Born Bad Read online

  ‘Quiet now everyone, please,’ said Mr Parry after he had given out paper and pens to his pupils. ‘Right, let’s begin.’

  Adele sped through the test with ease. The last word of the test was a difficult one, but it didn’t give Adele any problems. She quickly wrote it down then gazed around the classroom while she waited for the other pupils to finish.

  Adele noticed the class bully, Jessie Lomas, who had slapped her pen down onto the desk in defeat. Adele could read the dissatisfaction on Jessie’s face as she frowned and pursed her lips.

  Jessie caught her eye and glared at her in annoyance so Adele diverted her attention. As she lowered her head to avoid Jessie’s glare, she noticed the state of her white cardigan. She’d put it on in a rush that morning, not stopping to check whether it was clean. In her house, looking for something decent to wear was a bit like rummaging through the items in a jumble sale. And now, as she gazed down at herself, she saw several stains on the cardigan. Adele felt her face flush with shame. She put the largest of the stained patches of cardigan to her mouth and, using her own saliva, she dampened the patch and sucked at it to draw the stain out. Then she rubbed it against a clean part of the cardigan to reduce the stain. It was no use. Rather than getting rid of the stain, she found that she was spreading it.

  When Mr Parry announced that it was time to check their answers, she released the cardigan and faced the front of the classroom. His eyes were on her and she flushed again as she realised that he had been watching. He wasn’t the only one; Jessie Lomas had also noticed.

  All thoughts of her dirty cardigan were temporarily forgotten however, as Adele was thrilled to gain full marks in the test. She didn’t see the jealous look on the face of Jessie Lomas who had struggled to get half the spellings correct.

  It was while they were leaving the classroom that Jessie made her feelings known. ‘Teacher’s pet!’ she hissed into Adele’s ear as they queued at the door waiting for the bell to ring. ‘You might be good at spelling but you’re a little tramp. I saw you trying to clean your manky cardigan.’

  Jessie was a large, coarse-looking and troublesome girl who many of the other kids feared. Her clothing was also well-worn and dirty but Adele failed to notice this as she was so overcome with her own feelings of shame. She couldn’t wait to get away, but Jessie wasn’t finished with her yet. As Adele rushed past her, heading towards the playground, Jessie stuck out her foot and Adele tumbled into the corridor.

  Adele’s feelings of shame were soon replaced by fury when she felt the impact of the hard, concrete floor on her knees. She dashed to her feet rubbing at her injuries then straightened herself up and instinctively rushed towards Jessie.

  ‘You tripped me up!’ she shouted and was about to launch into Jessie when Mr Parry stepped between them.

  ‘That’s enough!’ he shouted. ‘Jessie, go to the head teacher’s office and explain to her why you just tripped Adele up.’

  Jessie was about to protest but Mr Parry cut her short. ‘I saw exactly what you did, and I want no arguments.’ Raising his hand and pointing for emphasis, he added in a raised voice, ‘Go. Now!’

  The way in which Jessie glared at Adele before she walked away told her that this wasn’t over. Mr Parry smiled at Adele. ‘Don’t worry about Jessie,’ he said. ‘She’ll calm down once she’s had a good ticking off. I suggest you stay out of her way for now but if she gives you any more trouble, make sure you let me know.’

  Adele smiled back and nodded her head. She took Mr Parry’s advice, avoiding Jessie for the rest of the day, and she was glad when it was finally home time. After she had helped Mr Parry tidy some books away, Adele set off for home. She was heading up the street outside school when she spotted a crowd of schoolchildren in the distance. She hurried towards the crowd to find out what was going on.

  As Adele drew nearer, many of the kids turned to look at her. She carried on walking, noticing their nudges and whispers. Her scalp prickled and her stomach tensed as a feeling of dread took hold of her. She felt her heart plummet and was tempted to bolt. But it was too late. Adele was already in the thick of the crowd.

  ‘Here she is,’ somebody announced and the crowd parted to form an open pathway which led straight to her adversary. Jessie stood waiting, surrounded by her group of friends. Unfortunately Adele’s own friends took a different route home so she had to face Jessie alone.

