Read Online The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris - Free Book Online Page A

in the street?’ Mum mutters. ‘What will people thi— Ryan Coopah !’ Mum trills as he appears in front of us. Mum uses her best Standard Received Pronunciation voice whenever she’s around fellow teachers, her students or their parents.
    ‘Alright, Mrs C?’ Ryan grins, lighting up the street with his smile, and then peers over at me. It’s not the style I like – way too clean-cut – but I have to admit he’s looking kind of hot in a hooded top, baggy jeans and trainers. And smelling nice, too. All freshly showered. I glance at his Puma bag. He must’ve had a match this morning.
    ‘Hi, Molly. I haven’t seen you around for a while. How are you?’
    I don’t answer. I just turn away, lift my camera up and pretend to be busy snapping photos.
    ‘Shouldn’t you be at home doing your coursework, Ryan?’ Mum says tightly.
    ‘It’s Saturday,’ Ryan responds politely, glancing at me through his curtains. ‘I’ve just had a game of footie and thought I’d come into town.’
    ‘Time and tide wait for no man,’ Mum replies archly. ‘We all know you have a very bright future ahead of you in the sporting world, Ryan. The school is proud of your achievements, but you need a good education to fall back on if the – what do you call it – the ‘Beautiful Game’, doesn’t work out, hmm?’
    My skin burns with mortification. Can’t she switch off her teacher act just for a second? Can’t she see I’m literally dying of embarrassment here in front of the hottest guy in town?
    ‘You’ve got your A levels coming up,’ she continues primly, ‘and your recent essays suggest . . . ’
    Clearly not.
    ‘Mum, leave it,’ I hiss furiously. ‘You’re not at school now.’ She glances at me, her lips pinch and her cheeks flush – a striking contrast to her normally pale, unmade-up complexion.
    ‘It’s OK,’ Ryan smiles. ‘Your mum’s right, I am always training. It’s my dream to play pro for Southend by the time I’m eighteen, y’see – so that only gives me a year!’ He nods politely at Mum. ‘But Mrs C is spot on. I need to get my head down this term. I wanna do well in my A levels and with a great teacher like your mum, I’m hoping to get a good grade in English at least!’ He grins at us and I turn to look at her, shaking my head as surprise flickers over Mum’s face and her pursed expression softens into a smile.
    ‘Oh Ryan, you’re too kind,’ she blushes. Jesus, he’s even worked his charm on my mum. Is there no limit to this guy’s powers? She touches his arm gently. ‘It is every teacher’s dream to inspire their pupils . . . ’
    Oh God, I feel a Dead Poets Society moment coming on.
    ‘As the great Joseph Conrad once said, “A man is a worker. If he is not that he is nothing.”’
    ‘Never was a truer word spoken, Mrs C,’ Ryan replies sagely and I shake my head at him from behind my mum’s shoulder. He is taking the piss, surely? I try and catch his eye but he appears to be busy listening to my mum’s impassioned speech so doesn’t notice.
    ‘You know, Mrs C, you must be exhausted walking round town after such a busy week at school,’ Ryan says, once she’s finished her monologue. ‘Why don’t you treat yourself to a cup of tea somewhere? Molly and I could mooch around Topshop then come and meet you in about an hour, yeah? Would that be cool?’
    Mum looks predictably startled and negative. But then she looks at me, and then back at Ryan. ‘Well, yes, that would be coo— I mean fine. I am rather tired, I must confess. I’ll maybe go and browse in the bookshop. Yes, that’s what I’ll do . . . ’ And she pulls her embarrassing grandma-style plastic scarf over her head, zips her anorak up and goes to kiss me on the cheek. I dodge out of the way and she turns and walks off down the rain-soaked street.
    I stand still, slightly flummoxed by the situation I now find myself in.
    ‘Alone at last,’ Ryan winks when she’s gone.
    ‘That was a sly move,’ I say as I