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

heard him call ‘Hello’ to Joss and Kevin. Joss let the shuttlecock fall to the ground and threw her racket after it. I could see the anger on her face. She stormed up the garden, past Kevin and Eric and into the house. She came into the living room looking like thunder.
    ‘What the fuck is he doing here?’ she demanded.
    ‘Joss, don’t, please,’ Linda said. Standing, she went over to her daughter. ‘He just wanted to see you and meet Cathy. He was trying to do the right thing.’
    ‘Right thing my arse! I’m going to my room,’ Joss said. She went out of the living room as Kevin and Eric could be heard coming in from the garden. ‘Kev!’ she called. ‘Come with me to my room. But make sure that creep doesn’t come or I’ll kick him where it hurts.’
    Linda looked so embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry, Cathy.’
    ‘Don’t worry. I’ve heard worse. I’ll speak to Joss later about her language and behaviour.’
    ‘Thank you. I’m afraid we just let her get away with it now, as nothing we say makes any difference.’
    Eric came into the living room with a glass of water, mopping his brow with a piece of kitchen towel. He sat on the sofa beside Linda and patted her arm. ‘Try not to worry, pet,’ he said.
    Linda shrugged despondently. Easier said than done, I thought.
    ‘Linda tells me you’ve been fostering a long time,’ Eric said, making conversation.
    ‘Yes, over fifteen years.’ I smiled.
    ‘That’s marvellous. It’s something I’d like to do, or adopt. I understand there’s a shortage of foster carers.’
    ‘Yes, there is,’ I said.
    ‘Linda and I have talked about it, haven’t we, pet?’ Eric said, turning towards her.
    ‘I think we need to sort out Joss’s problems first,’ Linda sensibly said. ‘I’ll go up and see her.’
    Linda stood and left the living room. Eric drank some of his water and then set the glass carefully on the table. ‘At least Kevin likes me,’ he said awkwardly.
    ‘It can be very difficult raising stepchildren,’ I offered.
    He gave a small laugh. ‘You can say that again. I’m sure it would be much easier raising our own child.’
    I nodded politely. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and then Joss’s voice called from the hall. ‘Cathy! We’re going!’
    I smiled at him and stood. ‘It was nice meeting you,’ I said.
    ‘And you,’ he said, also standing.
    He followed me down the hall. Joss stood at the front door with Kevin and her mother, holding a bag each.
    ‘What do you want?’ Joss said to Eric as soon as she saw him.
    ‘Joss!’ Linda chastised.
    ‘I just wanted to say goodbye,’ Eric said.
    ‘Well, you’ve said it, so bugger off.’
    Linda sighed. Given Joss’s animosity towards Eric, I felt it would have been wiser if he’d stayed in the living room and had called goodbye from there, but it wasn’t for me to say.
    Joss opened the front door and went out first, carrying the largest of the bags, followed by her mother and brother. Eric followed me out and we went down the path. He stood with the others on the pavement as I unlocked the car and lifted the boot lid.
    ‘Do you want some help, pet?’ he asked me, stepping forward.
    ‘Not from you!’ Joss snapped. And again I felt Eric would have done better keeping his distance (as Linda had suggested), for clearly anything he did or said antagonized Joss.
    ‘It’s OK, thank you,’ I said to him.
    I helped lift the bags into the boot, checked that the bag containing the sound system was secure and couldn’t fall over, and then closed the boot lid. Joss hugged and kissed Kevin, said a stiff ‘Goodbye’ to her mother and blanked Eric.
    I said goodbye to the three of them, and Joss and I got into the car.
    ‘Creep,’ Joss said, loud enough for Eric to hear, before she closed her car door.
    I started the engine, gave them a brief wave and drove away. I couldn’t ignore Joss’s bad language and behaviour, for to do so would suggest I was condoning it.
    ‘Joss, you obviously love