morning, with a rambling story about Alice staying with me because she was sick. Well, it didn’t take us long to work things out. She was rather angry - well, you probably saw that for yourself. She left Jamie with a friend and she drove down immediately. She’s going back in a few minutes, I expect.’
Mum looked at me. ‘Megan, has Alice left stuff in your bedroom?’
I nodded.
‘Well, go and pack up her things and give them to Peter.’
I went without speaking. It only took a few minutes to roll up Alice’s sleeping bag, and put her clothes into her bag. Then I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note.
‘Bye, Alice. Sorry it didn’t work out. Hope you’re not in too much trouble. I’ll miss you. Meg.
A few tears even fell onto the page, which was really sad, but I had no time to write a new note, so I shoved it under her clothes, and closed the bag.
Peter took the bag from me and left. Mum closed the door behind him. She looked at me, and said nothing. I wasn’t quite sure how cross she was. She had a strange expression on her face that I couldn’t read. This time, even she couldn’t say, ‘something just like this happened me when I was about your age.’ So she said nothing. Ithought about all the lies I’d told her over the past few days. I wiggled my foot on the hall mat. There was a hole in my sock. I couldn’t help wondering if Mum saw it, would she want to darn it?
I said. ‘Maybe I should go to my room for a while.’
Mum looked at me.
‘Yes, maybe you should. We’ll have a long talk about this when your father gets home.’
I went to my room, and lay on the bed. I could see the flask of hot water on the windowsill, all ready for Alice’s tea. She wouldn’t need it now.
After a while, I could hear voices from the front of the house. I went out into the hall and opened the front door. Alice and her mum were just about to drive away. Peter was standing on their front step, looking very serious. Then he turned around and went back into the house.
Alice wasn’t crying, but she was awfully pale,and sad looking. She looked up and saw me. She gave me a small wave, and I waved back. I could see her mum’s lips moving, but Alice didn’t turn towards her. She kept looking at me. We waved until they were out of sight, and then I went back into my room to wait until Dad got home.
Chapter nineteen
M uch, much later I heard Dad coming in from work. I heard Mum talking to him in the hall, and then they went in to the family room. They were there for ages. Dad probably wanted to watch a match on television, but I figured Mum wouldn’t have let him. I knew they were talking about me.
After the longest time, there was a knock on my bedroom door. It was Mum, Dad, and Rosie.Great, I thought, a family conference. Subject : How long should Megan be grounded for? All offers over thirty years will be considered.
Questions for discussion:
Should she be allowed out for her confirmation?
Should she be allowed to watch television at any time between now and the opening ceremonies of the 2050 Olympics?
Should she be allowed out for her graduation dance?
Should she be allowed to have a mobile phone this side of her hundredth birthday?
I sat on the edge of my bed, and Mum and Dad sat on either side of me. Did they think I was going to make a run for it? Where would I go? Was I going to escape to Dublin and hide under Alice’s bed until I was old enough to go to college? Hardly.
Rosie sat on the floor and started to play with my jewellery box. She emptied it out onto the carpet. I didn’t care. I had more to worry about than my necklaces getting tangled or my earrings getting lost.
Mum spoke first. ‘Have you anything to say, Megan?’
I hated that. Surely she’d discovered that tactic in one of those parenting books she was forever reading. I always felt it put me at a disadvantage in our discussions.
I decided to be brief.
‘I’m sorry, Mum. Sorry, Dad.’
Dad looked me in the eye.
Mum looked at me. ‘Megan, has Alice left stuff in your bedroom?’
I nodded.
‘Well, go and pack up her things and give them to Peter.’
I went without speaking. It only took a few minutes to roll up Alice’s sleeping bag, and put her clothes into her bag. Then I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note.
‘Bye, Alice. Sorry it didn’t work out. Hope you’re not in too much trouble. I’ll miss you. Meg.
A few tears even fell onto the page, which was really sad, but I had no time to write a new note, so I shoved it under her clothes, and closed the bag.
Peter took the bag from me and left. Mum closed the door behind him. She looked at me, and said nothing. I wasn’t quite sure how cross she was. She had a strange expression on her face that I couldn’t read. This time, even she couldn’t say, ‘something just like this happened me when I was about your age.’ So she said nothing. Ithought about all the lies I’d told her over the past few days. I wiggled my foot on the hall mat. There was a hole in my sock. I couldn’t help wondering if Mum saw it, would she want to darn it?
I said. ‘Maybe I should go to my room for a while.’
Mum looked at me.
‘Yes, maybe you should. We’ll have a long talk about this when your father gets home.’
I went to my room, and lay on the bed. I could see the flask of hot water on the windowsill, all ready for Alice’s tea. She wouldn’t need it now.
After a while, I could hear voices from the front of the house. I went out into the hall and opened the front door. Alice and her mum were just about to drive away. Peter was standing on their front step, looking very serious. Then he turned around and went back into the house.
Alice wasn’t crying, but she was awfully pale,and sad looking. She looked up and saw me. She gave me a small wave, and I waved back. I could see her mum’s lips moving, but Alice didn’t turn towards her. She kept looking at me. We waved until they were out of sight, and then I went back into my room to wait until Dad got home.
Chapter nineteen
M uch, much later I heard Dad coming in from work. I heard Mum talking to him in the hall, and then they went in to the family room. They were there for ages. Dad probably wanted to watch a match on television, but I figured Mum wouldn’t have let him. I knew they were talking about me.
After the longest time, there was a knock on my bedroom door. It was Mum, Dad, and Rosie.Great, I thought, a family conference. Subject : How long should Megan be grounded for? All offers over thirty years will be considered.
Questions for discussion:
Should she be allowed out for her confirmation?
Should she be allowed to watch television at any time between now and the opening ceremonies of the 2050 Olympics?
Should she be allowed out for her graduation dance?
Should she be allowed to have a mobile phone this side of her hundredth birthday?
I sat on the edge of my bed, and Mum and Dad sat on either side of me. Did they think I was going to make a run for it? Where would I go? Was I going to escape to Dublin and hide under Alice’s bed until I was old enough to go to college? Hardly.
Rosie sat on the floor and started to play with my jewellery box. She emptied it out onto the carpet. I didn’t care. I had more to worry about than my necklaces getting tangled or my earrings getting lost.
Mum spoke first. ‘Have you anything to say, Megan?’
I hated that. Surely she’d discovered that tactic in one of those parenting books she was forever reading. I always felt it put me at a disadvantage in our discussions.
I decided to be brief.
‘I’m sorry, Mum. Sorry, Dad.’
Dad looked me in the eye.
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