Had a Bad Day

Molly was knelt on the floor of Charles' office, arms outstretched, as she tried to coax Ava to let go of the table leg and walk towards her. "Come on baby, just one little step. You can do it." Ava eyed Molly uncertainly as she took a tentative step forward, then another as she let go of the table leg and tottered unsteadily towards Molly's outstretched arms. "That's it, come on, nearly there." Molly giggled as she shuffled back a few paces, a subtle tactic to try and encourage Ava to take a few more wobbly steps towards her. The sudden bang of the door slamming against the wall startled Ava, causing her to wobble and fall onto her bottom. She sat in stunned silence as she stared up at Molly, her bottom lip wobbling as she began whimpering softly. Scooping Ava up into her arms Molly raised an eyebrow as she watched a usually cheerful Sam stomp across the office and throw himself onto the sofa, where he lay glaring at the ceiling completely oblivious to the exasperated stare of the figure stood in the doorframe.

"Hay Scamp, Everything okay?" Molly's eyes flicked back and forth between Sam and Rebecca, the tension between them evident. Oh dear, someone was clearly having a bad day. "Fine," Sam grumbled, his eyes finding something fascinating on the carpet. Catching Rebecca's eye, Molly saw her shake her head. Whatever the matter was, Sam clearly hadn't confided in Rebecca either. "Where's Dad?" Sam asked quietly, still refusing to meet anyone's eye. Oh so this was a problem for Dad was it. Alright then.

"He's out on the parade ground doing drills with Two Section putting the trainees through their paces mate."

With a sigh Sam finally looked at Molly. "Can I go up to the roof please?" uh oh! Code red. Noticing Rebecca's surprised look Molly could only nod. "Sure thing Scamp. Just pop your head round and tell Major Winters on your way up and make sure you take a radio with you."

"I'm not a baby Molly," Sam grouched as he picked up his bag and walked out, ignoring both Ava's excited babbling to get his attention and Rebecca's stern call for him to come back and apologise. Molly watched Sam go with raised eyebrows. "Okaaaay then. What's got his beret in a knot? He looks like you told him Christmas was cancelled this year." Rebecca sighed and reached out for Ava who had her arms outstretched towards her. "He's been like this since I picked him up from school. I got called in to speak to Miss Hollis. Apparently he got involved in a scuffle in the playground with some of the boys but refused to say who started it or what they were fighting over. Even the threat of missing his play time and not being able to play Rugby the rest of the term isn't making him talk. Are you sure you haven't been teaching him war tactics?" Rebecca looked at Molly hopefully as if she had all the answers. Molly could do nothing but shrug, "Maybe he fell out with his friends over who got to be goalie. You know what those boys are like when they play, they think the playgrounds Wembley stadium half the time."

"Yeah, maybe. Oh how I wish I understood playground politics and the inner workings of the nine year old mind." Molly chuckled as she watched Ava try to pull herself into a standing position on Rebecca's lap. With a triumphant giggle she began to bounce up and down as Rebecca held her hands to steady her. They were interrupted by the sound of several dull thuds, followed by a shower of water hitting the office window. "What on earth was that?" Molly gave a strained chuckle as she watched a rainbow of brightly coloured balls fall from the sky only to explode as they hit the ground.

"Today's definitely a bad day. It looks like we're at code red." At Rebecca's confused look Molly continued. "I have an idea as to why he chose the roof an' you ain't gunna like it much." With that Molly picked up Ava and led Rebecca to the door, stopping to pick up a small plastic bag from Charles drawer. After climbing up several flights of stairs, Molly used her hip to push open the heavy fire door that led to the roof. There they found Sam leaning over the wall, a bucket of water balloons at his feet and a fresh balloon cradled carefully in his hand.

"Yup. Today's definitely a code red." Molly muttered as Rebecca looked between the two in confusion as she tried to put the pieces together. "Molls what's going on? Why are we on the roof and what does Sam want with a bucket of…..are those water balloons?"

"We're at code red." Molly whispered as she handed Rebecca the plastic bag she'd picked up earlier just as Sam dropped the balloon over the edge. "Please tell me my son didn't do what I think he just did." Sniggering, Molly nodded in confirmation.

"I'm afraid so. Hay Sam, are you ready to talk about it yet?" Molly called out hopefully.

"Molls what's a code red?" Rebecca asked as Ava clapped her hands in delight as she was hit by stray droplets of water. "Just wait." A whoosh, followed by a splat was the only sound Molly heard. Ok so we're clearly not at the talking stage yet then. New tactic Dawes. Jerking her head in Sam's direction, Molly and Rebecca approached slowly and came and stood on either side of Sam. Without a word, Sam handed them each a balloon just as several trainees came marching around the corner of the building. "On three. One, two, three, GO!" Looking uncertain, Rebecca watched as Molly and Sam both threw their balloons over the edge and lent forward to see if they hit their mark. Taking a deep breath she to let her balloon drop, giggling as they all ducked behind the wall just as several confused and wet soldiers turned their gaze to the sky.

