marched past, head down, making for his office.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Then I crept down the landing corridor and peered round the office door.
Dad was sitting in his big leather office chair, hunched over his laptop. He looked up. Saw me. Smiled, distractedly.
His hands pulled the lid of the laptop down a fraction, as if he was unconsciously trying to stop me from seeing what he was doing.
‘Hi, Dad,’ I said, awkwardly.
He frowned. ‘That boy earlier,’ he said. ‘Theo. Did you really meet him at your school disco?’
I nodded, feeling myself blush.
‘Then you didn’t see him for months and he just turned up today?’ Dad’s eyes bored into mine.
I looked away, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to betray Theo. ‘I told Mum earlier,’ I said. ‘He came with a friend to the school disco. He was visiting the same person today – we just . . . just bumped into each other.’
Dad stared at me. ‘I don’t want you to see him again,’ he said.
My mouth fell open. ‘Why?’
Dad looked down at his laptop. ‘Sorry, darling, I just think you’re too young.’ He sighed. ‘No discussion. Now, I’ve got some emails to send.’ He jerked his head towards the door, indicating I should leave.
Something was seriously wrong here. Dad was often preoccupied with work stuff, but he hardly ever got really cross or . . . or dismissive like he was being now. And he never got heavy about boys. Not like some girls’ dads. In fact, he was always encouraging me to go out and be more sociable. Like Rebecca had been.
I chewed on my lip. Dad definitely knew something about Theo’s father. And he was emailing this guy, Lewis, to tell him that Theo had been in touch. I had no idea why it all mattered so much, or why Dad was hiding what he knew. But I was certain of one thing. Dad was scared. Really scared. I’d heard it in his voice earlier. And now I could see it in his eyes.
‘I’m busy, Ro,’ Dad said.
I nodded and shut the office door. I stumbled back to my bedroom, my head spinning. My eyes fell on the scrap of paper that Theo had written his number on. I had to call him. Not right now. He probably wasn’t even home yet. But later, or tomorrow, I was going to call him and tell him exactly what I’d heard my dad say.
I lay on my side on the pale-pink duvet. Gradually my heart stopped pounding and I shifted from wondering what Dad knew and hadn’t told us, to thinking about Theo. About his face – about how strong he looked. And yet how vulnerable he must be, inside.
Maybe he’d want to meet up again, to discuss what I’d overheard. I bent my arm, snuggling down against the pillow.
Imagine if I looked like Rebecca – all slim and pretty and smiling. Maybe then Theo would want to kiss me.
This fluttery feeling fizzled up from my stomach, through my chest, into my throat.
I leaned forwards and pressed my lips against the soft, plump skin just below my wrist, imagining it was Theo’s mouth.
15
Theo
I got home just after nine-thirty that evening.
Mum was completely hysterical. In my face before I’d even shut the front door.
‘Where’ve you been?’ she shouted. ‘Do you realise that I’ve been out of my mind with worry? What is wrong with you?’
Across the corridor Roy’s door was slightly open. I hated the idea of him hearing her. Hearing me being shouted at. I moved through the door to our living area, Mum still raging beside me.
I slumped onto the sofa.
‘Roy says you are now on absolutely your last chance,’ she shrieked.
I looked up. ‘I thought last time was my last chance.’ A grin twitched at the corner of my mouth.
Big mistake.
Mum moved into tenth gear. ‘How dare you, Theodore. You think this is funny?’ she spat. ‘You are grounded. You are so grounded. For the rest of this year. For the rest of your life.’
‘Hey . . .’
‘No, Theodore. You have got to learn. I thought if I explained what was at stake, you would accept the
I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Then I crept down the landing corridor and peered round the office door.
Dad was sitting in his big leather office chair, hunched over his laptop. He looked up. Saw me. Smiled, distractedly.
His hands pulled the lid of the laptop down a fraction, as if he was unconsciously trying to stop me from seeing what he was doing.
‘Hi, Dad,’ I said, awkwardly.
He frowned. ‘That boy earlier,’ he said. ‘Theo. Did you really meet him at your school disco?’
I nodded, feeling myself blush.
‘Then you didn’t see him for months and he just turned up today?’ Dad’s eyes bored into mine.
I looked away, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to betray Theo. ‘I told Mum earlier,’ I said. ‘He came with a friend to the school disco. He was visiting the same person today – we just . . . just bumped into each other.’
Dad stared at me. ‘I don’t want you to see him again,’ he said.
My mouth fell open. ‘Why?’
Dad looked down at his laptop. ‘Sorry, darling, I just think you’re too young.’ He sighed. ‘No discussion. Now, I’ve got some emails to send.’ He jerked his head towards the door, indicating I should leave.
Something was seriously wrong here. Dad was often preoccupied with work stuff, but he hardly ever got really cross or . . . or dismissive like he was being now. And he never got heavy about boys. Not like some girls’ dads. In fact, he was always encouraging me to go out and be more sociable. Like Rebecca had been.
I chewed on my lip. Dad definitely knew something about Theo’s father. And he was emailing this guy, Lewis, to tell him that Theo had been in touch. I had no idea why it all mattered so much, or why Dad was hiding what he knew. But I was certain of one thing. Dad was scared. Really scared. I’d heard it in his voice earlier. And now I could see it in his eyes.
‘I’m busy, Ro,’ Dad said.
I nodded and shut the office door. I stumbled back to my bedroom, my head spinning. My eyes fell on the scrap of paper that Theo had written his number on. I had to call him. Not right now. He probably wasn’t even home yet. But later, or tomorrow, I was going to call him and tell him exactly what I’d heard my dad say.
I lay on my side on the pale-pink duvet. Gradually my heart stopped pounding and I shifted from wondering what Dad knew and hadn’t told us, to thinking about Theo. About his face – about how strong he looked. And yet how vulnerable he must be, inside.
Maybe he’d want to meet up again, to discuss what I’d overheard. I bent my arm, snuggling down against the pillow.
Imagine if I looked like Rebecca – all slim and pretty and smiling. Maybe then Theo would want to kiss me.
This fluttery feeling fizzled up from my stomach, through my chest, into my throat.
I leaned forwards and pressed my lips against the soft, plump skin just below my wrist, imagining it was Theo’s mouth.
15
Theo
I got home just after nine-thirty that evening.
Mum was completely hysterical. In my face before I’d even shut the front door.
‘Where’ve you been?’ she shouted. ‘Do you realise that I’ve been out of my mind with worry? What is wrong with you?’
Across the corridor Roy’s door was slightly open. I hated the idea of him hearing her. Hearing me being shouted at. I moved through the door to our living area, Mum still raging beside me.
I slumped onto the sofa.
‘Roy says you are now on absolutely your last chance,’ she shrieked.
I looked up. ‘I thought last time was my last chance.’ A grin twitched at the corner of my mouth.
Big mistake.
Mum moved into tenth gear. ‘How dare you, Theodore. You think this is funny?’ she spat. ‘You are grounded. You are so grounded. For the rest of this year. For the rest of your life.’
‘Hey . . .’
‘No, Theodore. You have got to learn. I thought if I explained what was at stake, you would accept the
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