Chapter 83
Chapter eighty-three
Schultz was given the all-clear the next day, with strict instructions on what he could and couldn’t do in the foreseeable future.
Carl picked up Meredith and Schultz, while Billy drove her parents’ car, with Rosa and Imogen back to the house to pack.
“I’m going to stay on for a couple more days,” Billy said, taking Rosa’s hand as she drove, something they could do freely now the cat was out of the bag.
“I think that’s understandable.” Rosa squeezed her fingers. “Although I’ll be glad when you’re home again.”
Imogen leant forward between the front seats, her seatbelt yanking against her neck. “We could stay longer.”
“No, we can’t,” Rosa said, twisting in her seat. “Will you sit properly? If we have an accident—”
Imogen rolled her eyes but sat back and let the seatbelt relax into place. “I’m just saying we could stay a little bit longer. I can catch up with school stuff.”
“You need to be at school, and we need to prepare for you joining Bath Street Harriers. Unless you’ve changed your mind on that?”
“No, absolutely not. I am joining them.” She chewed her thumb. “Actually, I kind of made a decision.”
Billy’s eyes flicked to her in the mirror, and Rosa turned further in her seat.
“I just…so, I was thinking…” Imogen swallowed.
“I decided I’m not going to go to university.
I want to give my all to becoming a professional footballer and I’ll never get another chance like this again.
So, I want to… I’ll join the academy and do whatever they tell me to do, but after my exams. I’m not staying on and doing A-levels. ”
“Oh yes you are,” Rosa said.
Billy’s palm settled on Rosa’s leg and squeezed.
Rosa’s eyes closed. She inhaled a deep breath before she followed up her statement with, “Your education is for when the football is finished.”
“And when that time comes, I can go back to school, or I’ll be rich and it won’t matter.”
Rosa exhaled and turned to Billy. “Will you talk some sense into our daughter?” She fell back into her seat and crossed her arms.
Billy kept her eyes on the road, glancing between the mirror and the windscreen. “I think Mum’s right. An education is still important, Immy. And isn’t that what the academy is about?”
Imogen shrugged. “I’m not saying I won’t do A-levels. I’m saying I don’t want to do them at school.”
Rosa relaxed a little and turned again. “But what about your friends?”
“I’ll still see Robbie and Janka.”
“Look, let’s not make any hasty decisions—”
“Like getting married again?” Imogen poked out her tongue and laughed. “Which I am all for, by the way. My point is that sometimes you just know what’s the right thing to do.”
Billy looked at Rosa. “Can’t really argue with that.”
Rosa huffed. “Let’s just get home, speak with the club, see where we all stand with things, and then we can make a decision.”
“I can make a decision,” Imogen said. “It’s my life, and haven’t we all just agreed not to interfere in each other’s lives?”
“Imogen, this is not—” Rosa felt the squeeze on her thigh and glanced at Billy. “What?”
“She’s got a point.”
“She’s a child. When she’s eighteen, she can have a point.”
“That’s not fair,” Imogen said, sitting forward again. “I’m not a kid.”
“You’re acting like one,” Rosa said sharply.
“No, I’m making my own decisions. My own choices. Isn’t that what you’ve always encouraged me to do?”
“The right choices, yes,” Rosa agreed. “But this…” She threw her hands up.
“You don’t think I can succeed at football?”
“I think you can succeed at anything you set your mind to, but that doesn’t mean football will be something that lasts. Anything can happen. An injury, for a start. Nobody expects or wants that, but it can happen, and then what? Where are you then, without a back-up plan?”
Imogen flopped back. “I can’t think that way. I can’t think about what might go wrong when there is so much that can go right.”