Part 3
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It was their first maths lesson of the year, and Ellie was busy chatting with her friend Becky as most of the class entered to take their seats. Acting as casually as he could, given their schoolroom situation, Josh swung round on his chair and beckoned Ellie over to his desk. Leaning towards her, he good-naturedly asked, "What's all this about your dad and my mum?"
"I know!" Ellie commiserated. "Who'd have thought it?"
"Why, what's happened? Are your oldies going out together?" a nearby boy wondered, scrunching his face up in disgust.
"It looks like they might be, Baz," Josh confirmed. "Her dad came round our house last night and everything, and we all know you've got to be keen if you're willing to face Nan. She's certainly kept Dad away all these years."
They laughed knowingly together at the thought of how welcoming his Nan could be.
"Is your nan bad news then?" Ellie asked, unsure of the joke.
"Just picture the human version of a scorpion," Josh light-heartedly suggested. "She isn't all bad, but when she strikes, she's vicious."
"I just had a thought about your mum. You never know, you two might end up as brother and sister," Baz gleefully pointed out to Josh and Ellie, and was instantly gladdened by the horrified blush that appeared on both their faces. "Wouldn't that be awkward?"
"Shut up!" Josh snapped in embarrassment, and then shyly said to Ellie, "It might not go that far. They've only just met, remember; and it was only a lift home. Nothing more."
"Yeah," she agreed, but Ellie wasn't consoled very much by that thought.
Fortunately Mrs Burroughs appeared then to start the lesson and they eagerly turned their attention onto her; but their thoughts kept straying back to that horrifying sibling scenario.
The following Monday had Donna back in John's lesson, keenly learning some algebra, and noticing that he was using his knowledge of her name rather a lot as he posed questions to the group. It did not go unnoticed by the class in general, and several pairs of eyes glared at her in curiosity as the lesson went on. She knew there would be even some interrogation of her afterwards when he airily asked to speak to her before she left the room. 'Thanks for singling me out,' she thought; both in a good and a bad way. The truth was that she rather liked being teacher's pet, even if it only lasted the day.
"How can I help you?" she asked as breezily as she could as the last student left the room, leaving them totally alone. And if her imagination played out a little scenario where he swept her up, grabbed hold of her tight, right before he crushed his lips down onto hers, that wasn't so bad, was it? He was certainly looking at her as if he wanted to.
John nervously cleared his throat. "I've been thinking about it… us… and I erm, I don't want to appear unprofessional."
"Of course not," she sympathised. "We only had a drink together the other night; nothing more. It isn't as if we had a torrid extramarital affair."
"Exactly," he sighed with some relief. She understood, and that instantly made him feel better. "And I will only be here until the end of the month, when Ben will take back the reins, so…"
He was dumping her, she realised, before anything could even start between them. Either she hadn't formed such a great second impression during the lesson or he hadn't liked the look of them all when he'd gone to her mum's house. Who could blame him for being put off by seeing her family? It wasn't the first time it had happened to her after an initial good start.
Nodding desperately, she maintained, "I understand. That's fine. I was going to ask you and Ellie out for a meal next week, seeing as it's Josh's sixteenth birthday the weekend after next, but we can leave that open for the time being. No doubt you are very busy."
Horrified at her tone, he blurted out, "I didn't mean…"
But she was already mentally closing herself off from his rejection, so she interrupted him mid-explanation. "I know you didn't mean to lead me up the wrong path. Things change. Look, we can be adults about this and we don't have to make things awkward between us; for the sake of the kids if not my education. So I'll get those questions you set today done tonight and I'll see you Thursday's lesson."
"Donna!" he cried as she turned to go; but he didn't know what else to say to explain that he merely wanted to wait. "It's only for a few weeks."
"Oh, and a word to the wise, don't keep using me to answer questions like that again," she continued in warning as though he hadn't spoken. "It reeks of favouritism even if mine is the only name you know."
Did she not hear him? Deliberately placing himself in front of her so that she couldn't escape his words, he stressed, "But it IS favouritism, and I have to be honest about that."
"Oh! But that isn't allowed," she futilely argued.
Just at the wrong moment, a young student sauntered in for her next lesson, and he petulantly hissed at her, "GET OUT! Can't you wait five seconds?!"
The poor girl jolted in shock.
