"MARCH" "Will you miss me?" "No, I've got enough friends to keep me occupied." "Will you miss me?" "It's only for two weeks." " Yeah, but still..." "I'll miss you." "At least you'll be somewhere else." "I'll be here." "Boring!" "A two-week placement in Blankenberge, it'll be fun." "Come on." " l'm not ready." "It stinks in here." "What's the matter?" "I've been sacked." " Why?" "Customers complained I wasn't patient enough, that I didn't listen to their stories." "That's not what a call centre's for, there are other numbers for that." "High five." "Come on, Junior." "Bath time." " l don't want a bath." "It's 7 o'clock, Junior." "Go and have a bath." "Go on." "Mum, I haven't got any decent trousers any more." "Deborah, now really isn't the time." "You're going to have to wait." "It's never the time, it's driving me crazy." "If I need something, I have to beg." " Things are a bit difficult now." "It's not for long." " You keep on saying that." "We were staying three weeks." "And we're still here." "Be glad Grandpa lets us live here." " Yeah!" "I'll wash your hair." " Don't want it washed." "Wanna walk around with stinky hair?" " Yes." "Come on." "Look." "Cool." "Have you got a light?" "Did you want a light?" " Yeah." "You live on my street, don't you?" "Do you live in Tulpstraat?" " Yes, at number 9." "Actually, my grandfather lives there and we're living with him." "Right." "Thanks, neighbour." "Deb!" "Well?" "Do they fit?" " Dunno." "Yes..." "Yes, they look really nice." "Get those." "Not going to buy them after all?" " No, I wasn't that keen on them." "You fuckin' slut!" "Get out!" "Your poor lip." "Wanna a fag?" "Fancy going out somewhere?" "Yeah, OK." "Keep the change." "Look at all these people." " That's OK, I know someone." "Hi Maxi!" " Hi Jen." "How are you?" "Come in." "Just a moment." "I'm going to get something to drink, what do you want?" "What are you having?" " A gin and tonic." "I'll have the same." "But you paid for the taxi." " l'm not gonna pay." "Watch me, girl!" "There you are!" "Who was that guy?" " No idea." "It's your turn next." "Shall we dance?" "My stomach's full of gin and tonic." "Here you are, ladies, from those guys over there at the bar." "I haven't had to spend a thing!" "You're good!" "You could earn a lot of money like that, if you wanted to." "Where do you get all your money from?" " That's a secret!" "Go on, tell me..." "Did you steal it?" " That's hard-earned money!" "From what?" "Go on, tell me!" "OK." "If you promise me you will never, ever tell anyone else." "Escort?" " Shhh!" "Why not shout a bit louder?" "What do you have to do?" " Just go to receptions and things." "Have sex too?" " No, not if you don't want to." "That boy you were with at school, is he your boyfriend?" "Yes, why?" " Just wondered." "He's a bit average, eh?" "He's really sweet." " What good is that to you?" "is he good in bed?" " Yes." "If you want to do what I do, you'll need a name." "What's your name?" " They call me Jen." "Isn't Deborah posh enough?" " Deborah is a bit..." "Bo." "Bo!" "I'm off, Mum." " Are you going out again?" "Don't be late." "It's school tomorrow." "Um, Mum..." "Could I have 5 euro?" "With the 20 you pinched out of the pot, that makes 25 euro you'll owe me." "What?" " l'm not playing your games." "Don't lie to me." "That 20 euro didn't climb out of the pot by itself." "Maybe Junior took it." "Yeah, or Grandpa or I took it and I've forgotten." "OK, I needed some money. I always have to beg for money around here." "Why do you always have to be difficult?" "Can't you see I'm doing my best?" "You only think of yourself and never of your kids!" "You never asked us if we like living at Grandpa's!" "Stop bloody going on about it!" "Do you think I like living here?" "I work my balls off for you two, for your clothes, your outings." "What you want, you have to have!" "You haven't even got a lob, you were sacked!" "Or had you forgotten?" "Hi Jen, it's me." "I've given it some thought and