  A sneer formed on Jessie’s face as she watched her approach. Adele hesitated, feeling a tightening in her throat. Her blood was pumping. She looked around for an escape route. But the crowd had closed in behind her. They were pushing her forward. Adele had no choice. She had to face Jessie.

  ‘I’ll teach you not to get me into trouble, you little creep!’ said Jessie.

  Before Adele had a chance to react, Jessie was upon her. She grabbed Adele’s hair with both hands and tugged her head downwards. The sharp stinging of her scalp brought tears to Adele’s eyes, but she wasn’t going to give in without a fight. She swung her fists, trying to make contact with Jessie’s face. But Jessie had the height advantage. Adele couldn’t see or reach her target. Her head was pulled low, her eyes staring at the ground. She grabbed Jessie’s hands to wrench them away but the taller girl gripped onto Adele’s hair more tightly. The pain intensified and Adele flailed around helplessly. She tried to kick, but Jessie pulled her head down lower so Adele’s knees were bent. She pulled her leg up awkwardly aiming at Jessie. It unbalanced her and she toppled to the ground.

  The crowd were roaring and cheering for Jessie who they saw as the guaranteed victor. Jessie stood back, gloating, while Adele sprang back to her feet. She stared at Jessie with hatred in her eyes.

  ‘Come on then,’ taunted Jessie. ‘Do you want some more?’

  The smirk on Jessie’s face infuriated Adele. But she also felt powerless and vulnerable. When she pushed her hair off her face, a clump came away in her hand and she choked back a sob. The crowd fell silent. Adele’s heart thundered in her chest. Jessie stood awaiting her reaction, a grimace painted on her face. Adele was tempted to charge at Jessie. But it was pointless. She knew she couldn’t win, and was swamped by frustration and fury. It was taking all her self-control not to cry. The crowd parted as she walked away, humiliated for the second time that day.

  ‘Coward!’ shouted Jessie while the crowd jeered and declared her the winner.

  Once Adele was safely home, she rushed upstairs and flung herself onto her bed. There she cried out all her frustration and anger. She was alone until Peter returned home. Adele could hear him shout her name. She ignored him, hoping he would go away. She didn’t want him to witness her humiliation. But she soon heard him mount the stairs.

  Adele wiped her eyes and runny nose on her dirty cuffs, straightened her hair and sat up on the bed. Peter entered the room. He had already started speaking before he saw her.

  ‘Is it true what they’re saying, that Jessie Lomas beat you in a fight?’

  The sight of Adele’s blotchy face and red-rimmed eyes gave him his answer.

  ‘I can’t believe she beat you,’ he said. ‘I thought you could fight. Why didn’t you thump her?’

  ‘I tried to but I couldn’t reach,’ sobbed Adele. ‘She had my hair. I couldn’t get her off.’

  ‘Bitch!’ cursed Peter. ‘You’re not gonna let her get away with it, are you?’

  Adele shrugged.

  ‘Why don’t we get her together?’ he asked. ‘Do you know where she lives?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Come on then. What are we waiting for?’

  ‘Not tonight,’ said Adele.

  ‘Tomorrow then?’

  ‘Maybe.’

  Adele wasn’t sure she wanted a repeat performance with Jessie. Part of her just wanted an end to it. But it wasn’t over. She would have to face her classmates tomorrow, and Jessie’s gloating. Besides, Adele was still angry and she needed to put Jessie in her place. Unsure what to do, she decided to see how she felt the following day.

 
Feeling foolish in front of her brother, Adele stifled her tears before agreeing to go out with him. She had some money her grandma had given her so she could treat herself. At least it would take her mind off the fight for now.

  *

  The doorbell rang as Adele entered the corner shop with Peter trailing behind, prompting several women to pause in their gossip while they looked in her direction.

  ‘This is them,’ said the aging shopkeeper, Mrs Roper, nodding towards Adele.

  Mrs Roper was a small woman with sunken cheeks and pointed, bird-like features who always wore her grey hair scraped back into a tight bun. Adele met her eyes, expecting her to elaborate. But no! It soon became obvious that Adele was the topic of conversation rather than a participant. The women surveyed her through narrowed eyes; their facial expressions a disconcerting mix of pity and scorn.

