out any official invites. For once, the mood in the house was light. Even her mum was happy – she’d done herself up to the nines, and was dancing and laughing and flirting with all Jenna’s brothers’ mates.
Someone had brought round a karaoke machine. Nicked, no doubt, but everyone started to take it in turns to have a go. Jenna felt too shy at first, but her friends encouraged her. They’d heard her sing and they thought she was great. They weren’t going to stop, so Jenna picked up the microphone.
She sang ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera. Everyone else had chosen upbeat singalong songs, from bands like the Spice Girls and Take That, so for a moment she felt awkward when she realised everyone had stopped talking and laughing, and was actually watching her. She wasn’t note perfect, not by any means. Every time she made a mistake she cringed inside and wanted to run off, but she carried on. When the last note died away, there was silence. Then suddenly everyone broke into wild applause.
Jenna couldn’t believe she’d actually done it, sung on her own in front of a roomful of people. It felt amazing. She felt . . . beautiful, just like in the song.
Then her mother had stepped in front of her, grabbed the microphone, put on another song – something rowdy and upbeat. In the blink of an eye she had the whole room singing along with her, cheering and clapping. Jenna was forgotten. Overshadowed. She’d felt invisibleagain. How could she have thought she was any good? Everyone was drunk. They were just playing along with her. The applause had been empty. They’d have clapped for anyone . . .
The memory burned inside her, and she turned away from the pub and headed to the bus stop. Five minutes later she was on the bus to Tawcombe, leaving Everdene and the horrors of the day behind her.
As soon as she got back to her house, she went into her room, shut the door and leaned against it. She felt numb, unsure whether to laugh or cry or just throw herself onto the bed and go to sleep. She wanted to block out everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She wanted to block out the future, too. Just one more day and The Prof would be knocking on the door, an oily smile on his face, knowing full well she didn’t have the rent.
She looked around at the shabby furniture and the few things she had that made the room her own. She wouldn’t be sorry to leave. Her time here had not been happy. The other tenants in the house had been in no hurry to make friends. She had never felt comfortable bringing anyone back here. Her friends wouldhave been shocked, even though they might not live in palaces themselves.
As she looked around, Jenna understood that she had no choice but to go back home. She would go now, tonight. She would save The Prof the pleasure of evicting her. She couldn’t stand the thought of his face as he made her pack up her stuff. And this way, she wouldn’t have to owe him the money. He might try to track her down and chase her for it, but at the end of the day how could you get money out of someone who didn’t have any?
For the next half-hour, Jenna went through her wardrobe and her drawers, sorting out everything she wanted to take with her. Then she piled it all into two black bin bags. That was it, everything she had in the world. She put them by the door. She’d call a cab. Her mum would have to pay the fare when she got there.
She picked up the bags and stood in the doorway for a moment. So much for making her own way in the world. She’d reached rock bottom today. Her mum was so right. Of course she wasn’t any better than any of them. She belonged right back there with the rest of her family. How could she possibly have imagined there was a better life out there?
She thought about Craig. Why couldn’t shehave ended up with someone like him? Someone decent and honest who’d made his way in the world, even though he’d had no better a start than she had.
The door
Someone had brought round a karaoke machine. Nicked, no doubt, but everyone started to take it in turns to have a go. Jenna felt too shy at first, but her friends encouraged her. They’d heard her sing and they thought she was great. They weren’t going to stop, so Jenna picked up the microphone.
She sang ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera. Everyone else had chosen upbeat singalong songs, from bands like the Spice Girls and Take That, so for a moment she felt awkward when she realised everyone had stopped talking and laughing, and was actually watching her. She wasn’t note perfect, not by any means. Every time she made a mistake she cringed inside and wanted to run off, but she carried on. When the last note died away, there was silence. Then suddenly everyone broke into wild applause.
Jenna couldn’t believe she’d actually done it, sung on her own in front of a roomful of people. It felt amazing. She felt . . . beautiful, just like in the song.
Then her mother had stepped in front of her, grabbed the microphone, put on another song – something rowdy and upbeat. In the blink of an eye she had the whole room singing along with her, cheering and clapping. Jenna was forgotten. Overshadowed. She’d felt invisibleagain. How could she have thought she was any good? Everyone was drunk. They were just playing along with her. The applause had been empty. They’d have clapped for anyone . . .
The memory burned inside her, and she turned away from the pub and headed to the bus stop. Five minutes later she was on the bus to Tawcombe, leaving Everdene and the horrors of the day behind her.
As soon as she got back to her house, she went into her room, shut the door and leaned against it. She felt numb, unsure whether to laugh or cry or just throw herself onto the bed and go to sleep. She wanted to block out everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She wanted to block out the future, too. Just one more day and The Prof would be knocking on the door, an oily smile on his face, knowing full well she didn’t have the rent.
She looked around at the shabby furniture and the few things she had that made the room her own. She wouldn’t be sorry to leave. Her time here had not been happy. The other tenants in the house had been in no hurry to make friends. She had never felt comfortable bringing anyone back here. Her friends wouldhave been shocked, even though they might not live in palaces themselves.
As she looked around, Jenna understood that she had no choice but to go back home. She would go now, tonight. She would save The Prof the pleasure of evicting her. She couldn’t stand the thought of his face as he made her pack up her stuff. And this way, she wouldn’t have to owe him the money. He might try to track her down and chase her for it, but at the end of the day how could you get money out of someone who didn’t have any?
For the next half-hour, Jenna went through her wardrobe and her drawers, sorting out everything she wanted to take with her. Then she piled it all into two black bin bags. That was it, everything she had in the world. She put them by the door. She’d call a cab. Her mum would have to pay the fare when she got there.
She picked up the bags and stood in the doorway for a moment. So much for making her own way in the world. She’d reached rock bottom today. Her mum was so right. Of course she wasn’t any better than any of them. She belonged right back there with the rest of her family. How could she possibly have imagined there was a better life out there?
She thought about Craig. Why couldn’t shehave ended up with someone like him? Someone decent and honest who’d made his way in the world, even though he’d had no better a start than she had.
The door
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