I wondered if they still needed people for you-know-what." "Can you call me back?" "OK, bye." "APRIL" "How old are you?" " 1 5." "That jacket suits you." "Deborah's looking for work." " Is she?" "Let me guess." "Photographic model." "No?" "Um... air hostess?" " She'd like to work for you." "Really?" "Zahrin's here." "How old are you?" " 1 7, almost 18." "What kind of work are you looking for?" " Like Jennifer, Jen." "Want a drink?" "I've never been given so much in one go before." "Give me your hand." "Close your eyes." "Can I open them?" " You can now." "I don't know what to say." " Don't say anything, then." "Don't make him look like a pansy, eh?" " No, like a rock star." "Hey, Mum, I may have found a lob in a hotel, as a chambermaid." "Really?" "When do you start?" " They're going to call me." "Well." "That could be them!" "Hello." "Come on, Junior." "What are you up to?" "Are you putting make-up on the mirror?" "Come on." "Tomorrow?" "Wow, that's quick!" "What do I have to do?" "You look fantastic." "Hello, Vincent." " Hi." "She looks fantastic." "She is over 18, isn't she?" "What do you think?" " Yeah..." "Pleased to meet you, I'm Bo." " l'm Robert, pleased to meet you." "About this evening, I'm afraid it may be rather boring, but there's a very important deal in it for me, so..." "We'll have to grin and bear it and we may end up enjoying it after all." "If that's OK with you." " Sure." "Right, I'm off." " OK." "Till next time, Robert." "Call me when you're back, OK?" "Have fun." ""l'm hoarse," says Clinton and Belgium's prime minister says, "You're a horse?"" "The prime minister!" " Cheers!" "Enjoy your meal." "Do you like wine?" " Yes." "You have to learn to drink it." "It's like with olives." "It's nicer than olives." " It certainly is." "Everything OK?" "Is the food nice?" " Great restaurant." "Do you come here often?" " l try to." "And always in such beautiful company?" " If possible." "Well, did you enioy it?" " Yes, except for at the end." "What?" " He tried to kiss me." "And?" " Kissing wasn't part of the deal." "No, that's true." "But look, Robert is a good client." "And a kiss won't kill you, will it?" "Eh?" "You don't want me to lose my best client, eh?" "Make sure you're worth the money you're paid." "MAY" "Have you ever slept with a client?" "is that a yes or a no?" "Yes, but not the first time." "Isn't it difficult?" " It's difficult to start with." "But now I just think of the money." "What about kissing, French kissing?" " No, never." "It's difficult to start with, but once you get the money, any doubts disappear." "What's that?" " Valium, it numbs you a bit." "Sometimes it's better to experience things differently and not be fully aware of everything you..." "But you said it wasn't that bad." "Vincent?" "Yes." "Tomorrow?" "Yes, OK." "As long as I'm not late home." "I've got a biology test the day after tomorrow." "OK, fine." "Yes." "Bye." "Tomorrow, together with you." "Oh, Bo!" "Oh, Tarzan!" "No, no, no. I'm sitting in the front." " Take it easy." "Bye-bye, guys!" " Bye-bye." "There you are." "Jen!" "Jen, come over here." "Are you coming too?" " No, I'm so fat." "You, fat?" "Go on." "Swim over to him." "?" "Do you want to give me a blow job?" "The cosine rule is on the board." "You can see Pythagoras' theorem in it." "This only applies for a right-angle triangle, where the cosine of 900 is O." "What applies for side A also applies for side B... 1 1 AM AT SCHOOL XXX V" "CAN'T." "LESSON." "And also applies for side C, so then we have C2 = B2 + A2 - .. ." "I'M WAITING OUTSIDE XXX" "Shit." " Deborah?" "Can I go home, miss?" " Go home?" "Why?" "I don't feel well. I feel sick, it started this morning." "You're not pregnant, are you?" "Can I go home?" "Are you married?" "Yes." "Have you got children?" "A daughter." "How old?" " About your age." "What did you expect?" "What are you doing this evening?" " My homework." "is it difficult?" "Hey, what's up, Bo?" "You're tired, aren't you?" "Hey, come