  Adele approached the shop counter self-consciously, her embarrassment evident from the rosy glow of her cheeks. She was alone now. Peter had disappeared behind one of the display stands. She felt the weight of the women’s stares and her words faltered.

  ‘Well, spit it out!’ demanded the shopkeeper. ‘What is it you want?’

  Her tone and body language screamed contempt and Adele’s voice shook as she asked for a bag of crisps, taking care not to forget her manners. She didn’t want to elicit further criticism.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, taking her crisps and heading to the exit. Peter followed her and, as they walked through the door, the women resumed their chatter.

  ‘Shame,’ Adele heard one of them say. ‘You wouldn’t have thought she’d have such good manners coming from that family.’

  Outside, Adele felt the impact of the cold air on her hot cheeks. She paused for a moment, digesting what had just happened and overcome by feelings of inadequacy. Adele felt guilty, but she wasn’t sure why. She couldn’t understand why most grown-ups saw her in such a negative light.

  Was she really so bad? Maybe the women had seen her fighting with Jessie Lomas or had heard about the incident of a few weeks ago involving Janet and Anthony. She wasn’t to know they were judging her and Peter because of their parents’ behaviour.

  ‘Come on, what you waiting for?’ asked Peter, eager to get away. At Peter’s insistence, they turned into a side entry. ‘Come on, I don’t want anyone to see,’ he said.

  ‘See what?’ she asked.

  With a beaming smile on his face he reached into his pocket and pulled out some sweets. Adele’s jaw dropped and she glared at him. She knew he hadn’t paid for them.

  ‘What the hell have you done?’

  ‘What’s the matter? It’s only a few sweets.’

  ‘You could have got us both in trouble. They’ll think I’ve helped you.’

  ‘Will they ’eck. Anyway, they won’t know. They never find out, and you’d better not tell anyone.’

  ‘You mean you’ve done it before?’ Adele asked, astonished.

  ‘Course, it’s dead easy. Me and Anthony have done it a few times. One of us goes to the counter and buys something small. Then, while they’re serving him, the other one gets the sweets.’

  They walked on in silence. Adele finished her crisps and watched Peter munching on a white chocolate mouse. It looked so good.

  ‘Want some?’ he asked, holding it out to her.

  Adele could smell the faint aroma of white chocolate. She wanted to resist. She really did. Eating the sweets would make her culpable, and what would people think of her then? She looked at the chocolate. So tempting. She loved white chocolate; it was her favourite. Should she? After all, people already treated her as though she was guilty of something, so what difference would it make?

  ‘Come on,’ said Peter. ‘You can get your own back on that old crow for being nasty to you.’

  That swung it. Yes, the shopkeeper had been nasty. And the others. Why should she be made to feel guilty? She grabbed at the mouse and nibbled a bit. The sweet chocolate melted in her mouth. She felt bad for eating it, but it tasted so good! Yes, being bad definitely tasted far better than being good.

  Chapter 10

  ‘This is it,’ said Adele when they arrived at the street where Jessie Lomas lived.

  ‘Right, we’ll wait till we see her on her own,’ Peter instructed.

  ‘But what will we do then?’

  ‘I told you, we’re gonna get her.’

  ‘Yes, but what are we gonna do to her?’

  ‘Scare her.’

  ‘How? Jessie Lomas doesn’t scare very easily.’

  ‘She will. You’ll see. We’ll hit her if we have to. We’ve gotta make sure she stops pickin’ on you, haven’t we?’

  Adele wished she felt as sure about this as Peter did. She hadn’t wanted to do it but after two days of taunts she’d had enough. It was making her school life miserable. The repetitive chants of Yellow Belly, Cowardy Custard and Scaredy Cat were getting to her. Then there were the sly digs from Jessie as she passed by; usually a poke in the ribs or a sharp stamp on her foot. Adele had been powerless to do anything. Jessie had the upper hand and she knew it. If Adele retaliated or reported her, then Jessie would wait for her after school. And Adele didn’t fancy being beaten up again. So this seemed like the only alternative.

  But now she was gripped by nerves. Her stomach fluttered and she wiped her clammy hands on her trousers repeatedly. Peter, on the other hand, seemed exhilarated. His eyes sparkled with excitement. While they waited, he chatted about how they were going to sort Jessie out once and for all. He was full of nervous energy and couldn’t stay still.

