Distraction: The Distraction Trilogy #1 (13 page)

“Is there a problem, Eloise?” Miss Hart asks, still glancing between myself and Mr Price, who now looks casual, albeit tired.

“Umm… No, I’m supposed to be here to…”

“She’s here to help with the Halloween event.” Mr Price lies and I could kick him for this particular lie. I hate being volunteered for stuff I don’t want to do. “I fell asleep. She was waking me it seems.”

Miss Hart’s eyes remain suspicious but her tense body slowly relaxes. “Well, thank you for the help, Eloise. I heard that your dad might be sponsoring the event?”

“I haven’t spoken to him yet. He’s been working out of town the past few days.”

Miss Hart nods and moves further into the room. “Well, get back to us as soon as possible if you could.”

I nod my agreement, unsure of what to do or say.

“You can go, Eloise. I’ll give you a shout if we need anything.” Mr Price nods towards the door. I take that as my cue and don’t hesitate to make a run for it.

“Sleeping?” I hear Miss Hart say quietly as I pass. “Anything to do with why your dad isn’t present today?”

“Mum had an accident,” he mutters back, right before I close the door behind me.

It’s not until I’m half way to the common room that I realise I left my bag behind. I don’t bother going to get it though. I don’t want to walk back into that awkwardness again.

No thank you!

I really hope Mrs Price is okay. The thought of her being hurt makes me sad inside. She was always such a kind and caring person.

Isaac

“I’m sorry about your mum and I really hope she recovers soon, but… I’m not going to lie…” Katherine shifts on the spot as a frown turns her face. “What just happened? What did I just walk into?”

“Exactly what I said.” I respond quickly and clearly. “I’m not that kind of man, Miss Hart.”

“I didn’t say you were, but now you’re getting defensive I am starting to wonder…”

My hands clench into fists. “I’m just helping her out. She’s in a bad place right now.”

“Please, that girl doesn’t know what a bad place is.” She snorts and it’s definitely not attractive.

I sit tensely, my eagerness to defend the young girl stronger than I’d like to admit. “Why? Because her parents have money? She’s going through something right now and she needs support. Nobody else seems to care, so I’m trying my best to at least relate to her on some level… the best I can do at this point is help her with her school work and keep an eye on her.”

“There are a lot of students in this school that come from harsher backgrounds. Why her? Why not the others?”

My heart skips a beat and thrums with anger. “Are you suggesting I have a soft spot for this particular student? All of my other students are doing okay as far as I’ve noticed. Eloise not so much.”

“She seems fine in my lessons. What’s wrong with her?”

I shake my head, refusing to reveal a secret which isn’t mine to tell. “It’s probably nothing. She’s falling behind before we’ve even begun and, after her year last year, I guess I’m just worried.”

“And you’re sure she’s not just pretending to be stupid so that she gets more attention from you?” Katherine laughs coldly. “I don’t mean this in a suggestive way, but have you seen yourself? I’m sure she’s not the only one.”

“I’m not stupid and she isn’t like that. She’s got enough on her plate.” Why is this making me so angry?

“Like what?” She sits on the table opposite my desk, her arms folded against her chest. “I’m calling bullshit.”

“I’m not sure I like where this is going.”

Her own irritation falters and a false smile settles on her no longer pretty face. “I just don’t want her… putting you in a position where it might be hard to… resist.”

“I’m done with this conversation.”

“Look, I know Eloise. I’ve known her a long time. She’s a very, very attractive young lady. The boys used to buzz around her like flies to shit and she’d lap it up. She’d have a different guy on her arm every other week… I’m not saying she’s promiscuous, just that she enjoys the attention.”

That’s bollocks. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Elle?”

“Elle?”

“Will you stop reading into this? I’m merely helping out a student, who happens to be a pretty young woman. Would we be having this conversation if she were male?”

Katherine flips her hair over her shoulder, looking entitled and smug all of a sudden. “I know women, Mr Price.” And I don’t? “And I have a bad feeling about this one…”

I stand, my frustration getting the better of me. “You don’t know her anymore. She’s clearly changed and trust me when I say she’s isolated herself. She isn’t trying to get my attention. The simple fact is, she doesn’t even want it, nor does she want anybody else’s attention.”

