Anthem for Jackson Dawes Read Free Page B

himself down in the chair next to her bed. He settled down in it, long-legged, almost too big for the place, like a trapped bird in a cage too small. His gaze settled on the green hill of belongings, then on Megan. ‘And they make you do school. It’s hopeless.’ He stopped. ‘I’ve just talked too much, haven’t I?’
    Megan didn’t answer, just slid her hands to the pile, wanting to hug it to her, protect it, never let it go. Her eyes began to sting.
    â€˜What you got under there, anyway?’ Jackson leaned forward.
    â€˜Don’t!’ Megan pulled her belongings towards her. The dressing gown slid off slightly, revealing the edges of stuff, corners, bits of underwear. She felt naked, him being there looking at her things like that, like some perv. ‘Leave them alone. They’re mine.’ She covered them up once more, smoothing out the creases.
    Jackson held up his hands, all long fingers. ‘All right! I’m not touching anything, see?’ He shook his head, smile all gone. ‘Rooster says …’
    â€˜She says nothing about just turning up like you own the place, or running people over in corridors, or being nosy about private things.’
    Jackson shrugged. ‘She was on about being friends.’
    â€˜Got some. Thank you.’ There was a long silence which she wasn’t going to break.
    â€˜You’ll be disappointed,’ Jackson said at last. ‘Friends mess you about.’
    â€˜Mine won’t,’ Megan said. ‘They’re going to bring stuff.’
    Jackson shook his head. ‘They’ll think they’re going to
catch
something. They won’t say it, but they’ll look at you like there’s bits dropping off and it’s going to happen to them if they get too close. You’ll see.’
    Typical boy.
His
friends might be like that, but
hers
weren’t. ‘You don’t know everything.’
    Jackson lounged in the chair as if he did indeedknow everything, especially her friends. He crossed his legs, uncrossed them. Two slashes of skin grinned through the frayed rips in his jeans.
    Megan picked up the corner of her dressing gown, let it drop.
    Her friends
would
come.
    â€˜Too much homework,’ Jackson went on. ‘Too much to do. They’re grounded. Live too far away. Band practice. I know all the excuses.’
    Megan looked at him. ‘
Band practice?
’
    Jackson knitted his fingers, studying them for a few seconds. ‘We used to have a band going, me and my mates. They’ve got to keep rehearsing, so they can’t come. That’s their story, anyway.’
    â€˜Rehearsing without you?’
    â€˜Well,
I’m
here,
they’re
there,’ he said, ‘and
that’s
that.’ He began to chew at his nails, at the skin around them.
    More silence.
    Megan glanced at her bed, wishing that she hadn’t hauled everything out of her locker. It would take ages to put it all back.
    â€˜I’m bugging you, aren’t I?’ Jackson pushed up his hat with a finger. Megan shrugged an answer. ‘Is that a yes or a no?’ He was looking at her with his huge brown eyes, jutting out his bottom lip, like a baby about to cry.
    Becky and Laura might think that was funny. His
fan club
. Nine-year-olds.
    â€˜My grandad’s ringing. After his tea. He’s ninety-five,’ Megan said. Jackson gave her a blank stare. ‘It’s a big thing for him.’ She stiffened her voice. ‘And he will ring.’
    â€˜OK, I get the message. I’m out of here.’ Jackson slid from the chair and was by the door in one smooth movement. He peered out, then turned to face her. ‘Ever slept with a drip?’ Megan blinked. Jackson nodded at the bags of fluid attached to him.
    She shook her head. ‘Don’t worry. You get used to it.’
    Something in his voice made her look at him. His eyes were hidden by the brim of his hat, most of his face