laughing as she put them down.
‘How are you getting on?’ she asked him.
Before he could answer, she walked over to his wardrobe and started taking out clothes. Luke put the picture of him and Clyde back down and watched his mum. She was like a whirlwind of energy, throwing his clothes on to his bed.
‘I was thinking we should get you some new clothes,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘I don’t know what’s ‘in’, but Rani can help. We’ll get you looking all cool. Is cool the right word? Is “cool” cool?’
She grinned at Luke and he nodded.
Sarah Jane could see that he was quiet and so she went over to him. She looked at the photograph of him and Clyde.
‘Did he call you back?’
Luke shook his head.
‘He’s probably just sad.’ Then suddenly she smiled again. ‘I know what will cheer you up!’
And with that, she skipped out of the room. Luke followed, frowning. He didn’t think anything could cheer him up.
Chapter Three
Surprise!
As Luke left the house, his mum suddenly appeared behind him. She put her hands around his face, covering his eyes.
‘Mum?’
Despite everything, he couldn’t help smiling. Sarah Jane was sometimes more like a kid than a mum. She’d spent so many years being lonely, but he and their friends had changed that. He hoped she’d be okay after he left. Unable to see, he let her lead him through another door.
‘Ready?’ she asked.
Luke nodded and Sarah Jane removed her hands. Luke blinked in the sunlight and realised where he was. They were in Sarah Jane’s garage and there, in front of them, was her old car. A bright yellow Beetle! He looked at it, confused. Sarah Jane took his hand and placed a set of keys in it.
‘You’re giving it to me?’
‘I’ve had it done up,’ Sarah Jane replied, with a huge grin. ‘MOT, everything! You don’t want your mum driving you to uni. Go on, get in! See how it feels!’
And with that, she opened the door and practically pushed him into the driver’s seat. Luke sat, staring straight ahead. He’d passed his driving test a few weeks ago but he felt strange sitting there. It wasn’t that he was scared of driving. He didn’t know what it was.
Luke glanced up at his mum smiling down at him and he thought back to her packing his clothes. He thought back to the night before when she’d been saying he should get Clyde’s mum to teach him how to cook. He thought back to how she was always smiling. He thought back to how she kept saying how proud she was of him and how exciting his new life was going to be. He looked up at her grinning down at him, then he looked at the car keys she’d put in his hand.
‘Why don’t I just drive off now?’ he found himself saying.
It was as much a surprise to him as it was to Sarah Jane.
There was a pause. His mum’s smile fell.
‘What?’ she asked, quietly.
‘Are you even going to miss me?’
As Luke said the words, he knew that that was what was scaring him. It was like his mum actually wanted him to leave home. And now she’d given him the car, and he knew he should be grateful, but it really was like she wanted him to go. It was like she couldn’t wait for him to leave!
Sarah Jane carefully walked around the car and climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t look at Luke but he could see that there were tears in her eyes. He was so confused by everything but, more than anything, he hated seeing his mum cry.
‘Oh, Luke.’ Her voice was nearly a whisper. ‘For years, I was alone. Just me and K-9. You gave me my life back, you gave me something real to live for and I’m terrified of what’s going to happen when you go.’ She paused. ‘I’m so scared.’
Luke hadn’t been expecting that. ‘Why?’
‘Because it feels like I’m losing you.’
Luke suddenly understood. His mum was as confused as he was! They should be excited about him leaving and they weren’t excited. He was going to university in Oxford! He was going to have the time of his life! But he was
‘How are you getting on?’ she asked him.
Before he could answer, she walked over to his wardrobe and started taking out clothes. Luke put the picture of him and Clyde back down and watched his mum. She was like a whirlwind of energy, throwing his clothes on to his bed.
‘I was thinking we should get you some new clothes,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘I don’t know what’s ‘in’, but Rani can help. We’ll get you looking all cool. Is cool the right word? Is “cool” cool?’
She grinned at Luke and he nodded.
Sarah Jane could see that he was quiet and so she went over to him. She looked at the photograph of him and Clyde.
‘Did he call you back?’
Luke shook his head.
‘He’s probably just sad.’ Then suddenly she smiled again. ‘I know what will cheer you up!’
And with that, she skipped out of the room. Luke followed, frowning. He didn’t think anything could cheer him up.
Chapter Three
Surprise!
As Luke left the house, his mum suddenly appeared behind him. She put her hands around his face, covering his eyes.
‘Mum?’
Despite everything, he couldn’t help smiling. Sarah Jane was sometimes more like a kid than a mum. She’d spent so many years being lonely, but he and their friends had changed that. He hoped she’d be okay after he left. Unable to see, he let her lead him through another door.
‘Ready?’ she asked.
Luke nodded and Sarah Jane removed her hands. Luke blinked in the sunlight and realised where he was. They were in Sarah Jane’s garage and there, in front of them, was her old car. A bright yellow Beetle! He looked at it, confused. Sarah Jane took his hand and placed a set of keys in it.
‘You’re giving it to me?’
‘I’ve had it done up,’ Sarah Jane replied, with a huge grin. ‘MOT, everything! You don’t want your mum driving you to uni. Go on, get in! See how it feels!’
And with that, she opened the door and practically pushed him into the driver’s seat. Luke sat, staring straight ahead. He’d passed his driving test a few weeks ago but he felt strange sitting there. It wasn’t that he was scared of driving. He didn’t know what it was.
Luke glanced up at his mum smiling down at him and he thought back to her packing his clothes. He thought back to the night before when she’d been saying he should get Clyde’s mum to teach him how to cook. He thought back to how she was always smiling. He thought back to how she kept saying how proud she was of him and how exciting his new life was going to be. He looked up at her grinning down at him, then he looked at the car keys she’d put in his hand.
‘Why don’t I just drive off now?’ he found himself saying.
It was as much a surprise to him as it was to Sarah Jane.
There was a pause. His mum’s smile fell.
‘What?’ she asked, quietly.
‘Are you even going to miss me?’
As Luke said the words, he knew that that was what was scaring him. It was like his mum actually wanted him to leave home. And now she’d given him the car, and he knew he should be grateful, but it really was like she wanted him to go. It was like she couldn’t wait for him to leave!
Sarah Jane carefully walked around the car and climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t look at Luke but he could see that there were tears in her eyes. He was so confused by everything but, more than anything, he hated seeing his mum cry.
‘Oh, Luke.’ Her voice was nearly a whisper. ‘For years, I was alone. Just me and K-9. You gave me my life back, you gave me something real to live for and I’m terrified of what’s going to happen when you go.’ She paused. ‘I’m so scared.’
Luke hadn’t been expecting that. ‘Why?’
‘Because it feels like I’m losing you.’
Luke suddenly understood. His mum was as confused as he was! They should be excited about him leaving and they weren’t excited. He was going to university in Oxford! He was going to have the time of his life! But he was
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