A Long Way Down

Days later, Jess’s father tells her that there is going to be a newspaper story about her and Martin Sharp and asks her if she knows him. She knows that Chas must have called the papers to sell a story: “When I was in the papers a couple of years ago, after the Jen thing, I think the feeling was I was Troubled rather than Bad” (114). But Jess feels that this time it is different. She feels like if her parents think she slept with Martin, instead of that she wanted to kill herself, it will be easier for them: “I met him at this party and I had too much to drink and we went back to his place and that’s it” (115). Her father leaves and comes back with a newspaper. The headline reads:“MARTIN SHARP AND JUNION MINISTER’S DAUGHTER IN SUICIDE PACT” (116). Jess regrets telling her father: “The whole sex confession bit had been a complete and utter fucking waste of time” (116).

JJ sees the newspaper in a store. He can’t believe that Jess’s father is an education minister: “But when I read the story, it wasn’t quite so funny” (117).