Don’t Believe Them by Leah Parker (cat reading book .TXT) 📕

a bit like Carson Phillips. Only have one friend at school, gets picked on but gets back at them and we both live with a single, incapable mother. He is so inspirational. Hmm. . . Maybe I could blackmail my school to help me but I don’t need help with anything. I’m smart and I get all my homework done before it’s given (Okay, I do it the day after I get it) I just need to assist my mum and support her until she dies. I will never ever put her into a home unless she really badly needs it.

 

12/6

 

Today at school was so frustrating. Eilis’ boyfriend Ricky got into my face, I felt terrified. All I could do is stand there quivering. I felt vulnerable, then pathetic. There was only one reason I was terrified and couldn’t move; Ricky said:

“Stay away from my girl, Ringo, or I will kill you.” I knew he wasn’t joking because he pulled out a pen-knife and put it near my face. I was petrified but managed to shuffle to my next class, biology.

I didn’t know if I should have texted my mum to tell her what had happened or if I should curl up into the foetal position and cry. I have never had anyone threaten my life before (someone who actually counts) it was scary and I didn’t wanna cross him. Wait . . . Hold up. He said “Stay away from my girl.” I have never ever in my life felt anything but hatred for Eilis. She told a fib. Why would she do that to me? I know she detests me a lot but that doesn’t mean she has the right for her obnoxious boyfriend to kill me. I keep reminiscing on that moment; what should I do? I feel vulnerable. I want to transfer. Or move to Dublin to be with grandma.

An hour ago, Mum got off the phone and walked into my room with it still in her hand. She looked shaken.

“Mum what’s wrong?” I asked with a frog in my throat. She wasn’t moving I’m not even sure if she was blinking and breathing.

“The school called. W..w..who the h... hell is Ricky?” Mum stuttered. I knew she knew and I didn’t know how to say it.

“Just a boy who doesn’t like me at all.” I replied calmly. Maybe if I remained calm she would too, but that wasn’t the case.

“DON’T LIE TO ME JESSE RINGO O’SULLIVAN! TELL ME NOW!” Mum yelled in my face. I knew I was in trouble when she says my whole name. If you didn’t realise, my name is double barrelled. It’s Jess-Ringo but I separate them.

“Okay, okay mother. Today, he put a knife to my face and told me he’ll kill me if I went near Eilis. She lied though ma; I’ve never liked her like that! Or at all” I figured it was easier to tell the truth than to allow Ricky to kill me. It was all I could do. Mum stormed out of the room, grabbed her car keys and slammed the front door. I didn’t know what to do but drop my head onto my desk and whimper. I hated it when Mum was angry because that leads to booze and booze leads to me being yelled at even more.

Mum has just got back. I have no idea where she went, I was too scared of her actions. I walked out of my bedroom to see her with a can of beer in her hand, we don’t have beer. I binned it all so she wouldn’t get drunk. Where did she get that from?

“Mum? Where have you been?” I asked quietly so I wouldn’t annoy her. She looked at me with squinted eyes, put her finger up to her nose and sniffled. I couldn’t tell if she was doing drugs or crying. Mum looked up at me with disbelief.

“Don’t you worry, sweetie. I just needed to have a drive. I don’t blame you, you know that, right?” I nodded and Mum brushed her fingers through my hair. I needed to know what was going on.

 

 

13/6

Today at school was much different than yesterday. I didn’t want to go but Mum forced me telling me it’ll all be okay. I still haven’t worked out where Mum went and what she did, but I didn’t see Ricky or Eilis at all and people were giving me sympathetic looks and nods. It was really weird.

At lunch, a girl bought me a bacon bagel and hugged me. I had no idea why until my principal wanted to see me. In slow motion, I walked to my principal’s office, turned the handle and stepped over the threshold. He directed me to a chair and I sat down slowly.

“Jesse-Ringo, I assure you Ricky and Eilis have both been expelled.” Said my annoying principal. I wondered why they weren’t there. “I’m very sorry what you had to go through with them, they were way out of line.”

“So, I’m okay?” I asked raising an eyebrow. Sir nodded and a tear dropped off my eyelashes. “What made you come to your senses?” Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, that was rude but I needed to be safe.

“I watched over the cctv footage and noticed the knife. I will not have a student pull a knife out on another. I saw how scared you looked. You were so pale and your eyes were huge, that’s not the Jesse I know.” I nodded my head in agreement but I really didn’t believe him. Somehow I thought mam had something to do with this.

