Exploited by Emma Jackson

Author:Emma Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448175628
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

11

Friends and Enemies

‘I CAN’T,’ I said. ‘I’m going out.’

Mum and Dad both stopped stuffing their faces with eggs and bacon and stared at me.

‘What d’you mean?’ asked Mum. ‘You always work in shop on Fridays.’

‘Well, I don’t now,’ I said. ‘I’ve had enough of that poxy shop.’

‘What?’ Bits of food burst out of Dad’s mouth. ‘That poxy shop, as you call it, keeps food on the table and clothes on your back, our Emma, and don’t you forget it.’

Same old story, I thought. Heard it all before.

Mum went on in a quieter voice. ‘Where did this come from, Emma? You’ve not said owt about not wanting to work in shop. What’s got into you?’

‘Nothing,’ I said, sharp. ‘I’m just sick and tired of going there every week. I’ve got better things to do, me.’

‘Better things? What better things?’ said Dad. He was really annoyed, I could tell. His face always went red. ‘Going out with your precious mates, I suppose.’

‘Well, yeah, as it happens,’ I shot back. And that was true. Me and Joanne were going to meet Tarik and his mates in the pub, and have a proper meal out.

When Tarik suggested it the other day, I’d told him about working in the shop.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I do remember you mentioned it. But surely they don’t expect you to work every Friday, if you want to go out somewhere?’

I hadn’t really thought about it. ‘Um, yeah, I think they do.’

‘What?’ he said, looking right surprised. ‘Every Friday? At the end of a week at school? Well, it’s your business, I suppose, but that doesn’t seem very fair to me.’

Now I came to think of it, it didn’t sound fair to me either.

‘Do they pay you?’ Tarik went on.

‘Yeah, a tenner.’

His eyebrows rose further up. ‘A tenner? Is that all? For three hours, you say?’

I didn’t mention the bit about popping upstairs to see Nan in time for Emmerdale and the rest. I liked it that Tarik was obviously feeling concerned on my account.

He was shaking his head. ‘Well, I call that cheap. I know they’re your mum and dad, Emma, and you’re still at school, but I call it taking a liberty. And a Friday too – that’s just the evening everyone wants off at the end of the week. Well, I mean, you can stay out late as you don’t have to get up in the morning, do you?’

That was true, so I nodded.

‘I know there’s Saturday night,’ Tarik said, ‘but even then you have to be back by nine, don’t you?’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Mum and Dad like me to be home when they get back from work.’

Tarik shook his head again. ‘What are they like?’ he said. ‘Treating you like a kid – you have to leave just when things are warming up, don’t you?’

That was true too. I always had to keep an eye on the time, and I’d often had to drag myself away just when folk were getting mellow, there was a good vibe going.

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