Read Respect (Mandasue Heller) for Free Online Page A

was probably at Kermit’s and had forgotten the time because he was immersed in that stupid computer game they had been playing. She decided to go and get him.
    ‘Sorry, love, I haven’t seen him,’ Linda told her when she answered the door. ‘I know he was here earlier, ’cos our Kermit told me he was going to call for him when I went to the carny. But he’d gone by the time I got home.’
    ‘What time was that?’ Chantelle asked.
    ‘Round six-ish.’ Linda folded her arms and frowned when she saw the worry in the girl’s eyes. ‘What’s up, love? Hasn’t he been home yet?’
    ‘No.’ Chantelle shook her head and bit her lip. Leon had loads of mates, but none of the others’ parents were as tolerant as Linda so this was the only place he was ever allowed to hang out for any length of time. But if he wasn’t here, where the hell was he? ‘Can I speak to Kermit for a minute?’ she asked.
    ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Linda said uncertainly. ‘He wasn’t very well when I came in, so I told him to go for a lie-down.’
    ‘Well, can you talk to him?’ Chantelle urged. ‘Please. I’m really worried.’
    Linda sighed. Then, nodding, she stepped back. ‘All right. Come in for a minute.’
    For once, Chantelle didn’t object. Right now, she was more concerned about finding Leon than fending off Kermit’s snot-nosed siblings. Fortunately, none of the younger children were up, so she stood in the hall unmolested as Linda went to talk to Kermit. Already edgy, she was annoyed when she heard the boy yelling at his mother to get out and, unable to stop herself, she marched into his room. Kermit was curled up in a ball in the bed with his quilt drawn up around his face. Apologising to Linda for barging in, Chantelle reached down and yanked the quilt back.
    ‘What you doing?’ Kermit protested, snatching at it and squinting up at her.
    As soon as she looked into his bloodshot eyes, Chantelle knew that he was wrecked, and her concerns intensified. ‘Where’s Leon?’ she demanded.
    ‘I dunno,’ Kermit muttered, his gaze swivelling guiltily.
    ‘You’re lying,’ Chantelle barked.
    ‘Hey, there’s no need for that.’ Linda jumped to her son’s defence. ‘If he says he don’t know, then he don’t know. And he’s not well, so I think you’d better go now.’
    She gestured towards the door, but Chantelle wasn’t ready to leave yet. ‘Don’t protect him,’ she said sharply. ‘He’s not ill, he’s wasted .’
    ‘What d’you mean?’ Linda frowned.
    ‘I mean he’s high ,’ said Chantelle, wondering how the woman could have lived on this estate for so long and still not know the first thing about drugs.
    ‘Course he’s not,’ Linda scoffed. ‘He doesn’t even smoke – do you, son?’
    Kermit’s face was already pale, but when it suddenly turned a strange shade of green Chantelle knew what was coming and leapt away from the bed just in time.
    ‘Oh, now look what you’ve done!’ Linda yelped when her son threw up all over the carpet. ‘I told you he wasn’t well, so why did you have to go shouting at him like that? Whatever your Leon’s up to, it’s not my Kermit’s fault. I’m surprised at you, Chantelle, I really am. I thought you were better than that.’
    Chantelle felt bad for upsetting the woman but she was more concerned about Leon now than ever, and she needed Kermit to tell her where they had been and what they had been doing. It hadn’t even crossed her mind until now that Leon might be taking drugs. But if Kermit had been taking them, and they had been together, then Leon must have tried them too.
    ‘Kermit, I’m not angry with you,’ she lied, softening her tone as she gazed down at the boy. ‘And I’m sorry if I scared you, but I really need to know where Leon is. I don’t want to call the police, but if you won’t tell me where Leon is, I’ll have no choice.’
    Kermit gazed back at her guiltily and licked his dry lips. ‘Promise you won’t tell him it were me