The Parent Problem

by Anna Wilson

  ‘S-so is this why he’s been talking to you so much?’ I ask.

  Finn nods. ‘I’m sorry, Skye,’ he says. ‘He made me promise not to tell you.’ He looks at Aubrey. ‘You OK to carry on?’ he asks. ‘I think we should keep going to the park. I just have a hunch.’

  ‘OK,’ I say.

  Aubrey nods, still clearly out of breath.

  Pongo is keen to get going and helps me along by pulling ahead. I scan all around me for signs of Harris as I jog along. He can’t have run away. He can’t have!

  Cars occasionally speed past us. The horrible thought that he might have been taken by someone – bundled into a car – flashes in front of my eyes. I can hear my blood pounding in my ears as I run faster. I should slow down, look more carefully, but I can’t stop running now. I look into people’s gardens and down the side alleys where people keep their wheelie bins. At one point, up ahead, I see what I think is a small hunched person on the side of the road. Is it my brother? Has he been hit by a car?

  ‘Harris!’ I scream as I career towards it. Pongo lets out a yelp. His ears are flat as we both speed ahead of the others.

  Finn runs faster too and overtakes me again. When I reach him he is bent over double in front of the person, wheezing and panting.

  ‘Is it . . . ?’

  Finn is shaking his head. He takes a step away and points. ‘Not him.’

  It’s one of those charity bags, spilling old, unwanted clothes into the road, that’s all. The relief brings more tears.

  ‘I can’t run any more,’ I sob.

  Finn stands upright. ‘Come on, into the park. We’re nearly there.’

  We hurry around the corner of the road that the park is on. I can see the gates up ahead. There is no one in sight.

  Aubrey has stayed quiet since Finn told me about Harris being bullied. I wonder if she is feeling guilty too, for stirring up trouble when things were going wrong in my life.

  I am about to say something when Finn exclaims, ‘Hey!’

  I look at him and see he is pointing to the left of the park gates, where the road goes on to the shops. A small figure is dragging his feet, ambling towards us, his head down.

  ‘Harris? HARRIS! Is that you?’ Finn shouts.

  The figure stops in its tracks and then throws its arms in the air and starts running in our direction.

  ‘Harris!’ Aubrey and I yell his name together.

  Pongo immediately jerks his lead out of my hand and goes racing ahead, catching up with Harris before I get a chance to regain my balance, and jumping up at him, licking him all over his face.

  Finn gets to him before we do and grabs him in a friendly headlock, ruffling his hair.

  I get to them just as Harris is saying, ‘I dropped Bop-Bop somewhere – have you seen it?’

  ‘This manky old thing?’ I say, holding the blanket out to him.

  I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or get angry with my little brother. I decide on none of the above and throw my arms around him instead, which means I end up in an awkward tangle with him and Finn, who is still holding on to Harris too.

  We pull apart, laughing and panting, out of breath and tangled up in Pongo’s lead.

  ‘You had us seriously worried, Harris,’ says Finn. ‘We thought you’d run away.’

  Harris takes Pongo’s lead and fiddles with it, looking sheepish. ‘I’m sorry. You scared me when you started fighting, so I went to find Mum.’

  ‘Oh, Harris! I’m the one who should be sorry. Finn has told me all about what’s been going on at school. I’ve been a rubbish sister,’ I say.

  Harris gives a small smile and says, ‘’S’all right.’

  Finn pats him on the shoulder. ‘Come on, buddy. Let’s get you home.’

  ‘No,’ says Harris. ‘I have to find Mum. She wasn’t there.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ I ask. I shoot a glance at Finn. He shrugs.

  ‘I just told you: I went to find her. I wanted to watch her in the competition, remember? I know she said I wouldn’t be allowed, but I was upset and I wanted to see her. But when I got to the town hall, she wasn’t there. There was a competition,’ he adds, looking puzzled, ‘but Mum wasn’t in it. I asked one of the grown-ups who was organizing it and they said Mum hadn’t been to any classes for weeks.’

  My stomach falls away. ‘What?’ I say.

  ‘Come on, Harris,’ Finn says, his tone disbelieving. ‘Your mum wouldn’t lie to you.’

  ‘Yeah,’ says Aubrey. ‘Are you sure you went to the right place?’

  Harris glances at Aubrey’s feet, then gives her an odd look, and nods.

