by A. E. Radley
Hannah stopped and took a deep, shaky breath.
“Sorry, I’ve never really told anyone any of this before,” she confessed. “Everyone around here knows. Well, they know their version of things.”
“You don’t need to apologise,” Alice said. “Take your time.”
“I was so angry at everyone for not noticing what was happening to me. At first, I was a kid and didn’t know any better. Then I realised something was wrong, and I felt such shame. Like I was to blame, and I had to keep it quiet. By the time I realised something was wrong, I’d spent years being bullied and didn’t want any more negative attention on me or my family.”
Alice was starting to understand a lot of Hannah’s demands for Rosie to have an ordinary school life. It must have been hellish for Hannah, growing up in a town where no one had noticed the terrible things she was going through on a daily basis. That kind of life left scars.
“Anyway, that was my childhood at Willows. I refused to ever step foot inside that place again after I finally left. It was only Rosie’s appearance that changed that. I never left Fairlight, didn’t know where else to go. Better the devil you know, right?”
Alice worried her lip. “May I ask about Rosie?”
“A club, too much to drink. Stupid stuff, really. Suddenly, I was pregnant. It shook me up, though, made me knuckle down and get myself sorted out. Spoke to Adrian, got a trade under my belt.”
“And… the father?”
“No idea who he was,” Hannah said with a sad grin. “Want to run away now?”
“I don’t run,” Alice said seriously.
Hannah slumped a little. “I’m sorry. I’m just defensive. I’ve had to learn to be that way, but I’m trying to be better. Trying to do better.”
“That’s all anyone can ask,” Alice said. “And after all you’ve been through, it’s no surprise that you’re cautious. Anyone would be. But I’m not sure I understand. Why the sudden change? You said you’ve been getting on a little better with people after the fire?”
Hannah chuckled. “Yeah. Someone spoke to me and said I should try to reach out and see what happens rather than assuming the worst. So, I did, and I realised that I got a lot of people wrong.”
“People were willing to help?”
“Yes. And people who I thought had a problem with me either didn’t or thought I had a problem with them. And many people I went to school with seemed to have forgotten about everything that I remembered with crystal clarity. It’s weird how something can be the most intense experience in your life while it’s no more than a blip for other people. I realised I’d been keeping to myself and pushing everyone away. Typical Hannah. I did it as a child, and I was doing it as an adult.”
“I’m really glad to hear that they surprised you, though I can’t blame you for reacting the way you did. I’m sure a lot of people would have.”
“Thank you.” Hannah sat up and looked a little nervous. “I just wanted to explain this all to you so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m a bit messed up, but I’m trying fix it. I don’t know if you’re up for that?”
“I’m very much up for that,” Alice said. “Your upbringing is obviously going to have an effect on your life, but it doesn’t mean you’re condemned to always feel that way. And I’d be proud to be with you while you figured things out. I like to think that we all spend our lives figuring things out, discovering new parts of our personality and working to change them.”
“Yeah, like you once thought calling a car Gertrude was a great idea,” Hannah sassed.
“That’s it!” Alice launched herself onto Hannah and tickled her. She knew that Hannah had had enough of being serious, and the joke was her way of breaking the tension. Alice was only too pleased to help her with that.
Hannah was stronger than Alice and quickly managed to gain control, seizing both of Alice’s thin wrists in one hand and using the other to attack her ribs.
Alice tried her best to keep quiet, knowing that Rosie was asleep next door. She decided attack would be the best form of defence and kissed Hannah squarely on the mouth. It worked. Hannah was distracted enough to release Alice’s hands.
She considered using her freedom to attack Hannah again but decided against that course of action as the kiss increased in intensity. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Hannah, pulling her close.
Hannah tore her lips away and started pressing small kisses down Alice’s jawline. “I wish you could stay over,” she murmured.
“I have a spare room,” Alice whispered. “Maybe you could come to mine. Rosie can have the spare room, and you can come in with me. Might not be as comfortable as this sofa, though.”
Hannah nipped her ear with her teeth as punishment for the jibe. “I’d like that,” she admitted.
“We’ll arrange dinner, slowly get Rosie used to my place and see how she feels about staying over one night,” Alice suggested.
Hannah pulled away and stared into her eyes. “You really are perfect.”
It was said with such conviction and strength that Alice was momentarily stunned.
“I—I feel the same about you, both of you,” she confessed when she finally got her voice back. “In fact, I know some people have trouble saying it, but I’ve never had a problem with telling people how I feel. Even if it means the L word.”
Hannah grinned. “I like you, too.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean,” she argued softly.
Hannah took her face in her hands. “Alice, I’ve fallen in love with you,” Hannah said seriously.
Alice’s breath caught in her lungs, prevented from escape as her heart grew eight times bigger. She could barely hold back a squeal of excitement as she pulled Hannah into a rib-crushing hug.
36 COLIN
Alice walked around the playground at afternoon break on her first day back at work. Apparently nearly dying didn’t get anyone off of the playground duty roster. Children were running around, and everything looked like any other day, even though she knew it wasn’t.
