the annoyed look on Adam’s face, but she chose to ignore it. ‘And what about you Adam, did you like it?’ she asked, sweetly.
Adam fidgeted in his chair and looked down at his plate, ‘’S’ all right I suppose,’ he said.
Sensing something was wrong, Flick pressed him. ‘Is everything all right Adam? Are you having problems at school?’
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘What was that Adam?’ Dad asked.
‘I said it was nothing I can’t handle,’ Adam said loudly. ‘I’m going to my room.’ Adam pushed his chair back and stomped out of the kitchen.
‘Well something must have upset him,’ Flick said.
Rosie looked up at Flick. ‘Promise you won’t tell I told you?’ she asked.
‘Of course, Ro,’ Flick said, still stroking her hair. ‘What is it?’
Rosie leaned over to whisper into Flick’s ear. ‘He was told off in Assembly this morning, for talking. Got sent to the headmaster’s study and everything. And there were two Kingsmen came and searched the school.’
There was silence while they took in that information. Flick’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Kingsmen, but she told herself it was ridiculous; there was no proof that Shea was the Scav they were looking for. It was just coincidence, surely.
Then their father stood up. ‘Time to get these dishes sorted; they won’t clean themselves,’ he said, and started stacking the plates. Flick nodded and went over to the stove to fetch a kettle of hot water.
Rosie stood up too. There was a shy little smile on her lips. ‘Dad, I’ve still got something to tell you all.’ They all stopped what they were doing and turned to her.
‘What is it, Rosie?’ Dad asked.
‘At school today,’ she began, ‘in class, teacher said I had to be Queen of the May.’
‘Oh honey, that’s absolutely marvellous!’ Dad said, hugging her and giving her a big kiss on the forehead. Flick beamed, and moved to join the hug. Then Dad said, ‘Adam really ought to hear this,’ and he yelled out through the door, ‘Adam, get down here. Rosie has something important to say!’
Rosie was still grinning broadly when Adam came through the door. ‘What?’
‘Go on Rosie, tell Adam what you just told us,’ said Dad.
‘I’m going to be Queen of the May,’ beamed Rosie, ‘I get to be crowned with a crown and everything!’
‘That’s nice,’ Adam grunted as he turned round and stomped off back to his room.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ asked Flick. ‘Okay, so he got told off at school. Big deal, he’s always being told off, and it’s never bothered him before. Not like this anyway.’
‘I’ll go up and talk to him,’ Dad said. ‘He might open up if we have a bit of man-time. Would you mind finishing up the dishes?’
‘Sure, me and Ro will do them, won’t we?’ Rosie nodded. ‘Come on Ro-Ro, we’ll have them done in no time.’
7
A Near Kiss
THE NEXT MORNING, Flick was up early. She had her bike loaded up with food and bottles of small beer from the pantry, and a spare small cooking pan.
‘Dad, I’m off out,’ she called out to the hallway.
‘Be back by curfew!’ came the response from somewhere upstairs.
On her way through town she stopped at the baker’s and bought a loaf of bread.
The town gate was open when she reached it, and Fred was huddled inside the little shack next to it, fiddling with a roll-up. He waved, ‘Hey Flick!’
She stopped at the gate. ‘Hey Fred, I’m off to the ridge,’ she said.
‘See what you can catch eh?’ Fred said. ‘Sorry you couldn’t go hunting yesterday; Felix said you’d tried to go out, but orders is orders, especially with those Kingsmen around.’
Flick shrugged. Lucky he didn’t know the real reason she was going out. ‘Yeah, got to try twice as hard today,’ she said. Which was true, especially with the shortages. ‘Did they find whoever they were looking for?’ Flick tried not to sound too
Adam fidgeted in his chair and looked down at his plate, ‘’S’ all right I suppose,’ he said.
Sensing something was wrong, Flick pressed him. ‘Is everything all right Adam? Are you having problems at school?’
‘Nothing I can’t handle,’ he muttered under his breath.
‘What was that Adam?’ Dad asked.
‘I said it was nothing I can’t handle,’ Adam said loudly. ‘I’m going to my room.’ Adam pushed his chair back and stomped out of the kitchen.
‘Well something must have upset him,’ Flick said.
Rosie looked up at Flick. ‘Promise you won’t tell I told you?’ she asked.
‘Of course, Ro,’ Flick said, still stroking her hair. ‘What is it?’
Rosie leaned over to whisper into Flick’s ear. ‘He was told off in Assembly this morning, for talking. Got sent to the headmaster’s study and everything. And there were two Kingsmen came and searched the school.’
There was silence while they took in that information. Flick’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Kingsmen, but she told herself it was ridiculous; there was no proof that Shea was the Scav they were looking for. It was just coincidence, surely.
Then their father stood up. ‘Time to get these dishes sorted; they won’t clean themselves,’ he said, and started stacking the plates. Flick nodded and went over to the stove to fetch a kettle of hot water.
Rosie stood up too. There was a shy little smile on her lips. ‘Dad, I’ve still got something to tell you all.’ They all stopped what they were doing and turned to her.
‘What is it, Rosie?’ Dad asked.
‘At school today,’ she began, ‘in class, teacher said I had to be Queen of the May.’
‘Oh honey, that’s absolutely marvellous!’ Dad said, hugging her and giving her a big kiss on the forehead. Flick beamed, and moved to join the hug. Then Dad said, ‘Adam really ought to hear this,’ and he yelled out through the door, ‘Adam, get down here. Rosie has something important to say!’
Rosie was still grinning broadly when Adam came through the door. ‘What?’
‘Go on Rosie, tell Adam what you just told us,’ said Dad.
‘I’m going to be Queen of the May,’ beamed Rosie, ‘I get to be crowned with a crown and everything!’
‘That’s nice,’ Adam grunted as he turned round and stomped off back to his room.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ asked Flick. ‘Okay, so he got told off at school. Big deal, he’s always being told off, and it’s never bothered him before. Not like this anyway.’
‘I’ll go up and talk to him,’ Dad said. ‘He might open up if we have a bit of man-time. Would you mind finishing up the dishes?’
‘Sure, me and Ro will do them, won’t we?’ Rosie nodded. ‘Come on Ro-Ro, we’ll have them done in no time.’
7
A Near Kiss
THE NEXT MORNING, Flick was up early. She had her bike loaded up with food and bottles of small beer from the pantry, and a spare small cooking pan.
‘Dad, I’m off out,’ she called out to the hallway.
‘Be back by curfew!’ came the response from somewhere upstairs.
On her way through town she stopped at the baker’s and bought a loaf of bread.
The town gate was open when she reached it, and Fred was huddled inside the little shack next to it, fiddling with a roll-up. He waved, ‘Hey Flick!’
She stopped at the gate. ‘Hey Fred, I’m off to the ridge,’ she said.
‘See what you can catch eh?’ Fred said. ‘Sorry you couldn’t go hunting yesterday; Felix said you’d tried to go out, but orders is orders, especially with those Kingsmen around.’
Flick shrugged. Lucky he didn’t know the real reason she was going out. ‘Yeah, got to try twice as hard today,’ she said. Which was true, especially with the shortages. ‘Did they find whoever they were looking for?’ Flick tried not to sound too
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