Free Dead End by Leigh Russell Page B

sinister than Matthew Kirby.’

14
    ZOE
    L ucy shut her door firmly. Her desk top was clear apart from her computer and a dirty mug that gave off a faint sickly sweet smell of chocolate. Lucy hated clutter and never put any school books on her desk, although that was what her parents had bought it for. She moved the mug out of sight before switching on her computer.
    The screen flickered alight and she saw that Zoe was already online.
    ‘Hey Zoe!’
    ‘Hey you!’ Zoe replied at once and Lucy smiled. ‘What's new?’ They chatted for a while. Grumbling about her brother, Lucy learned that Zoe had an older sister.
    ‘You're so lucky!’ Lucy told her. ‘I wish I had a sister not a stupid useless brother.’
    ‘It's not so great.’
    ‘Do you share clothes?’
    ‘Sometimes.’
    ‘Lucky!’
    ‘A brother's better. You get to meet all his friends.’
    ‘He's 12! And he's a dick. Always poking his nose in where it's not wanted.’
    ‘We ought to use a password when we log on then.’
    ‘Why?’ Lucy asked. ‘Instant messenger's private. Isn't that the point?’
    ‘If we're going to tell each other secrets we need to make sure no one else can read them!’
    ‘OK.’ A thought struck Lucy. ‘We need to delete the password every time.’
    ‘Delete everything as soon as we've read it.’
    ‘So what's it going to be?’ Lucy asked.
    ‘What?’
    ‘What's the password?’
    ‘Don't know. Any ideas?’
    ‘Clueless.’
    ‘Too obvious!’
    Lucy shook her head. ‘I wasn't suggesting it as a password! I meant I haven't got a clue! You got any ideas?’
    ‘I'm thinking.’
    ‘How about JLS?’
    ‘Too common.’
    ‘JLS aren't common!’
    ‘No. JLS is too common for a password.’
    Lucy tried again. ‘What about schoolsucks?’
    ‘OK. Memorise and delete!’
    Engrossed in chatting, Lucy was startled when someone called her name. She minimised her screen and spun round to see her father silhouetted in the doorway. ‘What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?’ What was the point of agreeing a password on a secure site if her dad was going to barge into her room, uninvited, and read her private messages over her shoulder? ‘What are you doing in my room? How dare you come in without knocking?’
    ‘I just wanted to tell you I'm going out –’
    ‘Good. Don't hurry back.’ Lucy turned to her screen and waited to hear the door close. After a few seconds she looked over her shoulder. Her father was hovering in the doorway. ‘Are you still here?’ she demanded crossly.
    ‘I thought you might want some supper before I go out.’
    ‘Well you thought wrong. And close the door behind you.’
    ‘Lucy…’
    ‘What do you want? Can't you leave me alone?’ She heard the door close and when she looked around, he had gone. With an angry smile she turned back to the screen.
    Zoe had left three messages while Lucy was talking to her father.
    ‘Sorry,’ Lucy wrote. ‘My dad came in.’
    ‘Did he see what you were writing?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘No worries. He was nowhere near my computer.’ Zoe didn't answer. ‘And I minimised the screen as soon as he opened the door.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘No it bloody isn't. He can't just walk in without knocking.’
    ‘You're right. It's your space.’
    ‘I hate him!’
    ‘Parents are a pain. Are you sure he didn't see what we've written?’
    ‘I'm sure. The point is he's got no right to come in without permission. I could have been writing something private. He could've seen it.’
    ‘But he didn't?’
    ‘No. But he shouldn't come in like that. He's got no right.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘I hate my dad.’
    ‘Parents are bloody annoying.’
    ‘It's more than that. I HATE him.’
    Lucy jumped when she heard her door open. She minimised her screen and leapt from her chair in a fury. ‘What did I just say?’ she yelled.
    Her brother kicked a trainer across the room. ‘I don't know,’ he answered amiably. ‘What did you just say?’
    ‘What are you doing in here?