One Perfect Pirouette by Sherryl Clark Page A

shook me. ‘You had us worried sick.’
    â€˜She was in the school hall, on her own,’ Dad said. I didn’t like his tone.
    â€˜What for? Oh, for your ballet.’ She let go of me and sat on the front step, head bowed, one hand clutching her hair. ‘What a mess. What are we doing?’
    â€˜I was only a little bit late!’ I cried. ‘Nothing happened!’
    â€˜It’s your brother,’ Mum said. She looked up and there were tears in her eyes, tears that made my face go icy cold. ‘He got in a fight after school and the other kids gave him a hiding. He won’t go to the hospital.’
    â€˜Is he okay?’ The ice crept down through my arms and legs and I shuddered. What was happening to my family?
    Dad’s mouth twisted and he looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. He ended up shoving them deep into his pockets. ‘He’s got cuts on his face and hands, and bruising.’
    Mum sighed, got to her feet and shooed us all back inside to the kitchen. Orrin sat there doing his homework with a cup of coffee. He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows, but I ignored him. I knew what was coming, and dread crawled over me.
    â€˜It’s time for a family meeting,’ Mum said. ‘Get Tam out of his room, please, Orrin. I won’t take no for an answer.’
    After a few muffled shouts, Tam joined us, his face surly and dark. He thumped down in his chair like he’d been asked to turn up for a lynching.
    Dad sat at the head of the table, Mum at the foot by the fridge, but as usual Mum was in charge of the meeting. Dad always listened and thought about stuff, and if he decided something, then that was it. Tam and Orrin never thought this was fair, especially if it went against them, but I’d never worried about it before. I had a horrible feeling that Dad’s decision was about to go against me.
    Tam slouched in his chair and his face made me feel sick. He had a big lump over one eye, a cut on his mouth that was swelling and purple and another cut on his hand. He’d cleaned off most of the blood and put bandaids on his hand, but they were soaked. He stared down at the table. I tried not to gawk at him, but it was hard – he didn’t look anything like the Tam I knew.
    â€˜Right,’ said Mum, ‘we need to talk about a few things. Brynna, I want to know why you were so late.’
    I’d already told them! But clearly, Mum expected me to explain again. ‘I was in the hall at school, dancing. Doing exercises and pirouettes and jumps. I can’t do that stuff here. There’s no room and no wooden floor.’
    â€˜Who said you could use the hall unsupervised?’
    This was what I was really in trouble for. Funny how I’d been so scared of the school finding out. ‘Nobody. I sneaked in through a toilet window.’
    â€˜Geez, Brynna,’ Orrin said.
    Tam’s mouth twitched.
    â€˜That was stupid,’ said Mum. ‘If anyone had caught you, you would’ve been expelled. Then what would we do?’
    â€˜Go back home.’ There was a catch in Tam’s voice.
    Mum looked at him. ‘And what happened to you?’
    â€˜Told you. Kids from school bashed me up.’
    â€˜Why?’
    He snorted. ‘Do they need a reason?’
    â€˜Yes. What did you do?’
    Tam leapt up like a rocket launching. ‘Why are you trying to make this my fault? This is where we live, for god’s sake! In a city where people knife each other every second day. They don’t need a reason.’
    â€˜Dad’ll go to school with you tomorrow and make them do something about it.’
    â€˜What for?’ Tam shouted. ‘Do you think it’ll make the slightest bit of difference? You go in there and complain and next time the knife’ll be in my guts – not across my hand.’
    â€˜Don’t shout, please.’
    Tam’s face darkened and his eyes glittered.