by Jacky Gray
Paul looked concerned by her outburst, but the others knew her better.
“Don’t worry, Liv. You can keep the tragedy queen crown ’til after Christmas. We won’t take it off you.” Kat winked as Jude focussed on the sports science.
“And it’ll soon be too cold to jog outside, you put extra stress on the joints in the cold ’cos the muscles can’t warm up properly.”
Luke frowned at the girls for taking it so lightly, sticking up for Liv. “I can’t imagine you being afraid of anything, not even Jimmy Parr. But I’ll give you a few more self-defence lessons if you like.”
“I can see you’ve got it covered, mate. Not too tender after the kicking he dished out?” Paul’s concern turned to a grin at Luke’s cheeky reply.
“Nothing Jude can’t handle.”
He addressed Ray. “What about you? No lasting damage done, I hope?”
“Quite the opposite. He’s probably done me a favour. We won’t know ’til I see the specialist tomorrow, but this could be the start of my recovery. Look.” He wheeled the chair back from the table and straightened his legs, lifting his feet off the footrest, almost horizontal.
Several sounds of approval were uttered around the table, but Liv saw the strain on his face as he lowered his feet. Obviously inspired by their encouragement, he tried to lift his knees off the chair.
She wasn’t the only one who noticed as Luke stopped him with, “Whoa, that’s enough. Don’t overdo it; you might do some damage.”
“No, Mum.” Ray grinned.
Liv felt sure if it had been anyone else but Luke, he probably would have ignored them completely. Instead, he merely lifted one knee, almost halfway to his chest.
“Ok, pal.” Luke clapped him on the back. “I’ll sign you up for rugger training in the New Year. Come on, or we’ll be late for registration.”
By the time school finished, Luke had agreed to show all three girls the self-defence moves on the basis the knowledge could be useful, even if they never had to use the techniques for real.
Determined not to be left out, Ray said he’d better come to see what Liv was learning in case she tried something on him. Citing the short walk, he offered his front room as a suitable venue, being easily big enough to accommodate them all.
The session began with Luke explaining the preventative stuff about never being alone, how not to look like a victim, shouting or screaming to disorient, and the first option always being to run if possible.
“Or in my case, wheel.” Ray winked, in full class-clown mode.
Luke ignored him. “There are a few basic moves to remember. Jude, will you be my beautiful assistant?”
“Don’t you mean victim?”
Jude grinned at Ray’s heckle, but was horrified to find she could not escape her boyfriend’s grip, no matter how hard she tried.
Ray’s bantering faltered as he watched the display. He glared at Liv, his tone and expression grim. “You mean he did all this stuff with you? If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was nothing but an excuse for a good grope.”
“If that’s all the thanks you get for trying to do a mate a favour.” Luke exaggerated umbrage to a comic level.
“Oh take no notice, he’s only jealous.” Liv patted Ray’s arm and he rolled his eyes. She was ninety-nine percent sure he was only joking.
She offered her wrists to Luke. “Try it on me and see how much I can remember.”
He grabbed her but, with a deft twist of her wrists, she got free.
Jude gasped. “Wow. Pretty good. How did you do it?”
“Ok, we’ll do it again in slow motion. Watch carefully.” Luke demonstrated three of the techniques involving grabbing arms and wrists with Liv. Then he got Jude and Kat to have a go with him, first as the attacker, then as the victim.
“Good. Jude, you’re with me, and you girls practise on each other.”
“Mmm, this is getting interesting; glad I came.”
Ignoring Ray’s comment, Liv tried it with Kat. “It’s no good, I can escape much too easily. No offence Kat, but you’re nothing like as strong as Luke.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you. It was quite painful when you grabbed me.” Kat rubbed her wrist.
“Think how much more painful it would be if some guy was trying to rape you.” Liv’s bitter tone spoke of experience. “He wouldn’t care about a little thing like whether he hurt you or not.”
“She’s right. Try it again, but this time, really mean it.” Luke took his role as trainer seriously, adjusting their positions to give Kat the advantage.
