Family Secrets

• April Narustrang, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2016

Hi my name is Letty Mainjer; my brother’s name is Max Mainjer but he claims his last name is Glen (he’s always being weird and it makes me wonder). We also have a mum and dad.
Today Max is going to Adventure World and I have to stay at home with a dumb baby sitter and write for a competition. While he is away I start. I write for about 30 seconds and then get bored. My room is messy and I need somewhere to hang out. So I go to my parents’ room. I love to try on Mum’s high heels so I look in her wardrobe. I can’t find them but I see a pink box with a name on it. It says Lola so I look inside and find some baby clothes with tags on saying Lola Mainjer. There is also a birth date the same as mine. Do I have a twin sister?
The next day at school is boring and I forget to hand in my short write - oops. When I get home I run and tell Dad about my discovery, he looks alarmed and he tells me not to tell Mum.
I ask why and he says, “Sssshhhh” as Mum steps in the door.
Later that evening Mum asks me about my day so I tell her about the short write and well she sends me up to my room without any dinner. But thankfully Max comes up and gives me a cookie and milk. I thank him and read my favourite book called ‘Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh’. It’s one of those silly, crazy books like the ones that Andy writes. Then I try writing my own story. I decide to do a cliff hanger on the end as everyone says that cliff hangers are good ways to end. My story is about a girl called Letty Mainjer.
The next day I show it to the teacher Mrs Pen (good name for a teacher) and she says I can enter it in a new competition next week. After a long and busy week at school the teacher says that I have come second place and won $250. Awesome!
Dinner this night is normal. Everyone seems upset so I tell them I won $250. It doesn’t seem to cheer Mum up but it does cheer my brother up. He asks if he can have some and I say no. He tries to steal some later but I catch him and tell Mum. She doesn’t react so I get ready for bed and dress in my PJs. When she comes to tuck me in I remember about Lola and how Max always says his last name is Glen. It is all starting to add up but I still don’t tell Mum about what I suspect because I know it will upset her. But then she says to me I have something to tell you…