Free Cherry Blossom Dreams by Gwyneth Rees Page A

didn’t move off his bed, I added, ‘Listen, Sean, you were right about one thing …’ I paused to make sure I had his full attention. ‘You were right when you told Leo he’s not our dad!’
    Sean gave me a startled sort of look. ‘I didn’t say that!’
    ‘No, but he knew that’s what you meant when you told him you don’t have to listen to him! And anyway, you were right. He’s not our dad. He doesn’t actually owe us anything. So if you’re mean to him he can leave any time he likes!’
    We both knew what would happen if Leo left. Mum would shut the curtains and go to bed for weeks. It would be like when she found out the truth about Married Michael – home would be dark and cold and miserable. So even though it was hard having Leo telling us what to do, surely it was better than going back to how things were before?
    I don’t know for sure if it was my little intervention that did the trick, but in any case Sean joined us soon after Leo and I had started to eat.
    Sean was flushing a little as he stood awkwardly just inside the kitchen door. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.
    ‘Come and eat your dinner before it gets cold,’ Leo told him calmly. As my brother sat he added, ‘Listen, you can’t expect me not to care how you’re doing at school, OK?’
    When Sean didn’t say anything I kicked him sharply under the table. If he didn’t want to lose Leo, then he was just going to have to suck it up when Leo went all parental on him.
    ‘Yes, Leo,’ Sean trotted out in reply, before shooting me a glare as if to say, Happy now?
    Leo looked curiously at both of us and I could tell he was wondering what he’d missed, but the only thing he said was, ‘Good boy,’ before launching into a funny story about school.

The following afternoon I was walking out of school with Priti at the end of the day, when who should appear in front of us but Rafferty.
    ‘Hi, Sasha,’ he said with a grin.
    I think I went bright red from head to toe as soon as he spoke to me. And finally I understood what was going on. I was having my first proper crush on a boy – on my best friend’s older brother. Oh my God! I’ve known Raffy since I was tiny. Once, when I was five, he tickled me so much that I actually wet myself. How could this be happening? And how could I stop him – or Lily – from finding out?
    Raffy’s tie was pushed casually to one side and his top three shirt buttons were undone. I couldn’t help staring guiltily at the Union Jack vest he was sporting underneath his shirt. Then I had a horrible thought. I know Lily’s dad has a very hairy chest because I saw it once at a barbecue. What if that sort of thing runs in families? I wasn’t sure I could handle it if Raffy turned out to be that hairy too. Still, there was no hair poking out the top of his vest right now, thank goodness.
    ‘Oh … hi, Raffy,’ I just about got out without choking. ‘Nice chest … I mean vest !’
    ‘See you tomorrow, Sasha,’ Priti said with a little giggle as she left the two of us alone together.
    ‘Your face is really red, Sasha. Are you OK?’ Raffy sounded genuinely concerned, as if he honestly thought I might have a bad case of sunburn, or be running some weird fever or something.
    I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
    ‘Lily told me about your snake problem,’ he continued.
    That struck me as a bit odd, because Lily herself had barely spoken to me all day and had left me to hang out with Priti and Jillian. But if she’d told Raffy about Monty, maybe she still wanted to help me after all.
    I tried to sound casual as I murmured, ‘Er … yes …’
    ‘It’s a python, right?’
    I nodded.
    ‘Cool.’
    I just smiled stupidly and nodded again.
    ‘Lily said it got lost in this Blossom House place where you and Sean have been hanging out?’
    This time I glanced round quickly to check no one was listening and he seemed to get the hint.
    ‘Hey, I get it. It’s a secret, right? I should think what you’re doing is