Unexpected Rendezvous

Chapter 9

Jade's POV

Leigh's jet black hair makes her easy to track. Perrie and I catch up to her a few streets from the bar, passing a familiar area that hosts markets on weekends. My Mum is a city person at heart, born and raised in South Shields which isn't far from Newcastle, and she used to take me into London all the time when I was a kid. Usually it was just the two of us, or the three of us once Zoe came. But occasionally we'd be joined by my Dad, and twice a year, by Ma's entire extended family when they came to visit. 

My grandmother liked to use the time as a recruiting trip. At some point in the day, she'd always look around and sniff, "Cute, but not a real place to live. You must miss that, Norma."

Ma was the only Badwi kid who'd ever left the North East, accepting a tennis scholarship to one of London's many university's and never looking back. My grandmother managed to limit her complaints when Mum was married, but after the divorce happened and my Dad hit the road, her phone calls got more frequent. And now, with Spare Me closed and Ma's osteoarthritis diagnosis, even though she hasn't told my grandmother how bad it is, we hear from her almost daily. "Let us help you," she urges. "Come home."

Ma's reply never changes. "I am home. My children were born here." She always says that, my children, like there's no difference between Zoe and me. And my grandmother has never questioned that, even though Zoe isn't a blood relative. Nana feels the same way. 

I might secretly think that my grandmother has a point, family support would take the pressure off me and Zoe, not to mention get her away from Claud, but there's no way in hell I'm going against my mother. So anytime Nana or one of my aunts or uncles reaches out to me privately, I give them the same response Ma does. We're doing fine. 

"What is your deadbeat father doing to help?" Nana asked the last time she called. 

"Extra child support," I said, which is true. She doesn't need to know it's only £50 a check. Dad keeps claiming he's looking for work nearby so he can move back to Charlton and help out more, but that's not something I plan on mentioning to my grandmother. She'd know as well as I do that it's nothing but empty talk.

"Oh, Jade," she sighed before she hung up on that call. "You're as stubborn as she is, aren't you? You'll be the death of me."

Thank God she has no idea what's happening now, or that could get literal.

Perrie's been quiet as we walk, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, until both our phones start to buzz simultaneously. Hers is in the bag she has slung over her shoulder, and while she roots around for it, I pull mine out of my pocket. There's a pileup of texts waiting for me, from Jed and my friend Zack.

Zack: Where are you? Jesy Nelson is fucking DEAD.

Zack: Stabbed in the heart or something.

Zack: Idk, rumours are flying.

Shit. How do people know already? The news didn't mention Nelson's name, did it? Unless there's already been a follow up report since we last watched. 

Zack: Me & Jamie are doing a special version of Charlton Speaks during lunch.

Zack: Going rogue. Don't tell anyone.

Zack and another guy in our class started up a YouTube series last spring to report on school happenings as part of their media technology grade, and it was popular enough that they kept it going. They're supposed to run everything past a teacher before posting though, and no way would speculation about Nelson be an approved topic.

Jed: Hey, are you ok??

Jed: Not a good day to miss school. Nelson did too, and everyone's saying she got murdered in London 😭