"Where did you learn to do this? Was it Grandma Margaret? Please tell me you don't do this to the Austen tourists." Both Molly and Sam sniggered. As if Margaret needed any new ideas to piss off the tourists. She had plenty of her own. Catching his breath Sam finally spoke up. "No mum. You know Molly grew up in East Ham right?" At Rebecca's nod of confirmation Sam continued, "Well she told me that there wasn't really much to do. In the summers she and her friends used to hang out on the roof of the flats and people watch. One day, her mate managed to get a couple of balloons and they snuck indoors and filled them with water. They managed to carry them to the roof where they threw them at the nosy neighbours below. Molls got into so much trouble, but she said it was worth it because it made everything better somehow. Even if it was for just a little while." Molly eyed Rebecca carefully as she tried to judge her reaction to the story. She glanced at Molly and gave a small smile. "I know what you mean, it is kind of therapeutic." Molly laughed as they both sat leaning against the wall, watching Sam scoop water onto a giggling Ava's hand. "I first brought Sam up here after he missed that conversion during the end of season play offs. Do you remember?"

"Oh yeah, he was pissed for weeks after that. Refused to go to school and everything." Rebecca nudged Sam who managed to crack a small smile in return.

"Exactly. At the time I was pregnant with Ava and my moods were all over the shop. The lads had dubbed them the 'Murderous Mollies" by then and had colour coded my outbursts in terms of their severity. I was sat in here feeling sorry for self since I'd reached code red and everyone was avoiding me. I can't remember what I'd done but Sam came into the office that afternoon in a right grump. He wouldn't talk to anyone about was as if he'd morphed into a teenager overnight. Charles had disappeared to a meeting and I was beginning to loose me patience. In the end, sensing we both needed cheering up, I brought him to the roof told him that story and we spend the afternoon throwing balloons at everyone who walked past. We've done it ever since." Rebecca couldn't help but laugh, "What and the major doesn't mind?"

"Nah, I let him throw a few after I nearly ran him over when I was learning to drive. He comes up here every now and again to blow off some steam. Why do you think Charles keeps a drawer full of balloons?" Turning serious, Rebecca looked down at Sam with knowing expression as she jerked her head in Molly's direction. With a sign, Sam put down the balloon and lent his head on Molly's shoulder. "I'm sorry for being rude earlier Molls, I didn't mean it. I was having a bad day." Molly chuckled softly as she squeezed his hand. "What happened Scamp? It's not like you to be the dark cloud in the room. You're normally my little ray of sunshine." With a sign Sam pulled his knees up to his chest. "I sort of got into a little fight in the playground at school. The boys had been picking on Annabel Weir caz she likes to play football. Matthew Stevens started teasing her, saying that girls can't like football and she should go and play hopscotch with the other girls. I told them to stop it and leave her alone. I told them that it was ok for girls and boys to like the same things and that it didn't matter because actually, Annabel was a much better player than most of us on the school team." Molly gave a low whistle, "That was good of you Sammie, sticking up for Annabel against your friends like that. I take it they didn't like that though."

"Yeah well then Matthew Stevens started teasing me saying I only stuck up for her caz she was my girlfriend and that I wanted to marry her. The other boys started making kissing noises and I got mad and pushed him. He pushed me back and we got into a bit of a scuffle. The other boys tried to join in but we got caught out by a dinner lady."

"Sweetheart, Molly's right. Although it was nice of you to stick up for Annabel, and whilst you are right that boys and girls can play with whatever toys they choose, whether they are designed for boys or girls or not, you know that fighting is wrong and doesn't solve anything. Why didn't you talk to a teacher? Better yet, why didn't you tell Miss Hollis all this when she asked you what happened?" Sam refused to answer, his eyes finding the design of the bricks very interesting. Molly watched him carefully, as he met her gaze the penny dropped. "Ahh so you do like her." Sam groaned as Molly smirked.

"Molls! Alright fine. She's alright I s'pose, for a girl and she really is quite good at football. But if you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it." Rebecca met Molly's eye and bit her lip as she fought not to laugh.

"Well that's high praise indeed Sam. Now you're going to go into school first thing tomorrow and explain everything to Miss Hollis and apologise for lying to her. Do you hear me?" giving a dejected sigh and knowing instinctively that Molly would back his mum up Sam nodded grudgingly.

"Ok fine." Molly grinned as she stood up and survey the damage below.

"Hay Sam, your Dad and Two Section are on their way back. Think we can take 'em?" With a grin Molly shifted Ava onto her hip as she handed Sam and Rebecca another balloon. When Sam gave the signal they threw several balloons over the edge. The first one bounced off of Charles's shoulder and exploded over his feet. Molly's balloon hit Mansfield squarely in the head and shattered onto the pavement. Rebecca's balloon and several others exploded in the middle of Two Section's formation, sending them darting for cover under a shower of colourful curses that Molly hoped Sam didn't hear. Sneaking a quick glimpse over the wall Molly saw Charles stood with his hands on his hips and his head tilted as he eyed the roof curiously. Uh oh! Captain Stern Face was about to make an appearance.

"Corporal Molly James!" Yup, there he is. Giving a sheepish wave Molly peered over the wall,

"Yes Boss?" Here it comes.

"Bad day?"

"Yeah something like that." Molly grinned at him as she gestured with her free hand for a balloon. Standing quickly Molly aimed the balloon at Charles only for him to dodge at the last minute.

"Nice try Dawes." Charles grinned smugly up at Molly, not noticing the other two balloons until it was too late.

"Aww Boss what happened to following your own advice? Stay focused, stay alert, stay alive ay Bossman." Charles looked up as he removed his dripping wet beret.

"Very funny. You're going to pay for that one Dawesy. You too Sam."

A little plot bunny that surfaced this morning. Enjoy. Please R and R., thanks for the continuing support for these stories.