hissed. She wiped her hand across her mouth. She pushed her chair back hard, so the metal legs made a terrible scraping, screeching sound against the slate floor. She stood behind Stella, leaning over her. Stella’s heart rate picked up, missed a few beats. She gripped the edge of the table. She did not move or show fear.
Blue leaned in close, her breath sour with wine. ‘Are you two in love?’ she asked.
‘That’s enough,’ Stella said. Now it was her turn to push back her chair. She stood up. She enjoyed the fact that she was a head taller than Blue. ‘I’ve called someone – from the police. I’ve told him you’ve run away. He’s looking at the police reports to see if any girls matching your description have been reported missing. You haven’t given me any choice.’
Blue shoved Stella’s chair so hard that it fell backwards. She left it where it lay.
‘Blue, what—’
Blue ran over to the sofa, bent down to retrieve her bag and then slung it over her shoulder as she made her way to the front door. She fumbled as she bent down and tried to pull on her still damp trainers.
Stella stayed a few paces away from her, at a safe distance.
It would be better if the girl left her alone. In peace. She might not even mention the visit to Max; it would be as though it had never happened. Blue’s claims were so unlikely.
Blue did not look back at Stella, but she took her timeleaving. She fiddled with her laces, then with the zip of her jacket. Stella didn’t want the girl to do something stupid. What if she did turn out to be Max’s daughter? What if she hurt herself, or froze to death? She would soon be in agony if she walked out into the snow.
‘At least let me give you a proper coat,’ Stella said.
There was nothing she could really do to stop Blue leaving Hilltop. She could hardly hold her in the house against her will. But if the girl left and they couldn’t find her – Max might not forgive her. And Stella couldn’t take that chance.
‘Maybe you shouldn’t leave – yet,’ she said.
Blue hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. ‘Why not?’
‘It’s not safe out there. You know it isn’t. Please. Just tell me your mother’s name and her telephone number. I’ll find a way to get you home in one piece.’
‘Are the police coming?’
‘I don’t know. If we can contact your mother, then I can phone them and tell them they don’t need to come out.’
Blue’s fingers slipped away from the door handle. She pushed both hands deep into her pockets. Stella could see her clenched fists through the thin fabric. As Stella watched, the girl’s colour seemed to change. She grew even paler and her skin acquired an odd, greenish tinge.
‘I don’t feel well,’ Blue said.
‘I’m not surprised. After all that wine.’
‘I need the toilet,’ Blue said. But she didn’t make it that far. She doubled over right where she was, in front of the door, dry retching and heaving. When the spasms stopped, she was on her hands and knees, her long hair hanging down, covering her face.
Stella hesitated, then moved towards her. She knelt down and pushed Blue’s hair away from her face and tucked itbehind her ears. She rubbed the girl’s back, feeling her bony spine. Then, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders, Stella pulled Blue back towards her. Blue relaxed. She let her head fall back against Stella’s body. Her shallow breathing slowed and became regular. Stella stroked her hair and felt the girl grow calm. The feel of Blue’s body against hers was warm and not unpleasant. This must be what it feels like to be a mother, Stella thought.
Session Six
She lay on her back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. There were loads of cracks all over the place. The rug underneath her was nice and thick, a Persian-type thing. Really soft. She wondered if anyone else had ever lain down on the rug before, instead of staying on the chair like a good girl.
She pushed herself up on to her elbows and
Blue leaned in close, her breath sour with wine. ‘Are you two in love?’ she asked.
‘That’s enough,’ Stella said. Now it was her turn to push back her chair. She stood up. She enjoyed the fact that she was a head taller than Blue. ‘I’ve called someone – from the police. I’ve told him you’ve run away. He’s looking at the police reports to see if any girls matching your description have been reported missing. You haven’t given me any choice.’
Blue shoved Stella’s chair so hard that it fell backwards. She left it where it lay.
‘Blue, what—’
Blue ran over to the sofa, bent down to retrieve her bag and then slung it over her shoulder as she made her way to the front door. She fumbled as she bent down and tried to pull on her still damp trainers.
Stella stayed a few paces away from her, at a safe distance.
It would be better if the girl left her alone. In peace. She might not even mention the visit to Max; it would be as though it had never happened. Blue’s claims were so unlikely.
Blue did not look back at Stella, but she took her timeleaving. She fiddled with her laces, then with the zip of her jacket. Stella didn’t want the girl to do something stupid. What if she did turn out to be Max’s daughter? What if she hurt herself, or froze to death? She would soon be in agony if she walked out into the snow.
‘At least let me give you a proper coat,’ Stella said.
There was nothing she could really do to stop Blue leaving Hilltop. She could hardly hold her in the house against her will. But if the girl left and they couldn’t find her – Max might not forgive her. And Stella couldn’t take that chance.
‘Maybe you shouldn’t leave – yet,’ she said.
Blue hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. ‘Why not?’
‘It’s not safe out there. You know it isn’t. Please. Just tell me your mother’s name and her telephone number. I’ll find a way to get you home in one piece.’
‘Are the police coming?’
‘I don’t know. If we can contact your mother, then I can phone them and tell them they don’t need to come out.’
Blue’s fingers slipped away from the door handle. She pushed both hands deep into her pockets. Stella could see her clenched fists through the thin fabric. As Stella watched, the girl’s colour seemed to change. She grew even paler and her skin acquired an odd, greenish tinge.
‘I don’t feel well,’ Blue said.
‘I’m not surprised. After all that wine.’
‘I need the toilet,’ Blue said. But she didn’t make it that far. She doubled over right where she was, in front of the door, dry retching and heaving. When the spasms stopped, she was on her hands and knees, her long hair hanging down, covering her face.
Stella hesitated, then moved towards her. She knelt down and pushed Blue’s hair away from her face and tucked itbehind her ears. She rubbed the girl’s back, feeling her bony spine. Then, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders, Stella pulled Blue back towards her. Blue relaxed. She let her head fall back against Stella’s body. Her shallow breathing slowed and became regular. Stella stroked her hair and felt the girl grow calm. The feel of Blue’s body against hers was warm and not unpleasant. This must be what it feels like to be a mother, Stella thought.
Session Six
She lay on her back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. There were loads of cracks all over the place. The rug underneath her was nice and thick, a Persian-type thing. Really soft. She wondered if anyone else had ever lain down on the rug before, instead of staying on the chair like a good girl.
She pushed herself up on to her elbows and
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