Top Girl

4.

'They marked Chris with an ironing board all across his chest. Scarred for life.' Dushane explained. Chris was his brother.

'But it wasn't your fault? Kamale robbed you at gun point. What did you do in retaliation? Was it last night?'

'Dushane kicked the shit out of Ian at the night club.' Sully answered for his friend. Ian also worked for Raikes. He was put in charge of all things summerhouse. He was a big fat man with an awful attitude, Lydia had learnt to avoid the power hungry man all throughout her life.

'Hey Lydia, so glad I've bumped into you. You haven't handed in your parents evening letter yet? I need it signed by who's going to attend. Do you have it with you?' Mrs Purser, the assistant head teacher, interrupted the conversation.

Her eyes suspiciously looked over to the older boys. Lydia could see her mind twisting and turning over the multiple scenarios.

What was she even doing at the market anyway?

'Oh. Um no I don't have it with me.' Stumbling over the words to see Lydia's hands began to get clammy with nerves.

'Who will be attending?' The teachers thin lips pursed as she delved deeper.

'Well my mum works weird shifts at the hospital so she probably won't be able to make it.' Shrugging her shoulders Lydia lied and hoped the topic would be dropped.

'Your father?'

She snickered at the question. 'I don't even know who my dad is.' That was the truth. Lydia wasn't even sure her mum even knew who her biological father was, just her stepdad who was equally as useless.

Dushane and Sully watched with concern over the conversation. It didn't look like the teacher was going to drop the conversation anytime soon unless a solution was sorted. Sully nudged the younger girl in the hopes she'd get the hint.

'Well I could ask my older brother. I'm sure he could come along?' Finally the penny dropped and Lydia fumbled around an excuse.

'As long as he's over eighteen that will be fine. Make sure you have the signed form into my office first thing tomorrow morning.'

Lydia nodded in response and breathed a sigh of relief when Mrs Purser excused herself.

Teachers, power hungry adults who were most likely bullied in school so now have to trap at any authority they can.

'What the fuck are you gonna do now?' Dushane was straight on the case as the older woman's presence disappeared.

'I was hoping you'd have a solution.' When the two of them stayed silent she offered a solution. 'Well one of you two will have to pretend to be Ryan.'

'Yeah that would all be well and good, except the fact you're white. And Ryan went to the same school as you so they know he's also, white.' Sully pointed out matter of factly laughing at her stupidity.

'Families of all sorts of ethnicities exist Sully, it would be racist of them to question it' Both men laughed at her pathetic attempt. However she knew the teacher would remember Ryan, she was simply arguing back for the sake of it.

'Why don't you just ask your mum to go?' Chantelle had appeared at some point during the conversation.

Lydia chuckled at the absurd question. 'Yeah I'm sure my junkie mum won't raise alarm bells for the school.'

'No, social services would be straight on that. Just leave it until she brings it up again. Hopefully she'll just forget.' Dushane stayed serious, you could see his mind working at a million miles per hour as he thought of how to solve the issue.

Lydia stayed quiet but knew deep in her mind the subject would not be stopped. Mrs Purser hated Ryan and therefore also despised his younger sister.

'I'll see you guys later.' Running off to a group of her friends she left the others talk between themselves.

If they wanted to act like family men keeping the orphan alive she'd let them do so today.

'Why are you always with them now?' One of the bitchy girls frowned at Lydia.

Choosing to just shrug her shoulders in response Lydia stayed in her head all day. Pondering over what she was going to do about this parents day situation. Even at lunch she remained quiet and let the day pass through painfully slow.

Her life was so much easier when Ryan was at home. She was able to live like a 17 year old, going to school and laughing and joking with her friends. Going home and having a nutritious meal cooked for her or money on the side for a takeaway. Any new clothes or shoes desired she had at the palm of her hands. With a little sweet talk to Ryan, she had him wrapped around her finger.

A text flashed up on Lydia's phone as she left the school gates.

'Cant pick you up today, go see my mum.' Dushane was the one who sent the text.

'Why what are you doing?' The girl replied.

Nevertheless she did what he said and went off to see Mrs Hill.

'Oh hello love! Dushane said you'd be popping round for some dinner tonight.' With open arms the older lady welcomed her into her cosy flat.

Lydia looked around with sadness and jealousy. Dushane had a mum that loved him so much and a place he could always call home, all he did was take that for granted mostly. He had the two things that Lydia had craved all of her life.

'How's school going? I will always remember how your brother used to go on about how smart you are.' Sitting in her usual armchair Mrs hill cradled a cup of tea and looked over at the young girl with her brown warm eyes.

She didn't feel smart, not anymore. She felt like a vessel of hopelessness merely just surviving in a universe too big for her to handle.

'It's okay. Just boring mostly.' Biting nervously down on her fingers Lydia replied. She knew the topic of her brother was fast approaching.

'Dushane told me about your brother, how is he? I bet he is loving working in Liverpool.' She spilled out the cover story that was told to a few people who would ask of Ryan's whereabouts.

'Yeah he calls me everyday still, he seems to be liking it.' Lydia lied. 'At least I've got Dushane to look out for me, I'm not completely alone.'

'He's a good boy my Dushane. Such a hard worker, even at the construction sight at this time of night! It's amazing.' The mothers eyes dazzled as she spoke proudly of her younger son. That was Dushanes false career, he told everyone that he was in fact a builder. He would even lie to his own mother.

'I know. Anyway thanks for having me Mrs Hill. I'll have to shoot off now, I've got a bit of homework to do.'

Lydia was fed up of lying to the naive woman so she began the lonely walk home. Tears streamed down her face as the young lady felt sorry for herself.