“I haven’t a clue. Reaction?”
“How were you treated?”
“Brilliantly. No one suspected, and they treated me better than I’ve ever been treated.”
“That boy, the one at the gate, is he trouble?”
“No, not in a nasty way. I think he fancies me.”
“Then that’s trouble. You don’t need that kind of complication.”
“Maybe not, but I kind of like it. He’s actually quite nice, when one gets past his arrogance.”
Ingrid looked sharply at Kayla.
“So, do you see boys differently, all of a sudden?”
“No, or at least, I don’t think so. I think I see boys more like a girl does. Before, I tried hard not to, but now I can, and it worries me a little.”
“So how do you see them?”
“Like friends, but something more.”
“Something more?”
Kayla grinned and shook her head.
“That’s all, Gran, I’m not sure how I see them really,” she said, in English.”
Ingrid smiled and they started to prepare supper together, chatting away in Swedish. In actual fact Kayla had been exposed to Swedish so much over the years, she took to it quite naturally. Some of her vocabulary was noticeably absent, but her accent, grammar and general feel for the language was fine. By speaking it all the time, Ingrid helped the girl to build up those areas in which she was weak.
Sally rang, telling Kayla about the sad death of her parents.
“Sally, you tit!”
“I know, I’m sorry, but Pete was so insistent, it was all I could think about!”
“Okay, What car, when and where?”
“Shit, I don’t know. You come up with that. I will just say I don’t know.”
“Okay. See you!”
They finished their call as the doorbell rang. Ingrid looked at Kayla.
“Your young man?”
“I doubt it, he doesn’t know where I live. It’s probably Ricky,” she said, recalling her earlier conversation.
Ingrid didn’t understand why Kyle had been so friendly with Ricky, as she did not take to the lad.
“What’s he want?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Kayla said, going to the door.
She opened the door and saw Ricky standing there.
“God middag, er, good afternoon, you are Ricky, ja?”
Ricky stared at her for a couple of seconds, and then grinned shyly.
“Yeah, I’m Ricky, Kyle’s mate.”
“Er, mate? What is mate?”
“Oh, I’m his friend. Mate is the same as a friend.”
“I see. Roligt att lära känna Er, um, I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said, as Ingrid came to the door.
“Oh, it’s you. What do you want?” she said, hardly in a friendly tone.
Ricky flushed slightly, but stood his ground.
“Hello, Mrs Clarke. I just came to say hi to Kayla. I saw her at school, but never got a chance to speak to her.”
“You’d better come in, I suppose. Wipe your feet.”
Ricky did as he was told, and came into the house.
“You would like a drink, ja?” Kayla said.
“Yeah, that’d be cool. A Coke’s fine,”
“We don’t have Coke. There’s milk or fruit juice,” Ingrid said.
“Oh, fruit juice would be nice, thanks.”
Kayla went and got him a drink, and put the kettle on for Ingrid, who would never turn down a tea.
Ricky watched the girl as she got out the glasses and poured the drinks. He could see the family resemblance.
“You look quite like Kyle. Much prettier, of course,” he said.
Kayla blushed and flashed a quick smile.
“Tack, I mean, th-ank you,” she said, and handed him his glass. He took it, noticing her beautifully shaped and clear varnished nails. He had to look up to her slightly, and as he looked into her amazing eyes, he had a strange thought. He laughed slightly.
“What is funny?” she asked.
“I just, I had a silly thought, I’m sorry.”
“What thought?”
“Well, for a moment, I wondered what Kyle would look like dressed as a girl, and, well, I reckon he could be your brother. You are very like him!”
She smiled uncertainly. Did she dare let him in on the secret? She decided not to. There may come a time, but not yet!
“But he is a boy, no?”
“Yeah, I suppose it is the family thing. Your voice is different, and I think you are taller. He hasn’t got, um, er, well, he’s a different shape,” Ricky said, staring at her breasts.
“That is good, ja?”
He smiled, and finished his drink.
“Ja, I mean, yes. That is very good,” he said, with another furtive glance at her breasts that were straining through her thin blouse. The nipples were apparent, and Ricky felt ever so warm suddenly. All his silly thoughts of Kyle dispersed as quickly as they arrived.
Ingrid appeared, and frowned slightly.
“Kayla, we have to go and see your parents, get rid of him,” she said.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, but I need to speak to them, and you should come too.”
“Ricky, we go to see my cousins. So, I see you at school, tomorrow, perhaps?” Kayla asked, in that sing-song accent he found so attractive.
“Yeah, cool. Thanks for the drink, Mrs Clarke. Bye.”
He left, and Ingrid smiled.
“That’s better; I think he smelled a rat!”
Kayla frowned as she worked out the comment, and then nodded.
“Maybe, but I think I killed the rat. He couldn’t stop staring at these,” she said, indicating her breasts.
“They are certainly very realistic. It’s amazing what you can get these days.”
They walked the short distance down to see Rebecca. Jake wasn’t home from work yet, so they sat in the kitchen while Ingrid discussed what was on her mind. They spoke in Swedish, just to help Kayla get used to following conversations.
“Is it wise, do you think, to send her to the same school?”
“Why?”
“She is getting a lot of attention from the boys. I saw one today by the school gates. He was positively drooling.”
“Do they suspect?”
“I don’t think it enters their heads. Most of their thinking seems to take place below the belt. I am not happy that Ricky is back on the scene. He almost guessed.”
“No he didn’t. He just saw a family resemblance,” Kayla said.
“I think it is risky. He may be an unpleasant boy, but he isn’t stupid,” Ingrid remarked.
“Ricky is my friend, and he isn’t unpleasant, just a bit different. Besides, I’ve known him for ages.”
“No, Kayla. Ricky is Kyle’s friend. You only met him today. You have to forget Kyle and everything to do with him!”