Welcome to Case Closed. You're listening to Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney, narrated by Stephanie Racine. Let's pick up where we left off last time.

Before. Wednesday, 13th November, 1991. Dear Diary, I've been ten for a whole month now,

and I'm not sure double figures feels any different really, even though mum said it would.

There's still loads of stuff I'm not allowed to do. I'm still quite short, and I still miss Nana every day.

I'm so angry with Mum for lots of reasons, but especially because of what she did at

parents' evening tonight. She went on her own because dad had to work late.

Mum said he might sleep there again. He's been working really hard lately.

Because she didn't have dad to talk to, she got chatting to some of the other parents at school. When she got home, she was all excited, not because of my brilliant grades like a normal

human being, but because she'd met Taylor's

mum and was so pleased to find out I'd made such a good friend. She went on and on about it,

asking why I hadn't mentioned Taylor. I said I didn't want to talk about it, and we sat in

silence for a while. Once Mum understood that I was in a not-talking mood, she got up from the

table and made herself a mehito. I don't know what's in it, but she calls it her happy drink.

She made me a lemonade with lots of ice and a bit of mint on top so that my drink looked like

hers. I took the mint out when she wasn't looking.

Then she got some chicken and breadcrumbs and crinkle cup chips out of the freezer, which is my

absolute favourite dinner that she makes. She got the ketchup from the cupboard and turned it upside down,

then set just two places using Nana's best plates. Because Dad wasn't there, she carried the little TV

into the kitchen from his study, and we watched Coronation Street while we ate, rather than having

to try to think of things to say to each other. We were sort of having a nice time, but then,

just after her third mehito, I was only counting how many in case it's the mahetos that are making her

fat. She ruined everything. So I've got a surprise for you because you're doing so well at your

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