The Suitcase Kid Read Online Free Page B

Carrie and Dad came running and there was a bit of a fuss because I was the one on top of Zen, and I suppose I am twice his size.
    â€˜But he did kick Andy quite a bit,’ Crystal said fairly.
    Maybe it’s not so bad having Crystal for a step-sister. But I know one thing. I can’t stick the thought of
another
one. One that will be my dad’s little girl too.
    â€˜You’re having a baby,’ I said fiercely to Carrie.
    â€˜That’s right. Isn’t it lovely?’ said Carrie, smiling nervously.
    â€˜Why do you want more children when you’ve got Zen and Crystal?’ I said.
    â€˜I want Simon’s child too,’ said Carrie.
    That made me feel a bit sick. Dad was a bit red in the face too.
    â€˜We were going to tell you this weekend, honestly,’ he said.
    â€˜It’s all right. I’m not really interested. I don’t like babies,’ I said.
    â€˜Oh come on. I think you’d like a baby sister,’ said Dad.
    â€˜No thanks. Anyway, you don’t know it’s going to be a girl. It could be a boy. A boy like Zen,’ I said.
    My dad doesn’t go a bundle on Zen either. I’m glad. I don’t see why Zen and Crystal get to have my dad all the time just because they haven’t got one of their own. (Carrie said their dad couldn’t face commitment. He probably took one look at Zen and scarpered.)
    â€˜
Twin
Zens,’ I added triumphantly.
    But Carrie shook her head.
    â€˜No. I had a scan. In case it was twins again. And it’s just one baby. A little girl.’
    â€˜Oh.’ I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
    There was this great long silence. Carrie looked at me. Then she looked at Dad. He didn’t do anything. So Carrie came and put her arm round me.
    â€˜What shall we call your little sister, Andy?’ she said.
    Dad brightened up. ‘Yes, Andy. How about you choosing a name for her?’
    Carrie looked a bit worried, but she nodded.
    â€˜OK,’ I said. ‘I’ll choose her name.’
    They’re going to have to let me choose it now. They practically promised. And I’m going to pick the worst name ever.
    I used to have this Great-Great-Auntie Ethel who smelt of wee-wee and shouted at everyone. She took one look at me and said ‘Who’s that great gawky child with enormous feet? Let’s hope she’s got brains because she’s certainly no beauty.’
    I’ve got brains all right. My little step-sister-to-be is going to be called
Ethel
.

AILEEN WAS ALWAYS my best friend right from the time we were in the first year at Infant school. Her mum and my mum were friends too and Aileen’s mum would drive us all home after school. Sometimes we’d go back to Aileen’s and her mum would make hot chocolate with marshmallows and Aileen and I would play with her Barbie dolls. Sometimes Aileen andher mum would come back to Mulberry Cottage with us and we’d have fruit juice – once we had
mulberry
juice – and Aileen and I would play Sylvanian families.
    Then we got old enough to do things without our mums and so we’d go to the park and play on the swings and we’d go down to the corner shop to buy crisps and Coke and we’d creep through a hole in the fence on this bit of wasteland and play games in the bushes.
    We had such a great time. But now it’s all different. When we left Mulberry Cottage, I couldn’t go on playing with Aileen after school every day. My mum’s new house with the baboon is miles and miles away. My dad’s flat with Carrie is even further away in the opposite direction. Mum did let me have Aileen round to tea one time, but Katie kept hanging round us and we didn’t have anywhere private to play so we just ended up listening to Paula’s records. We couldn’t be secret and special the way we used to be.
    I still see Aileen every day at school but it’s not the same. Aileen’s mum gives a