It had all started with a strange morning. Her students had hugged her and given her a welcome back card. It had taken a long time to get them all calm and settled for lessons. This was probably not helped by the fact that her own mind was distracted.
She kept thinking about the full school assembly that was happening at the end of the day. Everyone would be there, even the photographer from the local newspaper. She didn’t like the fuss. She’d asked Hannah to try to cancel the whole event, but Hannah claimed it was out of her hands.
Apparently, everyone wanted to see her and thank her. Alice shivered at the very idea.
“Miss Spencer?”
She turned around and saw a boy she didn’t recognise, someone from year two or three.
“Yes?”
“When you were in the fire, did you use an axe to break down the doors?”
Another boy appeared. “Yeah, and did you have to leap over holes where the floor had given out?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “All of that.”
“Cool!” The boys ran off to tell their friends.
She didn’t want to tell them that she spent most of it huddled in a corner of the library expecting to die. Their parents probably wouldn’t want her telling them that either.
“There’s the hero!” She heard Hannah’s voice.
She turned around to tell her off for announcing such nonsense so loudly in a public area but stopped dead when she saw an older man walking into the playground beside Hannah.
“Alice Spencer, this is Jon Hall, my dad,” Hannah introduced. “Who decided to turn up out of the blue this morning.”
Jon chuckled. “She’s telling me off, can you tell?”
Alice swallowed nervously. She hadn’t expected to meet Hannah’s father, and she wondered if she looked presentable.
She held out her hand. He looked at it and laughed loudly as he brushed it to one side. Instead he held out his arms and pulled her
into a gentle bear hug.
“Thank you for saving my granddaughter,” he said. He stood back and looked into her eyes. “And for making my daughter happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.”
“I, um, it’s lovely to meet you,” Alice replied, not sure what else to say.
“You’re frightening her, Dad,” Hannah said. She looked at Alice. “He’s a big teddy bear, don’t worry.”
Big was right. Jon Hall was extremely tall and well built. His smile was kind, like Hannah’s.
“I hear these lot are going to embarrass you with some presentation?” Jon asked, ignoring Hannah.
“Yes, unfortunately,” Alice said. “I’d rather get back to work and forget about it.”
Jon tutted and shook his head. “That’s Fairlight for you, everyone wants to stare.” He winked.
“Dad, you’re not helping,” Hannah sighed good-naturedly.
“Rosie will be so pleased to see you,” Alice said. She looked around the playground and spotted the girl on the climbing frame with Simone.
“Has she grown yet?” Jon asked with a chuckle.
“Not much,” Hannah admitted.
“It’s the big brain, squishing down the rest of her body,” Jon said. “I’m looking forward to babysitting her while I’m here. Will give you two some time alone.”
Alice felt the instant blush on her cheeks. Of course she wanted some alone time with Hannah, but she didn’t need Hannah’s dad bringing it up.
“GRANDDAD!”
“She saw you, then,” Hannah quipped.
Jon ran towards Rosie and scooped her up into a hug.
“Sorry about my dad, he likes to embarrass people,” Hannah said.
“He’s sweet,” Alice admitted. “Certainly better than the reaction you would have gotten from my parents.”
Hannah put a supportive arm around her shoulder.
Alice turned to talk to her when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Colin sat alone by the fence. She frowned.
Hannah followed her gaze.
“I’m going to go and talk to him,” Alice said.
“Has he said much?” Hannah asked.
“No, he’s kept to himself all day. It needs to be resolved. I’ll catch you later.”
“Okay, I’ll see you for the assembly in an hour,” Hannah said. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
Alice didn’t hear anything else as she was already walking toward Colin, noticing only now that he was crying. He may have been a troublesome little monster, but he was only five.
She silently sat on the ground beside him, grass stains be damned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“No one likes me.” He wiped the tears away from his face with his sleeve.
“Why do you think that is?”
“Because they’re stupid!” Colin spat out.
Alice sat quietly and waited.
“And… I’m mean to them,” he confessed.
“Why do you do that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged.
Alice believed him. He was a little too young to understand his own behaviour.
“Maybe,” she started, “you don’t want people to hurt you. So you hurt them first?”
He thought about that for a few seconds and then nodded his head. “Maybe.”
“Maybe I can help you with that?”
He turned and looked at her. “You should hate me, too. I nearly killed you and Rosie.”
“I could never hate you, Colin. I want you to be happy. I want all of my students to be happy. And I think you’d be a lot happier if you made friends.”
“They don’t want to be friends.”
“I think you’d be surprised.” Alice stood and held out her hand to help him up. He stared for a few moments before grabbing it and pulling himself up. She rested a hand on his shoulder and looked around the playground.
A few boys from her class were playing football, and she nodded her head in their direction.
“Why don’t you try and join in that game?”
He shook his head. “They hate me.”
“You think everyone hates you,” she chided. “Come on.” She walked over to the football game, Colin falling into step behind her.
