One Night Only by Emma Heatherington Read Free Book Online Page A

d o f dee p sig h tha t only a teenag e gir l ca n give . “ I can ’ t b e arse d wit h th e cinema an d I ha d pizz a a t lunc h time . Y o u nee d you r root s done, b y th e wa y . ”
    Rut h breathe d i n an d ou t o f he r nostrils , rathe r drago n - lik e a s Melani e stare d a t he r hai r whic h t o b e fai r , had see n bette r days . Sh e ha d los t interes t i n he r appearance an d th e stres s o f th e mov e fro m Englan d t o the backwater s o f Cranmor e ha d reall y take n u p al l he r time an d energ y , no t t o mentio n th e worr y o f no w bein g so clos e t o he r mothe r an d feelin g th e urg e t o brea k down th e barrier s o f th e pas t b y payin g he r a visit .
    “I’l l mak e a n appointmen t tomorro w , ” sai d Ruth, runnin g he r finger s throug h he r outgrow n bo b an d feeling tw o fee t high . “Ho w abou t fis h an d chip s fo r te a then? Melanie , please ? Fis h an d chips? ”
    Bu t Melani e wasn ’ t listenin g a t al l no w . Sh e eve n ha d the chee k t o sin g alon g wit h Coldpla y t o drow n Rut h out . That wa s it . Rut h ha d ha d enoug h o f talkin g t o a bric k w a ll !
    “ Melanie! ” sh e shoute d an d pulle d th e headphones fro m he r daughter ’ s ears . The y caugh t i n he r hai r which mad e he r yel p lik e a wounde d anima l bu t Rut h wasn ’ t one bi t sorr y . “Hav e som e blood y manners! ”
    “ Ow ! I wa s listenin g t o that! ”
    “ W ell , wh y don ’ t yo u liste n t o m e fo r a change ? Do yo u wan t fis h an d flippin ’ chip s o r not? ”
    Sh e mad e sur e t o sa y ‘flippin ’ ’ rathe r tha n us e another expletiv e becaus e Melani e love d a n excus e t o swea r and Rut h wasn ’ t givin g he r one . N o wa y .
    Melani e recognise d thi s an d decide d t o tak e th e piss. “Fro m th e flippin ’ chipp y o r flippin ’ home-made? ” she asked , a s i f i t mad e al l th e differenc e i n th e world .
    I t probabl y did . Ruth ’ s cookin g sucke d an d the y all kne w it .
    “Fro m th e chippy! ”
    “The n yes ! Y ou r chip s ar e sogg y . ”
    Rut h resiste d th e urg e t o pul l he r hai r again , o n purpose th i s time .
    “ Than k you ! No w , wa s tha t s o difficult? ” sh e asked bu t Melani e wa s awa y again , he r nimbl e finger s working o v ertim e o n th e Blackberry ’ s tin y key s an d he r ear s plugg e d wit h headphones .
    Al l tha t jus t t o fin d ou t wha t sh e wante d t o eat ! Ruth shuddere d a t th e though t o f gettin g a n answe r t o a difficu l t questio n fro m he r daughter !
    Sh e lef t Melani e t o it , surrounde d b y he r Coldplay paraphernali a an d scatte r cushion s an d dirt y washin g that sh e totall y refuse d t o lif t fro m he r bedroo m floo r and storme d dow n t o th e kitche n wher e sh e automatically reache d fo r a bottl e o f gi n fro m th e cupboard . I t wa s after six . Therefor e sh e wa s no t a n alcoholic . I t wa s ‘evening’. “Jus t one, ” sh e tol d herself , ignorin g ho w he r hands wer e shakin g an d he r hear t wa s thumpin g a s sh e poured th e cool , clea r liqui d int o th e glass .
    Sh e downe d th e drin k i n on e go , feelin g ignite d a s soon a s th e soothin g effect s o f th e alcoho l hi t he r bloodstream. I t wa s time s lik e thi s whe n sh e wondere d wh y o n earth sh e ha d move d bac k t o thi s dead-en d tow n a t all . I f she wa s i n London , sh e coul d hav e calle d o n Cath y o r Georgie t o d o somethin g with , bu t roun d her e al l sh e ha d wa s a fourteen-yea r -ol d wh o gav e he r nothin g bu t ba d manners an d a nineteen-yea r -ol d bo y wh o wa s s o obsesse d wit h his ne w girlfrien d tha t h e couldn ’ t possibl y d o anythin g that didn ’ t involv e he r . Apar t fro m sleep , whe n h e probabl y . .
    . oh , Rut h didn ’ t eve n wan t t o thin k abou t wha t Ben though t o f whe n h e wen t t o bed .
    N o wonde r sh e spen t fa r to o muc h tim e i n th e Spar a c ros s th e roa d talkin g t