The Boy in the Lakewood Jumper
On that same summer Saturday, as Bell and Benedict were preparing for her slumber party and Gillian Roycester questioned Aiden Thompson about Claire Quillan, Liam Wren and his brother were planning for a day at the beach.
The boys’ Uncle Charlie was going to drive them down to Brighton. Liam doubted that the good weather would hold enough for them to frolic in the English Channel. He dressed in jeans and a black knit hoodie. In a canvas travel bag, he stashed a towel, swimsuit and sandals.
Liam came out into the hallway when he heard his uncle coming through the door. His brother Patrick was right behind him. “Hullo, Uncle Charlie!” said Liam.
“Hullo boys! Ready for a long drive?” Charlie had in his hand a pink envelope. “Not sure who this is for. It just says ‘Wren.’”
The two brothers looked at one another. “I don’t think that’s Shona,” said Patrick.
“No,” said Liam. “It’s Nessa. She’s my girlfriend, but she still calls me ‘Wren.’ I’ll take that, Uncle Charlie.”
Liam took the envelope from Charlie and brought it back to his room. He broke the seal and drew out a folded sheet of pink paper. Typical for Vanessa, her note was brief.
L,
Be sure you wear your pin to the station. Don’t stash it
in your trunk. Berto got his already.
Luv,
Ness
He had no idea what she was talking about. He didn’t have any pin, and he hadn’t received anything from school, except for the note about what books he needed for the upcoming term.
There was no time to ponder Vanessa’s message further. It was time to get going. He set the note on his dresser, grabbed his bag, and went to join his brother and uncle.
Charlie drove an egg-shaped Saab hatchback. Liam sat in the front with Charlie while Patrick sprawled out in the backseat. The boys agreed ahead of time that Liam would sit in the front on the way to Brighton and Patrick would get the front seat on the way back.
It was a two-hour drive from Biggleswade to Brighton. As soon as they were on the highway, Charlie asked Liam, “Are you looking forward to school next term?”
“Yes,” said Liam, “though I’ve heard Year 5 is the toughest by far. There’s a big increase in workload. Getting us ready for some important exams at the end of the Spring Term.”
“I’m sure you’ll do your best, as always. Good thing neither of you have needed help with your homework. I don’t think Annie or I would be of much use. Sure you boys don’t want me to pick up your girlfriends?”
“No,” said Liam. “To tell you the truth, I don’t really even know where my girlfriend lives. I haven’t spoken to her since the term ended. That letter this morning was the first thing she’s sent me all summer.”
“How about you, Patrick? Care to take your girl to the beach?”
“Shona’s not really my girlfriend, Uncle Charlie. We’re just pals. But, like Liam said, don’t have any idea where she lives. I mean, she lives in Godric’s Hollow, but I dunno how to get there.”
“Is that where your girl lives, Liam?”
“No. Nessa lives in Druid’s Grove. But, same story. The towns are unplotable. I don’t think non-magical people can just drive there.”
Patrick, eager to keep Vanessa the topic of conversation, rather than his relationship with Shona, pressed on. “I’ve heard the guys in my House talk about Liam’s girl, Vanessa Ables. Paul Hewson and them used to hang out with her sometimes. She’s a handful. Don’t know how my dear brother manages her.”
“Well for one thing, I’m not her manager,” said Liam. “We mostly just study together.”
“You do a lot more than just study, from what I’ve heard,” said Patrick.
“It’s not like we’re in love with each other,” said Liam. “It’s more like we’re friends with benefits.”
This drew a laugh from Charlie. “Say no more, Liam-lad. Don’t tell me anything I’ll be forced to share with your mother. Are you boys excited about going down to the Pier?”
Patrick chatted animatedly about what he wanted to do when they got to Brighton. Liam was grateful for the change of topics. There was plenty that he did not want to divulge to his uncle about his relationship with Vanessa.
They skirted London and then continued on south to Brighton. They found a place to park in a public lot and then walked to the waterfront. It was just after eleven in the morning. They stopped off at a little restaurant for plates of fish and chips before continuing on to the beach.
Patrick wanted to go up into the big Ferris Wheel. The line was long, but it moved steadily. Charlie said, “I bet you wish your girl was with you now, don’t you?”