here." "Come here." "Do you know how proud I am of you?" "Do you know how much you mean to me?" "Look at me." "You are so beautiful." "Do you know, when you leave school, I'm going to marry you." "What are you doing?" " You can see what I'm doing." "Why?" "What's that?" " Money." "I can see that." "Where is it from?" "I earned it at the hotel." " And?" "It's for you." " Are you mad?" "No, seriously." "You need it more than I do." "You've paid for us all your life." "It's time I did something in return." "OK, just this once." "Do you work in that hotel by the theatre?" " Yes." "What do you have to do?" " l told you." "Clean rooms and things." "JUNE" "Let him live long in glory ln glory, in glory" "Hip hip hip, hurray!" "Hip hip hip, hurray!" "Hip hip hip, hurray!" "Go on, Junior, blow!" " Come on, Junior, all seven at once." "Vincent, you phoned?" "This evening?" "No, no, it's Junior's birthday." "I can hardly leave the party, can I?" "Why did you already arrange it without knowing whether I could do it?" "Can't you cancel it?" "Vince?" "It's Junior's party, the family's here." " There's no one else." "There's a problem, there are more guests than expected." "I'll be quick." " Don't lie." "I'm not lying." "Mum!" "You're not going." "Your aunts are here." "You should be glad she's got a job, Chantal." "Give me the number." "I'll call the hotel." "I'm not a little kid!" "You're not calling them!" "You're not going, Deborah!" " You can't tell me what to do!" "Hi baby, do you want to come with me?" "Why?" " Why?" "You know why." "I'm only 15 years old." "In Belgium they put you in jail for that." "OK, OK, sorry." "But for 400 euros I'll give you a very good time." "OK." "Let's go." "I'm glad I met you." "I'm not." "Where has all that money come from?" " What were you bloody doing in my room?" "Where has all that money come from?" "From my lob." " Yeah, right." "You may think I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid." "I stole it from my boss's office." "And the underwear?" "What the hell are you up to?" " It's none of your business!" "Turn that TV off." "Turn that TV off!" "Do you think I want to live like you?" "Work my balls off every day for nothing?" "And then live in a miserable dump among pathetic bastards." "If your dad hadn't run off..." " My dad didn't run off, you drove him away." " Who says so?" "Who says so?" " l'm just doing the same as you do." "Spreading my legs for guys." "It's lust that you did it for free and I'm getting well paid for it!" "Get out of here." "Get out of here, Deborah!" "Hello, this is Vincent." "Can't answer now, leave a message after the beep." "Hello." " Good evening." "Come in." "Here you are." "Enioy your meal." " Thank you." "Surprise!" "Man, you're beautiful!" "Can I stay with you tonight?" "Do you want to stay here?" "Fine, no problem." "Another surprise." "Good evening, Antwerp police." "May we come in for a minute?" "Have you got your identity card?" "Good evening, miss." "May I see your identity card, please?" "Hello?" "Are you OK, miss?" "JULY" "Bastards!" "You can have something to eat too, if you want." "How did she escape?" " Through her window." "What?" "Through her window?" " Yes, through her window." "I'd like to..." " But it's ten centimetres." "That window can only open ten centimetres." "And she's pregnant." "You're sitting in my place." " Sorry." "What?" "Only one person at a time is allowed to be here, and I'm already here." "Shame, I'm already here too." "So?" "I wouldn't be so sure of myself, if I were you." "What are you in here for?" " None of your business." "But I didn't do anything!" "Deborah, there's a visitor for you." "Vincent?" " Vincent." "You can spend the rest of the day in your room, Yasmien." "You know two can't smoke here at the same time." "And it's not your first warning." "Hello, darling." "How's Junior?" " Fine." "What's it like in here?" "Deborah." " What do you think?" "I think you'll do OK here." "Away from