"What is your problem?" Donna chastised him.
Horrified at himself as the girl ran out and Donna stared at him in confusion, he combed his fingers through his hair in self comfort. He then defended himself in a hoarse whisper, "I'm sorry, so sorry. I didn't mean to lose my cool like that but we need to talk about this properly. Are you free after college later?"
She shook her head. "No, Mum has to go out so I have to get back home for Josh and Gramps."
"Then how about Thursday, like we did last week?" he proposed, silently willing her to comply.
"Yeah, alright then," she agreed after some seconds, and he visibly deflated in relief.
"It's a date then," he replied.
"But not a date-date," she confirmed; but neither of them was truly satisfied with that.
The next day in class, Josh was sitting forlornly at his desk when Baz joined him. Throwing his bag dramatically onto the table top in front of them, Baz decided to lighten the mood and tease Josh by asking, "How's everything going with your mum and her new boyfriend?"
Josh momentarily glanced upwards towards where Ellie sat at the desk in front of them before admitting, "It's not."
"What do you mean?" Baz wanted to know.
"It was all a misunderstanding," Josh quietly explained. "He seemed keen, and then he wasn't."
"That's odd," Baz commented. "What went wrong?"
"Probably the usual," Josh sighed as he silently blamed himself. "It's not the first time some bloke has caught sight of me and then dumped Mum seconds later. I know that he didn't try it on with her, like some of them have, because she would have told me."
"What's the matter with him? Your mum's a bit of alright," Baz sympathised. "That's what my dad said when he saw her. Got him into all sorts of trouble with Mum!"
Josh suitably laughed, but the fact was, he was worried. He was also mortified when Baz called across to Ellie, "Here, Ellie! What's the matter with your dad?"
"Shut up, Baz!" Josh begged.
"No, you want to know, and so do I. I like your mum," Baz defended his actions. "Go on, tell us, Ellie. What's changed his tune?"
"I don't know, do I?" Ellie fervently denied. This was all news to her. "It's not up to me who he goes out with."
"Leave her alone. It's not her fault her dad doesn't fancy my mum," Josh tried to halt the embarrassing exchange going on in front of him. "Drop it."
Baz gave him a wan smile in sympathy. "Perhaps instead we could get your mum back together with your dad. Didn't you say he might be coming over here soon?"
Trust him to blab that secret! "He might," Josh warily agreed, "but I doubt if he'll want to see Mum. Not if his girlfriend comes too. She can be a bit fiery."
"She's beautiful," Baz dreamily enthused, thinking of the photos he'd seen of Josh's dad's girlfriend. Another thought then occurred to him. "Hasn't it ever struck you as odd that your dad calls her 'Ginger' when she obviously isn't?"
"No, never," Josh sarcastically replied. "I can't think why he does, at all."
It was obvious that Ellie had been listening because she turned around to ask, "What's so special about the name Ginger?"
"Because Josh's mum is ginger, ain't she," Baz supplied before Josh could stop him. "His dad must miss her."
"Yeah, like a hole in the head. In fact, Dad misses Mum so much so he's gone out of his way to avoid talking or seeing her as much as possible since he done a runner," Josh griped. "He couldn't miss her more if he tried."
This time Baz's expression was apologetic. "So, will you get to see him soon?"
"Who knows," Josh answered dejectedly.
"When's the last time you actually saw him?" Ellie surprised him by asking.
He was secretly pleased that Ellie wanted to know so he thought about that question carefully. "Erm… I've seen Ginger on Skype but Dad wasn't there. Dad's seen the pictures I've sent him, but in the flesh, as it were, I must have been about two, Mum said. Apparently he wanted proof I was his before he paid out any money for my keep. The CSA tried to get him to pay more but he wangled out of it somehow. Never mind. I stop being a bother to him like that next week, so we'll see what happens after." By the end of speaking he'd hid his face from seeing their pity. He didn't need any of that. What he needed was answers, and he was determined to get them from the horse's mouth.
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When he got home that night his spirits lifted when his Nan told him that a parcel had arrived for him from abroad, and it was sitting waiting for him on his bed.
As soon as Donna stepped through the front she confronted by an overexcited teenage boy who raced down the stairs to greet her.
