Page 10 of The New Girl

Would she ever fit in here? She didn’t think so.Never mind,she thought,I just need to work hard in school, get a good job and earn lots of money so I can buy a big house in Syria for my parents, when the war is over, and we go home.

Safa closed her eyes as the tiredness of the day overcame her.

CHAPTER FIVE

Ruby

Ruby was in a deep sleep when she heard the shriek. She reckoned the whole neighbourhood heard it.

‘I’m going to kill him. I swear, he’s dead this time!’ Orla screamed.

‘Keep your voice down,’ Mum hissed.

‘What in the name of God is going on?’ Dad ran up the stairs.

Ruby sat up and rubbed her eyes. The door of the bedroom she shared with her sister was wide open and Orla was standing in the corridor holding her ruined mascara.

‘He’s wrecked it. I left it on the bathroom sink and he grabbed it when my back was turned. This is the third one this month. I’m sick of it. I hate him. He’s a little –’

‘Stop it.’ Mum grabbed Orla’s arm and squeezed.

‘What did he wreck?’ Dad asked.

‘My Benefit They’re Real!’

‘What in the name of God is she talking about?’ Dad looked at Mum.

‘Her new mascara,’ Mum explained.

Orla held up the crushed mascara brush. Robbie had completely ruined it. Ruby felt sorry for Orla. Her sister had paid a lot of money for that mascara and last week Robbie had taken her MAC lipstick from the kitchen table and drawn all over his wheelchair with it, ruining that too.

‘He doesn’t mean it, love,’ Mum said. ‘You need to keep things away from him, where he can’t reach.’

‘I hate him, Mum, I really hate him,’ Orla said, as tears ran down her cheeks.

Ruby couldn’t believe her sister had said the words out loud.

‘Stop that now,’ Dad said. ‘It’s only a bit of make-up.’

Orla turned to her dad, her face flushed with anger. ‘It’s not just make-up. It’s everything. Since he came along everything is different. You’re never here because you’re working all the time to pay for his therapies, Mum’s always sleeping, crying or with him and all he does is destroy things. I wish he’d never been born.’

‘You nasty, selfish girl!’ Mum screamed at Orla.

Ruby gasped; Mum never screamed. Orla was shocked. Ruby could see her sister was blinking back tears.

Mum was shaking. ‘I’m sorry, Orla, but you cannot say that about your brother. It’s not his fault. He can’t help it. He was –’

‘Born that way. Yeah, I know, Mum, I’ve heard it a million times. I don’t care what you say. I hate him.’ Orla turned on her heel and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Dad reached out to put his arm around Mum, but she shrugged him off and went into Robbie’s room.

Dad turned to Ruby. With a sad smile he said, ‘Lively start to the day. Would you like breakfast, love?’

Ruby nodded. She slipped her hand into her father’s as they headed downstairs. He squeezed it. ‘It’ll be OK, don’t worry, pet,’ Dad said. ‘It’ll all calm down.’

Ruby nodded, but she knew it was a lie. It might calm down for a bit, but soon enough Robbie would break or ruin something else and Orla would go mad again. It happened all the time.

In the kitchen, Dad opened the cupboard. ‘Oh dear, we seem to be out of cereal and bread. I’ll have to pop down to the shops.’ He rubbed his tired-looking eyes.

---