“If you say so…”

“I insist it. Maybe you should spend some time with her and see for yourself. There’s something going on and I think right now, more than ever, she needs help. It’d probably be better coming from another woman.”

“Your mother wasted an entire school year worrying about that girl and her friends as they partied and took more drugs than I’ve ever had the displeasure of hearing about. If she’s going down the same road, who cares?”

I shake my head with disgust. “We should care. You should care. Besides, she’s not doing that shit anymore. She has a job at Crystal’s café and works her arse off there. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. She’s also helping her dad with his rental scheme. She’s doing well in school. She’s just taking too much on, but refuses to quit.”

“You two are close it seems.”

“She hasn’t told me any of this; it’s just what I’ve picked up on over the past few weeks.”

Her face falls. “You really are taking an interest. I bet you can’t tell me any of this about the other students.”

She’s got me there. “She’s pregnant.” Fuck.

FUCK!

“W… what?”

“She’s pregnant. She doesn’t know I know. I overheard a conversation that I shouldn’t have heard. I’m pretty sure nobody knows.”

Katherine gapes in shock, clearly not expecting to hear that. “Holy crap.”

“Exactly. I’m just… I don’t know. I feel bad for her. I’m trying to help, but there’s not much I can do.”

“You should tell her parents!”

“I’m not going to and neither are you. This is for her to decide, not us. We have no right.”

Katherine growls in frustration, but doesn’t argue. “Who’s the father?”

I shrug. “I’m guessing it’s that new kid. I don’t know his name… Gaz or something.”

“Garrett? Yeah, those two do seem to have a close relationship. Do you think he knows?”

“I don’t know. He’s not in my class.”

Katherine’s demeanour oozes determination. “Well they’re both in mine. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“Don’t make it obvious.”

“Do I look stupid?”

I choose not to answer. Probably not the right choice of action. “You better not say anything.”

“I won’t! I know she’s over the age of consent, so it’s none of my business.”

Well, at least she understands to a certain level. “Good. So… you’ll keep an eye on her?”

“If she starts failing in my class or acting peculiar, I’ll give her the attention a teacher is
required
to give to a student and nothing more. You should do the same.”

Eloise

“So, do you want the good news or the bad news?” I grin, almost bouncing on the spot from excitement.

“Bad news first,” Mr Price senior says and Mr Price Junior and Miss Hart both nod.

“My dad won’t sponsor the school, but Crystal will and I’ve been doing some planning of my own with a few of my friends. They’ve all agreed to help set up and clean up.” I hand Mr Price Senior the file in my hands. “I think more students will come if more teachers are involved, so I’ve put the three of you down under certain roles.”

“I’m pretty sure this is my event,” Miss Hart snaps as Mr Price Senior looks over my plans. He ignores her, as do I.

When Mr Price Senior sees his role, he laughs and nods. “I can do that.”

“What am I?” Mr Price Junior asks and snatches the list from his father’s hand. He frowns when he sees his own and lets out a deep sigh. “Jason? Seriously? Why can’t Simon be Jason?”

Miss Hart goes next. “No way, not a chance. Nope. No. It’s not happening.”

“Crystal wants to supervise the food sales. She’s good at recognising thieves when she sees them and Hayley has agreed to do the tickets on the door. She’s too chicken to actually partake in the events.”

“And you?”

I smile proudly. “I’m going to supervise and fill in for people when they need a break.”

“Can we get this done in three weeks? I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to spare, what with Mrs Price having a broken ankle.” My heart lurches when I see the sorrow in the older man’s eyes.

“It’s fine. I can handle it, if you’ll lend me some of your faculty and students.”

Mr Price Senior shrugs. “It seems like a great idea to me. Nothing exciting ever happens in this god forsaken town. What do you think, Isaac?”

Isaac… that’s his name? Wow… that really suits him.

Isaac, aka Mr Price Junior, looks at me blankly. “I don’t have a problem with it. I just worry that we can’t get it done.”

