“These politicians should come down to the clinic — see what it’s like on the frontline. Kids get no sex education any more — no wonder they’re all at it like rampant rabbits without a thought about the consequences. They need educating, by the system, by their parents. So what if the teen pregnancy rate is falling? It’s still the highest in Europe.”
“At least it’s going in the right direction.”
But Mum carried on like Robert hadn’t even said anything. “Do you know that some of them treat abortion as back-up birth control?”
“Rather that than there be no choice.”
“Of course.” I could almost hear the shudder in her voice. “If everyone who got themselves in a fix went through with the pregnancy…”
My ears started ringing, the blood rushing to my head in horror. But Robert was saying something and Mum’s rant changed direction.
“…no thought about what happens next. All they know is what they see on the Internet. Porn directors have taken on the role of parents, who just dodge the issue completely.”
Robert laughed and I only caught the last part of what he said. “…so hard trying to tell Jay.”
“Same with Hannah. Thank God those two have their heads screwed on.”
I cried myself to sleep that night.
Of course, there is also the issue of the Father. But whilst we’re on the subject of dads, there’s always mine lurking in the background to add a little turd to the icing on my fucked-up cake of awfulness. I got an email from him part-way through the exams.
Dear Hannah, here’s wishing you the best of luck in your exams. I know you’ll nail them. Luv, Dad.
And there was an e-card with a four-leaf clover where the leaves peeled away to reveal a leprechaun dancing a jig with “All the luck o’ the Irish” in a speech bubble over his head.
Seriously. WTF?
“I know you’ll nail them” — really? Have you spoken to Mum recently? Have you seen my reports? Nail them in the sense of literally taking in a hammer and pounding the sheets to the desk with a nail?
“Luv” is a word used by boys when they’re too chicken to come out with the real thing on a Valentine’s card. It is not OK to use it to express fatherly affection at the end of an email.
The card. There are no words.
From where I’m sitting I can see the seconds ticking away and watch as the minute hand jerks forwards towards fifteen-minutes past the hour. I stare at the hand as it edges round until it’s nearly reached twenty past.
That’s when I look down from the far end of the hall to the English paper on my desk, a half-started sentence about Macbeth scrawled on the top of my sheet of paper. I have failed these exams and now I’ve failed my baby.
SECOND
FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER
LAST DAY OF TERM
AARON
“So are you coming out tonight or what?” Tyrone clamps a hand on my shoulder so hard that I have to suppress a wince. He has been uncomfortably nice to me since Rex’s party. I mean this in the most literal sense. I’ve endured nearly two months of regularly having his arm thrown round my shoulders, my back slapped, arm punched… Tyrone’s love hurts — and it’s earning me envious looks from the people who wish they had it. If only I could tell them that he’s doing this because he doesn’t like me, then the basketball lot could stop giving me death stares and go back to ignoring me… And then what would I do? Read books in my lunch hour and hang out with Neville until he falls asleep on his cards?
I don’t know. That sounds like a slippery slope to me. Better to have fake school friends than none at all.
It seems the way that everyone celebrates the end of term around here is much the same as they celebrate the end of a week. By going to the park. Joy. I pitch up late, having helped Neville seal and stamp his Christmas cards. There were more than I expected and I asked who they were for.
“Family,” was the gruff response, but after a little coaxing — and some of the Jack Daniel’s I’d planned on taking to the park — he warmed up and told me more.
“This one’s my brother. Greville.” I bit my lip and he nodded. “I know. Long story — and a boring one. You don’t need to worry about these two.” Both a “Mrs”, both in Scottish cities. “This one’s for my niece, Bea and her husband. Nice couple. This one’s for her ex-husband. Not a good husband, but a great nephew-in-law. He married the woman he was banging the day his kid was born.”
I looked suitably scandalized and Neville gave me every detail as if it was a lead story in today’s tabloids. The way his memory works is fascinating. I thought the elderly became vague about everything when they hit the seventy mark, but Neville is sharp as a razor on things like this and he’s pushing ninety. Knowing the difference between his dressing gown and his mac on the other hand…
“And this lot are all my favourite students.”
That brought me up short.
“You know I used to lecture History, don’t you?” And he filled in an answer in the empty crossword of his past. It explains why he’s such a pain to watch films with — in future I’ll bring ones set in a period he’s not an expert on. Like the future.
The park is freezing. This is not a surprise because it is, after all, December, traditionally a time when people congregate around log fires and sip mulled wine whilst wearing knitted jumpers with reindeer on the front. But we are teens and we throw snowballs in the face of frostbite. Or we would if it ever snowed.
Rex and Katie are together on the swings. The two of them kissed at his party and a few weeks ago Rex copped a feel in the bushes, but since then they appear to be locked in some kind of holding pattern — neither of them pulling anyone else, but not taking things further with each other. It’s driving Rex crazy — and in turn, me, as I’m the one he wants to talk to about it. I pointed out that Katie hates me and he should probably find someone else to help him, but he thought I was joking. The curse of Tyrone’s “funny” tag lives on.
Tonight it’s too cold for the pair to change the status quo and I get summoned over right away by the ever-clueless Rex. Hannah’s sitting on the swing next to them looking bored.
“Drink?” I wave my bottle at her and she shakes her head. I pull a Thermos out of my bag and wave that at her. She laughs and nods and I pour her a hot chocolate, ignoring the revolted expression on Katie’s face.
Hannah wraps her fingers around the plastic cup and breathes in the plumes of steam rising from the surface. She’s wearing a woolly beanie pulled low to cover her ears and it’s pushing the tip of her fringe across her face like a bird’s wing. She catches me looking and gives a little frown.
“I like your hat,” I say and sip from my own non-alcoholic cup, having handed Rex the whisky that Neville didn’t get through.
Hannah and I swing back and forth slightly out of time, but my swing slows as I scuff the toes of my trainers on the ground and we end up swinging in unison before the movement subsides. I enjoy the silence between us and the feel of the hot chocolate in my hands, the gentle sway of the swings. Simple pleasures that aren’t so simple to come by.
“I don’t know why he’s here.”
“He’s my mate, Katie,” Rex replies in a murmur that I only hear because I’m listening for the answer.
“’S’freak.” I look up at exactly the right moment to catch her looking at me. “What are you looking at, Emo Boy?”