As I always say, REVIEW please!

Dad and Tom had a very short conversation, mostly consisting of Dad yelling at Tom, ordering him to come here and sort me out. It was amazing how disrespectful my father could be to someone he has never even met before. It was a joke, pathetic.

I watched as Dad threw my phone down onto the sofa next to me.

"Hey! Be careful with that!" I shouted, reaching my arm out to grab it. "It was expensive, you know!"

He rolled his eyes. "My Mother's money I suppose?!"

"Well obviously. When I first got here she treated me like a princess.. Until she deteriorated."

"Well she's dead now, no more princess Lucy, because no one wants you." He spat through his teeth.

"Really? Because if no one wanted me, then i'd not have somewhere to live right now.."

He scoffed. "Who is this Tom, anyway."

"Someone who's a lot more respectful than you." I muttered.

"Sounded like a twat on the phone, to be honest. Anyway, what's someone from Manchester doing living in Greenock?"

"He's far from a twat, the only twat I know is you. He moved up here because of work."

"What does he do then? Run the local whore house?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you must know, he's an English teacher. I don't see why you're so fussed about finding out things about Tom, you've never cared who I was staying with before."

"I don't care, just want to know if you're treating this Tom like a mug and if I need to warn him or not." Dad said slyly.

"Treating him like a mug? I'm not you, mate, I don't do that sort of thing." I laughed.

"I'll decide that for myself once you tell me more about him."

"Well too bad, because I'm not telling you another thing." I stood up and headed towards the stairs, deciding I should probably get changed before Tom got here.

Dad followed me. "Do not wind me up anymore, Lucy, or heavens forbid, I will hit you."

I got half way up the stairs and paused, looking back at him. "You'll hit me? Is that a threat? Child abuse... Maybe I should tell the police."

"Maybe I should tell the police you vandalised my car!"

I scoffed, knowing he wouldn't really, not if it meant that I would tell them that he'd threatened to beat me. "Go for it." I smirked at him, then walked up to my room. There was a knock on the door just as got to my bedroom door.

Dad answered it and then I heard Tom's voice. "Where is she?" He sounded a little fed up, but worried at the same time. I grabbed a cardigan from my wardrobe and wrapped it around me before heading to the top of the stairs.

"Upstairs." Dad told him. Tom looked up at me, and it was clear on his face that he was glad that I'm okay.

I slowly started to make my way down the stairs.

"Have you seen what the stupid little bitch has done to my car?"

"Don't talk about her like that. She's your daughter, not your enemy. And that'll easily wash off your car." Tom said bluntly.

Dad laughed. "Don't talk like you know everything about Lucy and I. She's hardly a daughter!"

"Well in that case, you're a terrible Dad for letting it get this way." Tom snapped.

Suddenly I lost my footing, and slipped down the last five steps, straight into Tom's arms. My heart was pounding and I realised that I should have concentrated on the stairs more than their conversation.

"You're drunk." Tom said, obviously smelling the alcohol on my breath. "Impaired coordination, Lucy, you know you shouldn't drink on your pills."

I bit down on my bottom lip. "Sorry..."

"Pills?" Dad's voice popped up again.

"Yeah, depression." Tom told him, whilst helping me get my balance back. "Probably caused by all the crap you've given her."

Dad laughed. "Good. The horrible little cow deserves to suffer." Dad spat. Tom let go of me, and the next thing I knew, Dad was cowering back, holding his nose. My mouth dropped open, Tom had punched him.

"Sorry you had to see that Lu." Tom said, putting an arm around my waist, guiding me to the door.

"Not a problem, do it again if you'd like." I said, a smile spread on my face. Tom opened the door and helped me out.

Dad stood behind us. "You wait until the police find out about this, this is assault!"

"I think the police would also love to hear about how you threatened to abuse your daughter!" I shouted back to him.

Dad was silent, clearly speechless.

Tom opened the car door and helped me in.

"Funeral is next Wednesday. Midday. At Saint Paul's!" Dad shouted before slamming the front door shut.

I'd forgotten about the funeral right up until then. I couldn't believe that he was the one sorting it all out, and not me? He couldn't have given a care about Nan until he found out she was dead. He wanted her money and the house, I knew that was all he wanted.

I was torn from my thoughts by Tom climbing into the drivers seat and shutting the door. I looked at him and it was hard to tell what kind of mood he was in. He started the car and reversed away from the house before talking. "What on earth gave you the idea to egg his car?"

"Um... Barry.." I mumbled.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Barry? He's no good, as you've just seen."

"I know, I'm sorry, but we were in the club and Dad rang and he irritated me, so Barry suggested that we get him back!"

"Since when do you listen to Bar... Wait you were in a club?" Tom frowned and looked at me.

I bit down on my bottom lip. "Yeah... It was just a bit of fun, Tom.. And Kevin kept an eye on me!"

"Did he? Then how come he didn't try to stop you when you went swanning off with bloody Barry Barry?!"

"I.. I don't know."

"Look, Lu. I can't believe that you wouldn't just tell me where you were going... I'm not supposed to be like a parent, you shouldn't feel like you have to lie to me.. I know that the way we are is confusing, I definitely know that.. But I also know that you can tell me everything and anything. I probably will try and talk you out of doing things, but I know that you'll probably do it anyway. At least if you tell me these things, I'll know what I can expect, and I can know that I trust what you're doing." Tom said, calmly.

I felt a little guilty now, perhaps I should have told him in the first place. "I'm so sorry, Tom."

"No. It's my fault for letting us get into this ridiculous situation." He said, the car pulling up outside the house.

"No. No, it is not ridiculous." I said, unplugging my seatbelt, twisting to look at him.

Tom switched the engine off, then looked back at me. "But it is. Lucy, I'm your teacher. I shouldn't be doing this."

"Tom.." I placed my hands on his cheeks. "You are so much more than that. You don't just teach me English, you've taught me that people can be kind, that not everyone I come across will just treat me like shit. You've taught me that people will care for me, I don't always have to depend on just myself. And you taught me how to.." I trailed off and took a deep breath before continuing. "To love."

Tom placed his hands on top of mine and stroked them with his thumbs. He didn't say anything for a little while, just stared into my eyes. After a minute or two, he sighed and did a little smile. "God Lu, I love you."

I smiled at him, my heart fluttering. "I love you too."