snort a laugh. “Seriously, though, I’m sure it’s only that he’s just noticed I exist, not that he is interested in me in any way.”
“We’ll see,” says Bea with her eyebrows raised.
Suddenly there is a lot of noise and movement by the tennis net. A shout, gasps, a volley of curse words and calls for the teacher. It’s hard to see what has happened with all the people crowding around. Bea and I drop our rackets and run; this time of year, we always assume the worst.
At the center of the crowd Sam is hunched over, almost bent double. His hands are on his face and there is blood dripping from between his fingers.
“Sam!” I practically scream. Everyone makes room for me to rush up to him.
“Miss, it wasn’t me, miss, it wasn’t my fault,” Stephen Jones starts shouting as Mrs. Smith hurries over from the other side of the hall.
“It was
your
ball that hit him.” Sarah Keogh arches her perfect eyebrows. I put my arm around Sam.
“Yeah, but it was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I’m fine,” Sam says thickly. When he takes his hands away from his face, I can see that his mouth is full of blood. “I’m fine,” he says again, to reassure the teacher. “He’s right, it wasn’t his fault. I’m okay, it’s just my lip.” Blood drips steadily into his cupped hands.
“Let’s get you to the nurse,” says Mrs. Smith wearily; this is not the first accident Sam has had in PE class. She holds out an arm to help him to the nurse’s office, but he waves her away.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Smith,” he says, walking easily to the door with the air of someone who has suffered worse injuries than a busted lip. He shakes his hair out of his face with a bloodstained grin. “I know the way.”
***
Having a stepbrother should have made a lot of things easier, Alice thought. For one thing, it meant that she and Cara could have a referee when they played Steal the Bacon. Cara always tried to cheat when she’d gotten hold of the ball—or the shoe, or the rolled-up sweater, or whatever they had to hand to be the bacon. But it turned out that Sam couldn’t be trusted to tell on Cara, even if she cheated.
Normally, in October, Alice and Cara weren’t allowed to play outside unless Mom or Uncle Seth or someone was watching, but since Mom had married Christopher last summer, lots of little things had changed.
“You
did not
touch the edge of the driveway that time,Cara,” Alice shouted after Cara got to the ball before she did.
“Yes I did!”
“You didn’t!
Sam
. Tell her she didn’t touch the edge.”
Sam shuffled his feet a bit on the concrete. “I dunno, Alice,” he said in a voice that Alice knew meant he totally
did
know. “I think she did touch it.”
Alice threw her hat down on the driveway in annoyance. “She did not and you both bloody well know it.”
Sometimes having a stepbrother just meant having one more person to gang up on you.
Mom and Christopher came into the garden, Christopher with a spade and trowel and gardening gloves. Mom never usually gardened during the accident season.
She shaded her eyes and looked over at them. “Why don’t you three play on the grass instead?” she said. “I don’t want you falling on the driveway.”
“You can’t run as fast on the grass,” said Cara. “Also, it’s way too long.”
Christopher kissed the top of Mom’s bright-orange-dyed hair. He was so tall he didn’t even have to raise his head. “I’ll get to that next,” he said.
Mom gave a small shudder. Alice knew she didn’t like having the lawnmower out at this time of year. There were a lot of things Mom hid away in October.
“So,” Christopher said to them, struggling to put Mom’s gardening gloves onto his big hands. “Who’s winning?”
“Me,” Alice and Cara said at the same time.
“Cara,” said Sam.
Alice gave Sam the evil eye. “Fine, then,” she said. “Your turn.”
Let’s see who wins when he’s playing against her,
she
“We’ll see,” says Bea with her eyebrows raised.
Suddenly there is a lot of noise and movement by the tennis net. A shout, gasps, a volley of curse words and calls for the teacher. It’s hard to see what has happened with all the people crowding around. Bea and I drop our rackets and run; this time of year, we always assume the worst.
At the center of the crowd Sam is hunched over, almost bent double. His hands are on his face and there is blood dripping from between his fingers.
“Sam!” I practically scream. Everyone makes room for me to rush up to him.
“Miss, it wasn’t me, miss, it wasn’t my fault,” Stephen Jones starts shouting as Mrs. Smith hurries over from the other side of the hall.
“It was
your
ball that hit him.” Sarah Keogh arches her perfect eyebrows. I put my arm around Sam.
“Yeah, but it was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I’m fine,” Sam says thickly. When he takes his hands away from his face, I can see that his mouth is full of blood. “I’m fine,” he says again, to reassure the teacher. “He’s right, it wasn’t his fault. I’m okay, it’s just my lip.” Blood drips steadily into his cupped hands.
“Let’s get you to the nurse,” says Mrs. Smith wearily; this is not the first accident Sam has had in PE class. She holds out an arm to help him to the nurse’s office, but he waves her away.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Smith,” he says, walking easily to the door with the air of someone who has suffered worse injuries than a busted lip. He shakes his hair out of his face with a bloodstained grin. “I know the way.”
***
Having a stepbrother should have made a lot of things easier, Alice thought. For one thing, it meant that she and Cara could have a referee when they played Steal the Bacon. Cara always tried to cheat when she’d gotten hold of the ball—or the shoe, or the rolled-up sweater, or whatever they had to hand to be the bacon. But it turned out that Sam couldn’t be trusted to tell on Cara, even if she cheated.
Normally, in October, Alice and Cara weren’t allowed to play outside unless Mom or Uncle Seth or someone was watching, but since Mom had married Christopher last summer, lots of little things had changed.
“You
did not
touch the edge of the driveway that time,Cara,” Alice shouted after Cara got to the ball before she did.
“Yes I did!”
“You didn’t!
Sam
. Tell her she didn’t touch the edge.”
Sam shuffled his feet a bit on the concrete. “I dunno, Alice,” he said in a voice that Alice knew meant he totally
did
know. “I think she did touch it.”
Alice threw her hat down on the driveway in annoyance. “She did not and you both bloody well know it.”
Sometimes having a stepbrother just meant having one more person to gang up on you.
Mom and Christopher came into the garden, Christopher with a spade and trowel and gardening gloves. Mom never usually gardened during the accident season.
She shaded her eyes and looked over at them. “Why don’t you three play on the grass instead?” she said. “I don’t want you falling on the driveway.”
“You can’t run as fast on the grass,” said Cara. “Also, it’s way too long.”
Christopher kissed the top of Mom’s bright-orange-dyed hair. He was so tall he didn’t even have to raise his head. “I’ll get to that next,” he said.
Mom gave a small shudder. Alice knew she didn’t like having the lawnmower out at this time of year. There were a lot of things Mom hid away in October.
“So,” Christopher said to them, struggling to put Mom’s gardening gloves onto his big hands. “Who’s winning?”
“Me,” Alice and Cara said at the same time.
“Cara,” said Sam.
Alice gave Sam the evil eye. “Fine, then,” she said. “Your turn.”
Let’s see who wins when he’s playing against her,
she
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