Blitz Next Door by Cathy Forde Page A

13 th was the Clydebank Blitz.” He pushed the notebook towards Pete. “Don’t want to read on.”
    So Pete took over:
    “ Mummy said last night was the last straw. She’s sent Aunt Katy a telegram to meet me off the train at Inverness. Last night the streets where Mickey Kelly and Francis McGraw live copped it. I don’t know if they’re alright because Mummy’s keeping me off school till I leave. I’ll need to start a new one in Beauly. I won’t know anyone and worse than that, Hugh won’t know I’ve gone away. I’m taking his Valentine, and Mickey’s. When I think about leaving Mummy I just want to cry. So why am I so horrible when she talks to me and tells me to pack? Speaking of which …”
    There was nothing else written. Dunny rolled on to his back and Pete did the same, hugging Beth’s notebook to his chest. Neither of them spoke as they stared up at the cloudy sky. A plane crossed overhead, low enough for Pete to see its orange livery.
    Dunny scissored his legs at it.
    “Beth wouldn’t have been able to do that,” said Pete. “All those German planes swooping down.”
    “Must have been kinda exciting sometimes.” Dunny was pretending to shoot a machine gun at the sky. “Teaching the enemy a lesson.”
    “But you and me wouldn’t’ve been soldiers.” Pete raised Beth’s notebook above his head. “We’d be like Beth. Refugees, or evacuees.” Or casualties . “Sitting targets on this trampoline.”
    Pete closed his eyes. He couldn’t stop thinking about Beth. In that shelter. A sky full of hostile Luftwaffe droning overhead.
    “Nyaaaach-ch-ch-ch.” Dunny’s fingertips dive-bombed Pete’s stomach.
    “Oi.” Pete rolled away to dodge the next attack.
    “Nyeaw! Nyeaw! Nyeaw!” Dunny was on his feet, bouncing, air-shooting. “Just think: sky glowing, shells exploding like giant fireworks, sirens screaming. Sick, man.”
    “So long as you didn’t get killed or bombed.” Pete was easing himself off the trampoline, cradling Beth’s notebook.
    “BOOM! SPLAT!” Dunny flung himself high, throwing star jumps.
    “You seasick, Nigel?” he called down to Pete.
    Pete didn’t admit to Dunny how he was really feeling: disturbed, fascinated, sad… All because of a girl. A girl from… A girl who was probably…
    “Better check in,” he said.
    “See you, then.” Dunny was back-flipping. “Borrow the notebook, s’long as I get it back. I’ll come round for you later, yeah?”

Chapter 19
    Pete was double chuffed. Not only did he have the chance to pore over Beth’s notebook in private, but he’d a new mate who seemed to like him enough to lend it. This time when he tried his back door, it opened, which made him hope Mum or Dad might be in the kitchen, their spat over. But only Jenny was there, strapped into her car seat on the floor. From the sitting room Pete’s parents’ voices carried, raised in argument again. This time it seemed to be about why Dad had told Mr Milligan to call him into the office any time, so Mum never knew when she’d have a chance to use the car… or something stupid and grown-up like that.
    Pete sighed. He hunkered down to Jenny and stroked her cheek. “Want to see Beth’s diary?” Pete unclipped his sister. “Don’t cry then. Come on,” he whispered and tiptoed upstairs. He propped her beside him on a pillow on the floor so she could play with his fingers while he read back over the notebook. To keep Jenny cooing and gurgling, Pete hummed ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ over and over under his breath. This seemed to be doing the trick, Jenny’s big eyes exploring the room with calm interest. Until, that is, Pete sensed her body stiffen as if she’d turned into a plastic doll. Her gaze was fixed on the wall through to Beth Winters’ oldroom.
    “What’s up?” Pete gathered his sister in his arms. Jenny’s answer was a whimper and a cry. And then his own stomach lurched.
    Pete could hear a siren wailing. Not an ambulance or a fire engine, but an