What You Left Behind by Hayes Samantha

Author:Hayes, Samantha [Hayes, Samantha]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780804136938
Publisher: Crown/Archetype
Published: 2015-04-14T07:00:00+00:00

19

Most of the homeless had left for the day; just one or two stragglers remained. Frank was whistling a tuneless song while hanging up the last of the pans above the stove following the breakfast wash-up.

“Do you like going to those music festival things?” Frank asked Lana, who was wiping down the surfaces. “My Tammy’s got a spare ticket for Reading. She was wondering if you’d like it. There’s a group of them going.”

Lana laughed bitterly. “I can’t, sorry.”

She could already hear her mum’s voice if she mentioned it, especially if it was with Tammy. For some reason, she didn’t think much of her and her mates.

Think of the germs, Lana, the poor sanitation and lack of nutrition. Glandular fever and STDs, not to mention the risk of dehydration and alcohol poisoning, drugs and syringes …

Frank made a noise as he straightened his back. He’d said he’d hurt it a few days ago. “If I were younger, I’d be up for it. Camping, beer, music, and friends.” He nodded at the thought. “I saw the Beatles and the Rolling Stones back in the day.”

“When was the day, Frank?” Lana asked idly, searching through the cans of food in the cupboard.

She felt Frank’s eyes on her back so she turned, and noticed the chill in them.

“It’s now, pet,” he replied with a wink. “The day is always now.”

Lana turned back to the cupboard and thought about Freddie and the bullying he’d confided to her. She was desperately worried about him and wished she’d never let him go. What would his mother say if she knew she hadn’t stopped him? There must have been something she could have done to help.

She thought of Dean, too, and Lenny, and, finally, Simon. None of them would ever again be having their “day.” It had been stolen from each of them.

She took a can of soup from the cupboard, opened it, and tipped its contents into a saucepan.

“Not making lunch already?” Frank said, coming back in from taking out the rubbish. He was behind her, standing close. Lana felt unsettled. She could sense the warmth of his body as he peered over her shoulder, watching as she stirred the soup.

“It’s for Abby to take with her. She looks so thin these days.”

Frank grunted his approval. “That girl needs to sort herself out,” he said coldly.

“She’s had a tough time recently, what with losing Dean. And now Lenny.”

Frank hadn’t really talked about the latest suicide. No one had. Rather he’d just carried on the last few days, busier than ever, as if by keeping the shelter in tip-top order it would make the tragedy go away.

“I had your mum on the phone earlier,” Frank said. He swung round, leaning back against the worktop.

Once again Lana felt his eyes boring into her.

“Is she OK?” she asked, staring at the soup. It was already bubbling furiously, sticking around the edges. She turned off the burner.

“She was asking about Freddie, if we’d seen him here.”

Lana swallowed. Her mouth was dry.

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