Making pancakes

She’s taken it again! I can’t believe that she’s taken it again! All she ever does is take it so I can’t do anything or she teases me and calls me names. Mum never says anything to her. There’s mum – sat on the other side of the pool laughing with that man who shouts at everyone and throws them in the water. She won’t do anything. She thinks it’s funny.
I can’t be bothered to ask her to give it back. When I ask her to give it back she just laughs more and starts pulling silly faces. She looks so stupid when she pulls her faces. She’s so thick – my sister. She doesn’t know how much I need it but she still takes it. So I’ll just sit here with my mud. If Mum says anything I’ll just tell her I’m making pancakes.
“What if someone sees us?” Asks the other kid.
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just sat here – we’re playing’.”
The other kid looks a bit worried. He’s nice though. He gave me a bit of a funny look when he first saw me and I thought he was going to tease me like my sister does. But he didn’t. He just started playing with me. We’ve been playing together for all the holiday.
“What if someone says something?” says the other kid.
“We’re not doing anything wrong,” I say. “We’re just playing.”
I don’t how long we’ve been here now. I can’t even remember what day it is. Sunday. Monday. Monday. Sunday. Something like that. I like being on holiday – its better being here where it’s sunny that at home where it’s wet and cold. Yeah. I like being on holiday. I don’t like that man who’s talking to mum. He’s got loads of tattoos and he shouts all the time. Last night him and dad tried to chuck some bloke in the water. He’s so stupid – this bloke didn’t want to go in. He didn’t want to play. It was too cold and it was nighttime. As soon as the man with the tattoos grabbed him he fell on the floor and started screaming. He didn’t like it. But the man with the tattoos just laughed and grabbed him even harder. Dad thought it was funny – but it wasn't. It wasn't funny. It was sad. This other bloke just sat on the floor screaming until all his clothes were ripped and he was crying. I felt really sorry for him and I started crying. Dad just laughed.
Dad always laughs when anyone cries.
“Shall I get some more mud?” Asks the other kid.
“Yeah,” I say. “Go on then.”
It’s really sunny again today. I’ve been sat right in the sun for ages now and it’s starting to hurt. I can’t do anything until my sister brings it back, though. She’s so stupid – my sister. Mum told her this morning that all she had to do all day was make sure I had sun cream on. She hasn’t put any sun cream on me. I want to go and sit over by mum but I can’t until she brings it back. She’s so stupid. All she does is go down the slide or she runs around with other really fat girl. She doesn’t even like the fat girl. I don’t know why she hangs about with her. I reckon it’s because the fat girl’s mum and dad have got loads of money and they buy her loads of drinks and ice creams.
There are loads of people sat round the pool today. Everything was really quiet earlier on before that man with the tattoos turned up. We were all just sat here being really quiet and then he turns up and then it’s really loud. He started jumping in the water and shouting a load of rubbish. Then he started throwing people in the water. He thinks it’s funny. But it’s not. It’s stupid. Everyone else just gets annoyed because there’s too much noise and they’re getting covered in water. All they want to do is sit there and enjoy it being sunny and quiet. The man with the tattoos just ruins it for all of us. Mum doesn’t like him. She only talks to him because dad likes him. Dad gets angry if mum isn’t nice to his friends. Dad doesn’t get angry with the man with the tattoos. He just laughs and joins in with jumping in the water. He’s so stupid.
“Do you want to go for a swim, Michael?” Says my sister. She gives me a push on my shoulder.
“No! Get off!” I say. “Leave me alone!”
Why won’t she leave me alone? She knows I can’t swim.
“Come on, Michael,” she says. “Lets see if you float or if you sink to the bottom.” She gives me another push on my shoulder.
“Get off!” I say. “You know I can’t swim.”
I’m so afraid now. I thought that she was going to leave me alone for a while but the fat girl’s gone off with her mum and dad. She’s bored so she’s going to start picking on me.
“Better learn pretty quick then, hadn’t you!” she says.
“Tracy!” Shouts mum. “Leave Michael alone! You’re making too much noise!”
My sister pokes her tongue out at me and runs off again. I’m still a bit scared though. What if I do fall in the water? There’s no way I’ll be able to swim. School take me to the swimming pool sometimes and someone comes in with me. That’s brilliant! I know I’m going to be alright because someone holds onto me. But sat here on the edge of the pool with my sister running around nicking my stuff and saying she’s going to push me in – that makes me really scared.
“Tracy!” Shouts mum. “Where is it?”
“What?” says my sister.
“You know what!” says Mum.
My sister grins and looks at the floor where all my mud should be.
“I’ve hidden it,” says my sister.
“Well unhide it and put it back next to him,” says Mum. “I don’t want messing around later. I just want to go!”
My sister looks fed up and goes off to get it. That’s funny. She hates it when mum catches her out.
“I’ve got more mud,” says the other kid. “Are you sure this is alright?”
“Yeah,” I say, “I told you – we’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just playing.”
“Oh yeah,” says the other kid. “What was all that about with your mum?”
“She was telling my sister off for nicking my stuff,” I say.
“What? You’re…”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
The other kid tips the bucket with the mud in it on the floor next to me and we start playing again. I would be enjoying it more but the man with tattoos has started getting all loud again. He thinks it’s funny that my sister has got told off and has started teasing her. I know he’s really teasing me but he’s too scared to talk to me. He hasn’t spoken to me once. He doesn’t want me talking to him.
I know we’ll be alright – tipping the mud into the pool. Mum won’t see us. She’s too busy pretending to like the man with the tattoos. She won’t see what I’m doing. She knows she has to like the man with the tattoos. Dad would get angry if she didn’t like him. It’s bad when dad gets angry. He hurts her and she cries. He hurts her and she has all cuts and stuff on her face. When granny and granddad come round and start shouting at mum for having her cuts and stuff she just says that she falls down the stairs or she falls over. She so stupid. Why doesn’t she just tell them that dad hurts her? I know she’s scared of dad and she’s probably scared of the man with tattoos, but why would she be scared of granny and granddad? They’re not going to hurt her.
“Michael!” shouts mum.
“What?” I say.
“What’re you doing with that mud?”
“Nothing,” I say.
“Yes you are!” say Mum.
“I’m not doing anything,” I say. “I’m just making pancakes.”
My sister brings it back and puts it back next to me. I suppose I’ll be going now. Mum has just told her to unfold it and lift me into it. She can do it on her own now – before she was too small and would’ve needed someone to help her lift me in. She’s getting bigger. The other kid wouldn’t have helped. He’s really nice and he’s good at playing but he wouldn’t help me into my chair. Why should he?
“Spaz,” says my sister really quietly.
“I was just making pancakes,” I say.