Blue Lavender Girl by Judy May Read Free Book Online

nothing I want to do. Here I want to do things even if I don’t know what they are.
    Jackson said, ‘That colour really suits you’, and Ijust gave him a look because I was all in black as usual so I guessed he was being sarcastic. I bet he was just trying to sound all charming in front of Jenny. But about an hour later I caught my reflection in a newly-washed window and saw that I had got a big streak of lavender paint on the side of my face from when I opened the can to see how much was in there. There was some on my hand too, so I must have touched my face and it wiped off. It least I didn’t pick my nose and leave that all painty, but still I felt as big an idiot as that time I sat on a chewing gum paper and had it stuck to my arse for a full day in town. Dee swore she didn’t see it but Kira told me in a game of truth or dare that she did and that everyone told each other not to tell me.
    Anyway, I was feeling embarrassed and didn’t talk to Jackson much after that, I just pretended I was too busy to notice when he said something funny or asked a question. Even when we stopped for a half-dozen cookie-breaks, I made myself all distant, and said I was ‘tired’ or ‘thinking’ whenever Jenny asked. A guy would never ask you how you are feeling unless you had trained him really well.
    It was amazing now much we got done. The floor was spotless, the chairs, tables and windowswashed, and we’d made a start on stripping off the old peeling paintwork on the wooden window frames. We were just deciding how much of the room to paint in lavender, when Mr Walsh rushed in. He had a look on his face like he’d eaten a vat of chillies, his mouth open and a red fire in his cheeks.
    He was so obviously trying to sound in control, but not really doing that great a job when he roared, ‘What is going on here?’
    Jackson didn’t even look at him and said really calmly, ‘We are cleaning this place up because Bob and I have decided we want to hang out here this summer. Grandfather is fine with it, and it’s his tearoom, no-one else’s.’
    I had no idea who Bob was, and thought that the idea of Jackson having an imaginary friend at his age made him seem so much more interesting.
    ‘Your grandfather hasn’t the capacity to make those sorts of decisions,’ Mr Walsh was practically spitting by now.
    Jackson answered, still calm, ‘Well, then I’ll ask my uncle, after all he’s the heir. In fact, he’ll be here briefly tomorrow evening and I’ll ask him then. Will you be wanting to meet with him, Mr Walsh?’
    Mr Walsh just made a face and walked away. He isso rude, I’ve never met anyone like him. Oh, except I said that about Jackson who turned out to be more sappy than awful.
    ‘You can’t just set up camp anywhere you want. This Park is a business,’ Mr Walsh shouted from half way across the lavender field.
    ‘And a home, and at least for the summer it’s my home,’ Jackson boomed back, sounding like Mr In-Charge.
    I didn’t know he had it in him!
    Mr Walsh had been way too angry for what was going on. After all, the place had been locked up for years. I wonder if he bought the extra paint so he could do the tearoom up by himself? And then sit there drinking tiny china cups of earl grey tea all day and letting the Park and Big House crumble to the ground!
    It was after 6p.m., and we couldn’t believe we’d been working for seven hours with only cookie breaks. We decided to leave the painting for another day, that way (as Jenny and Jackson agreed) Bob could help too. I wanted to ask them who Bob was, but it was kind of hard to do as I couldn’t work out how to stop cold-shouldering Jackson without it seeming odd.
    Luckily, us girls had already made plans to watch a movie in Jenny’s bedroom.
    Jackson looked a bit sad that we didn’t invite him, but when we explained it was a girls’ night in, he looked relieved not to be involved, and practically ran off.
    Once he’d gone I could get the info that Bob is