“When I woke up – it was only a few seconds later, I think – Scott was there. He pushed through the crowd and he roared, Lauren, roared at them. He wasn’t scared. He charged at them and he swung like a madman. The fighting was vicious. One of them bit his pinkie finger off, spat it into a drain. It was mayhem.”

Gary had been drunk and this had all happened years ago, but he’d never forget the way Scott cried out when that savage spat blood and flesh into the gutter.

“But Scott wouldn’t stop. He went berserk. Eventually they were forced to back off. By then there were sirens in the air. Scott knelt at my side and checked over my injuries. We’d both done first aid, mostly because it looked good on the CV. He didn’t care that he was bleeding from a dozen places himself. When I woke up in the hospital – three days later – Scott was there, a bandage on his hand and a smile on his face.”

Gary was trembling with the force of the memory. “Without him, those pricks would’ve beaten me to death.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Lauren said. “A way to save him, like he saved you. But I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

Scott was about to ask what, then he noticed a small cross hanging from the desk lamp. The sight was so unexpected, he had to ask. “Is that yours?”

Lauren smiled tightly. “No, it’s Scott’s. I’m not sure if I should move it. I’m pretty sure there’s a rule about religion in the classroom.”

“Scott isn’t religious,” Gary said. “His mum was, but nothing major. And I know he isn’t a fan of Natalie’s parents, the way they look down on people because of their religion.”

“He brought it in a few days ago.”

“I’m sorry. This is like finding out he goes to sex clubs or something.” Gary laughed, shaking his head.

“Maybe it’s helping him through this,” Lauren said softly, and Gary felt like a dick.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said. “But I don’t want there to be any this. Put that away, Lauren, just in case.”

“Do you think so?”

“What if one of the kids tells their parents this school – that has no religious affiliation at all – is displaying a cross in the classroom? I’m not saying it’s a big deal. But these days… I want Scott to have a job to come back to. He’d want us to move it.”

“All right.” Lauren unwrapped the small cross from the lamp and put it in the drawer. “So do you want to hear my plan?”

39

SCOTT

“Dance, you beautiful boy, dance!”

Scott had been doing just that for what felt like hours. Casey was sitting in the armchair, drinking directly from an expensive bottle of wine. She’d delighted in telling him this bottle had cost over a thousand pounds, casually pouring some on the floor as she said it.