were. Was it my Spanish? Did I sound weird or something?’
‘Oh, no, it wasn’t that. I was just laughing at what you said about me not being a pet.’
Alex looked at him in shock. ‘Since when do you speak Spanish?’
‘I don’t speak Spanish. I only know a few words.’ Alex’s eyes widened, and her face flushed. ‘Please tell me you didn’t understand what my mum said.’
Charlie half
‘Mum,’ Alex called, as she descended the stairs. ‘Who was at the door …?’ She broke off when she saw Charlie standing in the kitchen doorway. Shock flooded her face.
‘Look who stopped by, dear.’ Mrs. Dench appeared behind Charlie. ‘He came to check on you. Isn’t that sweet?’ She stroked Charlie’s head.
Alex’s eyes widened. ‘Mamá, ¿qué estás haciendo?’ she hissed. ‘Él es no es una mascota.’
It was the first time Charlie had heard her speak Spanish.
He chuckled at her disgruntled tone.
‘Sólo estoy diciendo,’ Mrs. Dench said, as she retreated into the kitchen. ‘Éste es un portero,’ she called out in a singsong voice.
Alex patted down her dishevelled hair as she approached Charlie. ‘Hi.’
‘Hey,’ Charlie said. They stood staring at each other for a moment.
‘You’re … in my house.’
‘Is it okay that I’m here?’
‘Yeah, sure, it’s just … I’m just surprised.’
‘You didn’t come to school, so I thought I’d come see if you were okay.’
‘Oh, yeah. I had the sniffles, so my mum refused to let me out.’ Alex inched closer to him and whispered, ‘Don’t ever sneeze or cough in front of my mother.’
‘Food glorious food, ’ Mrs. Dench sang, ‘hot sausage and mustard …. ’
Glancing over his shoulder, Charlie saw her dancing along to her song.
‘She loves musicals,’ Alex explained. ‘Mum!’ Alex just about screamed at her. ‘We’re going to my room.’
‘Okay, dear, but you two behave,’ Mrs. Dench said in her musical voice.
Alex rolled her eyes, pulling Charlie’s arm as she led him away. ‘I’m sorry you had to see that,’ she said, as they headed upstairs. ‘She didn’t say anything weird, did she?’
‘No. Why?’
‘Well, she’s a little … eccentric.’
‘Is that why you never invite your friends round?’ Alex didn’t respond. They got to the top of the stairs and headed to the left of the landing, entering a large, messy pink room with a double bed and two wardrobes.
Charlie gasped. ‘Oh my god. You’re a girl!’
Alex punched him. ‘Shut up. It’s been like this since forever.
I can’t be asked to paint over it.’ She picked up a pile of clothes off the floor and tossed them into a corner. ‘You’ve probably figured out by now that I don’t have many friends. I used to, it’s just, they always laughed at her. I think you’re my first real friend – not that I have imaginary friends or anything like that – well, apart from that one time when I was five …’
She stopped when she noticed him staring at her, his brow puckered. They went over to the bed and sat down. ‘You thought I’d laugh if I met your mum, didn’t you?’
Charlie asked.
‘No, I know you’re not like that. It’s just … My mum’s bipolar.’
‘What’s that?’
‘It’s a brain disorder. She’s often depressed and has different moods, so you never know what to expect. She’s on medication, but it can get out of hand sometimes.’ She looked down at the floor.
‘Hey.’ He took hold of her hand. ‘I like your mum. She’s nice. You think she’s strange, you should have seen my dad when he ran around the house impersonating animals.’ Alex grinned. ‘Talk about embarrassing.’ Charlie noticed he was still holding her hand and dropped it.
An awkward silence followed, broken only by the sound of banging pots and Mrs. Dench yelling: ‘Everything’s fine.’ They exchanged glances, smiling.
‘What were you laughing at downstairs?’ Alex asked. ‘I wasn’t laughing.’
‘Yes, you were. Was it my Spanish? Did I sound weird or something?’
‘Oh, no, it wasn’t that. I was just laughing at what you said about me not being a pet.’
Alex looked at him in shock. ‘Since when do you speak Spanish?’
‘I don’t speak Spanish. I only know a few words.’ Alex’s eyes widened, and her face flushed. ‘Please tell me you didn’t understand what my mum said.’
Charlie half
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