Over the Moon by Jean Ure Page A

myself! But every time I looked in the mirror it just seemed like totally unimportant. The only thing that seemed important was me and my face. How could I go on living like some kind of freak?
    After about ten days, Mum wanted me to go back to school. I refused, point blank. I wasn’t going back to school with bits of skin hanging off me!
    “And look at my eyes … they’re like an old person’s!”
    Mum said, “It’s really not that bad any more. Certainly not bad enough to miss all this schooling. You’ve been doing so well this year! We don’t want you falling behind.”
    I said, “What does it matter?
Really
?”
    “It matters,” said Mum. “Believe me!”

    And then told me to sit down. She said, “Scarlett, we have to have a talk. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I didn’t want to do it while you were still in such a state, and I don’t want you to be tooupset, but the fact is your dad and I have been doing a lot of soul-searching these last few weeks and we’ve finally come to a decision. That is … I’ve come to a decision. And your dad has agreed. I’m going to be moving out for a while. Just for a while! We’re not getting divorced, we’re not splitting up. It’s not even a proper separation.”
    In this small, tight voice I heard myself say, “So what is it, then?”
    “It’s more like a – a
trial
separation. Not even that! Your dad and I haven’t quarrelled, we still love each other, it’s just … I need to be on my own for a bit. I need my own space. Just to get myself sorted. You know?”

    I said, “No! What are you talking about?”
    “I want an education,” said Mum. “I want to go to college. I want to get a degree!”
    I stared at her, blankly. “What for?”
    Mum said it was something she just had to do. “I suppose … I don’t know! I suppose I just feel the need to exercise my brain. I never used it, all the time I wasat school … total waste! So I’m going to enrol for classes, and see how I get on.”
    I said, “But why do you have to leave home?”
    “It’s just until I get the hang of things – or until your dad gets the hang of things. I love your dad dearly, but he’s not always the most supportive. If he could just bring himself to give me a bit of encouragement … It’s really quite difficult, going back to school again at my age, especially when you have to start right from square one. I can’t cope with your dad putting me down all the time! I can see that it’s difficult for him. I’m not the person he married! It’s just one of those things … it happens. It isn’t anybody’s fault.”
    It seemed to me that it was. “You’re the one that’s changed!” I said.
    “Yes,” said Mum, “I accept that. But, Scarlett, people can’t help the way they develop! I really do need to do something with my life. I mean, something of my own. You’ll be off to uni before we know it, your dad’s business is doing very nicely without me … I just feel the need to move on.”
    “You mean, move out,” I said.
    “No! I mean,
move on.
To the next stage. I can’t just stagnate! I know your dad can’t understand, and probably at this moment you can’t, either, but I’mhoping that in time you both will, and then – well, then maybe I can come back and we can all get on with our lives!”
    She smiled at me, like she was saying that she would just pop down to the shops for a couple of hours, then she would come back and we could all cosily have tea. Coldly, I said, “So when are you going?”
    “The end of next week,” said Mum. “But I won’t be far away! I’ve got a flat in town … just one room and a kitchen. I can always put you up on the sofa if you want to stay the night.”
    “I don’t think that’s very likely,” I said.
    “Oh, Scarlett, please! Don’t be like that,” said Mum. “I know it seems like I’m being totally selfish, and maybe perhaps I am, but it’s not a step I’m taking lightly.