everything for a while." "The judge said so too." "I do understand you didn't want it to be like this." "I didn't tell Grandpa. I told him you were on an exchange visit, via school." "Sir." "I want to go to my room." " You've got another 45 minutes." "I want to go to my room." " OK, I'll take you." "Long blonde hair." "Tall." "Bright eyes and... I'm waiting for him to come and see me." "I was with him every day." "And with the smack..." "One hit. I'd give anything for a hit." "You're so young." " Hey!" "I'm older than you think." "How old are you?" " 1 3." "But in my head I'm 50." "Or 100." "I'm certainly older than my parents." " l know what that's like." "Leave it on one station, Yasmien." "Jesus, Yasmien!" "Just put it on 2BE!" " Hey, what are you doing?" "They're at it again." " l've got to go." "Vincent?" "I miss you." "I haven't got much time, I'm not supposed to make calls." "Three months, two left to go." "I've got to go." "I love you." "Wow, that's great!" "How's Grandpa?" " He doesn't want whores in the house." "Junior, go and play over there, with the video games." "No." " Now." "You told him." "They phoned to say visiting day had changed and I wasn't home." "He's ashamed." "I'm ashamed of what I did too." "I'm pleased to hear you say that." "I made lots of mistakes too, with your dad and things." "You'll be home in two months." "How did the police find me?" "I don't know." "I know the code." "Shall we go?" "Fuck, we can't get out this way." "Deborah!" "Bloody hell!" "Come here." "Shit!" "Where are you going?" " Up on the roof, to get away that way." "Fuck!" "We're in the stairwell." "I'm going up." "No!" "No, I don't want to go back." "No, I don't want to go back." "I don't want to go back, I don't want to go back!" "No!" "No!" " Calm down." "Calm down, Steffie." "No, I don't want to go back!" "Good morning." "What's that?" " Something to calm you down." "I am calm." "Yes." "Swap?" "This evening?" "Yes." "This evening." "How are you?" " My sentence has been extended." "I've got an extra month." "Sorry about up on the roof. I suddenly started to freak out, I don't know why." "I'll tell you what." "When you get out of here, you can come and live with me." "I'll look after you." "Hold on." "This is Vincent's number." "He's my boyfriend." "Come on, Steffie." "How are things at home?" " Hmmm." "You think I spend all day in front of the TV, sitting in my armchair doing nothing, eh?" "And that I don't know anything about anything." "Your mother liked the men." "A lot." "Maybe a bit too much." "Which is why your dad threw her out." "Your mother liked your dad." "But she liked the other guys too." "Which is why I took her in." "Because she likes people." "You, Junior, me." "The difference is, you do it for money." "I want to stop, I want to come home." "Maybe it's not so bad, you being here." "You can't do anything stupid like that here." "Maybe your mother did the right thing after all." "What did Mum do?" "Did Mum report me to the police?" " Who else?" "OCTOBER" "Right, I hope I never see you in here again." "I hope so too." "My mother's coming to pick me up and I'm going to my new school on Monday." "That's good." "is there anything else I have to sign?" " No." "Can I wait outside?" "Then I can have a cigarette." "OK." "Right, take care, Deborah." "All the best." "Here you are." "A spacious living room... with... a sea view." "A fitted kitchen." "A plain but nevertheless attractive bathroom." "And last but not least, a light, white bedroom with a king-size bed." "Well?" "Does it meet your approval?" "Eh?" "We'd better do something about your hair and buy you some new clothes." "You shouldn't underestimate them." "They're probably looking for you." "And if they catch you, it's off to Beernem again, for another three months." "That's not the idea." "I was investigated by the police while you were in Beernem." "You didn't...?" " No, no." "I said I didn't know you." "Then it was probably that bastard Robert." "You