"Mum! I've got something to show you. Come and see," he demanded as he took hold of her hand and dragged up the stairs towards his bedroom. Laughing, she allowed him to do so, and was soon shown what had excited him so much. "Look what Dad's girlfriend has sent me for my birthday!"
On the bed lay a beautiful black leather jacket; and he hastily held it up against his body for inspection.
She reached out to run a hand over the surface of the jacket, admiring the quality and style of it. "How do you know he didn't pick that jacket out himself for you?"
Josh gave a deep sigh. Did she really have to ask? "You know why. Dad barely remembers I exist. No, this has Ginger written all over it."
"But he does love his leather, remember," she reminded him, not wanting to put Peter down too much in his eyes.
"I suppose so," he answered thoughtfully. "Do you think he'd buy me leather trousers too if I asked him?"
"What do you want leather trousers for?" she laughed. "He only wears them to swan about and try to impress women. Or is that your idea of asking Ellie out on a date – make her swoon at the sight of you and then whisk her off her feet."
He shrugged, blushing at being caught out. "I dunno. It could work."
"Just ask her out," she advised. "Walk up to her, talk face to face, and tell her you would like to take her out on a date. It would only take you a minute to say it. One minute to gain what you've been yearning for all these months."
"But what if she doesn't want to?" he whined.
"You'll never know at this rate." She smiled in a vain attempt to offer comfort. "If she doesn't want to, then you'll have tried your hardest and can move on with your life. But I don't think she will refuse you, honest I don't."
Josh wasn't so sure that it'd be straightforward. "And what about her dad, and you? Won't that be awkward?"
"That's for me to worry about; I refuse to let that hiccup affect you," she insisted. "He's still my tutor and I'm his pupil for now. Nothing can change that."
She was shocked that Josh swept up into his arms and hugged her. "But you liked him, didn't you?"
Unwilling to lie to him, she admitted, "Yes. Yes, I did. So what? It's not the first time this has happened to me, and it won't be the last. I'll get over it eventually, just like I always do, so don't mind me."
With tears in his eyes, he promised, "I'll ask her out tomorrow."
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As things turned out, Josh's romantic plans were soon scuppered before he even got the chance to open his mouth and ask his pressing question. Ellie was locked in a fervent discussion with her best friend, Becky; and by the sound of it, she was going away somewhere.
"I really need to get my boots repaired tonight because I'll need them for next week," Ellie added to their conversation.
"You can't do without them," Becky had knowingly answered.
That forced him into finding out what her plans were. "Why? What's happening next week?" Josh wondered as he walked passed them to get to his desk.
Ellie sighed in exasperation. He obviously didn't pay attention to anything they talked about in class in front of him. "I'm going on the History field trip to the War Cemeteries, ain't I? We'll be traipsing through loads of mud in the special museum. Will you miss me?" she mischievously added, hoping against hope that he'd make some sort of declaration.
'I'll miss you loads and loads.' "I might do," he reluctantly admitted.
"Are you doing anything special next week?" Ellie asked, eager for an invite of some sort that would come into play when she got home.
"Nah, nothing at all," he answered in a bored tone. It was on the tip of his tongue to mention his birthday, but what was the point if Ellie wasn't going to be there, but would be in Ypres instead? Even the thought of his customary birthday celebration meal seemed rather like a damp squib if she wasn't around. And to add insult to injury, his mum couldn't afford to take him anywhere posh. As it was, going to McDonalds was rather pushing the boat out, where her finances were concerned. He'd always hated being poor, but it was even worse now that his mum couldn't work as many days of the week as she had previously. What was the point of having that flashy leather coat if he couldn't afford to take Ellie out whilst wearing it? "Might go and check out this new bloke that was chatting Mum up the other day," he added as an afterthought. "Seeing me will soon chase him off."
"Who's that?" Baz inevitably asked when he stuck his nose into the conversation.
"Some bloke who works up near the council depot, called Shaun," Josh supplied. "I was standing there in Asda when he gave her the old blarney, saying she brightened up his day when he saw her. Berk!"
"Careful, Ellie! This Shaun might steal your dad's thunder if he's not pretty sharpish about it," Baz warned her.
"Would you give over!" Josh chided him. "All this interest in my mum; I'm beginning to think you've got a secret crush on her."
To his amusement, Baz immediately went a deep shade of pink. "No!" he hotly denied. "As if!"
But he didn't mention Josh's mum again that day.
