‘No. Dad, please.’ She follows him into the hallway, not content to let it end there. She knows she’s already in trouble anyway. ‘So you expect me to stay in all day listening to that?’

The walls leak more cries from the quarrelling neighbours.

He checks the handle on his bedroom door: locked. ‘You can use the phone. Call one of your mates for a chat.’

‘I don’t want to chat. I want to go out. I want to run.’

He stops by the front door and gently takes her plait in one of his hands. ‘No.’ So calm. So fixed. ‘I don’t trust you out the flat. In fact, I don’t even know if I trust you to be alone in the flat.’ He lets the long plait fall and kisses her on the head.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, how can I be sure that the minute I go out your little boyfriend won’t come running up?’

‘Because I don’t have a boyfriend anymore. Remember?’

He holds her gaze but what can he say? He knows he ruined it for her; he ruined everything.

‘Dad?’

He turns to face her, keys now in his hands as he opens the front door. ‘Yeah? Come on, Pam, what you wanting now?’

I hate you. ‘Nothing.’

The door closes and she listens for the Chubb lock, but hears no footsteps. He’s still outside; maybe he will change his mind and give her permission to start living again. But then, seconds later, there is the distinct clank of the security gate and the crunch of it being locked: the confirmation that she will spend today locked inside her home. Trapped.

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