We spent the whole day together, going from class to class, giggling and whispering. I put her in the picture about everyone. About Nancy and Asra and how they used to be my best friends.
‘Why the “used to be”?’ Diane asked. ‘What happened?’
I had forgotten she might ask that. I coughed trying to think of an answer. Finally I just shrugged. ‘You know what they say. Two’s company. Three …’
‘Always leads to someone being left out,’ Diane finished for me. ‘I don’t like the look of them anyway.’ And she steered me past them, her nose in the air.
I told her about the teachers too. Mrs Gregson, the geography teacher who was always locking herself in the cupboard. ‘I’m sure she does it on purpose,’ I told Diane. ‘Just to get away from the class.’
‘She’s such a mouse, isn’t she?’ Diane said with a giggle. And she was, really, with her wisps of grey hair sticking out of a bun at the back of her head and her pursed, nervous little lips always twitching.
As she passed, Diane made little squeaking mousey sounds. I almost laughed out loud, but Mrs Gregson turned quickly and blushed. For a minute I thought she was going to say something, but she didn’t.
‘Of course, she didn’t,’ Diane said later. ‘She’s too much of a mouse.’
What really sent her into the giggles was the sight of Harry Ball, the fattest boy in the school, getting stuck in the turnstile in the school canteen.
At first I was a bit embarrassed, because Harry actually caught us laughing and he looked hurt.
‘He deserves it,’ Diane told me. ‘He should go on a diet and lose some weight. Then no one would be able to laugh at him, would they?’
I had never seen it that way before, but now that Diane said it, it seemed so true.
Suddenly, a great voice boomed behind us. Murdo, and he had heard everything. ‘With a robust personality like Harry’s he needs those ample proportions.’ He didn’t look pleased. As Harry Ball tried to waddle past us, he grabbed him by the collar and dragged him round to face us. ‘Yes, he is fat, isn’t he?’ He held him in front of us for our inspection. Diane didn’t know Murdo, didn’t understand his methods. She thought he was agreeing with us and she smirked. His voice suddenly roared. ‘But one day,’ he said, shaking Harry about like a rag doll, ‘this fat boy will probably be running the country. He’ll be Chancellor of the Exchequer with the mathematical brain he’s got.’ Harry’s blush became a confident grin.
Murdo’s angry gaze fixed on Diane. ‘And what will you be doing then, Diane Connell? Hoping he won’t be putting up your taxes probably. And wishing you’d been nicer to him at school so you could appeal to his better nature.’ He grinned, with black spotted teeth. Black pudding had been on the menu for lunch.
‘I won’t have a better nature where they’re concerned, sir,’ Harry said, and shaking himself free he was off.
Murdo stared at both of us. The grin gone. I couldn’t hold his gaze, but credit to Diane, she could.
‘So, you’ve found a friend,’ he said.
And I wasn’t exactly sure which one of us he was referring to.
The day had gone well, until we were going home. Ralph and his cronies were waiting by the school gates. Diane linked her arm in mine and dragged me past them.
‘Come on, Lissa,’ she said. ‘If we get any closer to this lot we’ll need to be disinfected.’
Ralph sneered. ‘You’ve found a mate, Lissa. Another wee snob just like you.’
Diane sucked in her cheeks and glared at them. She was good at doing that. ‘Some people have every right to be snobs.’
‘But not our Lissa,’ Ralph said. ‘Or hasn’t she told you her secret yet?’
I wanted to run then. Get away as quickly as I could. But I couldn’t move. I just knew what was coming next.
‘You might not be so friendly with her if you knew what her daddy is.’
I wanted to run at Ralph Aird, punch him right in the gob.
Diane took her arm out of mine. ‘What haven’t you told me, Lissa?’
I swallowed. I wished the ground would open up and I could sink right into it. Ralph was smiling. Just waiting for the right second to give Diane the news.
‘Lissa’s dad’s a jailbird, just like mine.’
Chapter Five
January 16th
Diane Connell is wonderful. My very best friend, forever. She totally proved it today, proved she’s going to be the best friend anyone could ever have. When Ralph Aird told her about J.B., did she scowl? Did she walk away from me with her nose in the air?