End of the Alphabet Read Online Free PDF Page A

when I got outside. There was a notice — A3 size. It would take me ages to work out what it said. I didn’t want to try, not with Mr Vine glaring at me from inside the shop.
    What now? I looked at my watch. 4.45. Mum would get home at five. My gut cramped. Her day would have been so bad. What about Davey? Who had picked him up from school? I hoped somebody had. What about that little girl, Cat? Her mother might have been late again. I was an idiot. I didn’t have to worry about Cat. The teachers would look after her. But she was so little. I picked up my bike.
    I wanted to go home and check to make sure Davey was okay. I wanted to ask him about Cat. I didn’t. Instead, I went to the park and sat on a swing.
    It was peaceful, swinging backwards and forwards. I thought about Brazil. I didn’t know anything about it. It would be so amazing to go there. The kids from Brazil would be here in a couple of weeks. Would they speak English?
    My phone went. It was Mum. ‘Ruby — this is beyond a joke! I’ve missed so much work today and all because of you. Where are you? I need you home. Right
now
.’
    I was shaking. She never yelled at me. Never.
    ‘Ruby? D’you hear me?’
    I could hear her and I could hear Theo grizzling, and Davey whining. He was hungry. He needed food right
now
.
    I sucked in a breath and asked the big question. ‘What have you decided about the room?’
    She screeched at me. ‘Max keeps it. At least he doesn’t give me all this grief!’
    Fine! I cut her off.
    Let the kids yell. Let her get stressed. It served her right. I jumped on my bike and rode to Tia’s house.
    They gave me dinner.
    Mum didn’t ring again. She didn’t seem to worry about where I was.
    At about eight, the landline rang. Mrs Manu answered it. When she came back, she said, ‘Your mum’s coming over, Ruby.’
    I jumped up.
    ‘Sit down a minute. I’ll try and talk to her. If you’d like me to?’
    I nodded. ‘Oh, yes — please. But I don’t want to be here. She’ll just go on and on at me.’
    Tia grabbed my hand and hauled me up. ‘We’ll go to Frank and Jenny’s.’ Frank was her oldest brother and they lived a couple of blocks away.
    They were sitting outside when we arrived. Jenny put drinks in our hands and told us to sit. The lemonade gave me hiccups. It seemed to help settle my nerves though. My gut didn’t hurt so much.
    The minutes crept past. Tia yawned. ‘Go home,’ I told her. She shook her head.
    We’d been there for ages by the time my phone went. I snatched it up. ‘Mum?’
    She sounded dead tired. ‘Come back to Tia’s, will you, Ruby? Please?’
    ‘Okay.’ I pulled a face. I didn’t know if it would be okay.
    We left. Tia didn’t say much. I didn’t say anything. I was too worried.
    Mum’s eyes were red. She had a plastic bag full of used tissues beside her. Mrs Manu smiled at me, and gave me a small nod.
    I sank onto the couch. ‘Mum?’
    She managed a wobbly smile. Then she leaned over and hugged the breath out of me. ‘I’m so sorry, Ruby. You’re right. The room thing — it’s so unfair.’ She let me go and wiped her eyes again.
    ‘We’re going to have the big room?’ I couldn’t quite believe it.
    She sighed. ‘That’s right. I should never have put all three of you in your room. Sorry, darling.’
    I still didn’t really believe it would happen. ‘Ah — when? When will we do the change-over?’
    She leaned back. ‘Calvin’s doing it now. He was so mad with me.’ She shook her head. ‘Sorry, darling. Very sorry.’
    Mrs Manu patted her knee. ‘There, there, Tessie. It’s all right. Don’t cry any more.’
    Mum stood up. ‘Thanks, Netta. You’re such a good friend.’
    They hugged and we left. Tia mouthed,
Yay!

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Tia turned up at my house in the morning just as Davey and I were leaving.
    ‘I’m not going to believe it till I see it. Show me the room.’
    Davey towed her into the house. ‘We’ve got the big room and it’s good cos