  ‘It’s OK, it’s only me, Aubrey,’ she says. ‘I had to dress up like this because—’

  ‘We haven’t got time for that,’ Finn cuts in. ‘Harris is upset, aren’t you, buddy?’ He puts an arm around Harris, whose eyes have filled with tears.

  He nods again. ‘I know I went to the right place. Look.’ He hands me a crumpled piece of paper. ‘I found this in her room ages ago.’

  I take it and unfold it, smoothing the creases with my fingers. It is a flyer for the ballroom-dancing competition. ‘Yup, it says it’s at the town hall and it’s the same time that Mum mentioned.’ I look up at Finn and Aubrey. ‘So where is she?’

  Finn takes a deep breath. ‘Only your mum knows the answer to that question. I think we had better go back and wait for her.’ He gently points Harris and Pongo in the direction of home and they walk on together.

  Then Aubrey turns to me and says something unbelievable.

  ‘Maybe she’s on a date.’

  ‘What?’ I snarl.

  Aubrey takes a faltering step back, tripping slightly over her stupid feet. ‘I – I said, “Maybe she’s on a date.” Well, she did say she needed to get out and “meet people”, didn’t she? Maybe she met someone at the class and they’ve been dating in secret – so as not to upset you and Harris.’ The last part comes out in a rush as I take a menacing step towards her.

  ‘Shut up!’ I say. I try to keep my voice level. I have already frightened Harris once this evening, I don’t want him to turn around and see me fighting with my ex-best friend. I wait a beat until I am sure Harris and Finn are out of earshot, then I look Aubrey up and down.

  ‘Just shut up,’ I repeat. ‘Everything you do and say these days is designed to hurt or humiliate me, isn’t it?’

  ‘What?’ Aubrey frowns.

  ‘Don’t be all “innocent face” with me,’ I say. ‘You and I both know you posted that video of me falling in the loo. Mum was going to report you, you know. I wish I’d let her now.’

  Aubrey’s jaw drops. ‘I – I . . .’ For once in her life she seems to have lost the power of speech. I take advantage of this unusual state to power on, pointing at the clothes she is wearing, ‘Look at you! I should be taking a video of you right now to get my own back. Except I won’t because the difference between me and you is, I am not a bully.’ I pause while Aubrey gasps. ‘Yes. That’s right. What you did was horrible. And now you have to turn up tonight of all nights after weeks of ignoring me. I wish you’d just go back to your new best friends and leave me alone.’

  Aubrey has gone red. She flicks her eyes ahead to Finn, but he and Harris are deep in conversation and well ahead of us now. He is probably desperate to get away from us – from Hobbit-Girl Aubrey, anyway – and I don’t blame him.

  ‘Skye – I . . . I’m so sorry,’ she whispers. She takes a step towards me, stumbling in her stupid Hobbit feet.

  I wave a hand at her. ‘Don’t,’ I say.

  ‘Please, Skye. I didn’t think. I didn’t mean to really hurt you. I know I’ve been an idiot. Can you forgive me?’ Her tone is pleading, her face twists as though she is going to cry. ‘I came tonight because I wanted to see you. I just kind of . . . miss you,’ she goes on, her voice rising in pitch as she goes on in a rush, ‘and you don’t ever have your phone on any more and your mum texted and told me to come and make things up with you. I know she’s really an
gry with me. Oh, Skye, I’ve messed everything up, haven’t I?’

  I shrug. I am trying to remain careless, but really I am confused. Mum told her to come round? She promised she wouldn’t get involved!

  Aubrey blinks and clears her throat, pulling herself together. ‘In any case,’ she says, forcing a grin, ‘I needed to get out of the house. I mean, elves and hobbits. Soooo uncool.’

  I know what she is doing now: trying to make me laugh. I can feel myself giving in to her, wanting us to be friends again. But I can’t let her win me over that easily. Not after everything she’s done.

  ‘Too right,’ I say, eyeing her ridiculous outfit. ‘And what do you mean, Mum texted you?’ I ask. ‘How does she even know your number? Aubrey, what is going on? Is this yet another plan to get a date with Finn? Cos I don’t think it’s working.’ All the time I am saying this, a tiny voice in the back of my head is saying, She missed you! And she said she was sorry: why can’t you just focus on that?

