The Secrets of Ice Cream Success by AD Hartley Page A

every word.
    ‘ What? No,
well… yes, but no, I’m English. My Dad was Italian.’ Carlo finally
sputtered, feeling his earlier confidence rushing away to be
replaced with flustered distress.
    ‘ So you’re
Italian, then. And you’re what… nine years old?’
    ‘ I’m
fourteen!’
    ‘ Nah, can’t be
fourteen. I think you’re nine. So, you’re an Italian child and you
think you’re better than me?’
    ‘ What do you
mean? I don’t even know who you are!’ Carlo said, feeling he was
lagging behind in the discussion and trying desperately to catch
up.
    ‘ Listen, child , I don’t like you. You think you’re better than everyone,
but you’re not. You’re just a little kid and you’re not even in the
right country.’ The boy reached forward and grabbed the front of
Carlo’s shirt and pulled him forwards. ‘You better not do it
again!’ he growled into Carlo’s face, spittle shooting from his
lips.
    ‘ Do what
again? Get off me you nutter!’ Carlo shouted, becoming alarmed and
tugging at the boy’s hand to try and release himself. But then a
small force of nature with angry, boisterous hair inserted itself
between Carlo and the boy and pushed them apart.
    ‘ You just let
go of him or by God I’ll tell your mother!’ screamed Abi,
delivering another surprisingly powerful shove to Spiderman’s face
sending the boy stumbling backwards.
    He steadied himself and stared
at Abi, fuming. ‘You are such a little brat!’ he said, stepping
forward but hesitating as a fourth person entered the fray.
    ‘ Evening,
Herbert!’ Ben said, calmly. ‘You acting like a Herbert, you
Herbert?’
    The boy stopped in his tracks
and looked at the three faces in front of him, two determined and
one slightly confused. At seventeen he was three years older than
Ben, six inches taller and twice as wide, but even he had doubts
about challenging the younger boy who through confidence alone had
picked up a reputation that made the so called “tougher” boys in
the area give him a wide berth without anyone ever coming to blows,
preserving both their status and as Ben liked to add, their
noses.
    ‘ Teesdale, sod
off! You’re just as annoying as your sister!’
    ‘ Yes, but I
don’t hit as hard.’ replied Ben with a pleasant smile. ‘Would you
like to judge for yourself?’
    ‘ Ooh, me
first, me first!’ Abi taunted, pulling her hands up into an
exaggerated boxing stance and prancing on the spot.
    Herbert ignored Abi, keeping
his eyes firmly on Ben, who continued to smile benignly. Eventually
he came to the conclusion that a dignified exit was his best option
and, hoping to keep some level of menace in the face of a fourteen
year old girl with large hair bouncing in front of him, he barged
past Carlo knocking him to the floor as he strode away. Wanting to
get the last word he turned before entering the house and tried to
look as threatening as he could.
    ‘ If you ever
disrespect Mr Hill again, you’ll have me to answer too.’ He said
with a scowl.
    ‘ Oh,’ Carlo
replied, suddenly up to speed with proceedings. ‘So that’s what this is
about!’
    ‘ Yeah, so just
watch it, Leodoni!’ Herbert snarled before turning and promptly
walking straight into the closed door. Composing himself, he looked
back to see Ben, Abi and Carlo with the straightest faces possible,
though with a possible hint of shoulder shake as Abi desperately
tried to contain herself. Herbert slammed opened the door and
marched through, but not before the sound of laughter reached
him.
     
    ‘ Are you OK?’
Ben asked offering Carlo a hand.
    ‘ Yeah, I’m
fine.’ He replied dusting himself off. ‘I was just more confused
than anything else. What a knobhe…’
    ‘ Hey, what
happened? Are you OK?’ Vicky shouted running over as Carlo quickly
cut his admonishment short.
    ‘ Yeah, I’m
fine, just a misunderstanding.’
    ‘ Well it
looked more than a misunderstanding. As long as you’re
sure?’
    Carlo nodded and tried to
change the