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Back The Library
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

‘I reckon I can chop an onion. It can’t be that hard.’ Maggie gave him the look that said she knew better.

27

TOM

Maggie isn’t a good patient. Patient being the key word – she has no patience with herself at all. It’s odd because she’s great with me. She takes her time to show me stuff and never loses her temper. But when it comes to herself she’s really mean. Her ankle is sprained but she’s treating it like it’s nothing. She winces every time she moves and I reckon she’s cracked a rib or two as well but she brushes it off when I mention it. She’s trying to carry on as normal but I won’t let her.

I’ve been at Maggie’s for three weeks. I’ve learned how to iron jeans and T-shirts. It’s as dull as. But like Maggie says if I get a job in an office I’ll need to be able to iron my shirts so it’s a good life skill. I have the radio on while I do the ironing. Maggie’s never listened to Radio One she keeps going on about Radio Caroline and some pirate ship. When I get in from school she’s changed it to Radio Two. I tut and shake my head but some of the stuff they play is all right.

She’s taught me how to make spaghetti Bolognese. She says it’s basic but it’s well nice. I think I’ll probably live on it when I go to university. As well as pizza – I’ll eat that too. Anything as long as it’s not fish fingers.

*

I was in the school library revising English on my own when a text beeped and made me jump. It was Dad.

Hi, Are you in school today? Can we meet afterwards?

I’d not heard from him since I’d said I hated him and walked out in tears. I was embarrassed about it now. I didn’t reply to his message. School finished ten minutes ago; he didn’t even know that. It made me cross just thinking about my dad. I tried to carry on revising for my English exam but I couldn’t concentrate because of Dad’s text. Eventually I gave up on The Tempest and packed my stuff up. I wandered out of school, keeping an eye out for Kemp. I’d not seen much of him. Someone said he’d been grounded for turning up late to an exam but I don’t know if that’s true. Maggie has shown me a few defensive judo moves but it’s tricky since she sprained her ankle and I don’t know enough to stop him kicking the crap out of me.

I strolled out of the gates.