  Aubrey is looking at me strangely. Her eyes have gone glassy and her mouth is trembling. I think she is about to shout at me, or say something really cutting, like the VTs would.

  ‘I felt so bad when I got your mum’s text,’ she says. She fishes her phone out from the pocket of her hobbity-brown skirt and shows me, ‘See? She is obviously worried about you and it’s all my fault!’ she says, her voice rising as tears spill on to the front of her blouse.

  I read the text in disbelief. I can see from the time it was sent that Mum must have written it just after I shouted at her. I have hardly used my phone at all these past few weeks. I can’t even remember the last time I saw it: there’s been no point in having it on since Aubrey and I stopped talking. Mum must have taken it to get Aubrey’s number.

  ‘Skye, you have to believe me. It wasn’t my idea, posting that video,’ Aubrey is saying. ‘It was Izzy and Livvy. They are so mean! And I’ve taken it down now anyway, I promise. As soon as I got your mum’s text I realised I had been as mean as the VTs, so I went and deleted it.’ She takes a deep, hiccupy breath and bites her lip. ‘They’ll have put photos of me on the internet by now. I know what you are going to say: “I told you so”,’ she says. ‘I shouldn’t have gone off with them and been horrible to you.’ Then she flings her arms around me and says, ‘Please forgive me, Skye, I really have missed you so much!’

  I am shocked. Aubrey never blubs like this. She just styles it out. Have the VTs really got to her too?

  Is this an act? Is she really crying? Should I tell her ‘I told you so’? Should I ask her about these photos? Challenge her to find out if she is telling the truth this time?

  Then I notice something. Something which makes me realize that Aubrey is not faking any of this.

  She has her friendship bracelet back on.

  I can’t add insult to injury. The VTs have done enough damage. I am not going to be like them.

  ‘I’ve missed you too,’ I croak, returning Aubrey’s hug.

  We stand in the middle of the pavement, clinging to each other like a pair of sobbing limpets until I say, ‘I need to get back. I have to find out where Mum is. You coming?’

  Aubrey pulls away. ‘Yes,’ she says, smiling through her tears. ‘Of course. I’ve been a dweeb, but I am back from Dweebville now. I’m here for you.’ She holds up the wrist with the friendship bracelet on. ‘BFF?’ she says.

  I hold my bracelet up to hers. ‘BFF,’ I say, grinning. Boy, does it feel good to be friends again. ‘But can you promise me something?’ I ask.

  ‘Anything.’

  ‘Take that costume off and wear something of mine the minute we get back?’ I say. ‘Those feet are grossing me out.’

  Aubrey laughs. ‘You bet!’

  Finn, Harris, Aubrey and I sit on the sofa in a line. Harris is sitting squarely between Aubrey and Finn. Aubrey keeps stealing glances at Finn when she thinks he isn’t looking. We are watching a film and waiting for Mum to come home.

  Aubrey changed into a pair of my jeans and one of my T-shirts as soon as we got in. She started to moan that I didn’t have anything cool to wear, but she soon shut up when I snapped that she could always stay as a hobbit if she thought Finn would be more likely to have a crush on her dressed like that.

  Harris said wanted to make popcorn, so Finn put some on for him. He put extra sugar on top, saying it was ‘good for shock’, and winked at Harris. He really does get on well with my little brother. I would feel annoyed, only it is so good to have Harris back safe and sound, I realize I don’t care. In any case, I am worried sick about Mum.

  Only Harris is eating the popcorn. We are all very subdued and I don’t think any of us except Harris are actually watching the film. I steal a look at Finn and Aubrey, and wonder if the same thoughts are bouncing around their brain the way they are around mine: How could Mum lie? Where has she been? Is she coming back? Why isn’t she answering her phone?

  When we hear the key in the front door, we all jump.

  ‘Mum!’ Harris shouts, running to greet her.

  I feel sick. How do you confront your mum about the fact you know she has not been telling the truth? And what if Aubrey’s comment about Mum having met someone is true?

  I hear Mum laughing and chatting as she rattles her key in the lock. She has someone with her. I hear a deeper mumble: a man’s voice. So Aubrey’s hunch was right. She has been out on a date without telling us. How long has this been going on? If she is bringing him home she must be serious about him. Maybe she’s decided that the time has come for us to meet him. I can’t handle this. Get me out of here!

  The door closes and I hear Mum cooing over Harris in the hall.