Liam shrugged, then nodded. He gazed out at the beachgoers. Some girls were stretched out on towels, their tops undone, their smooth white backs open to the sunlight.
That’s where Vanessa’d want to be, thought Liam. She’d wear the smallest, tightest swimsuit she could find. She’d lay out, undo the back, and then sit up and ‘forget’ to put it back together again. She wouldn’t be happy until every male age fifteen to fifty-six were all ogling her.
When their turn came, Charlie and Patrick took one car and Liam went by himself up into the bright blue sky. The sea rolled up the beach in curling waves. Children ran along the water's edge. Liam gazed again at the girls laying on their towels.
Jill would be a lot more fun than Vanessa in a place like this. She’d want to run around and do everything there was to do, and she’d laugh. Her laugh’s the best part of her.
If Sadie were here, she’d want to study everything. like this was a science programme on the telly that she’d never seen before. She’d ask me a million questions. Why do they do it that way? I dunno. They just do.
On the beach, far below him now, walked a girl with jet black hair. What would happen if I ran into Elena here? We weren’t supposed to see each other again. They modified her memory after everything that happened to her. But what if we just ran into one another? Would she remember me? Even if she didn’t, I bet I could win her over, get her to hang out with me for a bit. I’d do anything to see that girl again.
By the time Liam came down from the top of the Ferris Wheel, he was convinced that Elena Morrow was there on the Brighton pier. Two years had passed since he had last seen her, but he knew he would never forget her face or her long black hair. All he had to do was look for her.
As he walked beside his Uncle and brother across the sand to the pier with its arcade of shops, Liam gazed out at every dark-haired girl, looking for his long-lost friend. There were girls everywhere he looked, some in bikini tops, others in sundresses and wide brimmed hats and sunglasses. They had him turning his head from side to side as he tried to catch every eye and look into every face.
As one particularly promising candidate strolled by with her girlfriend, Patrick tugged on Liam’s arm. “Liam! Look!”
Reluctantly, Liam turned to see what his brother wanted. “What?”
“Up there, about 60 metres or so.”
All Liam could see was a crowd of people meandering down the wooden pier. “What am I looking at?”
“Do you see him? It’s that green crew neck jumper.”
“I don’t see, but what about it?”
“He just went into that shop. Let’s go see who it is?”
“What are you going on about?”
“I’m telling you, there’s a bloke up there with a Lakewood College jumper.”
Liam furrowed his brow. “There’s no such thing as Lakewood College,” he said softly.
“I know!” said Patrick, carelessly loud and animated. “They just made it up because we can’t say we go to you-know-where. But it’s more than just a name. There’s a website, and you can buy jerseys, hoodies and jumpers. The school colors are green and blue, and the mascot’s the Lancers.”
“Still, at 60 metres, who knows what you saw.”
“Come and see. He didn’t come out of that shop yet.”
They reached the spot. It was a souvenir shop that sold trinkets and t-shirts. The Wren brothers entered side by side. Liam was determined to find the boy his brother had spotted, if only to soundly disprove the hypothesis.
Right away, he spotted the boy, dark brown hair, wearing a forest green jumper with the word “Lancers” in light blue script across the shoulders. As the boy turned to speak to his companion, Liam recognized him.
“Calais,” said Liam, sternly.
It was Umberto Calais of Slytherin. Umberto had been Liam’s potion partner the last two years. On the front of his jumper were the words “Lakewood College.”
Umberto flinched and his face flushed as he saw Liam and Patrick. He seemed alarmed or embarrassed to be discovered. But in a flash, his expression changed to the calm, controlled one he always kept around school.
“Westley,” said Umberto. “These are two of my friends from Lakewood. Liam Wren and his brother Patrick.”
Liam gave Westley his full attention. Westley’s hair was black, short and spikey. He wore eyeliner and a lilac jumper. There was a diamond post in his left ear.
Liam gazed coolly at Westley, who was watching him warily. “Where do you go to school?”
“Whitgift,” said Westley. “South Croydon.”
Liam nodded. That told him all he needed to know.
Umberto asserted himself once more. “Did you get your pin yet, Wren?”
Liam shook his head. “No. Nessa asked me the same question this morning.”
“It’s coming, so look for it.” He extended a hand, and he and Liam shook. “Good to see you. Now, Westley and I will be moving on.”
