need for protection. And instead you decide to disappear for hours.’ Her lips trembled and her voice suddenly cracked. ‘Don’t you realise how terrified I’ve been?’ she sobbed.
I stared down at the floor. For the first time, guilt flickered at the edges of my mind. I pushed it away. If Mum had been prepared to tell me more, I wouldn’t have had to run off like that. If she’d been frightened it was her own fault.
Mum sank down beside me. She suddenly seemed smaller. Like all the energy had drained out of her. She touched my arm.
‘Why did you do it?’ she said. ‘Why did you run off like that?’
The patch of carpet at my feet was threadbare. I scuffed at it with my toe. I knew I couldn’t tell her. She’d go even more ballistic if she thought I was trying to find out about Dad.
‘There was just something I had to do,’ I mumbled, not looking at her.
She shook her head at me. ‘What, Theodore? What did you have to do?’
I carried on staring at the worn patch of carpet. Why was it that Dad sent money for a posh school and a bodyguard, but not a big house or nice stuff? I ran my hand through my hair. There was just so much that didn’t make sense. I glanced at Mum’s face. Even if I asked her, she would refuse to tell me anything. Just like she had before.
‘I was meeting someone,’ I said. ‘I skipped school so as Roy wouldn’t be there. I hate him always watching what I do.’
‘But . . .?’ Mum frowned. ‘Meeting someone?’ Her eyes widened. ‘You don’t . . .? You mean a girl?’
I looked away, feeling my face growing hot.
Yes. But no. Not like you mean.
‘Oh, Theodore.’
Oh, man .
I don’t think I’d ever felt more embarrassed in my life. And yet, as I sat there squirming, it dawned on me that pretending to like Rachel would give me the perfect cover for seeing her again, in case she found out more from her dad.
Mum sat down beside me and squeezed my hand. ‘So why didn’t you tell me?’ she said. ‘I don’t mind you meeting someone after school, so long as it’s not somewhere open, of course. You could have invited her back here.’
I stared at her. She was being almost understanding.
‘Mu-um,’ I said. ‘You can’t just ask girls you hardly know to come back to your house. It sounds weird.’
She turned away and pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to smile. ‘I see,’ she said. ‘I didn’t . . . Anyway. So how did you meet this girl? What’s her name?’
‘Rachel. She’s sort of a friend of Max’s,’ I lied.
Mum raised her eyebrows. ‘Really?’
I could see why she was surprised. Max doesn’t have many friends – of either sex. I nodded anyway.
‘I hadn’t realised you were . . . you know . . . you had . . .’ Mum tailed off.
How embarrassing was this?
I shrugged, then sighed. ‘Please don’t ground me, Mum. At least, not for too long. I promise I won’t run off again. I’ll apologise to Roy.’ I paused. Then I said it. ‘You see, I’d really like to see her . . . this girl, Rachel, again. Soon.’
Ugh. Yuck. Puke. My whole face was on fire. I hoped it was worth it. That Mum would fall for my revolting lovesick jerk routine.
She did.
She tilted her head to one side. Then she leaned over and kissed my cheek.
Oh man, she was getting all soppy thinking I was getting all loved-up over some girl.
I resisted the impulse to wipe her kiss away.
‘I’m still furious with you,’ she said. ‘But I do appreciate how hard it must be for you – having Roy around all the time.’ She sat back on the sofa and stared at me. ‘You’re grounded for the rest of the week. And no friends here either. What you did was wrong. Skipping school. Not calling me. It was selfish and thoughtless.’
I nodded. A week wasn’t bad. In fact it was brilliant, considering how angry she’d been when I walked in.
Mum smiled. ‘So, what’s this Rachel like then?’
16
Rachel
What was I supposed to do now?
As soon as I got to school
I stared down at the floor. For the first time, guilt flickered at the edges of my mind. I pushed it away. If Mum had been prepared to tell me more, I wouldn’t have had to run off like that. If she’d been frightened it was her own fault.
Mum sank down beside me. She suddenly seemed smaller. Like all the energy had drained out of her. She touched my arm.
‘Why did you do it?’ she said. ‘Why did you run off like that?’
The patch of carpet at my feet was threadbare. I scuffed at it with my toe. I knew I couldn’t tell her. She’d go even more ballistic if she thought I was trying to find out about Dad.
‘There was just something I had to do,’ I mumbled, not looking at her.
She shook her head at me. ‘What, Theodore? What did you have to do?’
I carried on staring at the worn patch of carpet. Why was it that Dad sent money for a posh school and a bodyguard, but not a big house or nice stuff? I ran my hand through my hair. There was just so much that didn’t make sense. I glanced at Mum’s face. Even if I asked her, she would refuse to tell me anything. Just like she had before.
‘I was meeting someone,’ I said. ‘I skipped school so as Roy wouldn’t be there. I hate him always watching what I do.’
‘But . . .?’ Mum frowned. ‘Meeting someone?’ Her eyes widened. ‘You don’t . . .? You mean a girl?’
I looked away, feeling my face growing hot.
Yes. But no. Not like you mean.
‘Oh, Theodore.’
Oh, man .
I don’t think I’d ever felt more embarrassed in my life. And yet, as I sat there squirming, it dawned on me that pretending to like Rachel would give me the perfect cover for seeing her again, in case she found out more from her dad.
Mum sat down beside me and squeezed my hand. ‘So why didn’t you tell me?’ she said. ‘I don’t mind you meeting someone after school, so long as it’s not somewhere open, of course. You could have invited her back here.’
I stared at her. She was being almost understanding.
‘Mu-um,’ I said. ‘You can’t just ask girls you hardly know to come back to your house. It sounds weird.’
She turned away and pressed her lips together, like she was trying not to smile. ‘I see,’ she said. ‘I didn’t . . . Anyway. So how did you meet this girl? What’s her name?’
‘Rachel. She’s sort of a friend of Max’s,’ I lied.
Mum raised her eyebrows. ‘Really?’
I could see why she was surprised. Max doesn’t have many friends – of either sex. I nodded anyway.
‘I hadn’t realised you were . . . you know . . . you had . . .’ Mum tailed off.
How embarrassing was this?
I shrugged, then sighed. ‘Please don’t ground me, Mum. At least, not for too long. I promise I won’t run off again. I’ll apologise to Roy.’ I paused. Then I said it. ‘You see, I’d really like to see her . . . this girl, Rachel, again. Soon.’
Ugh. Yuck. Puke. My whole face was on fire. I hoped it was worth it. That Mum would fall for my revolting lovesick jerk routine.
She did.
She tilted her head to one side. Then she leaned over and kissed my cheek.
Oh man, she was getting all soppy thinking I was getting all loved-up over some girl.
I resisted the impulse to wipe her kiss away.
‘I’m still furious with you,’ she said. ‘But I do appreciate how hard it must be for you – having Roy around all the time.’ She sat back on the sofa and stared at me. ‘You’re grounded for the rest of the week. And no friends here either. What you did was wrong. Skipping school. Not calling me. It was selfish and thoughtless.’
I nodded. A week wasn’t bad. In fact it was brilliant, considering how angry she’d been when I walked in.
Mum smiled. ‘So, what’s this Rachel like then?’
16
Rachel
What was I supposed to do now?
As soon as I got to school
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