  I look at Finn and Aubrey. They look back at me. If only I had some Floo Powder. I would step into the fireplace, taking the others with me, and vanish straight up the chimney.

  We stand up as one. I feel squashed, like a jack-in-the-box shut up tight and ready to burst with questions the minute Mum walks in. Who is the man? Do I already know him? What will I say? What will he be like?

  ‘Hello!’ Mum is standing in the doorway, holding Harris’s hand, looking in at us all standing in a line.

  She is still wearing the red-and-black outfit she had on when she apparently went to the ‘competition’. So what has she been doing? ‘How lovely,’ she is saying. ‘A welcome committee. Harris is up late, isn’t he? And Aubrey’s here too! It’s lovely to see you. We haven’t seen you for ages!’ she exclaims.

  Like she didn’t have anything to do with Aubrey coming round. Wow. She really is good at lying.

  ‘Rob, are you coming in?’ Mum calls back into the hall.

  Rob?

  ‘Hi, guys.’ Rob appears in the doorway behind Mum. ‘You ready to come home, Finn?’

  Rob. As in Finn’s dad Rob. So not a date. So . . .

  Mum, Harris and Rob come into the room and everyone begins talking at once.

  ‘Where have you been?’ I say. ‘Harris went to find you.’

  ‘I was worried about you, Mum!’ Harris whines.

  ‘We know you weren’t at the competition,’ says Aubrey. I nudge her to stay out of this.

  ‘Were you together?’ Finn asks. His voice is steady and calm, but it sends a chill through me.

  Everyone stops talking as suddenly as they began.

  No one says anything for what seems like an age.

  Mum looks at Rob, and Rob looks away.

  Then Mum laughs and says, ‘What a funny thing to say!’ Her face is redder than I have ever seen it. ‘Of course we were together – on the doorstep – just now. Rob saw me coming back from the competition and . . . er, well, ha ha! Now I’m back, Finn can go home, can’t he? So Rob came in with me to get him. Like he sometimes does. And now he’s here. With me.’

  Mum is babbling. She gives another laugh – more uncertain this time. I scrutinize her face. She is nervous. But why?

  Rob shuffles his feet and looks everywhere but at me and Finn.

  ‘Hellie,’ he says. ‘Don’t yo
u think it’s about time we . . . ?’

  ‘About time you what?’ says Finn. He draws his shoulders back and juts his chin out, as though he is challenging his dad. I don’t dare look at Aubrey in case she is swooning or something.

  Rob and Mum exchange glances. They look guilty. As though they have been caught doing something they shouldn’t. As though . . . Hang on a minute!

  ‘Hellie?’ Rob says again.

  I feel as though I am in a lift: I have gone right up to the top floor of the tallest skyscraper and then someone has cut the cords, sending me plummeting down the shaft.

  They aren’t . . . ? They’re not . . . ?

  Rob clears his throat. ‘Let’s all sit down,’ he says. He puts a hand on Mum’s shoulder.

  ‘Yes,’ says Mum. ‘Good idea. We . . . er, we should probably have a chat.’

  By now it is pretty obvious, even to me, what they are about to say. I can’t look anyone in the eye. I am terrified of looking at Mum and I don’t want to think about what is going through Finn’s mind. As for Aubrey . . . I’m just glad the VTs aren’t in the wings, ready to witness this. Think of the gossip that would be going around school first thing on Monday morning!

  Skye’s mum is going out with Finn’s dad!

  Kill. Me. Now.

  As Winnie-the-Pooh (greatest philosopher of all time) says: ‘Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.’

  When I said this to Finn, he pulled a face and said, ‘It sounds like the kind of thing Mum – I mean Yuki – would say.’

  Maybe, but Winnie-the-Pooh said it first. And it’s true: I have spent the last few weeks trying to solve The Parent Problem, The Aubrey Problem and The Finn Problem, when there were actually much bigger things going on right under my nose that I didn’t see at all.

  Mum and Rob sheepishly told us that they had in fact been going out for months. Mum had been to a couple of dance classes, and then gave up once Rob asked her on a date.

  ‘We didn’t think we should tell you until we were sure it would work out,’ Mum told us the night Harris went missing.

  ‘Yes,’ said Rob. ‘We knew it would be weird for you, so we wanted to be certain. The best way of keeping it a secret was to use the cover of the dance lessons for our dates,’ he said.