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Can’t wait to see you.

Me too, Kelly replied.

K. C u gorgeous. xx

Kelly smiled at her screen.C u. xx

She lay back on her pillow. How was she going to get out on Saturday without her mother finding out? Dylan’s late night would set Lucy off again, and she’d be breathing down their necks. She’d have asked Jenny for help, but since Frank had moved in she hadn’t seen her, and whenshe’d spoken to her on the phone two days ago, her aunt had sounded reallygrumpy and stressed. She’d have to ask Shannon for advice. She had to make absolutely sure her mother didn’t find out about Sean. She’d freak anyway, but now that she was so wound up about Dylan she’d double-freak. Sean and the party had to remain a secret.

Kelly tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She was worried aboutDylan. Finally, she heard the front door open. Dylan was home. She heard him trip and then curse. She looked at her phone: 2.07 a.m.

‘Dylan!’ her mother’s voice cried. ‘Are you drunk?’

Kelly held her breath. Drunk! How could he be so stupid? She’d told him Lucy was waiting up for him. She reckoned Billy was staying well out of it. He hadn’t moved from his room since ten o’clock. She couldn’tblame him.

Kelly could hear Dylan giggling. Oh, God, he must be really pissed. This was bad.

She could only catch some of what her mother was saying because Lucy was crying. ‘How could you … stupid … irresponsible … opportunity … ruin everything … why … please don’t do this … sacrificed … have to stop seeing her … you have to.’

Dylan’s voice was louder. ‘I love Taylor and I’m never, ever goingto break up with her, so get that into your head. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me. I feel brilliant when I’m with her. Free from all the pressure and hassle. Nothing you can say will make me dump her. She’s the best thing in my life.’

Kelly could hear her mother properly now: she was shouting and crying. ‘Don’t ruin your life like I did. Please, Dylan, no one is worth it. Taylor isjust one girl – you’ll meet plenty of others. You have to stop seeing her. Jordan won’t give you a second chance. He’ll know you were drinking again. Look at you, you’re absolutely plastered. Taylor is bad for you. Ifyou don’t break up with her, I’ll bloody well do it for you. I’ll make sure she stays the hell away from you. Over my dead body is that girl messing up your life.’

‘Stop going onand on. Jesus, Mum, I’m not going to get her pregnant. I’m just having fun. Stop suffocating me. Stop trying to control everything me and Kelly do. We’re not stupid like you were.’

‘You and Kelly are my life,’ Lucy cried. ‘You’re everything to me. Please, Dylan, don’t let Taylor drag you down. Trust me on this. She’s already caused trouble with Jordan and school. Stop it now before it’s too late.You can’t behave like this – you’ll get expelled and so will Kelly. The football parents are already talking about you. We have to be better than everyone. Scholarship students have to be perfectly behaved. You have to prove to them that you belong there. Please, Dylan …’

Kelly hated to hear Lucy so upset, her voice coming out in gulps and hiccups as she veered between crying and shouting.

‘I don’t have to prove anything to anyone,’ Dylan roared. ‘Leave me alone and do not mention Taylor again. I love her and I’m never breaking up with her. I don’t give a shit what the other football parents think of me and neither should you. Fuck them and fuck St Jude’s.’

Kelly heard Lucy gasp and then Dylan’s footsteps on the stairs. He stumbled into his bedroom and locked the door. Kelly couldhear her mother sobbing.

Oh, God, Dylan and her mum never fought. They’d barely ever had a cross word. It was Kelly and Lucy who had always clashed. That was normal. This was totally abnormal. Kelly felt sick.

She slowly opened her bedroom door and looked out. Lucy was sitting at the top of the stairs, crying against the banister.

‘Mum?’ Kelly whispered.

‘Go back to bed,’ Lucy said, rubbingher eyes roughly. ‘It’s okay, love. Go on.’

Kelly closed her door softly and stood there, wondering what to do. How could she or her mum make Dylan see what he was doing? There was no getting through to him. This was just going to get worse and worse, she could feel it. What could they do?

She opened her door again. ‘We can talk to him tomorrow, Mum,’ she said. ‘Force him to see that he’s makingbad decisions.’

Lucy raised her head, her eyes red and sore. ‘He’s going to break up with that girl if I have to do it for him. There is no other solution.’

‘I know,’ Kelly whispered. ‘I know.’