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‘No, Poppy!’ Cherry rushes over to snatch the toy.
‘Will you two play nicely while I get everyone’s breakfast?’ Mum shoots Cherry a stern look.
I swear Mum’s more stick-insect than ever, with dark shadows under her eyes. And that aubergine hair colour does her no favours.
‘Coffee?’ she asks, taking my cup as I pull the sleeping bag over my head.
The settee smells of stale milk and crumbs – takes me back to days off sick from school. Making the most of a sore throat while Mum brought me ice-cream. The only time I ever had her to myself. Sudden ache for that rare cocoon. Like there’s any fucking chance.
As if to prove it the door opens again.
‘Such a racket, no way can I sleep.’ Aisha squashes in by my feet on the settee. Arranges her laptop over her furry dressing gown. ‘So, what the heck are you doing here?’
‘Just crashing like for a few days,’
‘Moving back in, more like.’ She flicks her silky black hair and clicks on her computer.
‘Not if I can help it.’ Sudden churning panic that I have no other plan. Pull my knees closer into me.
Aisha shifts, reaching behind her to pull something out. ‘Oh My God, how long have you had this old thing?’ She holds the stuffed tiger upside down by his tail.
I reach for my Zooey. Did Mum tuck him in with me last night? Aisha pulls back and sits him on her laptop. His fur is matted and worn, ears flopping onto his sad face.
I remind her he’s called Zooey because Dad bought him for me on a trip to the zoo after I was adopted. Feel a sudden soppy surge for my faithful companion who went everywhere with me.
Aisha holds him up, pulls her face to that pouty kiss pose before handing him back. ‘Sweet,’ she says, like she actually means it.
‘I thought you were like working at that hotel in Skeggy?’ She says after a couple of minutes on the laptop.
‘That finished a few weeks back.’ Seems like a different time-zone.
‘So, what have you been up to, then?’ She looks at me, shaped brows raised, smudge of yesterday’s make-up round her dark eyes.
‘Not a lot.’ I pull the sleeping bag round my head again.
The girls are still playing with the garage.
‘No, Poppy, this pink shiny one is mine. Aisha, make Poppy give me my car.’
‘Oh, let her have it a minute for fuck’s sake.’
Cherry gets up. ‘You said a very rude word, Auntie Aisha. I’m telling Grandma.’
‘Off you go then,’ Aisha smirks. Cherry storms out while Poppy slavers over the car.
‘At least that DVD keeps Joey quiet,’ Aisha says. ‘No fucking chance of any revision in this loony bin.’
‘Catch up on your Snapchat, more like.’
Aisha swings the computer screen round to shove it in my face. The page titled GCSE Chemistry Revision Notes: Atoms and Atomic Structures.
‘I’m predicted like A Stars in most subjects, especially science,’ she brags.
‘Smashing it!’
‘I’m going to be a pharmacist, init? And I don’t mean like a chemist shop assistant.’
‘That’ll come in handy for clubbing.’
