Read Online The Testament of Jessie Lamb by Jane Rogers - Free Book Online Page A

was squashing me against the sink. I jerked my head away and he opened his eyes then straightened up and moved back. There was a little gap between us and I could breathe.
    â€˜No,’ he said. ‘Not a good idea.’
    He turned and went into the office and shut the door. I got my things as quickly as I could and let myself out, leaving him to roll up the banners. My heart kept pounding madly all the way home. I hadn’t thought of him like that. For a moment, for that moment when he was squashing me against the sink–I was scared. But then how contradictory can a person be? There was a strand of my mind that kept going back to that moment by the sink, imagining; if I hadn’t jerked my head back. If he’d put his hands on my hips. If.... It was a hot shameful excited feeling.
    Nobody else knew what had happened but it made things different between me and Iain. We were hyper-aware of each other. I could feel myself blushing whenever he came near. And Baz picked up on it. He fell into step beside me as I was heading for the bus stop and asked me how I was getting on with Iain.
    â€˜OK.’
    â€˜You like him.’
    â€˜I didn’t say I liked him. I said he was OK. He’s good at keeping meetings in order.’
    â€˜Nat’s group are managing without him. Without some adult telling them what to do.’ He was fidgeting about with a stick he’d picked up, twitching it from side to side.
    â€˜You in touch with Nat? What’s he doing?’
    â€˜There’s an animal research lab near Chester that they’re trying to infiltrate. They’ve already targeted some of the scientists.’
    â€˜You’re not–’
    â€˜I might join them. I’m not really interested in all this bickering, or in recycling.’
    â€˜But what about the website?’
    â€˜It’s done, isn’t it.’
    â€˜But will you go to Chester too? What about piano?’
    He didn’t reply.
    â€˜Baz? You still playing?’
    â€˜For what it’s worth. I’m entering for a scholarship.’
    â€˜Where to?’
    â€˜Salzburg. There’s an under 17’s piano scholarship.’
    â€˜You’d go to Austria? When?’
    â€˜January. If I get it. Which I won’t.’ There was a silence then he suddenly said, ‘Has Iain kissed you?’
    And like an idiot I blurted, ‘Yes.’
    â€˜Uh huh,’ said Baz. ‘Uh huh, uh huh,’ and he began to run the stick along the railings, backwards and forwards, making it into a demented rhythm.
    I started to say ‘It wasn’t important’ and at the same time he quickly said, ‘My dad’s lost his job.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜The Noahs. People from his church have joined the Noahs. Now they’re going to all these happy-clappy the-lord-will-save-us meetings.’
    I wanted to explain about Iain but it seemed as if it would be making it more important than it was. ‘Wasn’t your dad helping the bereaved?’
    â€˜He had a fight with some high ups in the church. About what to do about the Noahs. He fell out with everybody and he told them to get stuffed.’
    A laugh burst out of me, it was embarrassment as much as anything. Baz carried on with his tapping. He said he was sick of YOFI, he was leaving.

Monday morning
    I sit on the floor beneath the window, looking up at the sky as it begins to get light. The days are getting longer now–it’s earlier every day. The purplish-blue patch I can see looks clear, maybe the sun will shine. Last night I heard him on the phone for ages, I guess to Mum. Maybe she reasoned with him, because when he came upstairs he untied my arms. Neither of us said anything, he went straight out again and locked the door. I crawled over to the radiator and sat against it while my clothes dried. I almost like the smell, now.
    I still can’t believe he’s not going to come in and say, ‘God I’m sorry,