Read The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay for Free Online Page A

Nick’s been through. It’s up to him.’
    â€˜Fine.’
    So I slump into the lounge and do what we always do on a Sunday night at six-thirty p.m. – watch ‘It’s a Knockout’ (a lame game show on TV) and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner. It’s the only time we’re allowed to eat in front of the TV, because Mum says she’s too tired to cook. And she happens to like Kentucky’s coleslaw. So we sit there and watch TV and my dad says what he always says every Sunday night: that the male host, Billy J. Smith, seems to be losing weight. And that Fiona McDonald’s teeth are so white, they remind him of the Osmonds.
    And I sit there and pray that Nick doesn’t come down right now while my father has coleslaw on his chin.
    During a commercial break I make an excuse to go downstairs so I can loiter past Nick’s bedroom door and hear what’s going on. And – of course – that’s when he opens his bedroom door, wiping his red swollen eyes, only to find me standing outside. Staring right at him.
    â€˜What are you doing?’ I watch as he rakes his fingers through his blond fringe to push it off his face.
    â€˜I was just getting . . .’ What? I’m not sure, so I abandon this sentence by the side of the road.
    â€˜Are you crying?’
    I pause. Decide to try another tack.
    â€˜Are you okay?’
    â€˜I’m fine,’ he says, before running up the stairs two at a time.
    â€˜Define fine,’ I mumble, as I follow up behind.

‘Maybe it’s his best friend, the one who saved his life.’
    I stand at the school gates trying to keep one eye on the uniforms of the students passing by me, and one eye on Zoë.
    â€˜Nup. Mum pretty much said that stuff was crap.’
    â€˜So your mum knows ?’
    â€˜Apparently. But they won’t tell me anything. Anyway, you didn’t see his face. When Mum said the name Sam Wilks, Nick looked like he was going to spew. And the other thing I forgot to tell you, is that Mrs Ramsay, the counsellor, rang him as well. He spent most of the night on the phone. Hang on a sec, Zee.’
    I go over to a Year-9 girl who has sauntered through the gates wearing her hair down. As soon as she sees me, she ties it back in a ponytail. I give her a look that says, ‘I’m watching you. And your hair.’
    I go back to Zoë.
    â€˜ Ohmygod ,did you see how big her boobs were? She’s in Year 9 for godsakes. She’s gonna put someone’s eye out with those things.’ Zoë looks down at her chest. ‘What the hell is wrong with the two of you? You’re not even trying.’
    â€˜You’ve been reading Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret again, haven’t you?’
    â€˜Well, I read somewhere that if you name things and talk to them everyday, they’re more likely to grow.’
    â€˜That’s plants, Zee. Plants . Not your boobs.’
    â€˜Oh, right, right,’ she says slyly. And then out of the side of her mouth she whispers to her chest, ‘Don’t listen to her. Mummy loves you.’
    â€˜You’re a freak.’
    â€˜I’ve got it!’ she says, hitting me in the arm. ‘Maybe Sam is his dad?’
    â€˜No. Mum and Dad have spoken to Mr McGowan. And plus his surname is McGowan, not Wilks. Mum wouldn’t say “Sam Wilks is on the phone”, she’d say, “Your dad’s on the phone”. And anyway, one of the conditions with Nick McGowan living with us is that he has to ring his father every Tuesday night. So Sam Wilks is not his dad.’
    â€˜But maybe Nick McGowan is adopted. And maybe Sam Wilks is his real dad. His biological dad. Huh?’ She nods enthusiastically. ‘His biological dad has heard that Nick tried to top himself, and now he’s ringing to check on him.’
    â€˜You’ve been watching too much “Knots Landing”.’
    â€˜You should have asked