says Georgia. ‘What are you going to do about it?’
Demi squeezes her eyes shut. They stole her phone weeks ago and she doesn’t have a penny on her.
Georgia yanks at Demi’s hair, ripping it from its roots. Demi bites her bottom lip. Whatever they do to her she refuses to give them the pleasure of seeing her crumble. She waits for the hot slap of a hand against her cheek, or the kick of a heel in her shins.
‘Is there a problem here, Demi?’
Demi’s eyes shoot open to find Chika standing less than a foot away, some of her friends behind her.
She lifts a chin at Demi. ‘Everything all right?’
Chika’s shoulders are relaxed and she bobs from foot to foot in a casual dance. Her friends lounge against one another. Yet something in their stance makes Georgia loosen her grip on Demi’s hair.
‘This ain’t your business,’ says Georgia, but something in her tone is unsure.
Chika checks her friends and they all laugh as if Georgia has just told the funniest joke.
‘You don’t get to tell me what is and what ain’t my business.’
Chika’s body is still loose, but she takes a step towards them.
‘I don’t see why you care.’ Georgia is pretending to hold her ground, but Demi can hear the trace of fear in her voice. ‘She ain’t nobody to you.’
Chika takes another step so that she’s now face to face with Georgia. The two cronies melt into the background.
‘Just so you know, this girl’s sister is my bredren,’ Chika squares up to Georgia, ‘which makes her family, you get me?’
The other girls call out their agreement.
‘And when someone is beating up on a member of my family, that vexes me.’
Georgia releases Demi. ‘Fine. Whatever.’
She tries to move away but Chika is blocking her. She has to physically push past, clearly frightened that Chika might hurt her. Chika doesn’t move until Georgia is touching her, then she opens her mouth, bares her teeth and hisses like an angry cobra.
Georgia lets out a squeak and runs away.
‘Stay in touch,’ Chika shouts, as Georgia reaches the other side of the road and hurries back in the direction of school.
Everyone is in fits of laughter when she finally disappears, and Chika puts an arm around Demi’s shoulders.
‘You on your way to visit Malaya?’
‘Yes,’ she says, though that hadn’t been her immediate plan.
‘We’ll come with you,’ says Chika.
‘Can we eat first?’ a girl with waist-length braids grumbles. ‘I’m starving.’
Chika turns to Demi, her arm still heavy and protective. ‘You okay with that?’
Demi tries not to smile. It’s been a long time since anyone cared what she thinks about anything.
She nods and allows herself to be steered into a fried chicken place. On a sticky chair, stuffing her face with chips and ketchup, listening to the girls shout at the owners and laugh into their mobiles, Demi notices how warm it is inside.
The black granite kitchen surface was cold to the touch. Lilly ran her finger along it, feeling the pleasing smoothness. It ran the entire length of Annabelle’s kitchen, punctuated only by a deep butler sink, and there wasn’t a single crumb or drop of water on it.
‘Is that an end to this business, now?’ Annabelle loaded a tray with teapot, cups and milk in a jug.
Lilly see-sawed her hand. Something about Jack’s questioning bothered her. Not so much what he’d asked, but what he hadn’t.
Annabelle carried the tray to an enormous oak table that could easily seat ten, and began to pour the tea.
‘They didn’t seem to have any evidence against Tanisha at all.’ Annabelle’s tone was bright.
Lilly didn’t want to worry her so she took a seat next to Annabelle. ‘You’ve got quite a place here.’
Lilly had expected a modest semi, or a cottage like her own. She’d pictured knick-knacks and wellies by the door. In fact, Annabelle’s home was palatial. An enormous old rectory, set in acres of woodland. Through the kitchen window, Lilly had
Demi squeezes her eyes shut. They stole her phone weeks ago and she doesn’t have a penny on her.
Georgia yanks at Demi’s hair, ripping it from its roots. Demi bites her bottom lip. Whatever they do to her she refuses to give them the pleasure of seeing her crumble. She waits for the hot slap of a hand against her cheek, or the kick of a heel in her shins.
‘Is there a problem here, Demi?’
Demi’s eyes shoot open to find Chika standing less than a foot away, some of her friends behind her.
She lifts a chin at Demi. ‘Everything all right?’
Chika’s shoulders are relaxed and she bobs from foot to foot in a casual dance. Her friends lounge against one another. Yet something in their stance makes Georgia loosen her grip on Demi’s hair.
‘This ain’t your business,’ says Georgia, but something in her tone is unsure.
Chika checks her friends and they all laugh as if Georgia has just told the funniest joke.
‘You don’t get to tell me what is and what ain’t my business.’
Chika’s body is still loose, but she takes a step towards them.
‘I don’t see why you care.’ Georgia is pretending to hold her ground, but Demi can hear the trace of fear in her voice. ‘She ain’t nobody to you.’
Chika takes another step so that she’s now face to face with Georgia. The two cronies melt into the background.
‘Just so you know, this girl’s sister is my bredren,’ Chika squares up to Georgia, ‘which makes her family, you get me?’
The other girls call out their agreement.
‘And when someone is beating up on a member of my family, that vexes me.’
Georgia releases Demi. ‘Fine. Whatever.’
She tries to move away but Chika is blocking her. She has to physically push past, clearly frightened that Chika might hurt her. Chika doesn’t move until Georgia is touching her, then she opens her mouth, bares her teeth and hisses like an angry cobra.
Georgia lets out a squeak and runs away.
‘Stay in touch,’ Chika shouts, as Georgia reaches the other side of the road and hurries back in the direction of school.
Everyone is in fits of laughter when she finally disappears, and Chika puts an arm around Demi’s shoulders.
‘You on your way to visit Malaya?’
‘Yes,’ she says, though that hadn’t been her immediate plan.
‘We’ll come with you,’ says Chika.
‘Can we eat first?’ a girl with waist-length braids grumbles. ‘I’m starving.’
Chika turns to Demi, her arm still heavy and protective. ‘You okay with that?’
Demi tries not to smile. It’s been a long time since anyone cared what she thinks about anything.
She nods and allows herself to be steered into a fried chicken place. On a sticky chair, stuffing her face with chips and ketchup, listening to the girls shout at the owners and laugh into their mobiles, Demi notices how warm it is inside.
The black granite kitchen surface was cold to the touch. Lilly ran her finger along it, feeling the pleasing smoothness. It ran the entire length of Annabelle’s kitchen, punctuated only by a deep butler sink, and there wasn’t a single crumb or drop of water on it.
‘Is that an end to this business, now?’ Annabelle loaded a tray with teapot, cups and milk in a jug.
Lilly see-sawed her hand. Something about Jack’s questioning bothered her. Not so much what he’d asked, but what he hadn’t.
Annabelle carried the tray to an enormous oak table that could easily seat ten, and began to pour the tea.
‘They didn’t seem to have any evidence against Tanisha at all.’ Annabelle’s tone was bright.
Lilly didn’t want to worry her so she took a seat next to Annabelle. ‘You’ve got quite a place here.’
Lilly had expected a modest semi, or a cottage like her own. She’d pictured knick-knacks and wellies by the door. In fact, Annabelle’s home was palatial. An enormous old rectory, set in acres of woodland. Through the kitchen window, Lilly had
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