Page 93 of I Can't Even Think Straight

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each with their own role to play.

I feel embarrassed

not to have known this.

I feel angry without knowing why.

Then I remember last year

Mum wouldn’t take a day off

to take me to an exhibition

about Malorie Blackman

and the power of stories

at the British Library.

Even though Mum knows

I wanna be an author

and Malorie is one of my favorites.

I made sure to tell Mum

the exhibition was free entry

in case she was worried

it would cost lots of money.

But all she was worried about

was the loss of earnings

if she didn’t do her stall.

She told me I could go

on my own or with a friend.

But I didn’t want to go

on my own or with a friend.

I wanted to go with her.

I wanted Mum to show me

she’s as “invested” in me

as she claims to be.

I wanted Mum to show an interest

in what’s important to me.

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