Joe

It’s all quiet in the dining room. Everyone’s tucking into their curry, crunching their way through poppadoms. I lean over and take the chilli chutney jar from the middle of the table, spoon some on to my plate.

‘I see they still don’t have a clue who committed the murder in town,’ Granny says.

I look up at her. I’m taken straight back to yesterday with a jolt. To the Old House. To the common. To that horrible sick, guilty feeling in my throat and my stomach.

‘The sooner they’re locked away, the better,’ Dad says.

‘You’re right,’ Granny says. ‘I don’t feel safe with them still on the streets.’ She shudders. ‘Let’s change the subject, shall we? It makes me feel all uneasy.’

The subject is changed, cos no one says a thing. Everybody eats, apart from me. I keep having visions of yesterday, of throwing the bag in the pit and covering it over. I wish Granny hadn’t said anything.

‘Hey, Granny,’ Mum says, ‘this time tomorrow, young Joe here will have officially left school!’

I look up at Mum. She’s smiling at me sort of proudly. I can feel Granny looking at me as well. So I turn and I look at her.

‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Granny says. ‘Ooh, fancy that, Joe! The next time I see you, you’ll be a free man.’

I can’t help but smile at the thought of being free of school. ‘I can’t wait for study leave,’ I say. ‘But I’ll be back there in September doing my A levels.’ And then I pop a small bit of poppadom in my mouth.

‘Are you ready for your exams, then?’ Granny says.

I shrug. ‘S’pose so,’ I say. Though, to be honest, they’ve been the furthest thing from my mind these last couple of days.

‘He’ll be fine. Won’t you, Joe?’ Dad says. He winks at me. ‘He’s a Wainwright. A chip off the old block.’

‘However you do, we’ll be proud,’ Granny says.

Over the other side of the table I see Kate stick two fingers down her throat, pretending to make herself sick. I snigger.

Mum shakes her head and smiles. ‘Oh, you two,’ she says. ‘Behave.’

My phone beeps in my pocket. I take it out. It’s a text from Ash. Meet me at the rec.

I put my fork down and look across the table at Mum and Dad. ‘Um, is it OK if I go out later?’

Dad makes a face. ‘It’s a school night,’ he says. ‘I don’t think so.’

I make a disappointed face. ‘Please.’

Mum looks at me and then at Dad, but she doesn’t say anything.

‘Your granny’s here,’ Dad says. ‘No.’

‘Let him go out,’ Granny says. ‘Don’t mind me. He’s only got one day of school left anyway – it won’t do him any harm.’

Mum and Dad look at each other.

‘He’s earned his chance to relax,’ Granny says.

Dad sighs. ‘All right,’ he says. ‘But you have to be back before ten, understand?’

I smile. ‘OK!’ I text Ash straight back.