Page 7 of A Simple Mistake
“Don’t you?”
Jack heard the discomfort in Nico’s challenge.Gareth didn’t.
“Nico, that’s uncalled for.When you say someone makes you uncomfortable, we believe you.”
“Then why are you trying to make us go back?”
Gareth took the pan off the heat and turned around.“Because when you picked the class, you did it for a reason.Are you no longer interested in going to the ball?”
“I didn’t want to go in the first place.”Nico was all bristles.
“I did,” Daniel admitted.“Jess wanted to go, and I thought it’d be fun to learn the old-fashioned dances.I don’t want to spoil her fun.”
“That’s why I thought Jack can teach us to waltz,” Nico said.“We’ve done foxtrot and jive and rumba.It’s only waltz and tango left.”He turned to catch Jack’s gaze.“You can tango, right?”
Nico stood half in front of Daniel, arms crossed tight over his chest, while Daniel was making himself as small as possible.
Jack hadn’t seen the two like this in a long time, and it bothered him.He turned and crossed to the coffeemaker to interrupt the brewing argument, fingers brushing the small of Gareth’s back as he passed.Warning or grounding, he couldn’t have said, but Gareth reacted to the touch, remembered he was cooking breakfast.
They set the table in silence.Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, butter, and jam took their accustomed places, and Jack waited until the boys were eating before he resumed the discussion.
“Nico, is it just Manville who’s bothering you or is there something else?”
Nico didn’t answer right away, which was answer enough.“Mr Fenton won’t believe you,” he said in the end, eyes fixed on his plate.“He ignores trouble until it’s grown big enough to bury him.You know this.”They all did.And Nico carried the scar from standing up to a school bully.
Jack remembered Gareth’s mother suggesting the boys change schools once Nico had been released from the hospital, but by then they’d made friends and hadn’t wanted to start over.Why was it that your best intentions always bit you in the arse?
“I agree he’ll downplay what happened,” Gareth said to Nico.“He’ll sell it to me as a minor disagreement, or both sides overreacting at the end of a busy week.”
“Then why bother talking to him?”
“Because Gareth isn’t Mr Fenton.He doesn’t like to let problems fester.”
“Accurate.”Gareth poured himself another cup of tea.“I also want it on record that we raised concerns and tried to resolve the matter.I’d assumed you wanted to finish the dance lessons, but if you feel you can’t do that—”
“I can do it.”Daniel’s words were positive.His tone wasn’t.
“You shouldn’t have to go back to that class.”Nico wasn’t done arguing.“And we shouldn’t put Daniel through this shit to make a point.”
“Definitely not.”Jack saw Gareth’s eyes reflect his own alarm and resolved to turn Barrington Manville’s life inside out.“Daniel, maybe—”
“No.”Daniel shook his head.“If Gareth can get us back into the class, I’m going.I promised Jess.And Carol’s already bought her ball dress.And… and… It’s only a few more weeks.”Daniel came across as the more malleable of the two boys, but he could be as mulish and immovable as Nico when he put his mind to it.They all knew it, and none of them argued.
Vague Threats
Themist,nowthickenedto fog, slowed traffic to a syrupy crawl.It matched the atmosphere inside the car, the brief grunts Nico offered to each question until Gareth stopped checking their preparedness for the day ahead.They’d done their homework, and the world wouldn’t end if they’d forgotten to pack a workbook or pencil case.
He followed the line of cars down the hill, mentally revising his schedule and formulating questions for his meeting with Fenton.Jack was right.Letting problems fester wasn’t his way, and the sooner they settled this, the sooner they got Nico and Daniel back on an even keel.
“We’ll always keep you safe.You know that, right?”he asked ten minutes later as he checked the boot for stray bags and locked the car.
“You can’t promise that.Nobody can.”
Gareth hated Daniel knew that.He wanted to wrap his arms around the boy and quell his fears, but knew better than to hug Daniel on school grounds.“I’ll be there when you need me.I can promise that much.Now go enjoy your classes.”
“Look who thinks he’s funny.”
Nico shot him a grin and then they were gone, swallowed by the milling throng.Gareth watched them mingle, hoping the company of their friends would improve Nico and Daniel’s mood, give them perspective to temper the dread of their breakfast conversation.
