‘What?’
‘A toy. A pretend pet dog. Her friend has got one, Pepper’s feeling left out.’
‘Are you kidding me?’
Lorna grimaced, got the card out of her purse and handed it over. Simon got a pair of scissors out of the kitchen drawer. Each cut felt as if it was slicing right through her.
THIRTEEN
Monday 7 September
When the double doors opened at the end of the school day and it was Lara’s turn to point out her mother so she could go, it was obvious to Nancy that something was wrong. Lara’s body was rigid with tension and as she walked over, Nancy could tell she was doing her best not to cry.
She rested her hand gently on her daughter’s shoulder. ‘Everything OK?’ she asked quietly.
Lara quickly shook her head.
‘What’s happened?’
Lara paused. ‘Today, in break, Rosie wasn’t very nice.’
Nancy kept her voice level. ‘Go on.’
‘Everyone was sitting in a circle playing Duck, Duck, Goose. I was watching and then Rosie said I could join in. So they made room for me. Then Rosie said...’ She tailed off, upset.
‘What? Come on, you can tell me.’
‘“Anyone who actually likes Lara, put your hand up.”’
Nancy’s breath caught in her throat. ‘Then what happened?’
‘No one did.’ A tear rolled down Lara’s cheek.
‘The little...!’ Nancy put her arm around her daughter, held her close.
‘So I got up and tried to get away,’ continued Lara, ‘but I was hurrying and accidentally stood on Rosie’s hand and she started crying like I’d broken it or something and then I got into trouble with Miss Young.’
‘Did you explain to Miss Young what Rosie had done?’
‘No...I didn’t want to tell on her. And by the way, Miss Young wants to have a word with you.’
Nancy looked up and, sure enough, the last of the children had been released to their parents and Miss Young was looking over expectantly.
Good, thought Nancy. She could clear this up. She approached the teacher, Lara trailing behind her.
‘Hello,’ said Miss Young. ‘We’ve had a bit of an incident today.’ She looked down at Lara. ‘Maybe Lara’s already told you about it?’
‘Yes, she mentioned.’
‘I’m afraid, as this is the second time Lara’s used inappropriate behaviour towards Rosie, we had to take it to the head.’
‘Second time?’ asked Nancy, confused.
‘Yes...I understand there was an incident at the weekend? I appreciate it didn’t take place at the school and ordinarily Mr Whitman wouldn’t take anything out of school into account, but I understand it was quite a serious altercation?’
Nancy was struggling to take it all in. ‘I’m not sure whatMr Whitman has told you but I can assure you, Lara is completely innocent of any wrong doing,’ said Nancy, her voice growing in emotion as she spoke. She went on to explain how Rosie had been teasing Lara on the water and how she had fallen in, fabricating a story about being pushed in. She also explained how Rosie had humiliated Lara in the playground earlier that day. As she spoke, she saw Miss Young’s face shift, and her eyes harden, as if some suspected notion had been reinforced in her mind.
‘I didn’t know that,’ Miss Young said levelly and then she turned to Lara. ‘I’m sorry to hear about what happened earlier but please feel you can talk to me at any time.