 

When I got home I threw my bag on the ground and fell on the couch. Mum looked like she was about to take off! I looked around, something was different. Mum had cleaned up. Mum never made eye contact with me; that’s when I realised she set Principal Davidson up. “What did you do, mother?” I asked concerned.

“I told him what happened and made him watch the footage. I did it for your own good Jes. I swear I did. Why are you being dry?” Mum replied. She was sincere about it too!

“Me, dry? Mother, thank you. They got expelled, now I’m safe!” I pulled Mum into a hug and we hugged for a good two minutes. I was ecstatic to know that I am now in a safe environment. I still want to move though.

“Mother?” I asked when we pulled apart. “Could we move to a better place? Yes, Eilis and Ricky have been expelled, but if I go out I can be murdered as they still live around here.” Mum stared at me for a few seconds soaking in what I was saying then she came back to earth.

“One step ahead of you, son. There will be a woman coming round soon to buy our house. I’ve found another place too!” Mum looked so delighted with herself. That was why the house had been cleaned and Mum hid her alcohol and meds.

I don’t mean to sound preachy but because I was elated I had a couple glasses of wine when we found out that she was buying our house. I believe the whole street heard us partying. In the morning we have to pack our stuff. Then the next morning we have to be out of there, into our new house. I am so excited!

 

14/6

 

Today we have to pack all our stuff. It’s going to be really easy because we barely have anything- including clothes. Mum said it would be better that way. Plus, we didn’t tell the school we were moving so I don’t have to say goodbye. Only to Mickey, but he can always come up and see me. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you where I’m moving to. I’ll give you a hint- grandma lives there. You guessed right! Dublin! I can’t wait to see grandma and my new school. I’m gritting my teeth with excitement just thinking about it.

It took forever to pack all my stuff. First, I had to take all my clothes out of my wardrobe to put in bin bags. Then, I had to take down all my posters and put them into a box with my DVD’s and DVD player. After that, I had to help mother put the utensils, pots and pans into a box. Mum found this really difficult as her meds made her weak. I didn’t know where all these bags and boxes came from but obviously Mum had stocked up.

A few hours later- more like 20 boxes later- we sat down on the sofa that we couldn’t pack up yet and had a few glasses of water- we kept some out- and ate a bag of crisps. We left some picky bits out for us to eat as we were carrying loads of boxes into the hallway. I left a few things out on my bed, which we hadn’t dismantled yet as Mum is weak and I’m 15, for the car journey like my phone, and a blanket. Mum made sure her keys were in her back pocket of her jeans.

“You ready? We need to pack up the car.” Mum asked me with a face redder that a baboon’s rear end. Mum was carrying large boxes and- it sounds horrible but- I hoped it would break, just so we could have a laugh. I grabbed all my bags and put them into the boot of the car. The next thing we had to do was call my uncle Reagan for him to help us dismantle our beds and put the kitchen stuff into his Transit van then call my cousin Riyadh (Reagan’s son) to put the rest into his.

When Reagan and Riyadh turned up it was 7:32 p.m so we set off but stopped at McDonald’s as we were hungry. By we, I mean I was hungry. Hey, you can’t stop a teenager from eating.

We were driving for about an hour when I got really cold. Luckily, I kept a blanket out for the drive. I was on my phone for a few hours of the drive, until it died. I forgot to charge it before we left and packed the charger. I’m so stupid!

 

16/6

 

Sorry I didn’t write yesterday, I was moving in to our new home. It is so nice. In Galway, we lived in a two-bedroom bungalow, but now we live in a three-bedroom house! I can actually climb stairs to go to bed. I know it sounds weird but I cannot wait to go to my new school. Because today’s Thursday, I go to my new school on Monday once I’ve got my uniform. Our uniform colours for Rose High School (my new school) is white shirts and navy blue pinafores for the girls and for the boys it is white shirt, navy blue trousers/ shorts (for the summer), blue blazers and hot pink ties. It sounds horrible but it looks very smart.

Unpacking is difficult because you have to find a place for everything and then tell everyone you’ve moved. I mean, last night we had kebab for dinner as we didn’t have and gas or electric for the oven. I got a text from Mickey wishing me the best. I miss him so, so much but I have to live my life. I replied:

Mickey, I’m going to miss you so much. Dublin is lovely and I live five minutes away from me grandmas. Make sure life treats you well and don’t be a stranger. I love you, man.

 

Writing these diary entries has allowed me to free my stress and worries. I don’t get angry as much either. But what I do get angry at is unpacking. It is the worst. I have a desk in my room that we had to take apart when we moved so now I have to put it back together.

I managed to put my bed, wardrobe and desk together within five hours. It took a while