In Loco Parentis Read Online Free PDF Page A

in a tick.
    Looks like a fake to me, his cash, till I see the 50 on it.
    â€œNever seen one of those before,” I say, but he doesn’t react.
    She puts the change on the table and he puts up his hand to tell her when to stop.
    â€œWhy, thank you very much sir,” she says and gives him an extra little wiggle of her skirt as she goes back to the bar.
    Gus and I remain trapped in the middle of the feud with no idea what’s going on.
    Roger insists Gus goes with them back to their place.
    As if not to be undone, Emma tells me to do the same.
    â€œI need to pick up some things from the supermarket,” I try, but there’s not spine to my words and she doesn’t even bother to respond.
    Into the flat we go. There’s no chaos and nothing’s out of place.
    First thing that happens is the wine is brought out onto the table.
    The kids are sent to watch TV and Gus and Roger both skin up a couple of fat ones.
    Conversation flows, but only in particular ways, as if we’re negotiating a maths puzzle. As long as Roger and Emma don’t have to communicate directly, everything’s fine.
    Soon as the smoke gets to my brain, I’m cooked. All I want is more. I watch the joints pass around and try not to look desperate.
    Roger and Gus start going on about horse racing. Sounds like they know their onions. I hear 2000 Guineas, Derby, furlong and favourites and mull the words over trying to stick them together in a way that makes sense.
    Emma leans over.
    Her eyes are beautiful. The blue sparkles at me as she passes over the spliff. At the same time she whispers. “Look. See. You’ve come for lunch and I couldn’t even be bothered to dress up.” It’s a loud whisper. Makes me uncomfortable for a moment, till I realise the men are still talking even-money shots and jockeys. “And do you know?”
    I shake my head and fill my lungs.
    â€œI’m not wearing knickers.”
    The smoke’s expelled as a cough when I hear her words. It catches my throat and gets out of control.
    Gus takes the joint and Emma goes to get a glass of water. She’s giggling like a teenager, proud of her latest tease.
    The water does the job. I breathe deeply and feel a rasping in my chest. All the same I feel hard done by that my turn with the drugs was short-lived.
    I try hard to think about whether I know anything about racing. All I can come up with is the Grand National.
    â€œWe always bet on the Grand National,” I say. I’m not sure who the ‘we’ are. Mum, Dad and Jenny, I guess.
    â€œUs too,” Emma says with too much enthusiasm.
    â€œNever touch it,” Roger says. “It’s for mugs.”
    Gus nods in agreement. “Too big a field you see. Too many variables.”
    Now, instead of being four people, we’re two teams vying for position.
    I don’t care, so I sit back expecting things to kick off.
    â€œYou two are no fun,” Emma says, and gets up like the arguments over.
    It takes me a while to come to a conclusion. For some reason, she thinks I’m fun. She must be the first person ever to put me into that camp.
    â€œWho’s staying for soup?” she asks and Gus is in.
    â€œI’ve still got the shopping to do,” I say, half standing.
    I catch a look from Roger. He seems to approve at last, happy that I’m yet to fall under the spell of his wife.
    He’s wrong though. I’m both under the spell and scared to argue back, so when she tells me to sit down and not to be stupid, I do.
    When I remember there’s nothing bar tobacco to smoke at mine, the decision’s made.
    â€œNo red meat then,” I remind her.
    â€œCourse not,” she smiles and pulls things out from the fridge.

the girl with no bottoms
    Soon as the other men have gone, some reunion or other, we’re left alone.
    Somewhere in my mind floats the sound of an alarm bell. A distant voice telling me to be good. To pick up my