Lizzie Zipmouth (2 page)

and we shared big tubs of ice-cream and we danced to music.

Sometimes I stayed up really late and then we went to bed together. I didn't like night-time because of the bad dreams.

I dreamt about my first stepdad.

I hate stepdads. I've got a real dad but I don't see him now. He stopped living with us ages ago. He doesn't come to see me but I don't care any more.

My first stepdad doesn't come to see us either and I'm very, very glad about that. He was a scary monster stepdad. He pretended to be jolly and friendly at first. He bought me heaps of presents. He even bought me a Flying Barbie. I always badly wanted a Barbie doll but Mum never bought me one. She thinks they're too girly. I
like
girly things. I loved my Flying Barbie but I didn't ever love my first stepdad, even at the beginning.

When we went to live with him he was still jolly and friendly when he was in a good mood but he started to get lots of bad moods. He started shouting at me. I tried shouting back and he smacked me. He said I got on his nerves. He certainly got on
my
nerves. He said he didn't like me. I didn't like him one bit.

Mum didn't like him any more either, especially when he shouted at me. We left that stepdad. We went back to being just Mum and me.

We got our own flat. It was very small and poky and the bathroom had black mould and the heating didn't work, but it didn't matter. We were safe again, Mum and me.

But then Mum met this man, Sam, in a sandwich bar. They ate lots and lots of sandwiches. Then they started going out together. Then
I
had to start going out with them at weekends even though I didn't want to. Sam's sons, Rory and Jake, came too. They didn't see their mum any more. They seemed to like my mum. But I didn't like their dad.

“I don't want Sam to be my stepdad,” I said. Again.

“He's not a bit like the last one, Lizzie, I promise,” said Mum.

I love my mum but I don't always believe her, even when she promises.

“Lizzie?” said Mum. “Oh come on, don't look like that. Don't we have fun together when we all go out, the five of us?”

Mum
had fun. She larked about with Sam and sang silly songs and talked all the time and held his hand.

Sam
had fun. He laughed at my mum and sang with her and told her these stupid jokes and put his arm round her.

Rory
had fun. He played football with Mum and she taught him how to dive when we went swimming and when he couldn't choose between pizza and pasta at the restaurant he was allowed to have both.

Jake
had fun. He ate sweets all day long and Mum gave him a musical toothbrush so that all the sugar wouldn't rot his teeth too much. He brushed his teeth all day long too. He had thirteen Beanie Babies that he carried round with him. They all had to have their teeth brushed too.

I didn't have fun. I thought Jake was a silly baby. And it wasn't fair. Mum didn't mind him having his Beanie Babies. Boys are allowed to be girly.

I didn't like Rory much either. He pushed me over when we played football. I don't think he meant to but it still hurt. And he splashed me when we went swimming. He
did
mean to do that.

I
certainly
didn't like Sam. I knew he wouldn't be jolly and friendly for long. I was waiting for the shouting to start.

He kept trying to make friends with me. I just looked down at the floor and wouldn't say a word.

I decided not to say a word to anyone.

Chapter Two

I didn't say a word when I had my breakfast. I didn't say a word when I got washed and dressed. I didn't say a word when I packed up my books and my crayons and my stickers and my schoolbag and my washing things and my hairbrush and all my underwear and my T-shirts and shorts and trousers and jumpers and my duffel coat and my welly boots. I didn't even say a word when Mum threw my old cosy dressing-gown and last year's party dress and my school uniform in the rubbish bin.

Mum said my dressing-gown was all stained and my party dress was so small it showed my knickers and I'd be going to a new school after the summer holidays with a different uniform.

I felt stained and small and different in the car with Sam and Rory and Jake. They came to fetch us and help us with all our luggage.

“It's going to be lovely living in a house instead of that crummy little flat,” said Mum. “Won't it be great to have a garden, Lizzie? You can play football with Rory.”

“Well, I usually play football with the boys next door,” said Rory. “But I suppose Lizzie can join in if she wants.”

I didn't want. But I didn't say anything.

“You'll like the swing, Lizzie,” said Mum. “Imagine having your own swing!”

“It's
my
swing,” said Jake.

“But you won't mind sharing it with Lizzie, will you?” said Sam.

Jake looked as if he minded a lot. I didn't want to go on his silly old swing anyway. But I didn't say anything.

“I don't have to share my bedroom with Lizzie, do I?” Jake asked suspiciously. “Because there's not room. Not with all my Beanie Babies and their special beds.”

They weren't real beds. Jake had thirteen shoe boxes with paper tissues for bedcovers. Mum acted like she thought this was sweet.
I
thought it was stupid. But I didn't say anything.

“I've got all my football souvenirs and my rock collection and my worm garden in my bedroom,” Rory said quickly. “I wouldn't mind sharing my bedroom with Lizzie but I have to warn her that the worms wriggle around a lot. They
could
just end up in her bed.”

I decided I'd mind that very much indeed. But I didn't say anything.

I stood close to Mum. She knew I wanted to share
her
bedroom. But she had Sam now.

“Lizzie can have her very own special bedroom,” said Sam. “We can turn my study into Lizzie's room. My computer can easily fit into our bedroom.”

“There! Aren't you lucky, Lizzie?” said Mum.

I didn't feel at all lucky.