Free Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson

branches.
I
was the one who was scared.
    I’d never been out after dark by myself. I ran nearly all the way home, hardly able to breathe when I got to my own house at last. The porch light was on. Dad was standing there at the door, arms folded.
    I wanted to run right past.
    There was no chance of that.
    â€˜Where the hell have you been, young lady?’ hebellowed, seizing me by the wrist and jerking me indoors. His big red fist was like a handcuff. I couldn’t shake myself free. I stood blinking in the harsh light of the hall. Mum stood nervously in the background, gnawing on the back of her knuckles. She gave a little cry when she saw me. Will was sitting in the shadows halfway up the stairs. I could see the gleam in his eyes.
    â€˜Violet?’ Dad shook me. ‘Come on, explain yourself. You’ve scared us all witless. Do you have any idea what the time is?’
    â€˜Look, I think you’re over-reacting. It’s not
that
late. I’m fine. No need to make such a fuss,’ I said, raising my eyebrows, Jasmine-style.
    Will snorted, appreciating my performance.
    â€˜We thought you’d been abducted,’ said Mum. ‘I didn’t know what to do. Will said you’d gone off with this girl from school so I phoned Marnie, I phoned Terry, but they didn’t seem to know where you were.’
    â€˜He was obviously telling us a whole tissue of lies,’ said Dad, glaring at Will. ‘You weren’t out with any girl, were you, Violet? Come on, tell the truth. I
know
you were off playing fast and loose with some boy.’
    â€˜I was with a girl, Dad. Jasmine, she’s in my class.’
    â€˜The one with all the hair?’ said Will. ‘Is she only your age?’
    â€˜You’ve never mentioned a Jasmine before,’ said Mum.
    â€˜You haven’t got any Jasmine in your class. Stop lying, Violet. I’m trained, I can tell. Look at you, all red and shifty-eyed!’
    I forced myself to look Dad straight in the face. ‘Jasmine joined my class today, Dad. Come and inspect the register tomorrow if you really don’t believe me. Hook me up to a lie detector, why don’t you?’
    â€˜Less of the lippy attitude, madam,’ said Dad. ‘So what were you doing with this girl, then? Why in God’s name didn’t you phone home and put your mother out of her misery? You made enough fuss to be given that mobile phone so why didn’t you use it?’
    â€˜The battery’s flat,’ I lied. ‘And I asked to use Jasmine’s phone but they’ve only just moved into the flat so they’re still waiting to get a land-line installed.’
    Will shook his head at my fluent lies. Mum and even Dad seemed on the brink of believing me. I gabbled on, telling them all about Jasmine’s parents, making out they were still together and that I’d met both of them.
    â€˜I think I
know
Miranda Cape. Didn’t she use to be in
EastEnders
? The blonde one who caused all the trouble?’ said Mum. ‘So what’s she really like, Violet? Does she talk really common?’
    â€˜No, no, that’s all an act, she’s ever so posh. And so’s Jonathan, Jasmine’s dad. He’s in
San Francisco
, that’s a musical at the Rialto.’
    â€˜I saw the advert for it. I was going to get your dad to take me for our anniversary. Good lord, fancy you knowing them! And what about this Jasmine? Is she a showy little thing?’
    â€˜She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,’ I said.
    â€˜Listen to you!’ said Dad. ‘Stop looking all moony, youstupid girl. It’s still no excuse staying out half the night and worrying us all to death.’
    But the force had gone out of his bluster. He nagged on for ten minutes, and I meekly did the ‘Yes, Dad, no, Dad, never again, Dad’ routine. He subsided at last, cracking open a can of beer and settling down to watch
The Bill
on