  The minutes seemed to drag until finally they caught sight of Jessie with another, much older, girl.

  ‘There she is,’ Adele announced and she felt her heart beat speed up as she watched her adversary walking along the street.

  Spotting the friend, Peter echoed Adele’s own thoughts when he said, ‘We can’t get her yet. We’ll have to wait till she’s on her own.’

  Jessie and her friend were heading in their direction so they moved further up the street and ducked behind a Ford Cortina, out of sight. They continued watching as the other girl branched off and returned to her own home.

  Jessie was alone.

  ‘Come on, let’s get her,’ said Peter.

  Adele checked the street. Noting that there was no one else around, she followed Peter as he made his way towards Jessie. He waited till she was crossing the entrance to an alleyway. Then he pounced. Attacking her from behind, he pushed her against a backyard wall.

  Jessie spun round, ready to lash out against her attacker. But Peter stood back. Then Jessie spotted Adele. A flash of recognition crossed her face as she looked from one to the other.

  ‘Aah, brought your little brother, have you?’ she laughed. ‘Don’t think I’m frightened of that little squirt,’ she added, stepping towards Peter.

  Adele felt a rush of fear surge through her body. Despite being outnumbered, Jessie still wasn’t frightened, and that unsettled Adele.

  ‘Come on then!’ said Peter.

  Jessie took another step. Then suddenly she stopped short at the sight of the flick knife in Peter’s hand. He pressed a switch and the blade sprang out, missing Jessie by centimetres. Her hand shot to her mouth. She cowered against the backyard wall, stunned.

  Adele was also shocked. This wasn’t part of the plan. She breathed in sharply before spotting the horrified expression on Jessie’s face. Adele quickly recovered, feigning acceptance of Peter’s actions. Reassured by Jessie’s fear. She hoped he wouldn’t use the knife but she couldn’t be sure. And it was obvious from the look on Jessie’s face that she was even less certain.

  ‘You’ve been picking on our Adele at school,’ Peter said, waving the knife in front of Jessie’s face.

  Jessie shrank against the wall, hugging herself. Her lips trembled and her eyes darted about, searching for an escape route. Adele stepped forward to block her way. Jessie looked from one to the other of them, tears welling in her eyes.

&nbs
p; Adele felt the pressure of expectation. Sensing that she had to capitalise on the situation, she aimed a sharp kick at Jessie’s shin.

  ‘Yeah, bitch!’ said Adele, as Jessie howled in pain, the tears now spilling from her. ‘Who’s a Scaredy Cat now?’

  Peter was still poised with the knife. ‘Should I stick it in her, Adele?’ he asked.

  ‘Not yet.’ Adele thought about how she could take advantage. ‘If she promises to leave me alone and tells her friends to as well, then we’ll leave her.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Adele. I didn’t mean it,’ babbled Jessie. ‘I’ll leave you alone tomorrow. Honest.’

  ‘And your friends?’ asked Adele, grabbing a lock of Jessie’s hair and twisting it tightly till Jessie squirmed.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And after tomorrow?’ Adele twisted again as she waited for Jessie’s answer, refusing to let up until she was sure Jessie was defeated.

  ‘Yes. Every day.’

  Satisfied with Jessie’s reply, Adele let go of her hair.

  ‘Right, she’s got to promise before we leave her,’ said Peter, holding the knife under Jessie’s chin. His whole attitude was full of menace.

  Jessie was now in floods of tears, her body shaking. ‘Yes, I promise,’ she said.

  ‘OK. We’ll leave her now,’ said Adele, feeling a pang of remorse, which she kept hidden from Jessie while she turned to her and added, ‘But if you ever pick on me again, we’ll come back and get you.’

  Adele was secretly relieved that it was all over, and determined to have a word with Peter about the knife. She couldn’t believe he had gone to those lengths to scare Jessie. His behaviour was becoming more erratic. Although she was grateful to him for frightening Jessie off, Adele was nonetheless worried about his actions. But she couldn’t tell anyone without betraying him. And that wouldn’t be fair after he had helped her out.

  When they reached home, Adele was pleased to find her grandma in the house. She was chatting to their mother when Adele and Peter rushed over to hug her.