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behind the bin by the bus stop. Now they’ll remind me of the spring I discovered that my parents wanted to destroy my family. Thanks a lot, Mum and Dad. We might not be the perfect family but I always thought we were OK. Now they’re going to rip everything apart before I’ve had a chance to do half the things I wanted to do. I can kiss my life’s dream of going to Disneyland goodbye, that’s for sure. Once they start splitting everything up and paying for two
homes instead of one, there’ll be no money for holidays. I’ve seen it on TV – I know all about it.
    ‘Yes, I
will
make a fuss, and so will Isaac when they actually have the courage to tell him. Somebody has to fight for this family and it looks like it’ll have to be me.’ I link arms with Alice and march into school, half hoping that Moronic Louise will have the sense to stay away from me today, and half hoping that she gives me a reason to deal with her, once and for all.
    My day passes in the usual, boring blur that is school. I must be giving out some serious ‘keep away’ vibes because Moronic Louise doesn’t come anywhere near me. In fact, I hardly talk to anyone all day. I can’t be bothered to look for Alice at lunchtime – instead I creep into the library and find a chair in the corner where nobody can see me unless they come looking. I sneak bites from my sandwich when I can hear that the librarian is busy on the other side of the room, and sink into the world of my book. It’s better than my real world.
    Now I’m home and the only thing that I want to do is slump in front of the television. On my own. Without any annoying brothers doing their absolute best to ruin my peace.
    No chance in this house, though. Isaac has
slammed through the door, made a ton of noise in the kitchen getting a snack and is now standing in front of me, blocking my view of the TV and munching a piece of toast,
very loudly
.
    I try ignoring him. He just carries on, standing and munching. So I take it to the next level and give him my best ‘death stare’. Lesser mortals have been known to pass out with terror when subjected to this look – but not Isaac. He doesn’t even shake.
    ‘Isaac, move,’ I tell him.
    ‘Have you seen my Pokemon cards?’ he says.
    ‘No.’ My voice is cold and sharp – I want to be left alone, just for a few minutes.
    ‘They’re missing,’ Isaac says.
    ‘Not interested. Move.’
    ‘I can’t find them.’
    ‘Talk to the hand, Isaac.’
    Isaac looks at me for a moment and I think he’s finally got the message. He frowns and then holds his hand up in the air in front of him.
    ‘Hand – where are my Pokemon cards?’ he asks it.
    I explode. He has finally pushed my last button and I’ve had enough.
    ‘You are
not
stupid, Isaac! Take the hint! I don’t want to talk to you, OK? Go away.’
    I sink back into the sofa, already regretting my outburst, but wishing with every bit of me that, just for once, Isaac could think about someone other than himself.
    Isaac takes a last bite of his toast, crumbs dropping on to the carpet as he wipes his hands together, careful to make sure that no toast remains on his fingers.
    ‘And I don’t want to talk to you, Liv. I just want to know where my Pokemon cards are.’ He is looking at a spot on the wall above my head and I know that I’ve confused him. That he has no idea what he’s done wrong. I shake my head to let him know that I can’t help him and he walks away. I follow him with my eyes and see Mum, leaning in the doorway to the kitchen. She smiles at Isaac as he goes past and then looks at me.
    ‘Bad day?’ she asks.
    ‘You have no idea,’ I mutter. I don’t particularly want to talk to her either, not when she’s planning on tearing our family apart.
    ‘Tell me about it?’ she says, but I shake my head at her too. She turns to leave.
    ‘It wasn’t my fault,’ I blurt out, and she stops and turns back to me, eyebrows raised in a question. ‘Just now, with Isaac –