“We can definitely get it done,” I reassure them. “Definitely. My friends are all for scaring a bunch of lower years and their families. If we start decorating on the last day of school before we break up, then there’s no way we won’t be ready. All we ask is that people can get a hold of their own costumes, which the fancy dress store in town has said she’ll happily order in for us and give us discount, seeing as it’s for a good cause.” When they all consent I almost squeal. It’s been a long time since I felt this excited about anything. “You won’t regret it!”

I’m not sure how or when or even why I became leader of this project, but it’s actually starting to not feel like such a bad idea.

Isaac

I slam the phone down, even though it’s cordless and doesn’t require slamming down to hang up the call. “They’re coming out tomorrow to do the assessment, decide what she needs before applying for the installation. It all sounds like a fucking TV contract.”

“I can’t avoid it anymore,” My dad says, sounding defeated. My dad has always been a strong man, so seeing him so down and depressed has thrown me completely. If he can’t stay strong then how am I supposed to? “We need the help and with my pension under review…”

“I don’t like the thought of Mum having a nurse.” I state, looking around the empty living room. “She won’t like it either.”

“What else can we do?” I hear the anger in his tone and I know it’s not aimed at me, but at the situation. “Why her… why my wife? Why such a kind, caring, thoughtful woman?”

I don’t answer because I just don’t have an answer. “It’ll be okay; we’ll figure it out. At least we know we’ll be getting some kind of help.”

“Okay?” My dad yells and I shush him with a finger to my lips. His tone lowers to a hiss. “How the fuck will it ever be okay? There’s no cure for this! It will never get better.” He exits the room and I listen as his heavy footsteps ascend the stairs.

Maybe I said the wrong thing, but what the hell am I supposed to say in a situation like this?

He’s right. It’s never going to get easier and it’s never going to get any better. All we can do is make my mother comfortable and hope that she holds onto her mind for as long as possible.

I wake with a pain in my neck. The sound and scent of bacon sizzling under the grill travels through from the kitchen. I stretch my body and look around my parent’s living room. I must have fallen asleep on the couch.

“Morning, Son,” my dad says around a yawn as he places a plate and a glass of fresh orange on a tray. “I’m just going to take this up to your mother. Yours is cooking. I’m sure you can handle a grill. Bread’s in the oven.”

“Cool.” I move around him and make quick work of piling the bacon left for me onto the fresh bread, warm and toasted from the hot oven. After switching everything off, I spill a dash of ketchup into my sandwich and bite down with a groan. It doesn’t matter where you cook a bacon sandwich, it always tastes better at your parents’ house.

I hear my mum’s laughter through the ceiling and smile to myself. One day that laughter will stop and that thought breaks my heart.

Once I’m done with breakfast, I make a quick trip to my house to change my clothes and have a shower. I’m back at my parent’s within the hour, ready for the social worker to come and assess the house. I daren’t leave my father alone with the poor person they send. He’s still in a strange sense of denial. I think having the equipment suited to my mum’s needs will put him on edge and make it all the more real for him.

I wish I knew why this was happening to us. It just seems so unfair. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody, but my mum just doesn’t deserve this.

Eloise

And the list is done! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relieved. After three days of shopping, Crystal and I have finally gathered almost everything we need from the local stores and the school drama supplies.

The only things left to buy are the food and the costumes, but Miss Hart and Mr Diplock are handling that list closer to the time, along with Mr Price Junior.

I’m not sure how, but I managed to convince the majority of my class to help with the preparations and even though we don’t start for another week, we’ve decided to meet on Monday to plan the décor and rooms.

Hayley is dealing with the advertising. I won’t deny that the girl has a knack for posters and flyers, and she’s tenacious in delivering them. With the local newspaper and radio station on our side, I have a tremendous feeling that this Halloween event is going to be huge.

“Dinner’s here!” Mum shouts up the stairs.

We’re having Chinese takeout and I can’t deny that I am looking forward to it. Both of my parents are home, which means we’ll eat together and I’ll hopefully be able to talk to them about the event and my birthday.

