Page 72 of Crocodile Tears
“Like mother, like son.” He grinned. “I’m so glad I’m not a sportsman, or an actor, or anything else that would throw me into the public eye. I wouldn’t like being at the centre of anything like this.”
“Me neither. Here’s to the quiet life!” Noah raised his glass. “Look, I’ve been meaning to talk to you, son,” he said in a softer tone. Alex braced himself, fearing the worst.
“I know you’ve been unhappy at school, and after you were expelled from Graylands at the end of last term, well, I admit I was angry.”
“Yeah, just a bit.” Alex winced into his Coke. His father had sent him to his room the minute he’d returned home and ordered him not to set foot outside the house for two weeks. He hadn’t minded – he’d spent the time designing a flying motorbike.
“I’m sorry about that. I thought your bad behaviour was because you were jealous of Charles’s success – it all seemed to start when we took him out of school to concentrate on his rowing career. I thought you were being selfish and envious.”
“I’m not envious of Charles. I don’t want this.” Alex waved his hand at the crowd. “Not in a million years would I ever want this.”
“I see that now. You and Charles are so different.” Noah cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’ve found out the real reason why you behaved as you did. Charles tells me you were being bullied at school – at all your schools.”
Alex froze and looked down into his Coke. “Charles should keep his big mouth shut,” he said, feeling ashamed.
“I wish you’d told us, son.” Noah placed a gentle hand on Alex’sshoulder. “Charles said he looked out for you at Shales Academy, but once we took him out… I can only assume it got worse?”
Alex took a long gulp of his Coke. “I didn’t know how to handle it after he left, or at the other schools you sent me to after that, so I kept lashing out and getting into fights.”
“You were bullied at all three schools?” Noah looked bewildered. “But why?”
Alex shrugged morosely. “Dunno. ’Cause I’m different?”
“I’m sorry.” Noah squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry, too, that we’ve all been too preoccupied to notice what was going on. Your mother is focused on Charles’s training, I’ve been busy with Lytton AV, and you got lost somewhere along the way.”
He stared at his father in surprise. They’d always got on well when he was younger, but the strain of his expulsions had taken its toll on their relationship of late.
“I’ve been speaking to some of the other families here, and one of the things that came up is how to deal with the other kids in the family when one child is a prodigiously talented athlete,” Noah said, unexpectedly. “Often, that child’s gift can take over a family’s entire life, and I think that’s what’s happened to us. So, after the Games, you can stay at home for your final year. I’ll find you a tutor, or you can go to a local sixth-form college if you’d prefer. How does that sound?”
Alex blinked. “It sounds great, Dad. Thank you.”
“Good.” Noah pulled him into a hug. “You’re just as important as Charles, you know, son. I’m sorry if it hasn’t always felt that way.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled into his father’s shoulder.
“Now, promise me you won’t give Charles a hard time for telling me about the bullying,” Noah said, pushing him away and looking him in the eye.
“I can’t be angry at Charles for long. Who can?” He grinned, glancing over to where Charles and Isobel were still holding court, laughing, joking, and generally charming everybody, like the practised double act they were.
“I blame myself for not realising something was upsetting you sooner,” Noah admitted. “Like I said, I’ve been busy at work, trying tobring in as much money as possible. Charles’s training is expensive, and Isobel has been asking for more lately. It’s been a strain.”
“It’ll be worth it, if he wins a medal tomorrow.”
“Of course – but look, we’re talking about Charles again, and I want to talk about you. This business with that drug you keep taking – the alligator or whatever it’s called.”
“Croc, Dad. It’s called croc.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Short for crocodile tears – because it makes you cry.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound like much fun. You’ve got to promise me that you’ll stop. If you get good grades in your exams, then you can go to Oxford, and after that you can join me at Lytton AV. But you have to stop taking this drug.”
“You mean that?” he asked eagerly. “I can do a degree in art and design and then come and work in the design studio at Lytton AV?”
“It would make more sense for you to take a business degree if you’re going to run the company one day.”
“But I want to study art and design – that’s what I’m good at. You let Charles do what he’s good at,” Alex protested.
Noah sighed. “Okay. Fair enough. You can study art and design at Oxford, and then we’ll see about you coming to work with your old man. How does that sound?”
“Fantastic!” he breathed. “I’ll work very hard – I’ll make you so proud of me, I promise.”
