Page 19 of Darling Girls

Sandra pointed at Jessica. ‘Shewas supposed to do my homework, but she didn’t. Now I have a detention.’

‘I was going to do it last night,’ Jessica said weakly. ‘But I . . . I . . .’

She drifted off. Norah understood. Miss Fairchild had been in a volatile mood and had tasked Jessica with extra cleaning duties right up until bedtime.

‘I tried to do it in class this morning,’ Jessica continued, ‘but Mr Walker caught me.’

‘How much are you paying her?’ Norah asked Sandra, who was still pinned beneath Norah’s knees.

When Sandra looked baffled, Norah looked at Jessica, who was scuffing her feet. Her cheeks were pink. ‘Jessica?’

‘She’s not paying me,’ the girl muttered.

Norah frowned. ‘Well, what’s she doing for you in exchange?’

‘Nothing.’

Norah stared at her. ‘Then why are you doing her homework?’

Jessica shrugged. ‘Because she asked me to.’

‘Will youget off me?’ Sandra spat.

Norah responded by adding more pressure. ‘From now on, it’s two dollars per worksheet,’ Norah said to Sandra. ‘Ninety per cent or above, or you get your money back.’

It took a minute for Sandra to catch her breath. ‘I’m not paying –’

‘We’ll also take payment in food. Homework in exchange for lunch. Your mark will vary in direct correlation to the quality of the lunch.’

When Sandra didn’t respond, Norah leaned forward to put more weight on her knees.

‘Fine!’ Sandra gasped.

‘Good.’

The bell went then, so Norah stood up, releasing Sandra. The girl’s face contorted as she struggled to her feet. ‘Who the fuck are you anyway?’ she said to Norah.

‘I’m Jessica’s sister,’ Norah said. ‘The name’s Norah. With an “h”.’

By the end of the day, Norah and Jessica already had two additional customers for their homework racket.

‘Why did you tell Sandra I was your sister?’ Jessica asked that afternoon as they trudged home from school.

Norah shrugged. ‘Announcing you’re a foster child rarely leads to anything good.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know. Strange sad looks from parents. Kids asking what happened to your parents. Teachers who want you to stay late after school to help them organise the sports shed.’ Norah drew air quotes around the words ‘organise the sports shed’.

Jessica’s face became horrified. ‘Oh.’

‘I know you’re not my actual sister, obviously,’ Norah said after a moment’s thought. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’

When Jessica replied, her voice was small. ‘Actually,’ she said, ‘I liked it.’

Norah didn’t know what to say to that, and clearly neither did Jessica, because they walked the rest of the way home in silence.

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