it,' said Sonny, turning away.
I grabbed his arm and turned him round to face me. 'What did that mean?'
'It's just that you and Meggie . . . sometimes when I walk into this house, I'm almost rocked back on my heels by the atmosphere in this place. And Rose isn't stupid. She knows there's something not right between you two.'
'It has nothing to do with Rose—'
'Wrong,' Sonny interrupted. 'It has everything to do with Rose. You and Meggie don't realize what you're doing to her.'
'Rose is my daughter, not yours.'
'I know that,' said Sonny quietly. 'But that doesn't stop my eyes from working.'
'I want you to leave,' I said.
'Why? Because you can't handle the truth? Because you're happy for Rose to be brought up in this loveless house as long as no one mentions it?'
'Get out.'
'If I go, Sephy, I'm not coming back.'
A silent face-off. 'Go on then,' my expression read.
Sonny turned round and marched out of the kitchen.
I followed him, to make sure he definitely left the house – at least that's what I told myself.
After opening the front door, Sonny turned to face me. 'Bye, Persephone.' He stepped out, slowly pulling the door to.
And as the door was closing, it felt like it was pulling my heart behind it.
'Sonny . . .'
The door's journey halted just before the lock clicked into place. Then it opened again, just as slowly. I stared into Sonny's face, across the hall, across the world from each other but just a heartbeat away. Did I look like that? So unsure, so desperately unhappy? Did I look like him, sharing more than just an expression? Sharing something deeper and far more painful.
'Don't go,' I whispered.
After a long moment, the door closed again. But this time, Sonny was in the hall – with me.
twenty-four.
Rose is 10
Just tell her, I told myself. Open your mouth and tell her.
My best friend Nikki and I had both agreed to talk to our parents tonight at exactly eight o'clock. Ella Cheshie had stopped being my friend after the first and only time she came round my house but I didn't care. I had Nikki and Nikki was much nicer. Even when Ella was my friend, she never opened her mouth unless it was to criticize someone else or say nasty things about them. I glanced down at my watch. It was two minutes past eight.
Dad, I know you're watching over me, so could you please help me persuade Mum. Please.
'Mum?'
'Yes, dear.'
'Nikki's going to Farnby Manor Secondary in September.'
'Is she? That's nice.' The black-and-white film on the TV had ninety-five per cent of Mum's attention.
'Nikki and I have decided we'd like to go to the same school.'
'What? Farnby Manor?'
'Yes, please.'
'I don't think so, Rose.' Mum turned back to the TV.
'But Mum, Nikki and me have agreed.'
'You and Nikki can agree that the moon is made of mashed potato with cod fillet craters, but you're still not going to Farnby Manor. You're going to Heathcroft High.'
'But that's a boffin school.'
'It's the school both your nanas want you to go to and so do I,' said Mum.
'But it's a private school. We can't afford that.'
'Nana Jasmine is going to pay your fees,' Mum told me.
'But what about Nikki and me?'
'Going to a new school doesn't mean that you stop being friends. You can still see each other.'
'It's not the same,' I protested.
'Callie Rose, you're going to Heathcroft High and that's final. End of discussion.'
'Don't I even get a say in where I go?'
'No,' Mum replied. 'Not when it comes to your education. You'll just have to trust that we're doing the best for you.'
'But Nikki can't afford Heathcroft.'
'I can't help that, Rose,' said Mum.
'You just don't want me to be happy.' I ran from the room, tears choking me from the inside out.
'I want you to be very happy,' Mum called after me as I ran upstairs. 'That's why you're going to Heathcroft.'
Halfway up the stairs, I decided that my room wasn't far enough away. It wasn't fair. Heathcroft High was Mum's choice, not mine. Mum always got her own way and it was my life, not
I grabbed his arm and turned him round to face me. 'What did that mean?'
'It's just that you and Meggie . . . sometimes when I walk into this house, I'm almost rocked back on my heels by the atmosphere in this place. And Rose isn't stupid. She knows there's something not right between you two.'
'It has nothing to do with Rose—'
'Wrong,' Sonny interrupted. 'It has everything to do with Rose. You and Meggie don't realize what you're doing to her.'
'Rose is my daughter, not yours.'
'I know that,' said Sonny quietly. 'But that doesn't stop my eyes from working.'
'I want you to leave,' I said.
'Why? Because you can't handle the truth? Because you're happy for Rose to be brought up in this loveless house as long as no one mentions it?'
'Get out.'
'If I go, Sephy, I'm not coming back.'
A silent face-off. 'Go on then,' my expression read.
Sonny turned round and marched out of the kitchen.
I followed him, to make sure he definitely left the house – at least that's what I told myself.
After opening the front door, Sonny turned to face me. 'Bye, Persephone.' He stepped out, slowly pulling the door to.
And as the door was closing, it felt like it was pulling my heart behind it.
'Sonny . . .'
The door's journey halted just before the lock clicked into place. Then it opened again, just as slowly. I stared into Sonny's face, across the hall, across the world from each other but just a heartbeat away. Did I look like that? So unsure, so desperately unhappy? Did I look like him, sharing more than just an expression? Sharing something deeper and far more painful.
'Don't go,' I whispered.
After a long moment, the door closed again. But this time, Sonny was in the hall – with me.
twenty-four.
Rose is 10
Just tell her, I told myself. Open your mouth and tell her.
My best friend Nikki and I had both agreed to talk to our parents tonight at exactly eight o'clock. Ella Cheshie had stopped being my friend after the first and only time she came round my house but I didn't care. I had Nikki and Nikki was much nicer. Even when Ella was my friend, she never opened her mouth unless it was to criticize someone else or say nasty things about them. I glanced down at my watch. It was two minutes past eight.
Dad, I know you're watching over me, so could you please help me persuade Mum. Please.
'Mum?'
'Yes, dear.'
'Nikki's going to Farnby Manor Secondary in September.'
'Is she? That's nice.' The black-and-white film on the TV had ninety-five per cent of Mum's attention.
'Nikki and I have decided we'd like to go to the same school.'
'What? Farnby Manor?'
'Yes, please.'
'I don't think so, Rose.' Mum turned back to the TV.
'But Mum, Nikki and me have agreed.'
'You and Nikki can agree that the moon is made of mashed potato with cod fillet craters, but you're still not going to Farnby Manor. You're going to Heathcroft High.'
'But that's a boffin school.'
'It's the school both your nanas want you to go to and so do I,' said Mum.
'But it's a private school. We can't afford that.'
'Nana Jasmine is going to pay your fees,' Mum told me.
'But what about Nikki and me?'
'Going to a new school doesn't mean that you stop being friends. You can still see each other.'
'It's not the same,' I protested.
'Callie Rose, you're going to Heathcroft High and that's final. End of discussion.'
'Don't I even get a say in where I go?'
'No,' Mum replied. 'Not when it comes to your education. You'll just have to trust that we're doing the best for you.'
'But Nikki can't afford Heathcroft.'
'I can't help that, Rose,' said Mum.
'You just don't want me to be happy.' I ran from the room, tears choking me from the inside out.
'I want you to be very happy,' Mum called after me as I ran upstairs. 'That's why you're going to Heathcroft.'
Halfway up the stairs, I decided that my room wasn't far enough away. It wasn't fair. Heathcroft High was Mum's choice, not mine. Mum always got her own way and it was my life, not
Similar Books
