TEN
Saturday 5 September
‘I can’t sleep,’ said Lara, standing barefoot in the doorway of the living room. Nancy glanced over at Beth, then, pausing the movie, she untucked her legs and got off the sofa.
‘What’s up?’ she asked, giving Lara a hug.
‘I keep having these scary images,’ said Lara. ‘Of dead straw bears. The straw’s all soaking wet and it’s dripping on my carpet.’
‘Except it’s not real,’ said Nancy.
‘No, but that’s what Rosie said. There are ghosts in the reservoir. Drowned straw bears. She says she knows this because she used to live here. And she says they come up through the garden gate and into our house. I feel like they’re in my bedroom.’
Nancy composed herself. She could kill that Rosie for telling Lara such a stupid story, for being so mean to her at the birthday party. When Rosie had been dragged from the lake, Nancy couldn’t believe it when she’d started telling everyone that Lara had pushed her in – worse, had held her head under the water. Lara was beside herself with upset and had desperately tried to say what had really happened – that Rosie had made nasty comments about Lara being voted Head of School, saying she shouldn’t have been allowed because she hadn’t been there since Reception class. Lara had tried to shrug it off, but Rosie had moved onto scare tactics, stories about straw bears. When Lara tried to paddle away, Rosie put an oar out to stop her – which was how she’d lost her balance and fallen in.
Rosie had pointed the finger of blame at Lara and even said Lara had pushed her head under the water. It was unbelievable really. Nancy had tried to reason with Imogen, but the other mother was too angry. The party had ended prematurely as Rosie was so upset, leaving several boxes of burgers and chips uneaten at the cafe, not to mention a large, uncut cake. Nancy, under the weight of all the curious and condemning glances from the other mothers, had been desperate to go, and she and Beth had quickly helped Lara change and been the first away.
And now Lara was having trouble sleeping. It had only been a few weeks since she’d stopped having night terrors – something that Nancy had been immensely relieved about. Except now this other girl seemed to have single-handedly started them off again.
Beth moved over to Lara and put an arm around her. ‘Now you listen to your Auntie Beth. No one’s in this house except you, me and your mum, and no one can get in.’
Lara still looked dubious.
‘You want me to kip on your floor? Just to be certain?’
Lara smiled. ‘I snore. Mum said so.’
‘Like a thunderstorm,’ said Nancy.
‘Well, I snore like a tornado,’ said Beth. ‘So we make a good team.’
‘I don’t think we’d get much sleep,’ said Lara.
‘No, but we could sneak in some chocolate and eat it at midnight.’
‘Not a chance,’ said Nancy.
Lara sighed. ‘What if she’s still mean to me on Monday?’
Nancy felt her heart tighten. ‘Then you tell me.’
‘No one else saw what happened. They’re all going to believe Rosie. I won’t have any friends.’
‘They won’t all believe Rosie,’ said Beth. ‘Lots of those kids are smart and they’ll know she’s lying.’
‘And anyway, this will all be forgotten about soon,’ said Nancy, hoping she was right. Lara needed to settle, needed some stability. This was meant to be a fresh start.
‘Your mum’s right,’ said Beth. ‘Now go on, back to bed before I come and snore on your floor.’
Lara, a little more pacified, turned and went back upstairs.
Nancy sank back down onto the sofa, took a sip of her wine. She exhaled with worry.
‘She deserves it, you know,’ said Beth. ‘Everything. The house you’ve got for her, the fact she can breathe fresh air. She deserves the school accolade.’
‘I know. I just have a horrible feeling I’ve made an enemy of the most popular woman in the village.’
‘Define popular.’
‘What?’
‘Go on.’
‘Well,’ said Nancy. ‘It’s someone who’s liked.’
‘Bullshit,’ said Beth. ‘It’s not about being liked, it’s about being dominant. Don’t let this woman, or anyone else, get you down. They’re going to have to put on their big girl pants and get over it.’
Nancy smiled. Beth was right.
Hey Imogen, just reaching out to see if Rosie is feeling OK 
20:17
No, actually I meant Rosie 
20:21