The boys stopped playing when she arrived.
“Boys, can Colin play with you?” she asked, gesturing him to come closer.
Peter shrugged. Quentin said, “Sure.”
She bent down to Colin. “Just try to be nice. You’ll be surprised. When you’re nice, so are other people.”
He nodded. She stood up and walked back towards Hannah.
“Did it go well?” Hannah asked.
“I think so. He’s not a bad boy, just a little defensive. Like someone else I know. He gets the first punch in.”
Hannah chuckled. “Smart kid.”
Alice elbowed her playfully. She turned around and saw that Jon was now playing hopscotch with Rosie.
“So, your dad is happy to babysit Rosie?” Alice asked.
“Yeah, he’s staying at a local bed and breakfast, and they have a spare room. He’s stayed there before. Not sure how we’ll fill the time,” Hannah said casually.
“I have a couple of ideas,” Alice replied, “but I’m not talking about them in a school playground.”
The bell sounded to signal the end of break.
“What’s the last lesson of the day?” Hannah asked.
“Maths.”
“Last thing on a Monday? That’s cruel!”
“Your daughter loves maths,” Alice said.
“I’m going to order a DNA check,” Hannah muttered.
“You do that. I’m going to go teach children valuable life skills,” Alice said.
“I’m going to help set up the school hall for a hero,” Hannah replied.
“Oh, shut up,” Alice whispered so the passing children didn’t hear her. “See you later.”
Alice turned and followed the children towards the building. She noticed Colin was chatting animatedly with the boys she had left him with. She hoped some friendships were being formed. She knew she had a way to go with Colin. Behaviour didn’t change overnight, not even after the shock of the fire, but he was making some good first steps.
37 ASSEMBLY
Hannah looked around the school hall. Everyone had turned up. She was pretty sure most of the shops in town had been closed so people could come to the school to see the assembly. Alice would hate it.
The mayor walked in, her large, gold chains of office clanking around her neck.
“They still know how to do overkill, then,” Hannah’s dad mumbled in her ear.
“Oh, yes,” she agreed.
The bell sounded, thirty minutes earlier than the usual end of school, to give students time to get to the hall for the assembly to take place.
Children started to file in and take their seats on the wooden benches that had been set up for them. Parents, grandparents, staff, and everyone else from Fairlight stood around the perimeter of the room, waiting.
A photographer snapped pictures, and a few parents filmed proceedings.
Hannah couldn’t blame them. Everyone was relieved that the fire hadn’t been worse, that they were able to celebrate all being well rather than the alternative.
A few more classes entered the hall and took their seats.
Hannah remembered being in the school, sitting in the front of the hall in year one and slowly working her way through the benches until she sat at the back. And then, freedom. She’d never thought she’d be back.
The sound of children gasping and muttering caused her to look up. The fire service had arrived. They’d obviously always been considered heroes in the town, but they were now more so than ever. None of the officers would be able to buy themselves a drink in any of the local pubs for the next twelve months.
Finally, year one filed into the hall, and Alice guided them into their places. Hannah had to smile. It was a little like herding cats. She d
idn’t know how Alice managed to cope with them all.
When they were all settled, Alice stood to the side, but not before finding Hannah and offering her a shy smile across the room.
Everyone was ready, the doors were closed, and Hardaker took to the stage.
“Thank you all for coming,” he started. “As you all know, we’re very lucky to sit in this hall with every single student and teacher with us. The fire started in the basement, due to faulty wiring. It could have started at any time, and we were very lucky it started at break time when the majority of people were out of the building.
“One young first-year student remained in the building, and if it weren’t for the heroic act of Miss Spencer, she certainly wouldn’t have survived.”
Hannah felt a lump in her throat. Of course, she knew all this, but hearing it recapped in such a stark summary reminded her of how close she came to nearly losing Rosie. Her dad wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder and held her tight.
“We’re very lucky that Miss Spencer reacted quickly to a deadly situation. And, as a symbol of our thanks, we have a plaque that will hang in the main entranceway. Miss Spencer, if you’d like to come up here?”
Alice walked up the small flight of steps onto the stage. The mayor walked up the other set of stairs holding a wooden plaque with an engraved brass sheet on it. They shook hands in the middle of the stage, and the plaque was handed from the mayor to Alice, with a few words exchanged.
“Speech!” Lucy Gibson shouted out from year two’s section.
Alice shot her a dark look which just caused people to laugh. More calls for a speech sounded.
“And now,” Hardaker said, “Miss Spencer will, apparently, say a few words.”
Alice looked pleadingly at Hardaker. He held his hands up, indicating that it wasn’t up to him.
Alice turned to face the audience. She looked down at the plaque for a few moments before looking up again. “When I came to Fairlight, I thought it would be just another job,” she began. “But it didn’t take me long to realise that Fairlight is much more than that. It’s a community. I used to live in a large city, surrounded by thousands of people, but I’d never been more alone. Now, I feel like I’ve found a home.”