Lily Alone Read Online Free PDF Page A

Mum wasn’t supposed to have any credit cards at all. She’d got into a lot of debt when she first met Paul and she’d tried to buy stuff using a stolen credit card and she’d ended up in the magistrates’ court. I was so scared then in case they sent Mum to prison, but she played dumb and they let her off with a fine, thank goodness. I was sure they wouldn’t let her off again if she tried anything dodgy.
    â€˜ Mum! ’ I hissed, as she flashed her card in Claire’s, buying bangles and a sparkly hairslide for Bliss and a little pink handbag and a lipstick set for Pixie.
    â€˜Stop fussing, Lily,’ Mum said firmly.
    â€˜But you’re not meant to.’
    â€˜Shut up ,’ Mum said. She raised her eyebrows at the shop assistant. ‘Kids! She’s just sulking because I won’t let her have the necklace she wants.’
    This was so mean I nearly cried. I just stood there, red-faced, trembling that the credit card would be rejected – but amazingly Mum knew the right pin number and the transaction went through. Baxter was barging about the shop, pointing at everything, going, ‘Yuck, too pink, yuck, too girlie,’ over and over again.
    When we got outside the shop Mum prodded him in the stomach and went, ‘Yuck, nasty smelly bad boy!’ Then she looked at me. ‘Don’t give me that look! I could knock your block off, making all that fuss in there. You were acting like I’d nicked that card.’
    â€˜Well, didn’t you?’
    â€˜I told you, I got it off Jenny.’
    â€˜And where did she get it from?’
    â€˜Just stop it, Lily. Who do you think you are, someone from The Bill ? OK, don’t feel you have to accept a present off my dodgy card.’
    â€˜I don’t want one, thanks,’ I said, and I marched off further up the mall.
    I felt tears pricking my eyelids and blinked furiously. I wasn’t a crybaby. I certainly wasn’t going to start blubbing in public. I forced myself to stride out, swinging my arms as if I didn’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t hear the clatter of the buggy or the chatter of the kids. Weren’t they following me? My heart started banging in my chest. No, maybe I really didn’t care. I was really cheesed off with Mum and fed up with my brother and sisters. I was better off on my own.
    â€˜I am Lily and I walk alone,’ I muttered. I stepped onto the escalator to the next floor. I looked down as I rose upwards. ‘I am Lily and I fly alone,’ I said, spreading my arms. I imagined stepping off the escalator, swooping out into the atrium, circling round and round the glass roof, while all the crowds of shoppers pointed and marvelled down below.
    My arms rose of their own accord and I leaned sideways over the moving handrail.
    â€˜Lily! What the hell are you doing? Watch out, you’ll topple over!’ Mum was yelling up at me, dragging Pixie in the buggy onto the escalator and yanking at Baxter and Bliss. I waited at the top for them, acting nonchalant.
    â€˜You mad girl, what were you playing at?’ Mum said, giving me a good shake. Then she hugged me hard. ‘I thought you were trying to top yourself.’
    â€˜Oh, Mum, don’t be crazy. I was just playing I could fly.’
    â€˜Fly? You’re the crazy one. Stop playing silly flying beggars.’
    But later, as we wandered around the toy shop, Mum seized a little sparkly pair of fairy wings.
    â€˜Here you are, Lily. This is what you need,’ she said, snorting with laughter.
    â€˜Oh, ha ha,’ I said, flicking the toy wings contemptuously, though if I’d been as little as Pixie, or even Bliss, I’d have clamoured for them.
    â€˜What do you want for a present, babe, seriously?’ said Mum, as she bought Baxter a toy fork-lift truck.
    â€˜Nothing.’
    â€˜Oh, come on, stop sulking,’ said Mum. ‘Look at the face on you! Hey, cheer up,