Ros - Arguement

Holly turned away forlornly.  She knew that once her mother had made up her mind there was no turning back.  She had been surprised at her mother's vehemence.  After all she was only proposing to go to a local club with Marie, on a Friday night.  It wasn't as if they were planning to go to London and she would be quite happy to agree to be home early.  She just wanted to go to see what it was like, to experience what all the other girls were talking about, to feel something like normal  for once.

She wasn't aware that her step-father had heard the conversaton until he addressed her mother.

"That was a bit hard Caro, wasn't it?" Neil spoke quietly.

"What do you mean?"  Caroline retorted.

"Holly's sixteen.  It wouldn't do any harm if she went out now and then, specially when Marie would go with her."

"Since when is Holly's social life your business.  Just butt out, Neil."

"Caro, you know I don't usually interfere but I just think on this occasion you may have over reacted,  just a tad", Neil replied mildly.

Caroline stared at ther husband hard.  For a moment it seemed that she might be going to relent, that she had heard what he said and was inclined to agree with him, but the moment past and she launched forth.

"I don't trust that Marie one bit.  If it wasn't for her Holly wouldn't have had this clubbing idea in the first place.  You know the kind of girls who go to these clubs and what about the men who hang out there?  We've seen girls, with dresses up to their thighs and men of all ages ogling them, queuing outside Jacky's in town.  Maureen told me that her daughter, Lana,  had her drink spiked and had to be taken to A and E to be pumped out.  Is that what you want for Holly?  If something can happen to Lana who can see, what chance has Holly got? "

"I think you are being over dramatic, Caro.  The girls just want to have some fun, to meet their friends and dance. My colleagues often tell me that they go and collect their daughters at the end of the evening and no harm seems to come to them. I believe that most of the time they all stick together and don't even have much to do with the boys. Holly has got to learn to live in the world sometime.   Marie is very sensible.  She'll look out for Holly"

Caroline, hands on hips,  looked at her husband quizzically.  This insistence wasn't his usual style.  He was normally quite happy for her to deal with Holly and yet here he was sticking up for her and Marie.

"You seem to feel very strongly about this."

"Well, not reallly", replied Neil backing down, sensing that he was getting in deeper than he had planned."I just think it would be nice for Holly to go out occasionally",  he added lamely.

"She does go out.   We are all going to the cinema tomorrow, or have you forgotten?"

Neil sighed and retreated behind his newspaper.  He was glad that Marie was not about to witness his pathetic performance.