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Back The Bad Place
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  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. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

She ignored the outburst, too shattered to argue. Every day, rampaging teenage hormones transformed her children’s previously angelic personalities in all kinds of new and challenging ways. It seemed to her that teenagers could be frustrating, playful, cheeky, vulnerable, evil, cold, loving, saintly – and occasionally hateful – all within the space of a few seconds. It was exhausting.

‘Where’s Nan?’

‘Next door. At Nelson’s.’

She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘At—’

But Denny got up and stomped out of the room.

Sasha flung down her bag and climbed to Kev’s study. They called it that, but Kev had never studied anything in there, except possibly the sports pages, and her children avoided it like the plague. It was basically a spare room with a desk in it and an old desktop computer that nobody used any more because they all had laptops and tablets, and where they dumped old schoolwork, and all the stuff they didn’t know where else to put.

There was also a sofa and a television, and Kev’s precious collection of vinyl. He used to love listening to his music, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him cleaning or rearranging his records. The curtains were closed and the room was shrouded in darkness, the only flicker of light coming from the television, and it took Sasha a few moments to see him sprawled on the sofa.

‘Hiya, I’m home.’ She pawed unsuccessfully at the wall, trying to find the light switch. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Watching television.’

‘I can see that. What I mean is, why are you up here… again?’ When he didn’t answer, she asked, ‘What’s wrong with you, Kev?’

‘Nothing’s wrong.’ He didn’t look up at her. God forbid anybody in this house should make eye contact. ‘Why should anything be wrong?’

‘Did you fix the kids’ dinner, have you even spoken to them all night?’

‘Your mother is here, she made them dinner.’

‘What’s going on, Kev?’ She came inside, but still he didn’t look up. ‘Please, let’s talk about this. Don’t make me have to stand in front of the television.’

His tired eyes finally lifted to hers. ‘I’ve had a really long, shitty day at the office and I can barely think straight.’

‘Denny and Angel may like to think they’re happy to do their own thing, but they need you, Kev.’

His eyes flashed, as if to say, it’s late at night, what’s your excuse?