Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Author:Malorie Blackman [Blackman, Malorie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ages 9 & up
ISBN: 9781407047966
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2005-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

fifty-five. Sephy

‘Hi Callum, old friend! Old buddy! Old pal! How are you on this glorious day? Isn’t it a beautiful Sunday? The birds are singing. Not over here, but somewhere they must be singing, don’t you think? Don’t you think, old buddy? Old pal?’ I burst out laughing.

Callum had a very strange look on his face as he watched me. He wasn’t laughing though. Why wasn’t he laughing? I tried to stop, but the look on his face made me laugh even harder. He leaned forward and sniffed at my breath. The look on his face made me laugh until my eyes began to water.

And the next thing I knew, Callum had me by the shoulders and was shaking me like a country dog shakes a rabbit.

‘S-s-stop i-it . . .’

‘What the hell d’you think you’re doing?’ Callum shouted at me.

The look on his face scared me. Actually scared me. I’d never seen him so furiously angry before. ‘L-let go . . .’

Callum let go of me almost before the words were out of my mouth. I stumbled backwards and fell in a heap. I tried to scramble to my feet but the beach was swaying. If the beach would just stop swaying for two seconds . . .

‘Look at you, Sephy,’ Callum said, his voice ringing with disgust. ‘You’re drunk as a skunk.’

‘I am not. I’ve had just one glass of cider today, that’s all. Or maybe two,’ I giggled, adding conspiratorially. ‘It would’ve been wine, but I don’t want Mother to get suspicious . . .’

‘How could you be so stupid?’ Callum roared. I wished he’d stop. He was making my head hurt. ‘You want to end up like your mother?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ I finally managed to get to my feet, but the whole world was rocking beneath them.

‘I’m not. I can’t stand your mother but at least she had a reason to start. What’s your excuse? Not enough attention? Daddy’s allowance not big enough? Mummy not giving you enough love? Bed not wide enough? Bedroom carpet not plush enough?’

‘Stop it . . .’ I was sobering up fast. Callum was being horrible. ‘Don’t stand there and judge me. How dare you?’

‘If you behave like a complete moron, don’t bleat when that’s how others treat you.’

‘I’m not a moron.’

‘No, you’re worse. You’re a drunk. A lush. An alcy.’

I covered my ears. ‘Don’t say that. That’s enough . . .’

‘Is it? Come on then. I’m waiting to hear your reasons. I’m all ears.’

‘You wouldn’t understand.’

‘Try me.’

‘I’m tired, OK,’ I shouted at him, shouted for the whole world to hear.

‘Tired of what?’

‘Of my mother and father, my sister, of you too if you must know. I’m tired of the way you all make me feel. This is it for me, isn’t it? Be a good girl, study at school, study at university, get a good job, marry a good man, live a good life and they all lived happily ever after. The whole thing just makes me . . . makes me want to puke.

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