Free Girl Alone: Joss came home from school to discover her father’s suicide. Angry and hurting, she’s out of control. by Cathy Glass

your brother a lot. Don’t you think you should set him a good example? I’m sure you would be appalled if he started behaving as you do.’
    ‘
He
’, meaning Eric, ‘shouldn’t have come home,’ Joss said, still angry. ‘He only did it to annoy me.’
    ‘Why would he do that?’ I asked.
    ‘Because he knows I hate him. He never leaves work early. He always comes in at the same time – that’s why I call in at Mum’s on the way home from school. I know he won’t be there. He did it to upset me.’
    ‘But why would he want to upset or annoy you?’ I asked.
    Joss shrugged.
    I glanced at her as I drove. ‘Joss, there could be another reason why Eric came home early, a nicer reason: that he’s trying to build a relationship with you.’
    ‘Bullshit,’ Joss said. ‘He’s a wanker. I hate him and he knows why.’
    ‘Whatever you may think of him, I don’t want you using that language. Not to me, your parents or anyone, and certainly not in front of your younger brother. Swear again and I’ll remove your television from your bedroom for the rest of this evening.’
    ‘Whatever!’ Joss said, and she put in her earphones and turned up her music.

Chapter Six
Deceived
    The following afternoon I received a telephone call from Joss’s form teacher, Miss Pryce. She apologized for not being in touch sooner, she’d been very busy, and she invited me to go into school to meet her the next day at 12.30 p.m.
    ‘I’m afraid my lunch hour is the only time I have free,’ she said.
    I thanked her, confirmed I’d be there and felt marginally guilty for taking up her lunch break.
    When Joss arrived home from school that afternoon I told her I was seeing her teacher the following day. ‘So I hope she’s going to tell me lots of good things about how well you’ve been doing,’ I said. ‘And that all your homework is up to date.’
    ‘I doubt it,’ Joss said with her usual shrug.
    ‘Well, in that case you need to do your homework before you go out this evening. That’s what the contract of behaviour says.’
    ‘I haven’t signed the contract yet,’ Joss said, ready with a retort as always. ‘Anyway, my homework is up to date.’
    I wasn’t convinced this was true, but I would wait until I’d heard what Miss Pryce had to say before I said anything further to Joss about her school work.
    The atmosphere at dinner that evening was less strained than it had been during the last few meals, after Lucy and Joss’s set-to – they made an effort to speak to each other, while Paula and Adrian kept a low profile and concentrated on eating. As soon as Joss had finished her pudding she stood to leave.
    ‘Joss, would you remain at the table, please, until everyone has finished,’ I said. ‘It’s polite.’
    ‘Do I have to?’ she grumbled. ‘You sound like my mum.’
    ‘Yes, please. It’s only six-twenty; you’ve still got plenty of time to go out.’
    She pulled a face but did as I asked, and sat down and waited until we’d all finished.
    ‘Done?’ she asked as Paula, the last to finish, set her spoon in her bowl.
    ‘Yes, thank you,’ I said. ‘You can go now.’
    Joss took her dishes to the kitchen sink, then went into the hall, put on her shoes and called goodbye as she left.
    I am sorry to say that I always felt more relaxed when Joss was out of the house, as I never knew when she would erupt in another angry outburst or confrontation. Although, of course, when she was out I also worried – about the mischief she could be getting up to and whether she was safe. I was expecting her to return home late – she hadn’t managed to return on time after an evening out with her friends yet – and if she did I would be stopping one pound from her pocket money (the one pound she’d earned back for coming home on time the previous afternoon). She would still have half her allowance, as Amelia had stipulated she should. However, to my surprise and delight, she returned at exactly 9.30 p.m.
    ‘Well done,