Everyone was streaming out of the lodge by the time Gran arrived to walk Eva home. Eva was wearing her invisibility shield again. She kept her head down and the collar up and everyone just walked straight past her. She didn’t see Jamie leave, though he must have because Sally closed the door of the lodge behind the last volunteer.
As soon as Eva saw Gran walking up the drive with her bag-for-life swinging at her side, she ran towards her and wrapped her in a hug.
‘Whoa. What’s up, duck?’ Gran asked.
‘Nothing,’ Eva mumbled into her sweatshirt.
‘Well, it’s the most something-looking nothing that I’ve ever seen. Did you row with someone?’
Had she?
Not a row, exactly. It was just Shanika who had made her feel stupid and small. And Jamie who had made her cry that morning, though he hadn’t meant to. And Dad. Eva was surprised to find that she was cross at Dad too, though she wasn’t sure why.
She didn’t answer Gran; she just buried herself deeper in the scent of Chanel No. 5, which was Gran’s favourite perfume.
‘Right, that’s enough.’
Eva felt Gran’s hands on her shoulders, making her stand straight.
‘Eva, tell me what’s wrong. I can try to help if I know what’s the matter.’
Eva took a few deep breaths. She felt a bit wobbly on her feet and wished they could sit down, but Gran had taken her elbow and they were walking together down the drive.
‘Someone said something,’ Eva whispered.
‘Hmm,’ Gran said. ‘It’s a common enough occurrence. There’s not much I can do to stop that, unfortunately.’
Eva gave a weak smile, despite herself. ‘Someone said something about Dad,’ she admitted.
‘Oh,’ Gran said. ‘And was what they said true or a lie?’
Eva didn’t answer. Jamie had said that Dad was odd, wanting to know where she was all the time. But that wasn’t odd. Everyone’s parents were like that, weren’t they? ‘He said . . . he said Dad kept me prisoner.’
Gran gave Eva’s shoulder a little squeeze. ‘Oh dear. And did you get angry with the person who said that?’
‘Yes.’
‘And how do you feel about that now?’
‘I don’t know.’
Gran stopped walking. They were still in the park and Eva could see the great hill in the centre. Someone was right at the top, flying a kite. It soared above the park, whipping away from the person at the end of its taut string.
‘Eva. You’ll find that lots of people in this world will want what’s best for you. But they might not always know what that thing is. Your dad wants what’s best for you – he always has. But what happened to Mirabelle has made him very cautious. It sounds like your friend wants what’s best for you too. Though they have a very clumsy and rude way of saying it. What matters is, can you love the sentiment even if you don’t agree with the expression?’
‘Can I do what with what?’ Eva asked.
Gran grinned. ‘Sorry. I mean can you be pleased that people care, even if you don’t agree with the way they show it?’
Eva understood that time.
She wrapped her arms round Gran. ‘Mum was lucky to have a mum like you,’ she said.
Gran kissed the top of Eva’s head.
They walked together in a comfy silence, out of the park and along the road. When they were outside the house, Eva paused. ‘I want to say sorry to the person I fought with,’ she said.
‘Good idea. Will you see them tomorrow?’
Eva looked up at Jamie’s house. ‘He lives on this street. Can I go over, just for five minutes?’
Gran’s neat, dark eyebrows pinched together in a frown. ‘You know your dad doesn’t like you being out alone.’
‘It’s just in the street. Just two minutes. I’ll be right back. Please, Gran? Pretty please with lipstick on?’
The corner of Gran’s mouth twitched. ‘Well, OK. But just two minutes. Then I send out the search parties. Which house?’
Eva paused. Gran would change her mind quicker than she could say ‘bad influence’ if she told her it was the McIntyre house. She pointed vaguely across the street. ‘That one. Five minutes. Tops.’
Eva watched until Gran was safely inside the house before dashing up to Jamie’s front door. She rang the doorbell. A surge of angry barking skittered towards her from inside the house. A voice yelled at the dogs. But the barking just got louder.
The door opened.
