Free Lemonade Sky by Jean Ure

another one tomorrow and then we could all share them and have a proper birthday tea together, the three of us. It would be nicer for Sammy than me and Tizz just sitting there watching her. We could pretend it was a little party, and put candles on her cake and sing Happy Birthday. Sammy would enjoy that.
    I felt quite proud and happy. I could cope! I was ’specially pleased about the cheese sandwich, cos cheese is healthy. It’s also one of the few things Sammy will eat without complaining. And Strawberry Frooties are all sweet and pink and yucky, so I knew she would enjoy that. Anything sweet, and especially pink!
    I could hardly expect Nina not to notice when I put the sandwich and the Frootie in my bag. I explained that I’d brought the carrots and apples with me cos I wasn’t sure how much longer they would last.
    “I reckoned I ought to eat them up first. I can always eat the sandwich later.”
    Nina agreed that that was probably a good idea. “D’you want a mouthful of curry?”
    “Not sure I’ll have room,” I said, “with all these carrots.”
    Omigod, those carrots were disgusting! Not only did they have brown bits in them, they’d gone all soft and bendy. It was like chewing rubber.
    “Just a mouthful,” urged Nina.
    In the end I had several mouthfuls. I couldn’t resist! I absolutely adore curry, it had been a great struggle not to grab one when I was in the lunch queue.
    “Phew!” Nina pushed her plate towards me. “Finish it off, please . I’m positively bloated!”
    She was such a bad liar. But the curry was bliss, especially after three days of nothing but toast and marge and rotting fruit. I was beginning to understand how difficult it must be for Mum, trying to feed us all a healthy diet on so little money. We’d always been broke, as long as I could remember. Even when Tizz’s horrible dad had been around. Even when Mum was working. It was always a struggle. But I couldn’t remember that we’d ever gone hungry.
    As usual, on my way home after school my heart started thudding, boompboompboomp, and a prickle of sweat broke out all over me. Would today be the day Mum came back? The blood pounded in my ears as I hurtled down the basement steps. Tizz flung open the door before I’d even got my key out.
    “We’re starving ,” she said. “What are we going to have for tea?”
    Crossly I said, “Why ask me?” Yesterday she’d just helped herself. A whole tin of sausages! I chucked my bag into a corner, before remembering, too late, that I had a Strawberry Frootie in there. I rushed across to rescue it.
    “I thought you were supposed to be in charge?” said Tizz.
    “Doesn’t seem to make much difference,” I said. “Nobody takes any notice.”
    “Oh. Well! In that case—” Tizz tossed her head. “We’ll eat what we like.”
    I said, “Where’s Sammy?”
    “Watching telly.”
    “Good.”
    I took out the Frootie and the cheese sandwich.
    “What are those for?” said Tizz.
    “They’re for Sammy. For her birthday tea. Did you get her anything?”
    “No, I couldn’t. People were watching.”
    I said, “Huh!” as I hid the Frootie and the sandwich on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard, where Sammy couldn’t see them. “For your information,” I said, “they were watching me, too.”
    “Big deal,” said Tizz.
    Whatever that was supposed to mean. She was just miffed cos I’d got something for Sammy and she hadn’t.
    “I’ve made her a card, as well,” I said. “See?”
    “From both of us?” said Tizz.
    “No. Just me.”
    I guess it was a bit mean, but then Tizz had been even meaner, not getting anything for Sammy’s birthday.
    We ate tea in glum silence. I boiled three eggs and one of them burst. Normally I’d have had the burst one, but today I didn’t offer. I said we’d toss for it. Just me and Tizz, and I won. But it seemed I hadn’t boiled them long enough. Sammy wouldn’t eat hers cos she complained it was runny.
    “And there’s something