The Life and Afterlife of Charlie Brackwood (The Brackwood Series Book 1) by Stacey Field Page A
Authors: Stacey Field
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himself and walloped her one, do you think?" Russ asked us.
"Maybe she tripped and fell over."
"Maybe she's had a face transplant."
"Maybe it wasn't her at all. Maybe it was Mr Kane in her clothes, disguising his real identity with bandages, and Mrs Vain is actually under the patio," Russ said enthusiastically.
We both stared at him. Lucy wrinkled her nose in displeasure. Russ stared back and then held up his hands and shrugged.
"Could be true," he exclaimed. We all burst into hysterical laughter then at the thought of Mr Kane dressing as a woman. After that we were on a mission to find out the nitty-gritty on Mrs Vain and her desire to resemble an extra from a horror movie. We asked around but nobody seemed to know a thing. I suspect they did know but the fact that we were children was preventing them from speaking out. Although there was one person willing to explain the bandages on Mrs Vain's face. He was the oldest man in the village and known locally as a bit of a prankster. He told us that Mrs Vain had contracted a rare disease that meant the skin on her face had become extremely wrinkled and was losing its battle to stay on her skull. He walked away laughing after saying this while we imagined all sorts.
As time passed we learnt the mundane and unexciting truth that Mrs Vain had had a facelift, paid for her by her long-suffering husband. After her facelift she became even more outrageous and ridiculous than she’d been before. Her teenage behaviour was attracting attention from the villagers. Russ's mum had seen her walking around the village dressed in just a vest top and hot pants.
Every year time seemed to gather speed. I watched my friends grow older. Every day brought something new to look forward to. We all had plans and couldn't wait for our futures to begin. As the years passed Lucy enrolled in the same high school as Russ and I and we would spend our lunchtimes together.
I didn't know it at the time but my friendship with her was changing. She still had the same dreams and was passionate about the same things but I had developed a strong need to protect her from hurt and unhappiness. This new development confused me and the strength with which I felt the need to protect her was often unsettling.
Lucy was shy in high school and known as a tomboy. She always wore black trousers instead of the usual box-pleat skirt that was the girls’ uniform. She was frequently bullied by the other girls, mainly by those who had a reputation for promiscuity and loose morals, who wore short skirts and too much makeup. Lucy didn't wear any and was naturally pretty, which I suppose was what sparked the other pupils’ loathing for her.
She tried hard not to be noticed, was happy on the sidelines or in the background watching the others. There was an advantage to observing, you learnt how to read people, and this was something Lucy did often.
She knew who was truly being themselves and who wasn't, who was untrustworthy, who gave the impression of being outgoing and confident but was secretly extremely insecure, and who the really strong ones were. She enjoyed seeing the person behind the facade, and in high school there were plenty of pretenders striving for acceptance, and therefore plenty of subjects for Lucy to study. But she also successfully worked out the people to trust and those to avoid.
Because of the snide remarks Lucy had to endure on a daily basis and the protective attitude that I had developed towards her, I often walked her to her next class after lunch. Of course, this sparked rumours that we were more than just friends, but I genuinely saw Lucy as a sister figure in those days. Russ on other hand was a born flirt and would always find some way of getting girls to find him captivating and irresistible. He was a natural charmer and would go through girlfriends like they were a change of clothes, an accessory that went in and out of fashion.
When Lucy
"Maybe she tripped and fell over."
"Maybe she's had a face transplant."
"Maybe it wasn't her at all. Maybe it was Mr Kane in her clothes, disguising his real identity with bandages, and Mrs Vain is actually under the patio," Russ said enthusiastically.
We both stared at him. Lucy wrinkled her nose in displeasure. Russ stared back and then held up his hands and shrugged.
"Could be true," he exclaimed. We all burst into hysterical laughter then at the thought of Mr Kane dressing as a woman. After that we were on a mission to find out the nitty-gritty on Mrs Vain and her desire to resemble an extra from a horror movie. We asked around but nobody seemed to know a thing. I suspect they did know but the fact that we were children was preventing them from speaking out. Although there was one person willing to explain the bandages on Mrs Vain's face. He was the oldest man in the village and known locally as a bit of a prankster. He told us that Mrs Vain had contracted a rare disease that meant the skin on her face had become extremely wrinkled and was losing its battle to stay on her skull. He walked away laughing after saying this while we imagined all sorts.
As time passed we learnt the mundane and unexciting truth that Mrs Vain had had a facelift, paid for her by her long-suffering husband. After her facelift she became even more outrageous and ridiculous than she’d been before. Her teenage behaviour was attracting attention from the villagers. Russ's mum had seen her walking around the village dressed in just a vest top and hot pants.
Every year time seemed to gather speed. I watched my friends grow older. Every day brought something new to look forward to. We all had plans and couldn't wait for our futures to begin. As the years passed Lucy enrolled in the same high school as Russ and I and we would spend our lunchtimes together.
I didn't know it at the time but my friendship with her was changing. She still had the same dreams and was passionate about the same things but I had developed a strong need to protect her from hurt and unhappiness. This new development confused me and the strength with which I felt the need to protect her was often unsettling.
Lucy was shy in high school and known as a tomboy. She always wore black trousers instead of the usual box-pleat skirt that was the girls’ uniform. She was frequently bullied by the other girls, mainly by those who had a reputation for promiscuity and loose morals, who wore short skirts and too much makeup. Lucy didn't wear any and was naturally pretty, which I suppose was what sparked the other pupils’ loathing for her.
She tried hard not to be noticed, was happy on the sidelines or in the background watching the others. There was an advantage to observing, you learnt how to read people, and this was something Lucy did often.
She knew who was truly being themselves and who wasn't, who was untrustworthy, who gave the impression of being outgoing and confident but was secretly extremely insecure, and who the really strong ones were. She enjoyed seeing the person behind the facade, and in high school there were plenty of pretenders striving for acceptance, and therefore plenty of subjects for Lucy to study. But she also successfully worked out the people to trust and those to avoid.
Because of the snide remarks Lucy had to endure on a daily basis and the protective attitude that I had developed towards her, I often walked her to her next class after lunch. Of course, this sparked rumours that we were more than just friends, but I genuinely saw Lucy as a sister figure in those days. Russ on other hand was a born flirt and would always find some way of getting girls to find him captivating and irresistible. He was a natural charmer and would go through girlfriends like they were a change of clothes, an accessory that went in and out of fashion.
When Lucy
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