Lingard044

42

"All?" said her mother.

"You're not to see him again, do you hear?" said her father.

"I'll see him if I want to." Sadie turned and opened the kitchen
door.

"Come, ^you back here," roared her father.

She hesitated. Mr Jackson walked across to her. He put his hands
on her shoulder.

"You'll do what I tell you as long as you're living under my roof."

"I don't have to stay under your roof. I'm sixteen, ^{going on 17} I can go if
I want to. You can't get the police to bring me back."

Mrs Jackson caught iat her breath. Sadie eased herself out of her
fat^her's grasp and walked up the stairs. He made to follow her
but his wife said quietly,"Let her be, Jim. She's headstrong, you'll
only turn her against you."

Tommy closed^shut the door. His mother sniffed and wiped her eyes with
the back of her hand.

"That girl needs taught a lesson," said Mr Jackson. Tommy had
never seen him so angry.

"I don';'t think there's anything in^to it, d^Da," he said ^Tommy. "She just
met Kevin by chance."

"But what's she going to ^do now, that's what I'd like to know," said
his mother. "^{I hope she won't see him again.} You go on a up and talk to her, Tommy. ^Maybe She'll often
listen to you." ,

Tommy went up the narrow staircase^found Sadie was sitting on her bed.
He closed the door ^{of her room} and sat down beside her.