‘You think?’ Janet said. ‘And if it was me or your dad?’
She didn’t say anything.
‘This is a form of bullying.’ Janet sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I don’t want you to be a bully. You’re better than that.’
‘It’s not,’ Taisie began, though Janet could see the alteration in her expression, a hint of embarrassment.
‘It is,’ Janet said, ‘and it can start with a picture like this, and then another, and then something worse, something online. And everyone’s having a laugh, but it gets nastier and people say awful things, mean and hurtful things.’
‘We didn’t mean anything bad,’ Taisie said, her voice small, mouth turned down.
‘The police get involved sometimes, you know. Intentional harassment – it’s taken seriously.’
Taisie stared at her, her face a mix of anxiety and bravado.
‘Exactly this sort of thing,’ Janet went on. ‘Bullying.’
‘He’s a teacher,’ Taisie said.
‘Doesn’t matter. He’s a person, he’s a human being. You don’t have to like him, but you treat him the same as you’d want for yourself.’ Taisie had gone quiet. Janet knew she was getting through to her. ‘So how are you going to make this right?’
Taisie shrugged, a jerk of the shoulders up and back, one fingernail scraping at the nail polish she’d tried last week.
At ten? Ade had said, tarting herself up, rampant sexualization.
It’s hardly nipple tassels and a thong, Janet had replied. You make a fuss and she’ll push it further, you know what she’s like.
‘Absolutely no idea?’ Janet prompted Taisie.
‘Delete it.’
‘Be a start. And you could tell your friends to do the same, and tell them your mum’s talking about opening an investigation if there’s any more of it.’
‘Mum!’
‘It’s not a joke,’ Janet said. ‘So you do that and then give me your phone.’
‘What?’ Taisie glared at her.
‘No phone for a week. No MSN – the lot.’
‘That is so not fair. That is tight!’
‘Yep,’ Janet said. ‘So maybe you’ll think twice next time.’ She got up to leave. ‘And tell whoever did the photoshop that the tutu was too small,’ she added on her way out.
‘It was the only one-’ Taisie stopped abruptly, but not soon enough.
Gotcha! Janet paused at the door. Taisie had the grace to blush. Perhaps art was the way to go? Or IT? Collage or photomontage her thing. Get her a camera for Christmas, given her recent surge of interest in photography. How much was a decent camera these days? Too much? Ade could do some research.
Elise was on the landing, pretending to come out of the bathroom. ‘Heard enough?’ Janet asked her.
