A Total Shock

• Sarah Cui, Grade 5, Mary Immaculate Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

My face went pale white. I was over at Becky's house. I'm always over there, she is my best friend after all. " Are you okay?" she asks, "you've gone all pale!" "I'm fine," I manage to mutter. " I...need to go to the bathroom." I run to the toilet, holding the newspaper tight to my chest. I lock the door behind me and slump down onto the floor. I didn't really need to go to the toilet, I had to just have a few quiet minutes to myself. I open the newspaper and rip out the page with the picture on it and the page it was connected to, so that you really couldn't notice it unless you looked carefully. I folded that page over and over again so that it was so small that it would fit in my jumper pocket. I exhaled a few times and counted to ten. Horrid thoughts ran through my mind. 'Why did he do that?' 'When was it?' 'Where did he do that?' I pulled myself together and tiptoed out the door. Becky was outside waiting for me. " Are you ok?" she asked. " I'm fine. It must had been the rolls we had for lunch, " I lied. " Oh, so you're fine. What a relief! My mum is going to drive you home now, so bye! See you at school!" Becky called out as her mum's car and I sped down the road.
I can hear the arguing from outside, even before I enter my house. I suddenly stop dead in my tracks. 'Did my mum know already?' I thought, as shiny sweat beads rolled down my face. 'Keep it together Kylie. It might not be that they are arguing about,' I tell myself but I wasn't sure if I could believe that. I open the door slightly to hear what they are talking about. " Why didn't you buy the morning newspaper?! You always buy it! " I hear my mum shout. "I forgot, alright?!" my dad yells back. I take a huge sigh of relief. They aren't arguing about what is on the newspaper...because my dad saw what was on it and he didn't want us to know about it! I open the door and go into the house. " Hi sweetie!" my mum says. " Hi mum!" I reply. " Hey Kylie! Whats up?" my dad exclaimed, a little less enthusiastic than usual. "Hi dad," I reply in the same tone without looking at him. I couldn't, I just couldn't. 'Why did you do it Dad?' I ask myself.