woken up, for Christ’s sake,’ Pam said.
‘I’ll make one in a minute. What’s up?’ Lin enquired, raising her eyebrows at Cathy.
Cathy explained all that had happened and her opinion on the matter.
Linda listened intently, then turned to Pam. ‘I think Cath’s spot on. By stopping Steph from seeing this boy, you’re just pushing her away. You need to just let it run its course. I bet you any money you like, if you allow them to see one another, it’ll all be over within six weeks.’
‘But how can I? I mean, didn’t you say Lairy Mary said he was a right cocky little bastard?’ Pam asked Cathy.
Cathy laughed. ‘How can Mary call anyone cocky when her own nickname’s Lairy? Means the same thing, don’t it? Actually, Mary popped in the café again yesterday, and ’cause I knew you were worried about Steph, I asked her some more questions. She was actually quite complimentary about the boy. Said he was a rough diamond, but had a heart of gold. She said he was streets above that mother and sister of his. She reckons the sister is a complete wrong ’un, just like her mother.’
‘What should I do then? I mean, I can’t let Steph carry on seeing him if I haven’t met him. I need to see and speak to the lad before I agree to anything.’
‘Invite him over for tea or something?’ Lin suggested.
‘I’ll make sure I’m here with you if you feel awkward. I mean, if the mother’s pissed off on holiday and left the boy alone, you’ve got the perfect chance to get to know him without involving that old slapper, ain’t you?’ Cathy said.
Pam sighed. ‘I suppose I’m just gonna have to take your advice, mate. I’ll let Steph see the boy and hope and pray it’s all over before it started. If it don’t work, we’ll have to think of a Plan B, ’cause as God’s my judge I would rather commit murder than watch my daughter end up with Marlene as a mother-in-law. My life I would.’
CHAPTER NINE
Angela Crouch skipped home from school as happy as a dog with two tails. Getting revenge on her bitch of a sister felt like the best feeling in the world and she couldn’t wait to experience first hand the repercussions of her little chat with Mr Jones. Another reason why Angela was feeling so ecstatic was because she had just had her first snog with Jason O’Brien. He was a much better kisser than Jacko had been, and she had felt Jason’s rock-hard penis rubbing against her thigh. Having now experienced sex in the raw, Angela decided she was rather partial to it and she couldn’t wait to have her wicked way with her new boyfriend. Wayne Jackman was history now, but he had been a learning curve in Angela’s life and she was determined to use the skills he had taught her to keep Jason interested in her.
Angela let herself in with her key and was surprised to see her mum, aunt and neighbour Cathy, sitting in the lounge sipping wine. ‘Bit early, ain’t it? Turning into right alkies, yous lot are,’ she said, giggling.
‘Cheeky little mare,’ Cathy mumbled under her breath. She was no big fan of Pam’s youngest daughter.
‘After the day I’ve had, I deserve a crate of bleedin’ wine, I dunno about a glass,’ Pam said, defending herself. Up until recently, she and Cath had only had a bottle of wine between them on a Saturday evening; now it seemed to be at least two or three nights a week because their lives seemed so bloody stressful at the moment. Cathy’s son had moved in with his wayward girlfriend and Pam had never been so worried about her girls in all her life.
Angela smirked. If her mother had had a bad day, it obviously meant she had already spoken to Mr Jones. ‘Where’s Steph? She not home from school yet?’ she asked, innocently.
‘Your guess is as good as mine. Now go upstairs and get washed and changed. We’re all eating dinner at the table this evening. Me, you and your sister need to have a nice little chat,’ Pam replied in a stern tone.
‘What am I meant to have done wrong now?’ Angie asked, pretending to be annoyed.
‘It ain’t you, it’s your sister. Now do as your mum says,’ Linda urged her niece.
Cock-a-hoop that her vicious little plan had worked, Angela ran up the stairs with a big smile on her face.
Stephanie giggled as she and Barry climbed over the last fence. ‘I can’t believe we’ve trampled on everyone’s gardens. I hope no one saw us,’ she said to her boyfriend.
‘I wish you didn’t have to go home yet. Can’t you sneak back over when it’s dark again?’
Stephanie shook her head. ‘I’m still grounded, I think. It’s more than me life’s worth to get caught tiptoeing over to your house.’
Barry put his arms around Stephanie. ‘Why don’t we skip school for the rest of the week? My sister will be out and about with her bloke, so we should have the place to ourselves. We might as well make the most of it while me mum’s away and, if you’re gonna forge a note, you might as well write one for being off for a whole week rather than just two days.’
Seeing a woman walking along the street with a bag of shopping, Stephanie ducked out of Barry’s arms in case the woman knew her mum. She was truly tempted to have the rest of the week off school, but knew that by doing so, she was asking to get caught. ‘I’d better not have no more time off, Bal. I ain’t even spoken to Tammy yet – say she rings my house and puts her foot in it or something?’
‘Ring her as soon as you get in. Please Steph, my old man’s up in court tomorrow and I really don’t wanna be sitting in a classroom worrying about him. I wanna be with you.’
Feeling desperately sorry for her boyfriend for having such a tough family life, Stephanie looked into his soulful eyes and melted. How could she say no when his dad was about to be banged up? ‘OK. I’ll meet you same time, same place.’
Hearing the front door slam, Angela Crouch bolted down the stairs like a whippet. She had no intention of missing one second of her stuck-up sister getting the scolding of her life.
‘All right, sis? How was school?’ she asked, chirpily.
Steph eyed her little sister suspiciously. Angela had never asked her how her day at school had gone before, even when they were on good terms. Steph could see by the evil glint in Angie’s eyes that she knew that she had been playing truant. About to plead with her sister to keep her big mouth shut, Steph was stopped from doing so by her mother marching into the hallway.
‘Get your arse up them stairs and freshen yourself up before dinner. You and I are gonna have a nice long chat, young lady. In fact, we’re all gonna have a nice long chat, because I ain’t having this family going off the rails.’
Feeling anxious, Stephanie ran up the stairs. Angela had obviously grassed her up, which would put paid to her spending the rest of the week with Barry, but at least nobody knew she had spent the day with him at the old slapper’s house. Her mother would have strangled her as soon as she had walked through the front door if she’d known that.
Desperate to speak to Tammy, Steph kicked herself for not coming home a bit later and using a phone box. There was only one phone indoors. It was downstairs, and Steph knew she wouldn’t be able to speak properly with her mum and sister earwigging. Taking a deep breath, Steph looked into the mirror and smiled. Barry Franklin had told her he loved her today, and nothing that her mother said to her could mar the happiness she currently felt inside.
Usually, Pam and the girls ate their dinner sitting in front of the TV with a tray on their laps, but wanting to eat and chat like a proper family for once, Pam set the dining table. Cathy was staying for dinner as well and Lin would be there, too – it was unusual for Linda to even be in at meal times, as she usually finished work and went straight to the pub.
Angela was the first to sit down at the table. ‘What we got for dinner then, Mum?’ she enquired. She couldn’t wait to watch her sister squirm, and just knew she was going to enjoy this