hers. It just wasn't fair.
'Mum, I'm going out on my bike,' I shouted out.
'I beg your pardon?' Mum appeared in the doorway faster than I would've thought possible and she had a face like thunder. Attitude always has that effect on her.
'Can I go out on my bike please?'
'That's what I thought you said,' said Mum stonily. 'Just up and down this road, OK? And you've got half an hour. Then I want you back home and getting ready for bed.'
'But I can't do much in half an hour,' I protested.
'How about fifteen minutes then?' said Mum.
'Half an hour is fine,' I muttered.
'Glad to hear it.'
'Yes, Mum.'
'Rose, I'm not sending you to Heathcroft High out of spite,' said Mum quietly. 'But I want you to have a good, fulfilled life. And a good life is all about choices. If you want to rule the world, or be a lawyer or a doctor or a zookeeper, that's entirely up to you. But you'll be the one making the decisions if you get a decent education. Without that, you'll have no choices at all. D'you understand?'
'Yes, Mum.'
'And I'm sorry about Nikki,' Mum continued. 'I know that you and her are very close, but you can't live your life for other people. You have to do what's best for you, not for Nikki.'
'If I can't live my life for other people, then how come you get to tell me what to do?' I asked.
'Because I'm your mother,' said Mum, using grown-up logic.
'Mum, could you just think about it? Please? Just think about Farnby Manor.'
'Rose, you and Farnby Manor are not going to happen. I'm not going to say that I'll think about it when I already know what my final answer is going to be. Come September you'll be going to Heathcroft. If it was good enough for your dad and me, it's good enough for you.'
'But Mum—'
'Callie Rose, which part of "no" don't you understand? The "n" or the "o"?'
Shaking her head, Mum went back into the living room. I headed back downstairs and out into the back garden to get my bike. Less than a minute later I was cycling along the pavement, as far away from Mum and home as I could get. I'd promised Nikki we'd go to the same school together. And now Mum was going to make me break my promise.
It's not fair.
As soon as I'm older, no one will tell me what to do or where to go or what time to be back. My life will be all my own and no one – not even Mum – will be able to boss me about.
I got to the end of the road but I was still jumping up and down inside. Mum said I was only to ride up and down our road, but I was ten now. I wasn't a baby. So why couldn't I cycle all the way around the block. I often went round the block when Mum or Nana Meggie came with me, and at ten I should be able to do it by myself.
After one last look behind to make sure Mum wasn't watching, I turned the corner on my bike and carried on pedalling. There! See! I told you I could cycle round the block by myself.
'Excuse me?'
A Nought man with light-brown hair and dark-brown, almost black eyes stepped right out in front of me. If I hadn't squeezed hard on my brakes, I would've crashed straight into him. As it was, I had to put my feet quickly down on the ground or me and my bike would've toppled over.
'Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you,' smiled the man. 'I'm looking for a woman called Sephy Hadley. I was told she lives around here somewhere. D'you know where I might find her?'
'She's my—'
I bit off the rest of the words. How many times had Mum and both nanas told me never to talk to strangers? The man started walking towards me. My mouth was suddenly as dry as a cream cracker. I pushed back with the balls of my feet so me and my bike moved backwards. The man stopped moving.
'D'you know her?' the man asked again.
'I'm not supposed to talk to strangers,' I told him.
I had a quick glance around. The road was suddenly empty. There was no one around but the strange, tall man – and me. And I wasn't even on the same road as my house any more.
'I have to go now,' I said, one foot back on the pedal.
'No, wait. I'm not
'Mum, I'm going out on my bike,' I shouted out.
'I beg your pardon?' Mum appeared in the doorway faster than I would've thought possible and she had a face like thunder. Attitude always has that effect on her.
'Can I go out on my bike please?'
'That's what I thought you said,' said Mum stonily. 'Just up and down this road, OK? And you've got half an hour. Then I want you back home and getting ready for bed.'
'But I can't do much in half an hour,' I protested.
'How about fifteen minutes then?' said Mum.
'Half an hour is fine,' I muttered.
'Glad to hear it.'
'Yes, Mum.'
'Rose, I'm not sending you to Heathcroft High out of spite,' said Mum quietly. 'But I want you to have a good, fulfilled life. And a good life is all about choices. If you want to rule the world, or be a lawyer or a doctor or a zookeeper, that's entirely up to you. But you'll be the one making the decisions if you get a decent education. Without that, you'll have no choices at all. D'you understand?'
'Yes, Mum.'
'And I'm sorry about Nikki,' Mum continued. 'I know that you and her are very close, but you can't live your life for other people. You have to do what's best for you, not for Nikki.'
'If I can't live my life for other people, then how come you get to tell me what to do?' I asked.
'Because I'm your mother,' said Mum, using grown-up logic.
'Mum, could you just think about it? Please? Just think about Farnby Manor.'
'Rose, you and Farnby Manor are not going to happen. I'm not going to say that I'll think about it when I already know what my final answer is going to be. Come September you'll be going to Heathcroft. If it was good enough for your dad and me, it's good enough for you.'
'But Mum—'
'Callie Rose, which part of "no" don't you understand? The "n" or the "o"?'
Shaking her head, Mum went back into the living room. I headed back downstairs and out into the back garden to get my bike. Less than a minute later I was cycling along the pavement, as far away from Mum and home as I could get. I'd promised Nikki we'd go to the same school together. And now Mum was going to make me break my promise.
It's not fair.
As soon as I'm older, no one will tell me what to do or where to go or what time to be back. My life will be all my own and no one – not even Mum – will be able to boss me about.
I got to the end of the road but I was still jumping up and down inside. Mum said I was only to ride up and down our road, but I was ten now. I wasn't a baby. So why couldn't I cycle all the way around the block. I often went round the block when Mum or Nana Meggie came with me, and at ten I should be able to do it by myself.
After one last look behind to make sure Mum wasn't watching, I turned the corner on my bike and carried on pedalling. There! See! I told you I could cycle round the block by myself.
'Excuse me?'
A Nought man with light-brown hair and dark-brown, almost black eyes stepped right out in front of me. If I hadn't squeezed hard on my brakes, I would've crashed straight into him. As it was, I had to put my feet quickly down on the ground or me and my bike would've toppled over.
'Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you,' smiled the man. 'I'm looking for a woman called Sephy Hadley. I was told she lives around here somewhere. D'you know where I might find her?'
'She's my—'
I bit off the rest of the words. How many times had Mum and both nanas told me never to talk to strangers? The man started walking towards me. My mouth was suddenly as dry as a cream cracker. I pushed back with the balls of my feet so me and my bike moved backwards. The man stopped moving.
'D'you know her?' the man asked again.
'I'm not supposed to talk to strangers,' I told him.
I had a quick glance around. The road was suddenly empty. There was no one around but the strange, tall man – and me. And I wasn't even on the same road as my house any more.
'I have to go now,' I said, one foot back on the pedal.
'No, wait. I'm not
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