Later on that night I was lying in bed reading my Danny Dallesio fanzine when Mum came in to say goodnight. Crystal’s letter was tucked safely under my pillow next to my shell. “You’ll never guess what?” I said, sitting up to show Mum the page I was reading. “There’s a Danny Dallesio concert on the night before my birthday. Could I go with Ellie and Louise? I have to invite Louise because she invited me to her party, but could I, Mum? Please?”

“Listen, Jem, can we talk about that later? There’s something I need to tell you and I don’t want you to get upset, alright?”

I looked at her. She couldn’t have found out, could she? But there was no way. I’d had the letter with me every second since it arrived.

“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not Gran is it? I meant to phone her, but by the time I got home from Ellie’s and…”

My first break

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Background

• The Hinba Ghosts by Kate Green

• A1 Joe and the Roman Dog by Judith Low

• The Song of Sky and Evening by Charlie Scott

• Gemoc by Elizabeth Lawson

• The Beaten Road by Roberta Nichols

Background

• Reavers by Emily Diamand

• Jack Flynn and the Assassins by John M. O’Brien

• Tutankhamun: Diary of a Boy King by Laurence Rowley

• They Do Things Differently There by Ruth Furness

• The Secret Life of Jemma Jones by A. M. Conway

“No, Jem. Calm down will you, it’s not your gran. Just listen a minute. Dad rang tonight…”

“Yeah?”

“And you know how Miss Howell has been asking parents to come in to talk about their professions and hobbies to the class, you know, if they’re a bit unusual or a bit different?”

“Oh God, Mum, please don’t say what I think you’re going to say.”

“Sorry Jem, but yes, your Dad’s coming into school next Thursday to talk to your class about The Ancient Auras.”

“But Mum, he can’t. I’ll die! Doesn’t he care about me at all? I hate him, I really do. He’s not an expert on auras or meditating or anything like that. He only goes to that stupid pathetic group so that he doesn’t have to spend any time with me on Saturdays.”

“Oh come on, Jemma, you know that’s not true. You mean everything to your Dad, you and Sara.”

“But Mum!”

My hands were trembling. I wanted to grab hold of her and shake her hard til she realised what a nightmare this was.

“He can he do this to me, Mum? What’s he going to say? ‘Hi everyone, I’m Jemma’s dad. My name is Eagle Dust and I’m on a journey.’ Why can’t he just come in and talk about something normal like selling cars or fixing computers? I’m not going in that day; I swear I’m not. And you can’t make me.”

“Come on, Jemma, it’s not that bad is it? It might be quite interesting.”

I looked my mum square in the eyes and I could see that she knew very well that it was bad. How could it be any worse? I might as well go and bungee jump straight into the nearest pool of sharks. My life was over.

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