A young man stood holding open the door. One of Jamie’s big brothers. It was like looking at a weird photocopy of Jamie. His brother was taller, bulkier, with shorter hair and a straight-set mouth. But he had the same shape face, the same brown-gold eyes.
‘What do you want?’ he snapped.
‘I’m . . .’ Eva wanted to turn and run. The snarling dogs at the man’s feet were just as unfriendly as the man.
‘Eva!’ Jamie yelled from halfway down the stairs. ‘Michael, let her in. She’s my friend. Wills, Kate, get out of the way, you stupid mutts. This is Eva.’
Michael took a small step backwards, but Eva still had to keep her elbows tucked in so that she didn’t touch him as she went past.
The dogs, on the other hand, were all over her. They scrabbled up her legs as though she were a ladder with roast chicken on top. Their mouths were slathery; they were all tongue and teeth.
‘Down, Wills!’ Jamie said sternly.
The dog ignored him completely.
‘Don’t mind him,’ Jamie said. ‘He’s as soft as a brush.’
Eva moved through the hall. It was an odd mirror image of her own house, the same shapes, but decorated differently. She couldn’t help but notice the dog-chewed banisters and the jagged edges where the fake floorboards had come loose. It smelled different too. She could smell laundry, and food, and dogs, and boys. It smelled busy.
Eva suddenly felt shy.
Jamie grinned. ‘Shall we go out the back?’
The shed roof. Eva nodded gratefully.
In the kitchen, a woman sat at the table. She had a magazine open and her dark head was bent over a giant crossword.
‘Mum,’ Jamie said. ‘This is Eva.’
The woman looked up and smiled. Eva was shocked to see that one of her front teeth was missing. The woman laughed. ‘I take my falsies out at break time. That’s how I know it’s a break!’
‘Don’t mind her,’ Jamie said, and pulled Eva through the back door.
The dogs followed them outside. Jamie scrambled up on to the roof of the shed. Eva followed. Wills tried to come too, but his legs were too stumpy to make the jump. Kate didn’t even try – instead she found a patch of sunlight to flop down in.
‘I can’t stay long. I just want to say I’m sorry about this morning,’ Eva said.
Jamie didn’t answer. He lay back on the roof and smiled contentedly. His arms and legs settled out in a star shape. He closed his eyes. Was he going to sleep? Eva frowned. She’d never been ignored during an apology before. Was he ignoring her? Why invite her in and be nice if he was ignoring her?
He opened one eye slowly. ‘You’re standing in the sun, you know. You should sit down.’
So he wasn’t ignoring her. Eva sat down heavily. The roof was hot underneath her legs. It felt nice. She lay on her back and felt the warmth spread through her shoulders. She felt them relax, almost with a sigh.
‘There’s no need to say sorry,’ Jamie said finally. ‘I’m glad you’re here now.’
‘I can’t stay though. My gran is expecting me back.’
‘You could stay for tea if you like?’
‘No. My dad wouldn’t . . . I mean, he says I can’t . . .’ Eva trailed off, not sure how to tell Jamie that Dad didn’t want her to talk to him.
‘I know what your dad thinks. He’s made that plain. You know, you should tell your dad what you think sometime.’
‘I do!’
‘Do you? Doesn’t look that way from where I’m sitting. Looks a lot like you do whatever he tells you to do, whether you agree or not.’
‘You don’t understand. He needs me.’
Was this going to be another argument? That hadn’t been what she’d wanted at all. Eva took a slow breath and remembered Gran’s advice: be pleased people care, even if you don’t like how they show it.
Eva looked up at the sky. Stray clouds floated across it, so slowly that she wasn’t even sure they were moving. They looked like great cruise ships in a calm sea. ‘I wonder what it feels like to be hit by a cloud?’
‘Wet and freezing,’ Jamie said. ‘They might look fluffy, but get close and it’s just a huge cold shower.’
She had changed the subject, Eva knew. But Jamie didn’t seem to have noticed. He just seemed pleased that they were talking again. Though Dad wouldn’t like it, Eva knew. She felt her arms raise in sudden goosebumps as one of the clouds moved in front of the sun. Dad wouldn’t like it at all.