“Owww. That did hurt.” Liv shook her hands.
“But you still managed to escape.” Jude sounded impressed.
“Yeah. I don’t think I would against a bloke, though.”
“You’d be surprised. Remember what I said about the element of surprise? If he’s not expecting it then it’s usually enough. Ok, if you really want another stab with me, I’ll really go for it. But give your wrists a rest first; they must be sore.”
Liv nodded as she rubbed them gently.
He gestured for Jude to lie on the floor and she trusted him enough to play along. “Now this move is the last resort. He’s got you pinned down on the floor like so.” Luke sat astride her, grabbing her arms. “Ok girls, you have a go.
“Oh no, man. I can’t take any more of this. It’s bad enough feeling like a peeping Tom while you and Jude have sex, but the thought of Liv and Kat doing it ...” Ray pretended to mop his brow. “I’m gonna have to draw the line.”
“What do you mean?” Kat’s expression was innocence itself, but her knowing wink said she knew exactly what he meant as she called him on the antiquated sexual stereotyping.
“It’s every schoolboy fantasy: lesbian sex.” Jude’s tone scathed; she’d obviously missed the wink. “God knows why, and I’m sure we’d rather not hear about it. Look Ray, if you’re gonna keep on interrupting with dodgy remarks, you can bugger off.”
Luke backed her up. “Yeah, this could be really important for Liv if Jimmy ...”
“Ok, I won’t say another word, I promise.” Ray zipped his lip.
At the end of the session, Liv moaned she hadn’t learnt anything this time ’cos of Ray’s constant disruption.
Jude hugged her. “You may not think so, but you’re loads better than me an’ Kat; we couldn’t get it at all.”
Kat agreed, hugging both of them.
“Yeah, it takes a while for some of this to sink in; you need to practise quite a lot ’til it’s almost instinctive.” Luke hugged them all in turn. “We’ll try to have a couple more sessions over the holidays.”
“Good idea.” Ray held out his arms for hugs. “I’m coming, too, if only for the hugfest at the end.”
Luke punched his arm. “Doofus.” His expression got serious as he turned to Liv. “But in the meantime, you must promise you won’t go out running unless someone’s with you. If you stuff yourself silly on Christmas day, you’ll just have to put up with it.”
“Or call me. Sounds like an ideal antidote to all the face-stuffing.” Jude totally meant it.
“Oh, yeah. Like your mum’s gonna let you come out on Christmas day.” Ray’s expression said snow in July was more likely.
“She wouldn’t notice; she’ll be too busy trying to please Megan and forcing herself to cook a turkey when she’s veggie.”
This sparked off a discussion about families and traditions which quickly dissolved into food porn as they each described their favourite dishes.
8 Bah Humbug
The last day of term passed in a flurry of tinsel and Christmas quizzes. It ended after lunchtime registration – not a moment too soon for Jude, who begrudged the waste of her time. The gang headed into town to help the guys with their last minute shopping. Reaching the top floor of the shopping mall, they heard a shout. A youth in a leather jacket and full-face helmet came running out of the department store. He headed toward them and Ray was quick off the mark, positioning his chair so it b
locked the lad’s path. Between him, the wall and the others, they provided an effective obstacle, halting his progress. But he was desperate.
Jude's first instinct, when the guy ran straight at Liv, was Jimmy Parr. As the data about his height and build registered as wrong, she figured even he wasn't stupid enough to attack his ex-girl in a crowded mall, surrounded by friends.
The helmeted guy had obviously figured Liv would present the least resistance, being the smallest. But looks were deceptive, and Luke’s training paid off as she turned the tables on him. As he staggered back, Jude dropped to the floor so he fell over her, and Luke sat on him.
The store detective stumbled up. “Thanks, guys.” He paused, panting as he regained his breath. “We’ve been after this one for a while.”
A moment later, a couple of burly policemen appeared, and Jude stared, astounded by the sheer quantity of watches and expensive-looking jewellery which fell out as one of them unzipped the perp’s leather jacket.
