asked.
‘Christ knows! She promised she would be home by seven. I’m sure the little cow’s got a new boyfriend. Been very secretive lately, she has, and I can read her like a bleedin’ book.’
‘Speak of the devil,’ Cath whispered, as the front door opened.
‘Where you been? You’re over half hour late,’ Pam yelled at her youngest daughter.
Visibly upset, Angela ignored her mother and ran straight up the stairs.
‘Go and have a word with her, Steph. Find out what’s wrong,’ Pam shouted out.
‘Come and stand outside the bedroom door,’ Steph whispered to Tammy.
‘What’s up, sis?’ Stephanie asked, entering their bedroom.
‘What do you care?’ Angie replied, wiping her eyes with her cuff.
‘Of course I care. I am your sister.’
‘It’s Jacko. He’s got the hump with me because I can never stay out that late. I think he might finish with me.’
When her sister let out a heartbroken sob, Stephanie actually felt very sorry for her. ‘Where did you meet him, Ange?’ she asked, hugging her little sister.
‘In the bowling alley at the Chequers. I’ve told him so many lies, and if he finds out I know he’ll pack me up.’
‘What exactly have you told him, then?’
‘I’ve told him I’m fifteen and I’m in the fifth year at Parsloes Manor. I’ve also told him that our dad’s still alive and he beats me up if I’m late home or I date boys.’
‘What!’ Stephanie exclaimed incredulously. Angie lying about her age was understandable, but pretending their poor deceased father was still alive and darkening his name by calling him a violent bully was despicably low, even by Angela’s standards.
‘You know Dad was a decent man, so how can you say such bad things about him?’
‘I only know what Mum’s told me about him. I don’t even remember the man. Anyway, Jacko thinks my surname is Marshall, so he ain’t gonna know I’m talking about our dad, is he?’ Angela replied, abruptly.
‘You might as well just tell him the truth, Ange, because he’s bound to spot you in school at some point.’
‘No, he won’t. All his lessons are in the upper school and mine are in the lower,’ Angela said, confidently.
Stephanie shrugged. ‘You coming down for some dinner? Lin’s home.’
‘No, I’m on a diet. Can you do me a favour, Steph? But I need you to swear you won’t say nothing to Mum.’
‘I promise I won’t tell Mum.’
‘I’m bunking off school tomorrow to spend the day with Jacko and I need you to write me a note and sign it with Mum’s signature.’
‘No way! Mum will kill both of us if she finds out,’ Stephanie said, truthfully.
‘But she won’t find out, will she? Please Steph, you’re the only one I know who can copy her handwriting – and I covered for you when you got caught at the fair.’
Stephanie debated what to do for the best. Angie was right about covering for her. Steph had sneaked off to the fair, got spotted by Lairy Mary, and Angela had sworn blind to their mum that they had been at the pictures together that day. Thankfully, their mother had believed Angie.
‘OK, I’ll do it, but only this once. Where you going with Jacko? You ain’t going round his house, are you?’
‘No, we’re gonna get a bus into Romford and hang around the shops,’ Angela lied.
‘Just be careful,’ Steph replied, as she left the room and shut the bedroom door.
‘She is such a little bitch. How you suffer her I will never know,’ Tammy whispered as the girls went back downstairs.
‘She’s only young,’ Stephanie replied, protectively.
‘Yeah, but she is such a nasty piece of work. Surely you must realize that?’
Not wanting to slag off her own flesh and blood, Stephanie shrugged. ‘Whatever she is, Tam, Angie is still my sister and I will always love her no matter what.’
CHAPTER THREE
Angela Crouch was unsure if she felt excited or petrified as she stuffed some clothes and make-up into her schoolbag. Dagenham Priory had only just
‘Christ knows! She promised she would be home by seven. I’m sure the little cow’s got a new boyfriend. Been very secretive lately, she has, and I can read her like a bleedin’ book.’
‘Speak of the devil,’ Cath whispered, as the front door opened.
‘Where you been? You’re over half hour late,’ Pam yelled at her youngest daughter.
Visibly upset, Angela ignored her mother and ran straight up the stairs.
‘Go and have a word with her, Steph. Find out what’s wrong,’ Pam shouted out.
‘Come and stand outside the bedroom door,’ Steph whispered to Tammy.
‘What’s up, sis?’ Stephanie asked, entering their bedroom.
‘What do you care?’ Angie replied, wiping her eyes with her cuff.
‘Of course I care. I am your sister.’
‘It’s Jacko. He’s got the hump with me because I can never stay out that late. I think he might finish with me.’
When her sister let out a heartbroken sob, Stephanie actually felt very sorry for her. ‘Where did you meet him, Ange?’ she asked, hugging her little sister.
‘In the bowling alley at the Chequers. I’ve told him so many lies, and if he finds out I know he’ll pack me up.’
‘What exactly have you told him, then?’
‘I’ve told him I’m fifteen and I’m in the fifth year at Parsloes Manor. I’ve also told him that our dad’s still alive and he beats me up if I’m late home or I date boys.’
‘What!’ Stephanie exclaimed incredulously. Angie lying about her age was understandable, but pretending their poor deceased father was still alive and darkening his name by calling him a violent bully was despicably low, even by Angela’s standards.
‘You know Dad was a decent man, so how can you say such bad things about him?’
‘I only know what Mum’s told me about him. I don’t even remember the man. Anyway, Jacko thinks my surname is Marshall, so he ain’t gonna know I’m talking about our dad, is he?’ Angela replied, abruptly.
‘You might as well just tell him the truth, Ange, because he’s bound to spot you in school at some point.’
‘No, he won’t. All his lessons are in the upper school and mine are in the lower,’ Angela said, confidently.
Stephanie shrugged. ‘You coming down for some dinner? Lin’s home.’
‘No, I’m on a diet. Can you do me a favour, Steph? But I need you to swear you won’t say nothing to Mum.’
‘I promise I won’t tell Mum.’
‘I’m bunking off school tomorrow to spend the day with Jacko and I need you to write me a note and sign it with Mum’s signature.’
‘No way! Mum will kill both of us if she finds out,’ Stephanie said, truthfully.
‘But she won’t find out, will she? Please Steph, you’re the only one I know who can copy her handwriting – and I covered for you when you got caught at the fair.’
Stephanie debated what to do for the best. Angie was right about covering for her. Steph had sneaked off to the fair, got spotted by Lairy Mary, and Angela had sworn blind to their mum that they had been at the pictures together that day. Thankfully, their mother had believed Angie.
‘OK, I’ll do it, but only this once. Where you going with Jacko? You ain’t going round his house, are you?’
‘No, we’re gonna get a bus into Romford and hang around the shops,’ Angela lied.
‘Just be careful,’ Steph replied, as she left the room and shut the bedroom door.
‘She is such a little bitch. How you suffer her I will never know,’ Tammy whispered as the girls went back downstairs.
‘She’s only young,’ Stephanie replied, protectively.
‘Yeah, but she is such a nasty piece of work. Surely you must realize that?’
Not wanting to slag off her own flesh and blood, Stephanie shrugged. ‘Whatever she is, Tam, Angie is still my sister and I will always love her no matter what.’
CHAPTER THREE
Angela Crouch was unsure if she felt excited or petrified as she stuffed some clothes and make-up into her schoolbag. Dagenham Priory had only just
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