Page 29 of When We Were Young

‘Don’t worry Mum, I’m not stupid enough to get drunk and pregnant like you!’ Her chair scrapes behind her as she stands. ‘And have a baby I don’t even want!’

She picks up her laptop and storms out of the room.

I’m reeling.

‘It wasn’t like that!’ I call after her.

I follow her to the bottom of the stairs.

She stops halfway up and turns to me. ‘So, you weren’t drunk when you got pregnant?’

‘No, of course not!’

‘Don’t lie! Nobody accidentally gets pregnant when they’re sober!’

She turns and continues up the stairs.

I march up after her. ‘Actually, it happens all the time. Anyway, don’t turn this around – this isn’t about me. You’re the one who’s been lying.’

She stops on the narrow staircase leading to her loft room and whips around. ‘I haven’t lied.’

‘But if I hadn’t asked any questions, I wouldn’t even know you were at a party. Let alone drinking alcohol. Keeping secrets is the same as lying.’

‘And I suppose you never lie?’ She has the high ground a few steps above. ‘Or keep secrets?’

I grip the banister. ‘As I said, this is not about me…’

‘That’s not exactly fair, is it? One rule for you and another for me? You should practise what you preach!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You keep secrets from me! You lie to me!’

‘I don’t know what you are talking about!’ But, of course, I do.

‘You told me you didn’t know Will Bailey!’

I wince. ‘That wasn’t really a lie. I just didn’t know him that well––’

‘Ha!’ Her laugh is pure ice. ‘Even that’s a lie!’

‘Well, it’s hardly important whether I knew––’

‘No, you’re right. Forget it. It’s not important!’

‘Liv…’

‘I want to live with Dad!’

I freeze. ‘What?’

‘I don’t want to live here anymore. I want to live with Dad.’ The words tumble out of her as though she has been holding them in for too long.

‘That’s not your decision.’ I meant to sound firm, authoritative, but I just sound hurt.

‘I can decide when I’m sixteen. I’ll wait a month if I have to, but I’ll be miserable.’

‘Miserable?’