Marty pushed the door open and stepped into the schoolyard. It was morning break, and all the kids were lining up at the tuck shop. He heard the laughter as he walked past. They were all looking at their phones, and Marty knew what they were watching. Gerry, who had been tucked under his mum’s arm just minutes before, had transformed back into the gangly orangutan that he was. He seemed to have grown three feet and was pointing at Marty and laughing.

“Have a good trip, did you?”

“You look better now that your face is smashed up a bit.”

Marty tried not to listen. He carried on walking.

He was actually exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. He had worked through the night trying to make a difference in the house. Brushing. Scrubbing. Emptying the bath. His mother, though, had started the hand wringing again, but he knew she was trying not to say anything as he moved things out to the garden. He knew the man from the council would be there now. He knew it, and it had been on his mind every second of the day. He had wondered whether he should skip school to meet him but had decided that that would probably make the man question them more. The best thing he could do was stay away and hope. Hope that Mum could hold it together long enough for the council to be convinced that she intended to do something about the mess this time. He’d just about reached the wall behind the French department where he planned on hiding for the rest of break when he heard a voice behind him.

“I saw the video … it’s rubbish,” she joked.

It was Gracie. Her crooked smile would usually make a smile spread on his face too.

“I’m not in the mood, okay?”

“Come on, Marty. It’s pretty funny. What on earth were you doing?”

“Oh, it’s hilarious…,” he spat. “My life is hilarious, isn’t it? And now everyone knows that I’m the loser that I am…”

He started walking back toward the school.

“Marty?” She was pulling at his shoulder now. “Stop.”

“No!” He shrugged off her hand. “Just not now, okay, Gracie?”

She stopped then, and he was glad that she had, because he was suddenly hot with anger and his voice was tight and trembly in his throat. He pushed the school doors open and made a promise to himself to ignore everyone until the bell rang at the end of the day.