After Forever Ends - Ramone Melodie - Страница 19

Madame Pennyweather looked to the heavens as if to say Ana had spoken her thoughts exactly.

“Now,” Ana continued, adjusting her purse on her lap, “I agree with Philip. He trusts them both and he’s not concerned about their relationship. He’s right. Their marks are the most important thing and as long as they keep those up I believe it is best to treat this for what it is…simple young love.”

“Yes, yes, it’s nothing to fret about,” Said Edmond. He was sitting tall in his chair and looking straight at Madame Pennyweather. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest, how his voice filled the room as if they were wasting his time, “Oliver and I have openly and frankly discussed his relationship with Silvia. I know what’s going on with them and I know about his intentions. If it were my other son, I’d agree that distance might be in their best interest, but mind this is Oliver we’re talking about. Oliver has a good head on his shoulders. He and Silvia are involved, certainly, but it’s innocent. It’s puppy love. Let them alone. It may pass in time.”

“Please understand,” Professor Fields offered, “That we really have their best interest in mind.”

“We all have their best interest in mind,” Madame Pennyweather agreed, “Or none of us would be here. I believe we've all had the opportunity to express our concerns. Oliver, Silvia, do either of you have anything to say?”

I shook my head. Oliver was dead silent for about ten seconds before he stood up. “Bollocks,” He told them, “This is complete bollocks and all of you know it.”

And with that, he took my hand and the two of us walked out of the room.

I’d never seen Oliver so angry. He was shaking as we stood in the corridor waiting for his parents. When they emerged, Ana rubbed his arm gently and whispered something to him in Welsh that I couldn’t understand.

He nodded. “It’s not right, Mum,” I heard him say in English, “Why do they have to be involved at all?” He trailed off into Welsh, speaking so quickly that even the few words of the language I might have recognized were a blur.

She rubbed his arm again, “I don’t know, Ollie. You just can’t let it get to you.”

He dropped his cheek down against the top of her head and hugged her. “Thank you, Mum, for being on our side.”

“We’re always on your side,” Edmond put his hand on Ollie’s shoulder and then turned to me, “Headmistress has sent for Alexander. We’d like to take the three of you and your dad out to dinner since we’re all together. We don‘t get this chance often, do we?”

“No, Sir. That’d be lovely.”

“Silvia,” He shook his head, “Don’t call me sir.”

Alex arrived about the same time Daddy quit chatting with the professors. We went to dinner in town. It took a little while, but Alexander was able to break Oliver’s foul mood.

“Professor Lucas is just jealous,” He assured his brother quietly when our parents were not listening, “That mingy bird couldn’t get laid in a home for the blind. And as far as Professor Fields, she could wander into a forest of hammers begging for it and never get nailed.”

Ollie began to laugh. By the time we got back to school, the whole thing was a joke.

Oliver and I tried to cool our public displays of affection from there on, or at least not display them where a teacher could see us. We still had detention from time to time, but the general over-reaction of the staff had waned and soon the other students got tired of our snogging and quit talking about it.

Spring came over Wales it seemed overnight that year. The mounds of snow melted away into mud and then dried to allow the grass to become green once again. The sports teams regrouped and the students began to wander about the quads. Frisbees flew, cricket bats swung, and the ear splitting musical tones of Merlyn attempting to sing “Tore Adore” echoed across the lake. Lance found a girl who was actually shorter than he was and we saw a little less of him.

“He’s pulling an Ollie,” Alexander coined the phrase one rainy Saturday morning when we were sitting together on the sofa in the fifth year common room waiting for Oliver to be released from detention. He’d gotten caught planting boiled eggs under Josh McGuigan’s mattress. “Meets a girl and we only see him at meals and with her there to boot.” He shook his head slowly, “Don’t you think Lance’s new girlfriend looks odd? I’m not trying to be stupid, but is she a dwarf?”

“No, dwarves have limbs disproportionate from their bodies. Hers are proportionate. She’s just very little,” I responded, scrutinizing her from our distance, “She may be a midget. I’m not sure what classifies a midget. I know it’s different for men and women. Lance may be a midget,” I suddenly realized Alex was staring me as if I were a numpty, “Don’t give me that look! I’m being serious! Anyway, they’re absolutely charming.”

“I don’t believe she’s a third year,” He crossed his arms across his chest, “She’s not large enough. If I had to guess I’d say she’s no older than eight.”

I laughed, “She’s well-formed for eight. Anyway, she seems quite nice.”

Alexander looked at me for a quick second and then without a hint of humour in his voice, he said, “No, I heard some of the staff talking. She’s all bad, that one. They kicked her out of the Lollipop Guild for theft, yeah, and she did community service for bitch-slapping the Mayor of Munchkinland.”

I burst out laughing with such force Lance and his new girlfriend turned to look. Alex finally lost the straight face and gave them an involuntary smile. We both waved, which they returned.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I told him, even though I was still laughing.

“When are you going to realise that I’m not nice, Sil?”

“Oh, you’re nice. You just don’t want anybody to know it.”

The school year ended a month after that conversation. Oliver and I had already worked out the details of how we would see each other over the summer. We discussed them again as we stood outside the school waiting for our rides home to arrive.

“Cars, busses, trains…I’ll walk to you if it comes to it,” He promised, “But it won’t. I’ll have to work during the week. Dad makes us work to keep us honest and out of trouble, he says, but that’ll give me money to see you on the weekends, eh? Mum and Dad want you to come visit us, too.”

“I can take the train for that,” I took his hands, “It’s pathetic, but I’ll miss you every day.”

“It’s not pathetic. It makes me feel cool,” He grinned and pushed a stray hair from my eye, “I’ll miss you every day, too, Sil, but I’ll see you every weekend. More if I can make it up there. We’ll have fun. I’ll take you places. Me and you, Sil. It’ll be brill!”

His smile melted me as usual. “Did I ever tell you that you are my favourite person?”

“And you’re mine, Just Silvia Cotton. I’m glad that you’re not hurt or ticked off. You’re just fine,” Oliver kissed me tenderly as my father pulled up to collect me, “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

“See you on Saturday,” I took one last look into those dark eyes before he walked me over to my father’s car.

“Good afternoon, Mister Cotton!” Oliver said brightly, waving an arm.

“Hello, Oliver! How are you?” My father got out of the car with a grin and walked to the back to load in my bags.

“I’m well, Sir,” He helped him stuff my bags in the boot and stepped back as Daddy slammed the lid closed.

“That’s good news!” Daddy gave another rare smile. “Are your parents coming for you?”

“Yes, Sir, a little later.”

“Good then! Silvia, go ahead and say good bye. You can ring him later this evening.” He headed back to the driver’s side of the car, “Good to see you, Oliver.”

“Yes, Sir, you too,” Oliver glanced to see if my father was looking and kissed me again quickly. “I’ll ring you after supper, yeah?”

“OK.”

He opened the door for me and held it until I was in. “I’ll talk to you soon, Sil. Have a brilliant day, Mister Cotton!”