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taller than me? Because that would be embarrassing. How did she feel about discovering she had a twin? What were Sally and Conor like? Would we meet each other? That was a scary thought.
    I didn’t say anything about all this to Kalem and he didn’t seem to notice anything odd about me on the way to the football field. Actually, I don’t think that he would have noticed if the sky had fallen. All he could talk about was his latest bird-brained invention – a whirly washing line powered by some sort of solar-panelled gadget that spun it around when it wasn’t windy. I didn’t pay him much attention – I had my own thoughts to occupy me.
    Even when the match started, I couldn’t concentrate. The Head Honcho wasn’t too pleased. At half-time he let me have it.
    “Tao Clarke, you are not at the races! Wakey wakey! You are running around that pitch like a headless chicken. Matches aren’t won by headless chickens! Step up to the plate, man, for God’s sake. Take the game by the tonsils – show us some of the va-va-voom that we saw from you last week. I’ve seen grannies play better!”
    But I wasn’t much better during the second half, even though Dad arrived to cheer me on. He was there just in time to see me score an own goal. I sort of forgot which direction I was playing for a moment and, for once, kicked the ball really well … but into the wrong goal.
    “TAO!” roared the Head Honcho, flinging the water bottle he was holding onto the ground.
    I was substituted soon afterwards. I thought that Dad would not be pleased, but instead he put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Never mind, son. There are more important things than football.”
    “What’s more important than football!” interrupted the Head Honcho, who was standing close by and throwing his hands towards heaven.
    “Some things are, Bert,” laughed Dad, and he told me to get dressed and he would drop me home.
    When we stopped outside the house, Dad asked me if I wanted to talk, but I didn’t and he didn’t push it – just said to ring him when I felt ready.
    After dinner, I watched TV with Kate. A few times she looked at me in a funny way, but she didn’t mention Mimi either. Later on, as I sat up in bed, I could hear her talking about me to Angela on the phone. “He needs to digest it, the poor thing,” I heard her say. “It’s a lot for anyone to take on board. He’ll say something soon, I’m sure.”
    Rodent had let me pick him up and I was holding him very carefully, just tight enough so he wouldn’t jump out of my hands but loose enough so I wouldn’t hurt him.
    “A new mouse and a new sister in one day,” I told him quietly. “All I wanted was a mouse.”
    “When we first told him that he was adopted, years ago now, he behaved just the same way,” Kate was saying. “He was quiet for days and then all the questions came pouring out. That’s just Tao’s way!”
    You can hear everything in our house. Dad used to say that the walls are made of spit and paper, which isn’t true, but they must be thin because I can always hear Kate clearly when she is on the phone, even when she whispers.
    “What if she doesn’t like me?” I told Rodent, “or if I don’t like her?” Rodent’s heart was beating very fast against my hand. “Don’t be scared, little mouse,” I whispered. But I knew how he felt because I was a bit scared of Mimi… Just like Kate was scared of Rodent, which was silly but she just couldn’t help it.
    Just then my phone started shouting in its deep voice, ANSWERMEANSWERMEANSWERME… Rodent got a big fright and wriggled right out of my hands and jumped off the bed and raced straight back into his cage.
    It was a text message from a number that I did not recognize.
    Nite nite twin bro. Sleep tite nd dnt let d fleas bite. Mimi XXX
    I smiled and texted her back.
    Nite nite twin sis. Tao
    Then I said, “Sorry about that” to Rodent, who was hiding in his straw, and I closed the cage door. I switched