Author's Note: I had bad writer's block again, that seems to be happening often lately. Thanks to all those who have given me suggestions! Enjoy!
"Repita después de mí: El perro se comió el hueso."
Patrick tediously repeated the teacher; the dog ate the bone. He realised he'd made a big mistake by telling her he could speak it fluently, now Mrs Alvarez kept asking him all the questions. There was a Spanish man in the circus that had taught him it.
"Well done!"
Patrick leant his chin on his hands and looked over at Grace, who was well engaged with the lesson. She was a hard worker, he could tell. Mrs Alvarez set the class some work to do and began to walk round the room. Students talked quietly to their peers and Patrick leaned over to Grace.
"How long's your dad been football coach?"
Grace stopped writing, glanced at the teacher who was at the far end of the room.
"About five years. I only started a year ago because of a family tragedy…"
Grace's voice trailed off and she resumed her work. Patrick looked at her pensively. He couldn't work out what it was that had happened, something to do with her mum? Patrick saw from the turn away of her head she didn't want to talk about it. He dropped the matter and instead pretended to look busy as the teacher walked past. She stopped in front of his desk and crouched down.
"Patrick, you're very good at Spanish you know!"
He looked at her smiling face, what was she hiding?
"Thank you."
"How are you so fluent?"
Grace turned and looked at him in interest at this point.
"Uh, a friend taught me. He was Spanish…"
Patrick picked up his pen and began to work to prevent any more questions. Mrs Alvarez walked off but Grace continued to look at him.
"What did you do before you came here?"
Grace was innocently asking, clearly interested by Patrick's mysterious past.
"Um, I was in the circus, as a psychic…"
Patrick kept his answers blunt, not to be rude but it was a subject he was sensitive about. He'd never liked the circus, and certainly not the life that had come with it.
"Oh right… Have you ever been horse riding?"
Grace changed the subject swiftly, as she could see it was affecting him. She'd only meant to be inquisitive. Patrick was slightly shocked by the sudden change in mood.
"No, never."
Grace smiled at him, the first proper smile he'd seen her give.
"You should come round mine one day! I have a horse, Teresa and the guys have ridden once, you could go round slowly cause of your arm. I think you'd like it!"
Patrick's eyes lit up, he'd never tried anything like that before and the offer of Grace's friendship made him even happier.
"That would be great! But I guess you should invite the other guys too…"
Grace nodded as she thought it over in her head.
"Sure, I'll ask my mum tonight, maybe tomorrow after school?"
Patrick made a mental note, so it's not a problem with her mum then… He dismissed it and smiled.
"Yeah, that would be great!"
Grace seemed content as she settled back to her work; she seemed to value friendship greatly. Mrs Alvarez gained Patrick's attention from the front of the class.
"Patrick, seeing as you were talking, what is horse in Spanish?"
He smiled at the irony.
"Caballo, miss."
Patrick was standing outside the school gates, waiting for Teresa and her brothers to come out. They got a lift with him now, but Kristina had not yet turned up. Wayne, Cho and Grace had just left to grab a good seat on the school bus as Patrick leant against the wall.
"She not here yet?"
Patrick turned and saw Teresa walk outside with Tommy and James in tow.
"Nah, she can sometimes be late, she has to get Walter from across town…"
Teresa stood against the wall beside him as Tommy bored James with a toy monster he had found.
"How was Spanish?"
"Meh…"
Patrick stuck his good hand in his jacket pocket as Teresa laughed at his reply.
"Grace says she might invite us to horse ride tomorrow after school."
"Oh cool. Would Kristina still be able to pick up the boys?"
Patrick looked over at James who gave him a 'help me' look. He was clearly bored of Tommy's child- like ways. Patrick nodded.
"Sure. Hey Tommy, what's that you got?"
Patrick crouched down to the young boy sat on the floor. He looked excitedly up at him and presented a small green plastic monster that had moveable arms.
"See, you can turn its head too!"
Tommy demonstrated and Patrick made an enthused face.
"Cool! So what's its name?"
Tommy screwed up his small face and thought deeply. His face spread into a wide smile, reminiscent of Teresa's.
"He's called Patrick."
Teresa was watching and chuckled. Tommy grinned at her.
"Look, he can do backflips and he can fly!"
Tommy went off in his own little world as Teresa watched fondly. Patrick stood up.
"I wish!"
James stood next to them, hunched up in himself. Patrick saw he was shy, a trait Teresa carried but tried not to show.
"You're good with kids Patrick. Tommy's great but he can be a bit excitable!"
"Thanks, he's a good kid."
Teresa stepped out and grabbed Tommy's arm to stop him from going into the road with his flying monster. She noticed Sam Bosco walk across the car park with a younger boy, his brother. Patrick noticed too and stood still. Sam had been suspended for a week but was obviously collecting his brother from school. He looked emotionless at Patrick who stared back, but then looked at Teresa in a different way. Patrick saw his eyes seem lustrous, full of want. He could tell he genuinely liked Teresa; he just never had the means to express it correctly. Patrick nodded at the boy, who nodded back. In that moment, when there was no expectation to be tough or powerful, Sam had shown his true self; a scared, good hearted boy who had fallen into the wrong crowd and who dealt with the problems in his life through violence. Patrick could see, beneath it, Sam was an ok lad. Just then Kristina pulled up; Walter waved from the back seat of the seven seater. Kristina stopped and motioned for the clan to get in the car. All four children called shotgun and raced to the door, Patrick Jane winning by a finger tip…
