Page 82 of The Last One to See Him

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Mona says, but she’s only half listening. ‘He’ll be playing football this evening,’ she says. ‘And I’m going to be sitting right there on the bench where he first approached me. Let’s see what he thinks of that.’

‘No! You can’t. He’ll?—’

‘But this time I’ll be ready for him,’ Mona says, smiling. ‘And I’ll be fine because you’re coming with me.’

‘And what do you think I can do to defend you?’ Kate says, holding up a scrawny arm. ‘He’s a fully grown man.’

‘It’s not going to come to that,’ Mona says. ‘I won’t let it. I just want to freak him out and let him think I’m about to expose him to all his football buddies. You’ll see. Everything will work out.’

There’s no sign of him when they get to the park. The football game has started, and Kate crosses her fingers by her side, hoping Graham White won’t show up.

None of the other men pay them any attention, and once the match has ended and they’ve dispersed, Kate turns to Mona. ‘Let’s go. I don’t want my mum to realise I’m not in my room.’

‘I wonder where he is,’ Mona says.

‘You’ve got to stop this. It’s not healthy. If you don’t want to go to the police, you have to let it go.’

Mona doesn’t say anything for a moment, but stares straight ahead. ‘Okay,’ she says. ‘I won’t do anything. I’ll let it go.’

Kate smiles, and takes Mona’s arm. ‘Come on, I’ll walk you home.’

‘Men are shits, aren’t they?’ Mona says. ‘Look at my dad. Walking out on my mum when she was pregnant with me. All those affairs he had.’

‘We can’t think like that,’ Kate says. ‘They’re not all like that. We just have to learn to spot the ones whoare.’

Kate sees Mona to her house, then continues on to her own road, walking faster now she’s on her own. The roads are eerily quiet tonight, and it spooks her, forcing her to turn around every few seconds to check she’s not being followed.

There’s never anyone behind her, but Kate can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched.

By the last day of term, Mona seems to have perked up, and glimpses of the girl she was shine through. She hasn’t mentioned Graham White for days now, but somehow that worries Kate even more. When Mona goes silent, it means there are too many scrambled things going on in her head.

Somehow Mona convinces Kate to go to the canal after school – it’s a half-day and the long summer holiday stretches before them.

Robbie is all over Mona, but Kate bites her tongue, refrains from lecturing Mona that she’s not being fair to him if she doesn’t like him. After what Mona’s been through, perhaps this is what she needs to help her heal.

Kate sits on the grass with Kian. She likes him, and it seems like he’s flirting with her, but she doesn’t know for sure until he kisses her. As much as she likes it, she’s finding it hard to focus on what’s happening between them when her bladder is about to burst. She should have gone at school – the nearest toilets are on the high street and that’s a fifteen-minute walk from here. She tells Kian she’ll be right back, and heads off.

Everything changes when she gets back and finds Mona with Kian in the woods. All the years of friendship dismantled with one senseless act.

She turns and runs away from them, ignoring Kian’s shouts.

And when she reaches the canal, a hand spins her around. Mona. Pleading with her to listen. But her words are muffled and Kate can barely take in any of it.

‘I…I’m so messed up. I know that. It’s because of what Graham did to me. I…I’m not myself, Kate. Please, you have to forgive me.’

Kate shakes her head and continues walking. But somehow Mona has penetrated the surface of her anger, found a way to release it like air from a balloon. Still, Kate carries on walking, ignoring Mona, who is right beside her, pleading with her to stop.

They reach Kate’s house, and Mona grabs her arm. ‘Listen to me! I’m not in my right mind, Kate. I’m sorry. I’ll say it a thousand times – please, Kate. I’m not?—’

‘Not what?’ Kate spins around. ‘Someone who’s already been with half the boys in our year?’ Kate’s words are like knives hurtling towards her friend.

Mona’s jaw drops, and slowly tears meander down her cheeks. ‘I know that’s what everyone else thinks of me…but I never thought you felt the same. I thought you understood me.’ She swipes at her eyes. ‘Graham White has messed me up. I…I can’t even think straight. First my dad abandons us and now this…’

Slowly, Kate’s anger dissipates. She’s been there through the worst of it with Mona; she can’t abandon her friend now, even after what Mona’s just done. It was a cry for help. And it’s all Graham White’s fault. Mona needs help and support, not for Kate to turn away from her and reject her like almost everyone else in her life has done.

Before Kate has a chance to express this to her friend, an arm grabs her around her chest, and a clammy hand smothers her mouth. She’s dragged backwards and all she can hear is Mona screaming before a heavy fist smashes into her face.

When Kate opens her eyes, she’s in the back of what seems to be a van. Her arms and legs are tied, and beside her Mona is groaning, curled up like a foetus.

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