I help Mum set the table as my dad grabs the cutlery and sauces. When we take our seats, I begin telling them about everything I’ve planned for Halloween. My dad smiles, clearly proud and happy at my enthusiasm. Mum listens intently, but doesn’t seem too impressed. I suppose she wants to get back to her phone, which keeps vibrating in the living room. I can hear it against the wooden table where it rests.

“So,” I add, staring them both down. “I turn eighteen in two and a half weeks.”

My dad rolls his eyes but smiles with it, so I know he’s not annoyed by the turn of conversation. “You’re not getting a car.”

My hands fly up defensively. “No, I know that. That’s not what I want.” They both stop eating and look at me, their brows raised. I laugh a little. “Actually I was hoping for money towards a trip. I really want to go to France with Hayley before I start university. She goes with her parents every summer, as you already know, but this time we were thinking of venturing out on our own.”

My dad blinks and sits back in his seat. I can tell he’s shocked and has a million things running through his mind, most of them being images of me maimed and dying on the streets of Paris.

“I don’t have a problem with that,” my mum says and resumes eating. “Remember when we took that trip to Italy? We were only eighteen and we were fine.”

My dad chews on his lip and steeples his fingers beneath his chin, resting his elbows on the table. “If you continue to work hard and study hard, as you have been doing, and you prove that you’re able to look after yourself over the next few months, I’ll agree.”

My heart jolts and tears of excitement fill my eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, if you apply yourself and finish this year with high grades, enough to get you into a decent university of your choice, then I’ll even pay for your ticket and accommodation.”

“Oh my god,” I squeal, jumping from my seat and launching myself at my dad, who grunts when I collide with him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“What about me?” Mum pouts, disappointed at her lack of hug, so I wind my arm around her neck and pull her into ours.

“I love you guys,” I tell them, kissing them both on the head before jumping up and racing to the door.

“Where’re you going?”

I turn back to grin at them. “I have to budget! I have to open a separate savings account and I have to call Hayley!”

“After your dinner.” Dad orders, no longer smiling.

“Right.” I retake my seat, still glowing and trembling with glee.

******

I watch as the card passes around the classroom before coming back to me. Hayley stuffs it in the dark purple envelope and licks the seam before sealing it shut.

“Think she’ll like it?” She asks, handing it to me.

I nod and place the card on the hamper. “I hope so.” I grab the handle, ignoring the crackle of the plastic cover, and wave goodbye to my friends.

We head directly to the main office, smiling and talking animatedly about our trip next summer. There’s no way I’m not going. I’ll get good grades, I’ll get into University and I’ll work extra hard at Crystal’s.

“Is Mr Price available?” Hayley asks the receptionist, who smiles kindly at us from behind the large curved desk.

“Go on through.” She motions to the door to our right.

After knocking, Mr Price calls us through. I can see how tired he is and can’t help but notice how much he looks like his son right now. The resemblance is almost shocking.

“We heard Mrs Price had an accident and broke her leg,” Hayley begins and the urge to slap my hand over her mouth is almost too much to bear.

“So we put together a hamper. It just has some scented lotions and hot water bottles and chocolates.” I hold it up by the handle. “And everybody signed the card. We were wondering if you could give it to her?”

Mr Price’s eyes round slightly and his lips part. “That’s a lovely gesture, thank you so much girls.” I feel a ‘but’ coming. “But…” I wasn’t wrong. “I think Mrs Price would appreciate it if you delivered it yourselves. Lord knows she’s lacking visitors.”

That’s a good but, not a bad but. I nod eagerly. “I’d be honoured, Mr Price, as long as we wouldn’t be imposing on her healing time.”

He smiles warmly. “Not at all.”

“We could come tonight? Five thirty?” Hayley interjects, smiling widely.

I nod my agreement as Mr Price scribbles his address on a piece of paper and hands it to me. “I trust you to keep our address to yourselves. You know how kids can be when they know where a teacher lives and we really can’t handle any kind of vandalism at this point.”

“You have my word.” I promise and Hayley agrees. “Thank you, Mr Price. We’ll see you later.”

“Take care girls; study hard.”

“We will!”