do your best for him because he's a good client and then that happens." "What happened to Robert?" "They questioned him and kept him in a cell for a night." "And three days later they fished him out of the canal." "We're really going to have to go for it now." "After those three months in Beernem and now with this apartment." "And I had to borrow some money from a friend that I urgently need to repay." "If I don't want them to come and break my legs." "Good iob you don't go to school, otherwise I don't know how we'd pay." "It's lust a matter of working a bit harder and..." "That has its advantages, of course." " Stop it." "I don't want to do that any more." "NOVEMBER" "Deborah?" " What do you want?" "Where are you?" " It's none of your business." "I didn't call the police this time." " l'm supposed to believe that?" "Steffie!" "Hitch-hiked?" "Are you crazy?" "You could've been abducted!" "So?" "Anything's better than another day in Beernem." "Look." " Did you cut yourself?" "It's from the window I climbed through." "Jesus, Steffie!" "Can Steffie borrow some money?" "So much?" "I'll pay it all back." " l'll have a gin and tonic." "Can we go to the beach?" "Steffie's never been to the seaside before." "Really?" " Well, not in the past four months." "Go on then." "For five minutes." "Bet you don't dare!" " Do you?" "I dare!" " So do I." "Go on then." " You first." "What do I get if I do it?" " The glory?" "That's it, or what?" " l haven't got anything else." "I'll do the washing up." " l've got a dishwasher." "Then I'll clean your windows." " OK." "But if I do it, you have to do it too." "Aaagh, it's cold." "Come on." "What's that?" "When did you buy it?" " Just now." "With Vincent's money." "You were clean, Steffie!" " It's not that easy!" "And heroin will make it easier?" "I thought you were stronger than that." "I'll stop again when I've got a lob and live here." "It's not the idea that you come and live here." "But you promised me, in Beernem." "You can't, sorry." "This is Vincent's apartment." "Anyway, there's only one bedroom." "Goodnight." "Steffie?" "Steffie?" "Call the cops!" "That's lust about the stupidest thing you could do, Bo!" "Are you going to leave her lying there?" " If the cops come, I'm in for it." "And you are too." "You'll get a bit more than three months in Beernem." "Vincent, if we lust call the cops..." " Forget the cops!" "I'll sort it." "Don't worry about it." "I want to go home, Vincent. I want to go home now. I want to go home." "Don't say that." "I want you to stay here with me." "We'll get away from here." "Catch a plane to France or Spain." "We'll get away from here, no more bullshit." "No cops, no clients, no work." "You can go back to school." "Come on." "You shouldn't stay here." "Go out and have a coffee or go for a walk on the beach." "What's going to happen to Steffie?" " Don't worry about it, I'll sort it." "Yeah, bring them over, bring everybody over." "Yes." "What's going on?" " Don't worry about it." "I lust have to arrange something." " Arrange what?" "I'll be right back, then I'll explain." "OK?" "Hi." "How's things?" "I'm a bit tired." " So I see." "It's nice to see you again." " You too." "Jennifer, Jennifer, Vincent is downstairs selling our ID cards." "There's a van there too." "That's not good, I'm scared." "Bo..." " No, Jennifer." "That Zahrin isn't OK." "Mum." "Come on, come on." "Vince, Vince, Vince, Vince..." "Vince!" "Where are we going?" "Hello?" "Where are we going?" "Please stop the car." "Please let us out, please!" "Help, help, help!" " Hey, shut up!" "No." "Let's call each other." "OK." "There." "There." "There." "Further." "Further." "Further." "Go behind it." "Go up there." "Yeah." "Yes, yes." "How are you?" "Bo!" "Deborah!" "Don't stop running!" "Don't stop running!" "Come back!" "Zahrin, we have to leave now." "Come back." "Zahrin!" "Zahrin!" "We don't have time." "Mum?" "Come back." "Zahrin." "Mum?" "Can you come and get me?" "I'm coming home."