Cutting the apron strings

Joey sat in his bedroom looking out of the window. He had sat like this for almost an hour, just watching the children playing in the road outside.

He looked round his bedroom, he had everything he could want and some besides. Television, computer, Wii, DVD player, CD player, MP3, blackberry, kindle you name it he had it; except friends.

He recognised them as mostly they were in his class at school. Keiran and Dermot O-Leary lived just down the road, Keiran was in his class and Dermot the year above.

There was Louis Dermont he was with Archie and Alfie Robinson they were great mates. Three aside cricket, it looked good fun. Then Joey saw Mr Anders from the house over the road. He saw him approach the boys and point down the road then at his house, the boys seemed to be packing up the game and trudged off.

'Joey dear, I've been calling you lunch is ready,' his mother entered the room and interupted his musings. She looked out of the window and saw the boys then gave him a weak smile before leaving the room. He followed his mother downstairs and sat at the table. She brought lunch in and they sat eating in silence. His parents seemed to be deep in thought but he was used to these silences, they both seemed to work very hard to make sure they had a g'ood standard of living.'

His mother cleared the table and made some coffee which she took into the lounge. Joey and his father sat down and his mother asked him, 'would you like coffee Joey or something cold?'

'Coffee is fine,' he replied.

'Joey, manners,' his father interjected.

'Coffee, please,'