* * *
At break, Adam was kicking a football around with Niamh, Conor, and some of the others. One side of the pitch backed onto the grass verge of the main road, with spiked railings separating the two areas of green. In the distance, Adam saw the tall, rangy figure of Danny crossing the road.
He made his way over to the railings and put his long arm towards Adam. ‘Put it there, me boyo!’ he demanded.
Adam stared.
‘Put it there! Shake! I want to shake the hand of the man who scared the living daylights out of Rory Brennan!’ Danny’s knuckly hand still hung in mid-air.
Adam smiled sheepishly. ‘Did Mam tell you?’
‘Nope! It’s all over town, amigo! I saw him and his brother up at the shopping centre yesterday afternoon. Their ma was in a shop, and she made the two of them stand outside holding the trolley. I heard them talking about you as I went past.’ Danny shook his head and gave a long, dramatic whistle. ‘I don’t think they’ll be messing with you any more, my friend. Not with your reputation!’
Adam looked suspicious. ‘Reputation?’
Danny grinned, stretched his arm in a bit further and punched Adam on the shoulder. ‘You’re a hard man now, Adam. They were quaking in their little shiny shoes! What was it they said about you?’ He scratched his head for effect. ‘Anyway, I think “wild” and “mad” were some of the words used …’ He turned and began walking off, then looked back. ‘Madman Adam … what do you think? I like the sound of it. I’d stick with that one!’
Adam grinned.
Niamh and Conor came over to the railings. They watched Danny cross the road, where he turned and saluted before walking off.
The three friends walked over to their tree and sat down, leaning against its rough bark. ‘Are you okay after yesterday?’ Conor asked. ‘It was really terrible watching that little bird, wasn’t it?’
Adam nodded.
‘Listen, Adam,’ said Niamh. ‘I think the bird is alive. Your jacket was empty when I came out after school. Maybe it was just stunned for a while and then it got better.’
Adam scanned the skyline. He looked out past the houses, the main road, the grey hills, the white winter sky. No sign of any birds.
‘And another thing – I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when you told me about the bird following you …’
‘It’s okay,’ Adam interrupted.
‘No, it’s not. I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to imagine a bird following you – being so tame and everything …’ Niamh fiddled with the end of one of her long plaits.
‘Niamh,’ said Adam, ‘really, it’s okay. Maybe he was following me, maybe he wasn’t. I suppose I won’t ever know.’ He drew up his knees and rested his head on them. Niamh and Conor exchanged worried glances.
Suddenly, Adam jumped up and peered at the school. It was hard to tell from where he stood, but it looked as if there was something perched on the gable end of the building. A small shadow that, even from this distance, looked like a starling – a small and particularly scruffy starling.
‘Would you look at that!’ cried Adam, turning towards Niamh and Conor.
‘What?’ they said together, just as the bell rang to signal the end of break.
‘Up there!’ he cried, pointing.
All three of them followed Adam’s outstretched finger, but the bird had gone.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Adam. Then he flashed a sudden grin. ‘It doesn’t matter – come on, let’s go in.’
Copyright
This eBook edition first published 2012
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First published 2001
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Copyright for text © Gillian Perdue
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