Read Online Gone Again by Doug Johnstone - Free Book Online Page A

then turned to Nathan. ‘Can you wait here for a moment? Thanks.’
    Nathan’s head sank, like a robot powering down.
    ‘Back in a minute,’ Mark said.
    Miss Kennedy pulled the door closed. ‘We had a bit of a bad day. Nathan was caught hitting. Twice.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘In the classroom. The second time he really clobbered one of the girls at his table.’
    ‘I don’t understand. That doesn’t sound like him.’
    Miss Kennedy unfolded her arms.
    ‘I know, that’s why I didn’t send him to Mr White’s office.’ She tucked her bob behind her ear. ‘It’s so out of character for Nathan, he’s normally quiet and kind.’
    Mark shook his head.
    Miss Kennedy tilted her head in sympathy. ‘Is everything OK at home?’
    ‘What?’
    She raised a hand. ‘It’s none of my business, but Nathan mentioned that his mum wasn’t around at the moment?’
    It had only been a day and Mark hadn’t told him anything. But the boy knew something. The same way Mark knew everything about Nathan, it worked both ways. Kids can sense it. Tension, stress. Mark had to stay on top of this.
    ‘She’s just away with work, nothing to worry about.’
    ‘Oh, I must’ve got the wrong end of the stick,’ Miss Kennedy said. ‘But perhaps you should have a quiet word with him at home, and we’ll both keep an eye on his behaviour for the next wee while. OK?’
    She ushered him to leave. He moved towards the door.
    ‘Thanks, I’ll speak to him.’
    She smiled as she opened the door. ‘Don’t be too hard on him, he’s a lovely wee boy.’
    ‘OK, thanks.’
    Nathan glanced up, but kept his chin pointing at the floor. Mark took his hand, felt the little bones under the skin, the delicate knuckle. Gave the hand a squeeze, felt a squeeze back, a signal between them.
    Miss Kennedy shut the door.
    Mark turned them towards the prom.
    ‘Let’s get you home.’
    Nathan stopped. ‘No, Daddy, it’s Wednesday.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘Swimming lesson.’
    Mark shook his head. ‘Yeah, of course.’
    Nathan’s swimming stuff was already packed into his schoolbag, Mark had made sure of that this morning. Was that just this morning?
    They trudged along the prom into the wind, Mark thinking how to approach the subject of hitting. Or whether to approach it at all.
    Instead of turning up Marlborough Street they kept walking along the prom to Porty Baths, a Victorian sandstone building with balconies out front and a huge glass roof.
    The changing rooms were the usual chaos of kids and mums. Mark found a cubicle and shuffled Nathan inside. He watched as Nathan got undressed then helped him tie up his swimming shorts.
    ‘So what was that all about today?’ he said.
    ‘What?’
    ‘The hitting.’
    ‘It wasn’t my fault, Daddy.’ Already a strain in the boy’s voice. Mark had to cut that off before it escalated.
    ‘I’m not cross, OK? I just want to know what happened.’
    Nathan had his head down. ‘Emma and Lee said nasty things about me.’
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘They said I was a baby.’
    ‘Why did they say that?’
    ‘Because I’m the youngest in the whole class. And the smallest.’
    Mark put his hands on Nathan’s bare arms. So thin Mark could wrap his fingers right the way round easily. He lowered his face to Nathan’s and kept his voice quiet.
    ‘Don’t you listen to anything Emma and Lee say, OK?’ Paused for a response. Didn’t get one. ‘OK?’
    ‘OK.’
    ‘Of course you’re not a baby. But listen. Even if people say bad things about you, you don’t hit, you know that. What should you do?’
    ‘Tell Miss Kennedy.’ Nathan’s voice monotone, almost comically morose.
    ‘That’s right, tell Miss Kennedy. You never hit, OK?’
    Slight nod of the head. That was the best he was going to get.
    Mark helped the boy on with his goggles and they went through to the small pool where the lesson was held.
    Mark sat at the side of the pool with the other parents and watched. He was the only dad, the rest mums. He always got looks