Johnny Be Good 02.5 Johnny's Girl by Paige Toon

Author:Paige Toon
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781471133510
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2013-11-06T18:30:00+00:00

‘Jessie! Jessica! Open the door.’

Not likely. I take another drag of my cigarette and lazily flick the ash out of the open window. I’m not going to waste a perfectly good fag for the sake of my stupid stepdad.

‘Jessie, I mean it. If you don’t open the door right now, I will break it down.’

Oh, for God’s sake. Get a grip, Stu.

‘I’m getting dressed. I’ll be out in minute!’ I call.

‘No, you’re not. You’re on your windowsill smoking and drinking my good cider. It’s gone from the fridge.’

He shouldn’t have left it in there then.

‘I’m breaking the door down!’ he shouts. There’s a loud thump.

Blimey, he really has got his knickers in a twist.

‘I’m NAKED!’ I shout back. ‘If you want to get done by child services, go right ahead!’

‘Don’t you give me that, young lady. What would your mother say?’

‘Don’t push me, Stu.’ His words make my ears burn.

‘She’d be so disappointed,’ he adds.

I angrily throw the cigarette out the window and storm to the door, wrenching it open. ‘To hell with Mum!’ I yell. ‘She’s dead, so she can’t say anything!’

The look on Stuart’s face makes me want to burst into tears, but before he can pull me in for another one of his suffocating hugs, I slam the door shut in his face and lock it again. And then I slump to the floor and bawl my eyes out. I hope he’s got enough sense to leave me be.

‘Jessie?’ he says quietly after a minute or so.

No such luck. ‘Just leave me alone, Stu,’ I blub.

‘I want to talk to you.’

‘Well, I don’t want to talk to you.’

‘Come on, Jess, I hate seeing you like this. I want to be there for you, help you through this.’

‘Please,’ I choke out. ‘Please, just leave me alone.’

Silence. Has he gone?

‘You know I can’t do that.’

Nope.

‘Unlock the door,’ he tries again. ‘I’ve made you a fish finger sandwich.’

As if that’s going to swing it. Although, actually, I could really do with a fish finger sandwich right now.

‘Jessie?’ he tries again.

My stomach rumbles. ‘I’ll be down in a minute,’ I relent, and even through the solid wood door I’m sure I can hear his sigh of relief.

‘Okay,’ he says gently.

When I’m sure he’s gone, I get up and go to the mirror. My nose is red, my eyes puffy. My medium-length, light-blonde hair is a bit of a mess, but I like it like that. I grab some make-up from my dressing table and do my best to rectify my blotchy complexion. Damn Stu for making me cry like that. My eyeliner is completely screwed, and my mascara is halfway down my face. I outline my green eyes with black kohl and retouch my mascara, stuffing my pink lipstick into my pocket. Then I pull on my black beanie, grab my camo jacket and go and climb out of the window.

It’s only seven o’clock, so it’s not dark yet. It’s pretty cold though, considering it’s the middle of June. I shove my hands into my jacket pockets and stomp along the footpath in the direction of town.

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