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Jenny went downstairs to make herself a coffee. She’d say nothing to Lucy. Kelly was a normal teenage girl, and Lucy was over-protective. Jenny understood Lucy’s motives,but itwas hard on Kelly. Her sister needed to lighten up or the already fragile relationship she had with her daughter would break.

She hoped Lucy would have lots of sex tonight. She needed to relax and have some fun. She was always so stressed about the kids. They were amazing, she’d done an incredible job, but now she needed to get a life for herself. Mind you, that Damien wasn’t very sexy.Jenny reckoned Lucy could do a lot better. But, then, Lucy thought Jenny’s love life was wrong.

In the beginning, Lucy had begged her to stop seeing Frank. She’d kept reminding her that he was married with a son. But he was the sexiest, most confident man Jenny had ever met, and the richest too. They’d met a year ago when she’d gone to Cannes to do make-up for an Irish actress who was starringin one of the nominated movies. Frank had been staying in the same hotel. Jenny had met him in the bar and sparks had flown.

In the first six months he’d wined and dined her. Weekends in Paris and London, hotel suites, vintage champagne. Jenny had loved it. It was the high life with none of the hassle. But Lucy had kept at her: it was wrong, it was immoral, he was using her, she deserved better…

Life with Frank was so much more fun than without. She wanted adventure and excitement and he gave it to her.

Jenny heard a noise from upstairs. She went up to the bedroom. Kelly was closing the window. ‘You could have come in the front door. Your mum’s gone out and Billy’s in the pub.’

‘I was afraid she might have changed her mind or gone out later.’

‘You can’t climb out of the window atnight, Kelly. Your mum will freak if she finds out.’

Kelly bit her thumbnail. ‘I can’t do anything right anyway.’

‘Come on, you know she loves you and she’s just a bit over-protective.’

‘She’s a jailer. She wants to lock me up until I’m thirty. All she cares about is my exam results and fitting in at bloody St Jude’s.’

‘I take it it’s not going any better?’

‘I hate it.’

‘It can’t be thatbad, and you hated Woodside at first too.’

‘This is different. I only hated Woodside cos I missed Dylan. I hate St Jude’s because the girls are bitches.’

‘Is that Melissa cow still giving you hassle?’

‘Yes, and it’s worse now because Dylan told her to leave me alone.’

‘Oh, God, bad idea.’

‘Yeah, and he’s going out with her step-sister, Taylor. They’re all over each other. I think Melissais jealous, so she’s even more vicious to me.’

‘Fight back. Don’t take any crap from her.’

‘I can’t. If I get into trouble in school, Mum will kill me. She keeps banging on about how important it is that I behave impeccably and not put a foot wrong or I’ll jeopardize the scholarship and let the family down, blah-blah-blah. She’s obsessed with this stupid school. Did she want to go there whenshe was a kid or something?’

If only you knew, Jenny thought. Your dickhead of a father and bastard of a grandfather went there. ‘Uhm, no. She just wants them to see how great you are. Look, you’re entitled to defend yourself, so if Melissa is being mean to you, you’re allowed to fight back and no one is going to blame you. Just don’t punch her or send any mad texts. Do it verbally so it’s yourword against hers.’

‘Sean’s the only good thing in my life.’

‘How long have you been seeing him?’

‘Three weeks.’

Jenny grinned. ‘And it’s love?’

Kelly blushed. ‘No, well … I mean … maybe … I really like him and he’s really nice to me and right now I need that, Jenny. School is so horrible. Will you talk to Mum and see if you can make her understand that it’s okay for me to see Sean? Please?’

Jenny smiled. ‘I’ll try, but you know how stubborn Lucy is.’

Kelly sighed. ‘I certainly do.’

‘Do you want to hear good news?’ Jenny asked.