Page 100 of Don't Tell Teacher

I tuck the blanket tighter around Tom, smoothing the fabric under my fingers, trying and failing to calm myself.

The doctor leaves.

And I’m glad about that, because I was a few deep breaths away from screaming:Don’t you understand? Something is happening at that school!

Kate

5.46 p.m.

‘Will you get us fish and chips then?’ Lloyd asks. ‘Joey. Getoff!’

Joey is hanging onto Lloyd’s leg, giggling helplessly.

I’m in the Neilsons’ kitchen and have just found animal droppings in the cereal cupboard, plus a chewed hole in a box of Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes.

Pauly’s little face appears in the doorway, looking hopeful. ‘Fish and chips?’

‘Well, we can’t have cereal,’ says Lloyd. ‘There was vermin. That is unsuitable.’

Vermin. Unsuitable. It’s astonishing how Lloyd has picked up the social services language, aged eleven.

‘Are you getting us fish and chips, Kate?’ Joey asks from Lloyd’s leg.

‘I can’t leave you alone.’

‘But Mum does it all the time.’

‘Well, she shouldn’t.’

‘You’re shit, Kate,’ says Joey simply.

‘You have to give us something,’ says Lloyd, volume rising. ‘Joey, get off!’ He shakes his little brother onto the carpeted kitchen floor.

I’ve never seen carpet in a kitchen before. I now understand the hygienic power of lino like never before.

‘I can’t leave three young boys unsupervised.’

‘But we’restarving!’ Lloyd bellows.

‘You’ll have to wait until your mum gets home.’

‘And when willthatbe? She won’t be back today. I couldn’t get any meds for her.’

My head flicks around. ‘What?’

Lloyd, clearly realising he’s said the wrong thing, heads into the living room and throws himself onto a leather sofa.

I follow him, finding Pauly with his nose inches from the giant flat-screen, watching zombies kill each other.

‘I’m glad you brought that up, Lloyd,’ I say. ‘That’s something we need to talk about. The tablets.’

Lloyd feigns innocence. ‘What tablets? I was just joking.’

‘The tablets the caretaker said you had.Thosetablets. The tablets the police couldn’t find. The ones your headmaster says you’ve stolen from the school before.’

Lloyd’s expression contorts with rage. ‘Fucking Cockface.Lyingfucking Cockface.’

‘Lloyd, just tell me the truth.’

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