The Taming of Lilah May by Vanessa Curtis

then slope off upstairs.
    Parents think they’re so funny with all thesarcasm stuff. As if they know everything in the world and they’ve got it all sorted out, and there’s nothing that could ever happen that would shock or throw them off course, because they’d just carry on being those wise old parents.
    But even they couldn’t stop the bomb from going off in our house.

CHAPTER TEN

    Sometimes I hate Jay for making me like this.
    I don’t want to go to school today. If I see Adam Carter, I still flush with embarrassment and guilt. He’s always been really nice to me, and what do I do? I come over like some mad psycho-witch from hell.
Groo.
    I feel really bad about upsetting everyone. But I can’t seem to stop.

    School’s a bit of a nightmare.
    Bindi seems distracted and not even all that interested in my problems.
    Adam gives me a nice smile, but I reckon it’s only a smile of pity, so I blush and turn away.
    I get home to find Mum crying in the kitchen. Again.
    Dad is in after tending to an injured lion, but he’s got his throat bitten in the process and spends most of the evening disinfecting the wound with a big wad of cotton wool, while Mum tells him for the fifteen-millionth time how working with lions isn’t really ideal if you want to live into happy old age and enjoy your pension.
    â€˜Lazarus is just a big pussy cat, really,’ Dad says. This throws Mum into a state of violent agitation and she starts snapping and roaring and pacing up and down on the kitchen lino, a bit like Lazarus himself.
    â€˜I can’t believe you just said that!’ she yells.
    â€˜Well, at least I’m here for Lilah when she gets home from school,’ Dad fires back. ‘You’re supposed be part-time, but I haven’t noticed much difference. You’re still never around.’
    â€˜Oh right,’ Mum snaps. ‘And I suppose you’ve never thought how difficult it is for me trying to entertain rooms full of kids when I’m so miserable that I’m starting to FRIGHTEN them now!’
    They don’t take a lot of notice when I came in all fired up with rage and in a boy-hating mood to beat all boy-hating moods.
    Then Dad storms off to the pub. It’s his once-weekly treat. He says it helps him let off steam about Jay.
    Fine.
    I don’t need them fussing over me, anyway.
    I’m used to being ignored.

    â€˜So, are you going to see him again?’ Bindi’s hissing from behind her hand.
    It’s the next day and we’re in Biology.
    There’s a diagram of a tapeworm on the whiteboard in front of us, and the teacher’s pointing at various segments of its revolting body with a stick, like she’s some weird white-coated orchestra conductor.
    â€˜No I’m NOT,’ I hiss back. ‘And stop asking me!You’re doing my head in.’
    Bindi stares at me with her mouth open. We never have ‘words’.
    â€˜Lilah,’ the teacher is saying. ‘Perhaps, with your expert knowledge of tapeworms, you’d like to tell the class what I’m pointing at?’
    The class titters at this.
    I failed my last set of Biology exams after I drew a pair of glasses and a goofy grin on my tapeworm. The teachers were speechless when they marked it, apparently.
    I got ten percent for that exam.
    Big deal.
    My brother’s missing. I don’t care that I graffitied all over a tapeworm.
    What have tapeworms ever done for me?
    â€˜I don’t give a crap, Miss,’ I say.
    The class groans. There are some stares of disbelief.
    Adam Carter’s avoiding my eye, but I see him shake his head from side to side, as if in slow motion.
    â€˜I’ve had it with you, May,’ snaps the teacher. ‘You can stay in at break and help me clean up this classroom.’
    I sink down in my chair and bury my head in my hands.
    I wish I could stop getting in trouble.
    I wish I could stop being angry all the