Polar Fish
– a crime story When Dad met Abigail I thought she was really great. She made Dad laugh which was something he hadn’t done since Mom left. Then they got married and she changed. One day nice, the next day – something from your worst nightmares. But –she saved her special, cruel side just for me.
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ISBN 978-91-27-42012-0
9 789127 420120
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Andy Coombs 10-06-09 17.09.08
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Amanda and Scott My name is Amanda. I’m thirteen. I’ve got braces to straighten my teeth. I wear my hair in a ponytail. I go to a good school and I do OK at Math and English. I live in a big house – Dad makes a lot of money from a gallery he runs in Manhattan, and he makes extra by being an art critic for a couple of magazines. I have a brother – Scott – he’s two years older than me and in the same school. He’s fifteen now and will leave school next year for junior college. We get on well – in fact really well. We sometimes argue about stuff but we make up quick. And that’s it. That’s me. I’ve got some friends at school but no one special – I usually hang out with Scott at break and lunch – but it’s OK. As I say, we’re good together. I’m going to miss him when he leaves 3
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for junior college next fall – but I’ll be OK. I always am. I guess you’ve noticed I haven’t mentioned a mom. It’s because I don’t have one. Not here anyway. She left Dad five years ago. Mom lives in China now. She got a job there, looking for old pots or something. She’s an archaeologist and people say she’s a really good one. Shame she’s not so good at being a mom. She never calls. Dad married again half a year ago. Abigail. She’s a doctor from England. We wanted to call her Abigail but Dad wanted us to call her Mom. He said it would help the family get closer. Scott said we already had a mom, then Abigail suggested we call her Mother like they do in England.
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Abigail – the stepmother When we met Abigail we thought she was really cool. I mean yeah, she had that stuck up accent, but she was funny and made us laugh. More importantly, she made Dad laugh which was something he hadn’t done since Mom left. In fact he kind of got younger when she was around. She bought us presents and stuff – not that we needed them – Dad gets us most everything we need – but it made us feel good. Then they got married and she changed. I don’t mean a slow change, I mean like a werewolf or something. One day nice, the next day – something from your worst nightmares. But not in front of Dad – never in front of Dad – to Dad she was all peaches and cream – she saved her special side just for us. 5
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Polar Fish
– a crime story When Dad met Abigail I thought she was really great. She made Dad laugh which was something he hadn’t done since Mom left. Then they got married and she changed. One day nice, the next day – something from your worst nightmares. But –she saved her special, cruel side just for me.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
ISBN 978-91-27-42012-0
9 789127 420120
paper_ghost.indd 1
Andy Coombs 10-06-09 17.09.08