Free Secrets by Nick Sharratt

poppet?’
    â€˜India,’ she mumbled.
    â€˜Oh, stylish,’ said Nan. ‘I’m Rita, pet, but you can call me Nan. All the kids do.’
    â€˜But you’re
really
my nan, aren’t you?’ I said proudly.
    â€˜You bet, Treasure,’ said Nan, giving me a hug. ‘Now, darlings, are you peckish? Come in the kitchen.’
    Loretta was boiling the kettle for Britney’s bottle. Britney threshed about in her baby-chair, desperate to be fed right now, this minute. Patsy was waving a rattle at her ineffectually.
    â€˜Here, baby, come to Treasure,’ I said, unstrapping her.
    I picked her up and then held her at arm’s length, pretending to be cross.
    â€˜Oh, that’s a nice way to say hello! Pee all over the place, right? We’d better get you changed before we give you to India for a cuddle.’
    â€˜India?’ said Patsy. ‘Cool name. What’s it like at your school then? I might be going to this special stage school and they’ve got dead posh uniform too. Can I try your funny coat on, eh?’
    I whipped Britney’s nappy off and mopped her up while Patsy pranced round in India’s duffel coat, even though it was huge on her, the hem trailing on the carpet. India knelt down beside me, gingerly holding Britney’s little hand.
    â€˜She’s so sweet,’ she said. ‘What’s that cream you’re putting on her?’
    â€˜Zinc and castor oil so she doesn’t get a sore bum.’
    â€˜You’re ever so good with babies.’
    â€˜I’ve had heaps of practice,’ I said, pressing a clean nappy on Britney and stuffing her little legs back into her playsuit. ‘I used to look after my baby brother Gary practically full-time, especially when Mum was poorly.’
    â€˜Your mum’s a waste of space as far as I’m concerned, even though she’s my daughter,’ said Nan.
    I thought about Saturday and my hands started shaking so I couldn’t do up Britney’s poppers to save my life.

Eight
    India
    DEAREST KITTY
    You’ll never ever guess what! I have this incredible new best friend, Treasure. She is so lovely – absolutely ice-cream cool and yet
sooooo
kind to me. She just rode up on her bike and started chatting to me like we’d been friends for ever.
    I was a bit scared she might be sending me up, but she was truly friendly and invited me back for tea practically straightaway, no big deal at all, she didn’t even need to ask her grandma first.
    Treasure’s grandma looks incredible, long blond curly hair and bright blue eyes and shiny pink lipstick. She was wearing a tight pink top, black trousers and pink high heels when I first met her. She cooked us tea: egg and bacon and baked beans and tomato and fried bread for Treasure and me, two eggs and four rashers and extra baked beans and tomato and practically a whole fried loaf for Willie, just baked beans and tomato for Patsy because she has to watch her figure for her future showbiz career, just toast for Loretta because she was going out with her girlfriends and she’d have a pizza later, and runny egg and soldiers for little baby Britney.
    Nan served up all these different meals without fussing. She just had a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea herself, because she said she didn’t like to eat too much before a class. I wondered if she was some kind of teacher, though she certainly doesn’t
look
like one. Then she went and got changed. She came back into the kitchen looking AMAZING in this little white flared skirt with a matching fringed bolero trimmed with gold, and white crocodile cowboy boots.
    She winked at me. ‘I’m just dashing down to Tesco to do my shopping,’ she said. Then she roared with laughter. ‘Your
face
, sweetheart! No, this is my work outfit. I teach line dancing.’
    â€˜Mum’s been the South-East area champion two years running,’ Patsy said