Page 100

‘I’ll have a large slice of that, thank you. I love Kelly’schocolate cake,’ Darren said. ‘Any chance you could teach Shannon the recipe? Mind you, she burns toast, so maybe not.’

‘Thanks a lot, Dad. I may not be good at cooking, but I have many other talents.’

Darren put his arm around her. ‘Sure don’t I know it.’

Shannon shrugged him off. ‘You’re still in my bad books for saying I looked like a slapper in my other dress.’

‘Ah, come on, you know Ilove you.’ He kissed her forehead.

‘Get off me, Dad,’ she said, laughing.

Jenny tapped her glass. ‘Speech time.’

Lucy stood up. ‘Dad, Billy, Granddad – congratulations on making it to sixty-five. You look great and you’ve more energy than I do. Thanks for being a brilliant granddad. The twins have been so lucky to have you in their lives, and so have I. Thanks for letting us live with you andfor being such a huge and integral part of our lives. Thanks for introducing Dylan to football. That day changed our lives – the twins wouldn’t be in St Jude’s if you hadn’t brought Dylan down to the football club that day twelve years ago. Thanks for giving me work and a salary and a roof over our heads. Thanks for always having my back and never making me feel like I let you down. Thanks forsupporting all of us through thick and thin but, most of all, thanks for being the best dad in the world.’

Billy got up and hugged Lucy tightly. He whispered, ‘You’ve never let me down. I’m prouder of you than ever.’

‘Enough of this lovey-dovey stuff. I’d like to say a few words.’ Jenny stood up. ‘Billy is the man who scared off every boy who ever came near me. He is also the man who told methat make-up wasn’t a real job. Thanks for that, Dad, you made me determined to prove you wrong. Billy is also the man who told Mrs Fogerty to feck off when she called me a good-for-nothing. Billy is the man who gave me the money to pay the deposit on my apartment, which I’m going to pay back some day. Billy is the man who loved our mum more than life itself. He is the man who dragged himself outof his misery and heartbreak for me, for Lucy and for the twins. So, although you always made me feel like second best to perfect Lucy, I forgive you and I wish you a very happy birthday, Dad.’

‘Come here to me, you.’ Billy threw his arms around Jenny. She pretended to fight him off, but he held tight and kissed her.

‘I want to say something.’ Ollie stood up.

‘Oh, Jesus, here we go.’ Shannonrolled her eyes.

‘I just want to say thanks to you, Billy, for letting me come to the shed. It’s my favourite thing to do, even though the music’s a bit rubbish. I’m sorry I cut my finger off and gave you a shock. I’ll always listen to you, and I think you’re deadly for an old man, not grumpy or narky, just really nice and funny too.’

‘Well said.’ Sarah patted him on the back.

‘Ah, you’re agreat fella, Ollie.’ Billy ruffled his hair.

Lucy looked around the room. How silly to feel melancholic about getting older. She was stupid, regretting all the things she hadn’t done, when here she was, surrounded by love and support and kindness and generosity. These people were the people who had been there for her through thick and thin.

Jenny filled Lucy’s wine glass. Lucy pretended to object,but then started giggling.

Dylan watched his mother. She was definitely a bit drunk. Good, that meant he might be able to sneak off and call into Taylor without her noticing. While his mum was distracted, Dylan slipped his phone out of his pocket and texted Taylor. She replied with a selfie of her in her underwear.Hurry up!

Kelly and Shannon sat at the end of the table, looking at the bitchycomments Melissa and her friends were still posting about Sean and Kelly. Lots of people had posted nasty remarks about Sean’s old bike and how Kelly was ‘bringing St Jude’s down by dating outsider hobos’. There were so many such comments that Shannon was shocked.

‘Who are these people?’ she asked. ‘I mean, seriously, it’s a bike! He goes to a different school, so what?’

Kelly sighed. ‘Thereare quite a lot of people in St Jude’s who think they’re superior to everyone else. They think thatgoing to a posh private school somehow makes them better than the rest of us. It’s pathetic, but that’s how they see it. They’re only delighted to slate me because I’m a scholarship student and they already think I’m scum. Sean and his bike just make it easier for them to vent their poison.’

Kellyturned to answer a question Billy asked her and Shannon quickly took photos of the WhatsApp comments.

Kelly turned back to her.

‘It’s just not right,’ Shannon said. ‘You really should tell your mum how bad it is. It’s gone way beyond a joke now.’

Kelly snapped her phone off. ‘No bloody way. She doesn’t even know I’m seeing Sean. She’d freak. Shannon, you have to swear you won’t say a word aboutthis to anyone. Swear it?’

‘I promise, but you need to fight back. Put up a post about Melissa having an STD or something.’

‘I can’t. If I get caught, I could get kicked out.’

‘Well, go to the headmaster and talk to him privately, without getting your mum involved. You have to do something, Kelly.’

Kelly sat back and played with her slice of birthday cake. Shannon was right, she should goto the headmaster. Mr Gough was very nice. But what if he called Melissa in and it became a whole huge thing and then her parents got involved, and then Lucy would be dragged into it and she’d find out about Sean and be furious with Kelly for lying and everyone would know Kelly was a snitch and … Well, it was all too complicated. Kelly just needed to try to ignore it, like Sean and Dylan had toldher to.