“See you later then, Calais.”
Liam and Patrick watched as Umberto and Westley left the shop. As soon as the door closed, Patrick said, “You think that Westley was a poofter?”
“Is that any of your business?” asked Liam, harshly. “You in that market?”
“No!”
“Then, let them be.”
Patrick curled his lip into a smirk. “South Croydon. You know what that means?”
“Yes, I do. Westley’s an NMP. Just like our friends at home.” Since they were in public, Liam scrupulously used the acronym for “Non-Magical Person” rather than say “Muggle.”
“Did you know Calais had this boyfriend?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Explains why he doesn’t have a girlfriend at school.”
“Yes, it does.”
“What’s this pin they’re going on about?”
‘I dunno. I don’t have it yet.”
The brothers left the shop and continued on their way. At the end of the pier was an amusement park with a roller coaster and a haunted house. Charlie bought the boys wrist bands that gave them access to the rides and attractions. Liam continued to look in the face of every dark-haired girl for his long-lost love, the one he had rescued as a Second Year. He won a few shy smiles in return, but Elena did not appear.
In the evening, Liam, Patrick and Charlie ate pizza at a restaurant overlooking the dark water. They walked down the pier again, every shop and restaurant lit with lights. Charlie led them back to the car for the long ride back to Biggleswade.
This time, Liam sat in the backseat while Patrick took the front. While his brother and his uncle talked, Liam stared out the window at the city lights. He felt the familiar pangs of heartache that came on whenever he thought of Elena. I’ll never see her again, will I? Last time, I felt this way, a strand of ‘Nessa’s hair sang me back to sleep. I wonder if I can find one on my clothes.
Does she know that Umberto is gay? Liam was immediately certain that she did know. What did she say to me when I asked her if Umberto wanted her as his girlfriend? ‘Don’t be daft.’ She knew. And I was daft because I didn’t know.
What’s this pin they keep going on about? ‘Don’t be daft.’ That’s what ‘Nessa would tell me. Except that I didn’t grow up in the Wizarding Community. There’s stuff I don’t know about.
Turning his thoughts away from Vanessa and Elena, he landed on Sadie. I wonder what Sadie knows about Umberto. She’s smart as a whip, and she’s known ‘Berto for a long time. I bet she does know this about him. Never mentioned it to me before, but then again, it isn’t any of my business.
I have half a mind to write and ask her.
When they got back to Biggleswade, it was nearly ten. Annie had stayed up waiting for her sons. She opened the door for them as they came up the drive.
“Hello, boys. Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah, it was fun,” said Patrick. “Liam ran into one of his school friends. We talked to him for a bit.”
“Wonderful! Now, off to bed with you both.” She gave a hug first to Patrick and then to Liam. As Liam pulled away, she said, “Oh Liam, you got a box today. A regular delivery driver brought it here, but I think it’s from school.”
“Yeah,” said Liam. “I’m expecting something.”
He went down the hallway to his room. The box was sitting on his pillow. He could have opened it with magic, but at home, he tried his best not to use magic. He cut the tape with the pair of scissors from his desk and opened the flap.
There, in a bed of bubble wrap, was a silver letter P. Beside it was a note on school letterhead.
Dear Mr. Wren,
We are pleased to announce that you have been elected Prefect. You may wear the enclosed pin on your school robes as an indication of your title. On September the first, at 1 pm, please report to the second car for orientation.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Gregor
Deputy Headmaster
Liam went back into the hallway. His mother was talking to his uncle. “Mum, Uncle Charlie? They’ve made me prefect starting next term.”
“Oh Liam, that’s wonderful!” said Annie. “Is that what the box was?”
“Yes.” He showed off the pin and the letter. “Seems like everyone knew I was getting this except me.”
“Well, it’s no surprise to us,” said Charlie. “I would pick you for prefect any day.”
Liam got a hug from his mother and another from his uncle. “You look tired,” said Annie. “You should get to bed.”
“The sea air will do that to you,” said Charlie.
Liam went back to his room and got into bed. The sea air had indeed worn him out. Despite all the thoughts running through his head, about Umberto, Elena and becoming prefect, he fell right to sleep. He didn’t even need one of Vanessa’s singing strands of hair.