Letting out the Worms: Guilty or not? If not then the alternative is terrifying (Kitty Thomas Book 1 Sue Nicholls (best short books to read TXT) 📖

friends you would trust with your life.’ She laughed at Anwen’s expression of doubt. Then her voice became gentle. ‘I think the reason the kids at school are giving you a hard time is that they feel safer in the crowd they understand - even if that means being nasty to someone else. It’s all an act at that age.’

Anwen thought about this. The make-up, the cruel laughter. Could it all be a front? Kitty seemed to think they were behaving typically. She wondered if there was a book in the library about human behaviour, or she might do a web search once she had learned how.

‘Shall we make a start?’ Kitty nodded at the computer. ‘Facebook wasn’t it?’

~~~

The old laptop bag Kitty had given her swung at Anwen’s side as she and Kitty scooted between shoppers to the ice-cream shop. It was a tiny place, on a road junction with traffic lights. They pushed inside and Anwen’s eyes landed on the refrigerated display containing a dozen different pastel coloured ice-creams. A woman leant into the cabinet and heaped scoops of different flavours into a glass dish. Anwen watched in awe as she topped the confection with pink sauce, sweets and sprinkles.

Further inside, a group of young mothers gossiped, sitting around a low table in squat seats and a sofa. They ate ice creams and sipped from cappuccino cups while feeding babies and herding toddlers.

Kitty pulled two high stools together at a shelf in the window, and the pair studied the menu, their shoulders touching, and traffic and pedestrians stop-starting outside. Eventually, Kitty chose an apricot sorbet with raspberry sauce, and Anwen, with Kitty’s encouragement, went for ‘Death or Glory’, a huge concoction of ice cream, chocolates and cookie dough, topped with chocolate sauce and a chocolate curl.

Earlier, in the flat, they had set Anwen up with Facebook, Twitter and Messenger. Kitty could not think what else to suggest. They searched Facebook for some friends for Anwen. The picture of Daisy with a seductive pout and a low neckline shocked them both, and Kitty tutted at her many profile pictures that varied only in hair - style or colour. There were also pictures of Daisy and her cronies with their mouths wide open and tongues stuck out to expose piercings.

Anwen sent a friend request to Charlie, and to some girls who had not been unkind. Kitty set up a profile for herself, and the two made themselves Facebook Friends. It was simple to use, and Anwen was excited. This evening she might talk to Charlie online.

The ice creams arrived. Anwen looked at her outrageous portion, worried she might be sick, then she dived in with a long spoon and fished out a chocolate.

‘How is it?’

‘Mm.’ Anwen closed her eyes to savour the creamy sweetness, pushing away thoughts of how disgusted her grim faced, skinny mother would be. Instead, she grinned at Kitty and asked, ‘What’s it like being a journalist?’

Kitty ran the edge of her spoon across the top of her sorbet, making a small butter-curl roll. ‘I enjoy it. I don’t suppose it’s everyone’s idea of an occupation, but I like to write and love to investigate. In other words, I’m nosy and opinionated.’

‘I don’t think you’re nosy,’ Anwen said. ‘You haven’t asked me about my mam and dad, or about my sister, who’s about to marry your father.’

‘Ah, well, no. That’s different, isn’t it?’ Kitty dipped her spoon in again. ‘I imagine you’ll tell me if you want to. It’s not my role to interrogate you about your life, or your sister’s.’

Anwen nodded but did not enlighten her. Instead, she pursued the matter of Kitty’s job, asking about qualifications and experience. It sounded like her kind of career, and she wanted something to work towards at school. A mentor in the family would be helpful too. She stopped at the thought: In the family. It sounded incredible. She was getting a new family, and Kitty would be her stepsister. Anwen was so overcome with optimism that once again her eyes filled.

Kitty’s face changed. ‘What is it? Is something wrong?’

Anwen pulled her face into a smile. ‘No. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I realised how lucky I am.’ Her throat was tight. ‘I haven’t been all that happy, and then I thought about you being my sister and…’ Tears flowed down her cheeks.

Kitty rested her hand on Anwen’s arm and waited for the moment to pass.

‘Sorry,’ Anwen gulped.

‘Don’t be. What you said was lovely. You can always come to me if you’re worried or upset. I’ll help if I can. If I’m around. My work means I’m often away, but you can usually get me on the phone. You don’t have a mobile, do you?’

Anwen shook her head.

‘I suppose the computer was expensive.’ Kitty nodded her understanding. ‘I bet most people at school have a mobile.’

It was Anwen’s turn to nod.

Kitty poked out her lip in thought, then broke into a smile. ‘You could get a job. You’re old enough.’ She put the spoon into her saucer. ‘Hey. Would you like to be my cleaner? I’m always struggling to keep my place up to scratch.

‘Well,’ Anwen considered the proposal with a mixture of feelings. Cleaning was something she had run away from, but then again, Kitty wasn’t Mam and she needed help. ‘I do have plenty of experience, but…’ She petered out and stared at her hands.

‘I think the going rate is ten pounds per hour,’ Kitty said, and Anwen’s head shot up.

‘I could come before or after school,’ she offered

They arranged for Anwen to go to Kitty’s flat every Friday afternoon. ‘I probably won’t be there on a Friday. If I’m not away, I tend to go into the office and say ‘Hi’, and we go to the pub. That’d be a good day. We won’t get under one another’s