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Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

Dad what’s happening? I don’t know what’s happening.

He shrugged again. Nothing.

He got up and went into his bedroom. After maybe twenty seconds in there he closed the door. Then I heard his bed creaking. I knocked on the door. There was no answer so I went in. He was lying on the flat of his back with the duvet pulled up to his chin. Like it wasn’t even a cold day. There was a fresh blister-pack on the bedside table with one blister punched out. There was a sour smell, like bad breath. He didn’t look at me.

So this is not about the Revenue? This is about Mam, right, Dad? This is about making her pay?

He closed his eyes.

For fuck’s sake, I said, I legit hate this place. What are we doing here?

He never even told me legit was not a word. He had his eyes closed and he never opened them once. For the first time ever I noticed that he had really long lashes, like a girl’s.

I hate you, I said.

I went out of the room again. I slammed the door behind me but it didn’t slam because it doesn’t fit the frame properly. It just sort whooshed and closed and then drifted open a bit. I sat down at the kitchen table and tried to think. He obviously never thought about my phone. I could just call my mam and tell her where we were and what was going on. Except there’s no signal. My phone is showing No Service, the understatement of the century so far.

And then I thought he’s not that stupid, he knows I have a phone. I’m meant to call Mam and tell her. He wants me to tell her.

I texted Holly, My dad is gone into hibernation.

Holly: Like seriously does he have enough nuts?

Me: He’s not a squirrel.

Holly: I no.

50

And then I thought, He’s depressed, classic symptoms, won’t talk, won’t get out of bed, abusing pills. It’s A CRY FOR HELP. We got all that in Health Ed. We saw a video. It was about a guy drawing on a big sheet of wood. It was crap. Signs To Look Out For. Is Your Friend Depressed Or Suicidal? How To Help. The advice was always Contact Somebody. There was a list of people you could contact: a priest, a doctor, a teacher, a guidance counsellor. We had no guidance counsellors any more, they were abolished after The Crash. You were supposed to get your advice from the telly or Google. The only person I could think of was Peter. And he wasn’t on the list.

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