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‘Ouch,’ I say, still laughing. He throws another but misses. ‘Stop,’ I say holding my hand up to surrender. ‘Do you smell that?’
‘Pizzzzzzaaaaa,’ Aiden jumps up.
The smell of melted cheese and pepperoni wafts from the kitchen just as the doorbell rings.
‘Ugh, my mam,’ I say. ‘Seriously, her timing.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Aiden says, picking up the cushions and placing them back on the couch exactly as they were before so his mam doesn’t kill him later. ‘I’d tell you to wait here, but I know I don’t have to, you cripple ya.’
Aiden leaves the sitting-room door open and walks into the hall.
‘Hi, Heather,’ he says and I feel the draft of cold air from the open door almost straight away. ‘Kayla’s on the couch. She’s been a terrible patient. Moaning all day.’
‘Is your mother here?’ Mam says, and she sounds weird, cranky like a teacher or something.
‘Um yeah,’ Aiden says, and I can tell he’s picked up on her mood. ‘She’s cooking pizza. She’s put some on for you too.’
There’s a moment of silence and I wonder if they’re not talking or just talking really quietly.
‘I can’t stay,’ Mam says.
‘Oh. Yeah, sure okay.’ Now Aiden sounds weird, like he doesn’t know what to say or do.
‘Can I have a word with your mam?’ Mam asks. ‘I just want to thank her for today.’
‘Yeah. Okay. Come on in. Mam’s in the kitchen if you want to go in to her.’
I hear the front door close and the noise of my mam’s heels clip-clopping across the hall floor. She doesn’t stick her head in the sitting-room door to say hi as I was expecting. Instead, it’s Aiden’s head in the gap. And his eyes are wide and round and he looks full-on traumatised.
‘Okay. Your mam is in the worst mood ever,’ Aiden whispers. ‘That was so weird.’
‘Really?’ I say, confused. Mam loves Aiden. She’s usually so cool around him. I slag them both for getting on so well and joke that they are actually the ones who are best friends.
‘Did the school say something to her today when they called?’ Aiden asks. ‘Miss Hanlon was super weird around you, wasn’t she? What did she say?’
‘Nothing.’ I shake my head, Miss Hanlon’s conversation instantly replaying in my mind.
I bet Aiden is right. Miss Hanlon must have said something to my mam about food and now Mam is all freaked out. That would explain her snappy text too.Oh great. Now I’m going to have to listen to a lecture on body image all night.Thanks a bunch, Miss Hanlon.
Aiden hits mute on the telly so we can listen as my mam and his mam come into the hall, talking.
‘I really am sorry, Mary,’ my mam says. ‘You’ve gone to all this trouble. And Kayla loves pizza. It’s just I want to get to the hospital and get this knee business seen to.’
‘No need to apologise, Heather,’ Mary says. ‘We’ll catch up another time. And, between Aiden and his sister, I doubt very much the pizza will go to waste. Sure, I can’t keep that boy fed. He’d eat the legs off the table, given half the chance.’
‘I’m so grateful for today,’ Mam says. ‘And you had to pick the kids up early and everything. You’re so good, Mary. Coffee on me soon, yeah?’
Mam sounds weird. It’s freaking me out.
‘Ah, would you stop. You’d do the same for me,’ Mary says. ‘And coffee would be great.’
The sitting-room door finally swings back all the way and Mam appears, smiling, but she looks awful.
‘Hey you,’ Mam says and I think she’s going to cry.
I bet Mam’s boss was horrible when she had to leave early. Mam says he’s an asshole.I feel so bad.All this fuss. And my knee feels kind of okay now. I really wish Miss Hanlon hadn’t called home.
Aiden stands up as Mam walks in. Mary comes in behind Mam. Everyone is standing except me. It’s insanely uncomfortable.
