Julie was worried Jasmine would do something silly, like get a ring through her nose.

So Julie went and got one first - just so Jas would hate it.

Jasmine frowned when she first saw it, then went straight back to her book.

‘Result’ whispered Julie.

Truth was, she felt a bit of a prat, and couldn’t blow her nose properly. But it was worth it.

The girls at work laughed behind her back. Jennifer even asked if she was having an affair.

‘I just don’t want her to make any daft mistakes’ she told Jeff over the garden fence, for the umpteenth time.

‘She’s a sensible girl, Julie’ he tried to reassure her, ‘She’s as grounded as they come. At that age, any rate.’

But later that week Julie’s attention was caught by a group of teenagers all vaping by the bus stop.

She went straight to the Elektro-Vape shop in the precinct and got a starter kit: Blackcurrant and Bubble-gum.

It was bloody disgusting, but Julie persisted in puffing away all evening in the house.

Jasmine went out, and straight up to her room when she came back later. ‘Jesus, Mum’ she said.

‘It's working’ thought Julie, coughing her guts up.

Then the nice girl on the check out at Lidl got a tattoo covering the whole front of her pale skinned neck. It was a large, brightly coloured butterfly. It was proper ghastly.

Julie had already needed to get those inappropriate tattoos of naked ladies on her bare arms after they watched that Amy Winehouse documentary together.

But the risk of Jasmine ruining her life was too great. So Julie booked an appointment with Nottz Needles for the following Thursday.

Jasmine got her A level results shortly afterwards, while Julie’s neck was still in bandages. Success! She was off to Leeds in the autumn after all.

‘Let's go out for dinner’ said Julie, ‘to celebrate, like.’

‘Sorry - can't’ replied Jas, ‘I need to go see my mate, Jess’.

Disappointed, Julie had to make do with a cup of tea with Jeff instead.

‘Jess?’ he said when she told him, ‘Isn't that the lass with the baby?’

Julie stopped cutting the Victoria Sponge mid-slice. Her face dropped, and she looked up, all in a tizz.

‘What are doing Friday Night, Jeff?’