There was clattering behind me and he swore when he burned himself on the oven tray. At last he put the fish fingers and beans on a plate and handed it to me. ‘Thanks,’ I said, hearing the suspicion in my own voice. What was going on?

We took our meals through to the lounge and ate in silence for a bit. Dad paused to drink some water. ‘I’ve got some good news.’

‘Awesome.’ He did look happier. I was pleased something had cheered him up; we needed some good news. I hoped he’d won the lottery because I really missed my Xbox.

‘Now don’t get your hopes up because nothing’s guaranteed…’ He had my interest now and I put down my knife and fork. ‘They’re running an apprentice scheme at work and you might be able to get a place on it.’ He was grinning. He looked thrilled. ‘You’ll have to get through an interview but they’ll take you as soon as you’ve finished school at the end of June.’

I wondered what I looked like. I knew what I felt like. I’d gone kind of rigid. The dog food factory. An apprenticeship at the pissing dog food factory! Did the disgust at what he was suggesting show on my face? He looked so pleased with himself I almost felt sorry for him but right at that moment I could only feel sorry for me.

‘At the factory?’ I needed to clarify the full horror of the situation. He nodded. ‘For how long?’ My mouth was dry.

‘Three years but if you work hard you stand a good chance of getting a permanent job. And it’s only four days a week because you get a day at college. You wanted to go to college. This is the best of both worlds.’

My eyes felt so wide I thought they might pop out. ‘University. I want to go to university.’

‘Uni, college, same thing. And get this.’ He leaned forward. ‘You’ll get paid nine grand a year! University would cost you that.’ He flopped back against the sofa in an olds’ equivalent of a mic drop.

I put my tray on the floor. I couldn’t eat anymore. I was sick of fish fingers. I was fed up with everything. My sucky life had reached a whole new sucking level.

Dad’s happy expression was melting away. ‘I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to find all this out.’ I looked up but I couldn’t say anything that wouldn’t cause him to rant. ‘Well, say something.’

‘Um. Thanks.’ He beamed a self-satisfied smile and picked his cutlery back up. I was feeling brave. Like it was now or never. I drew in a breath and spoke. ‘But it’s not what I want. Being an apprentice at the factory – it’s not what I want to do.’