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“I’m saying keep your head down and take fucking notes on how to kill without leading the police to your damn door.” I stop the car outside Ollie’s school and take a calming breath. “Right, I should go in,” I mutter. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
“I’ll come in. I’m good with this sort of thing,” he says, following me out the car.
“How come? You got a secret kid I know nothing about?”
He laughs. “Fuck no. I have younger brothers.”
We head into the reception area, where I’m greeted by a stony-faced woman. “I’m here to see the head teacher for Ollie,” I tell her. She slides a book to me and hands me a pen. “Sign in?” I ask, because she’s clearly forgot how to speak. I scribble my name, and Archer does the same.
Mrs. Ball steps from her office, forcing a smile as she takes in Archer. “I’m Ollie’s head teacher, Mrs. Ball,” she says, holding out her hand. Archer shakes it but offers no explanation. “And you are?” she pushes.
“Archer,” he says.
She glances at me for more, but I smile awkwardly and offer nothing. “Are you a relation to Ollie?” she asks, leading us into her office.
“Yep,” he says, sitting down. I sit beside him.
“Right. Well, we should start with Ollie’s lesson attendance.”
“I’ve been dropping him at the door every day,” I tell her. “I can’t walk him to each lesson.”
“Even when he decides to attend lessons, he often walks out before the end.”
“I asked him about it. I even had his half-brother speak to him,” I say. “He promised he’d make an effort.” She makes a note on some paper. “Does he have friends?” I ask. Ollie doesn’t mention anyone apart from Ben, who I’ve never met, and he never brings anyone home.
“You tell me,” she says.
I hesitate. “He doesn’t talk about friends.”
“The group he’s in with aren’t exactly a good influence. All of them are older,” she tells me. “Does he go out after school?”
I nod. “Most nights.”
“And I take it you know where he is?”
I shrug. “He’s twelve. Who knows where their twelve-year-old is at every minute of every day.”
She narrows her eyes. “Most people do, actually.”
Archer sits up straighter. “What’s the point of this meeting?” he asks.
“I’d like to work with you on how we approach Ollie to get him to participate in his learning.”
“But his learning is down to you. Keeping him in lessons is down to you. Rosey’s job is to parent, yours is to teach. If you don’t know how to handle a difficult child, that’s a ‘you’ problem.”
Her face reddens slightly, and I worry she’s about to burst, so I gently pat Archer’s arm to shut him up. “I’ll speak to him again. I’ll get him to school every day on time. His older brother is getting him work outside of school to keep him occupied. I’m trying my best, Mrs. Ball. And if he walks out on a lesson, call me, and I’ll come and drag him back.”
She nods stiffly. “It’s a plan, I suppose.”
“He’s surrounded by family, they all care for him, and I’ll make sure he knows we’re supporting him, as are you. Just stick with us while we work on him.”
As we head back to the car, I check my phone to find several missed calls from Albert. I groan. The last thing I need is him on my back, but it’s best to face him head-on, so I drive right to the office.
“Don’t piss him off,” I warn Archer as we head inside.
He grins innocently. “As if I would.”
I knock on the office door, and it’s Arthur who tells us to enter. I glance at Archer. “I swear, don’t get us killed today,” I hiss as we enter.
