Underneath Read Free Page B

worn the seat out. Her mouth opens to reveal white teeth that might be alright in London, but in Sheffield, and against the tanned skin, look ridiculous, like snow on a beach.
    She turns towards me. Her eyes open wide. ‘Lauren,’ she shouts and throws her arms around me. My forehead creases and I tense as I’m locked in her embrace, because I don’t know who the hell she is. She releases me and I step back to look at her. Her eyes look familiar and I’m just trying to place her when she adds, ‘You muppet, it’s me. Liz Parker, from Brook.’
    I stare at her, and then try and plant a smile on my face as I realise an old echo from my life is back – one I didn’t wish to hear again.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 2
     
    ‘Gosh Liz, er, I haven’t seen you for years,’ I state, my hand held to my chest.
    ‘Yeah, well Danny went to play for Leeds United, so we were there for a while.’
    There’s a silence whilst I process the fact she’s in front of me. The Liz I knew was a spotty, mousy haired loner. I made the mistake of standing up for her when a rumour spread around school that she’d been caught masturbating in the toilets with her lunch box banana. She thanked me by reporting the culprits to the teachers and misguidedly told them I was being picked on too. I can only think she said it in some pathetic attempt to be my friend, but I was furious and joined in the rumour-mongering instead. I remember how she looked at me as she walked out of the Head teacher’s office while I sat outside awaiting my fate. I was threatened with suspension and had my Prefect badge taken away. Liz’s parents took her out of school shortly after that and I didn’t see her again. I’d heard a rumour later that her parents had discovered she was pregnant to Danny Southwell, one of the school hard cases who played football any time he could, and just like that, the WAG thing clicked. ‘So you and Danny stuck together? Wow.’
    ‘You hadn’t heard how successful Danny was?’
    ‘I’m not into sports.’
    She stares at me like she doesn’t quite believe me and sighs. ‘So you didn’t hear about me being made to marry Danny cos I was pregnant? You must have been the only person in South Yorkshire who didn’t.’
    I grit my teeth and shake my head.
    ‘I lost the baby, but we stayed together and had Tyler. Danny did well at Leeds, but we’re divorced now. I’ve moved back to Sheffield to be nearer my mum. She isn’t getting any younger and she dotes on Tyler.’
    Good God, an over-sharer. I’ve only been standing here five minutes and I have her whole life history.
    ‘Fancy you being here anyway. So you’ve children too?’
    ‘Just the one, Joe. Well, I hope you get sorted soon.’ I look towards the classroom door as the kids start coming out of class. Thank goodness I can get out of here. ‘I’m sure Joe will keep an eye on Tyler to make sure he settles.’
    ‘Oh, that’s so kind,’ she says as a child comes sloping towards her with a face so sneering it looks like the kid’s had a stroke.
    ‘Well, see you later Liz,’ I state.
    ‘Oh,’ she makes a small tinkly laugh. ‘It’s Bettina now. Bettina Southwell. I gave myself a fresh start when we moved to Leeds.
    I dread to think what my face looks like in response to this; Niall says I am incapable of masking my emotions.
    ‘Hey,’ she adds, ‘before you go let’s swap numbers. I’m out of touch with people around here. We must do coffee sometime.’
    I hesitate as I’ve no wish to get involved with a girl I barely knew at school. ‘I’ve not got my phone on me at the mo, but I’ll bring it some other time.’
    ‘Sure,’ she says and smiles. ‘Catch you tomorrow.’
    When we get to the car, I ask Joe what his new school friend is like.
    ‘He’s ace mum, dead cool,’ he says. ‘He’s got over five-hundred Pokemon cards and loads of spares he says I can have.’ Pokemon is Joe’s new obsession, so Tyler will be a God now in his