The detective invited them to accompany him to his office and fill out witness forms. Ray glanced at the others, seeking support for his claim they were too young to be witnesses. He obviously didn’t want to get involved.
The man winked. “Oh you’re never too young to do your duty as a responsible citizen.” He waited until the police had taken the thief well out of hearing to ask for their names and addresses. “Don’t want any repercussions on you good folks.”
When Ray asked if this was absolutely necessary, the guy shrugged. “Up to you, of course, but how else is head office going to arrange your reward?”
The gang accompanied the store detective back to his office, exchanging nudges and murmuring speculations to the nature and amount. Surprisingly, the whole process only took a few minutes as he handed out a couple of Dictaphones for them to record their statements. He assured them the police were unlikely to call them as witnesses because the guy had been caught red-handed.
Escorting them out, the guy gestured at their blazers. “I can see you’ve come straight from school; which one is it?”
Liv took on her natural spokesperson role. “Bryant Rockwell.”
“Well, you’re a credit to it, all of you. Have a good Christmas, kids. You deserve it.”
When they got outside, Jude exchanged a look with Luke; he'd obviously had the same reaction about Jimmy Parr. She scanned the mall, her senses on full alert, and watched Luke doing the same.
Liv waited until the detective was out of hearing before bursting into a fit of giggles, completely oblivious to the potential danger. “I thought he might start handing out ice creams and ginger beer.”
“Yeah, it was a bit Famous Five, wasn’t it?” Ray sniggered.
“Famous who?” Luke’s eyebrows formed a horizontal line.
“Did no one read Enid Blyton to you?” Kat frowned. “I know she’s been banned since forever, but my gran still has copies.”
“Mine, too.” Ray admitted. “And Secret Seven.”
“But who are they?” Luke persisted.
“Five kids who always got into scrapes.” Liv counted them off on her fingers. “Let me see, Luke would be Julian, Ray would be Dick, Jude would be George the tomboy and Kat would be delicate little Ann.”
“That’s only four. So who’s the fifth element of this little band then?” Jude obviously had no clue either.
“Oh Liv would be Timmy the dog. He’s the brains of the outfit,” Ray chipped in quickly.
Luke brightened. “Is it like Dick King Smith where they’re all animals? I had to sit through Pig in the City every day; Pete was really hooked on it.”
“No, Luke. They’re a bunch of 1950s school kids. I knew I would end up being the dog. I figured I’d get it in before anyone else did.” Liv glared at Ray who pretended innocence.
“Don’t look at me. I could never hope to insult you half as well as you do yourself.” He looked at his watch. “Come on, I have to be back at half three to go to the clinic. Let’s get a move on.”
~*~
Liv tried calling Ray later to find out what had happened, but all she got was the answer phone. Although she loved Christmas more than life itself, it did generate an inordinate amount of tasks. Her mum’s list filled a couple of pages of the notepad on the fridge, and she alternately pleaded, bribed, and guilt-tripped to get help from the family. Which meant Liv, as Vicky worked, Davey was too young, and Dad pulled an early duty at the hospital. Liv crossed the street, her mind on Ray’s lack of communication, wishing she’d brought her phone so she could at least text him, but she’d left it on charge.
The throaty roar of an engine froze her to the ground, as a motorbike screamed past, swerving to avoid her. The rider aimed an angry gesture, and she tried to convey her apology, even as her legs wobbled at the near miss. She clung onto the nearest car, trying to soothe shattered nerves.
The best method she knew was to intellectualise the experience, to examine the data like on a Sherlock episode. Her knowledge of bikes wasn't good enough to recognise the make, however she noticed the colour. Red. Like Jimmy’s. But much more powerful; Jimmy’s seemed a lot smaller and less noisy. The rider wore a blue helmet, but his build was the real giveaway: broader than Ray, he would have made two of him. The incident reminded Liv of Jude’s offer to accompany her next time she jogged around the park. Maybe she should take her up on it.
