Nature of Ash, The by Mandy Hager Read Free Book Online Page B

flash, bounding across the room with his hands outstretched towards the phone. ‘JowJow,’ he says, his face splitting into his trademark grin. ‘Come now.’
    The smile disintegrates as he listens to her reply. ‘No. Don’t care. You come.’ He’s giving me the hairy-eyeball treatment and, when he sees I’m watching, does the fingers and sticks out his tongue. Usually this makes me laugh (I’m the one who taught him, after all) but, honestly, right now it riles me up — and hurts. We’re supposed to stick together, not fight on different sides.
    He holds the receiver out to me. ‘Make Jow Jow come.’ There’s steel in his voice, and when I don’t take it from him straight away he throws it, forcing me to catch.
    I clear my throat. ‘Um, hello again.’
    ‘How is he coping?’ she asks. It strikes me she’s the first person who’s asked about Mikey in such a direct way.
    ‘Struggling,’ I say. ‘I took him to see Dad.’
    I hear her intake of breath. If she gives me shit for this, I’ll cut the call. ‘Poor Mikey,’ she says, and then, very quietly, ‘What about you?’
    I snort. ‘Just fine and dandy.’ Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but it’s a useful ploy.
    ‘Can I come and see him — please?’
    ‘I’m—’
    ‘I won’t stay long. I just want to say goodbye.’
    ‘Well, that’ll really help.’
    I hear her sniff and swallow loudly again. ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go away without explaining face to face.’
    ‘Whatever.’ So she’s going to do a runner now Dad’s not here to pay. Whoop-de-fucking-do . Now I’ll have to deal with this drama as well.
    ‘Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour,’ she says, then ends the call.
    When I relay this piece of news to Mikey he shrieks like a demented gibbon and runs off to his room. I finish washing up and frost the cake with the last of the icing sugar. Not my best effort, but the smell is kind of homely and I know Mikey will like it well enough.
    He finally comes back into the lounge, and I have to smile. He’s spiked his mop of hair up with water and he’s changed into his best set of clothes. It’s funny in an awful way: he’s consumed by all the usual raging teenage hormones, even though his understanding’s trailing way behind. And now the poor dipstick’s about to learn the first vital lesson of all teenage boys: trust a girl and they will break your heart. I first learnt this at thirteen, when I fell like a total dork for Jasmine Paul. After she swore she was in love with me, I found out she’d also been snogging at least three of my friends. Girls suck you in, then chew you up. It’s happened to me so many times now, I swear I’m over girls for good.
    Mikey haunts the window, watching for Jiao, and when he sees her coming up the street he runs down. By the time they step in through the door he’s draped around her like a shawl. Poor boy, he’s got it bad.
    Jiao’s nose is red, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, and she’s clearly just as pissed off with me as I am with her. ‘Hi,’ she says, nostrils flaring like I’m dog shit on her shoe. ‘I won’t take too much of your time.’
    ‘Give Jow Jow cake!’ Mikey demands. ‘You sit here.’ He presses her down on the sofa, then snuggles in beside her, clasping her hand.
    ‘I know about your dad,’ she says, raising their joined-upknuckles to brush hers gently against his cheek. ‘It’s lucky you’re so brave.’
    ‘Yeah, big and brave.’ The tragic little sod drops her hand to flex his muscles in her face. It’s like he’s totally forgotten what he’s been through.
    ‘I thought you had weekend school?’ I say, nearly choking as I watch Mikey bury his nose in Jiao’s cleavage and wrap her in his arms.
    She leaves him there, neither encouraging nor rejecting him, merely patting his back. Her watery eyes meet mine above Mikey’s spiked hair. ‘Things have changed.’
    ‘You’re damn right there. Just let me know how much Dad owes you