A lot calmer, she hustled down the road, delivering the last two Christmas cards for the neighbours as quick as she could. But her nerves were shot, and her attention snagged at every engine sound – lorry, car or bike. Furious with her vulnerability and mortified at her lack of courage, she darted into the corner shop and picked up the eggs and muesli her mum had forgotten. On exiting the shop, she glanced both ways, then scurried home to a fresh bunch of preparations for the party.
Just when she thought she might get a breather, her mother did the Obtw thing. “Oh by the way, I promised Kathleen we’d go round and help with the food so Davey can keep Connor out of her hair. I thought you wouldn’t mind.”
For once, it was cool. “It’s fine. Me an’ Jude already figured we’d be doing the Cinderella bit. We can go early and get changed there.”
“Good. You won’t mind coming back at eleven, then. You know how irritable Davey gets if he doesn’t get enough sleep and he’ll no doubt be up at half five on Christmas morning.”
“But the party will barely be started. Can’t I get a lift back with Jude or Ray?”
Her mother pretended to consider it for a second before giving in. “We could offer to take Jude with us; I don’t suppose they’ll want to go this early. Give her a bell and say we’ll be going in an hour. Oh I forgot: Ray rang while you were out.”
“Motherrrrr!”
She tried his number again, hanging up at the answer phone. This was so frustrating; at this rate she’d never find out what was going on.
At Jude’s house, her mum came out to check one o’clock wouldn’t be too late to drop Liv back. “We like to make a night of it, and now Megan doesn’t surface ’til a reasonable hour ...”
“Yeah that’s fine, see you later.” Liv’s mum put a Christmas CD on.
Liv did a nifty reverse-eye-roll and, as Jude grinned, a thought struck her. “Oh no, Megan won’t want to hang out with us all night will she?”
Her mum had obviously considered this. “She might after Sinead goes to bed; she won’t be happy with just Davey and Connor.”
“Don’t forget Pete; he’s at the age where they reinvent new meanings to the word trouble.” Jude shook her head.
“Oh, great.” Liv pouted. “They’ll take over the den and we won’t be able to do anything.”
“You could always come in and sit with the adults.” Liv’s mum grinned from the front of the car, getting the expected groan in response.
“With all the gossip about who’s breaking up with who and wall-to-wall charades of eighties pop music and nineties films? I can think of better ways to spend Christmas Eve.” This was
not Liv’s first experience of her parents’ idea of a party.
“Never mind, at least the gang’ll be together.” Jude shot her a loaded glance. “Liam’s sorting out some party games.”
~*~
In the end, Kat prided herself it was nothing like as bad as Liv and Jude had anticipated, and they had the dining room to themselves while the adults were in the lounge. The younger kids were in the den, with Jude’s sister Megan and Luke’s brother Pete forming an uneasy alliance in charge of the exuberant youngsters.
When Ray turned up at eight, he told them what the specialist had said, and how he’d spent most of the day with his dad’s physiotherapist mate learning exercises to strengthen his wasted muscles.
“Apparently, it’s not just the physical side. My brain hasn’t made a host of connections for a while, and it’s got to get used to making them again before everything will function properly.”
“So you’re saying you have to learn to walk again?” Luke oozed sincerity, but Kat saw the wicked gleam in his eye.
“Yeah, that’s exactly right.”
“So maybe you could get your little sister Amy to give you a few tips; I hear she mastered it in a couple of weeks.”
“Bastard.” Ray scanned around for something to throw at him when Kat’s mum shouted to get a wiggle on as they were leaving now.
An imposing gang walked the short distance to the church, Liv pushing Ray’s chair to save his frozen hands, but only after she’d nagged him like a mother hen for not bringing gloves. The other four walked behind, with Jude snuggling up to Luke, and Kat wished she could do the same to Liam as they kept a respectable distance apart.
The packed church had only enough room for the oldest and youngest of the party to sit; the rest hung around at the back. Ray’s wheelchair caused a slight detour in the procession as the priest, deacon, and altar servers carrying candles, followed the large golden cross down the centre aisle. The priest was extremely entertaining, but the size of the queues for the Communion wafer made it a long service.