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I’m going to the police.”
    “Oh, brilliant. The daughter of Robbie Matthews turns up and asks for her bike back. Know what the police’ll say? They’ll say what goes around comes around. I’m sorry, Gemma, but you might as well start saving for a new one.”
    I was determined not to cry.
    “Yeah,” said Darren. “And I’ll tell the hospital to expect you after Sian’s done with you.”
    Mam turned on him before I had the chance. “And you can shut up. I want peace when I come home. D’you understand?”
    Darren went all meek. “Yes, Mam.” Then he grinned at me, but I didn’t care. I had bigger things to worry about, like who nicked my bike and surviving the showdown with Sian.

F IFTEEN
    I was packed into the aisle of the bus and scared stiff. When we got to Sian’s stop, there she was with Tracy and the rest. The adrenaline started pumping round my body. She was looking for me as soon as she got on. There’s something hard and cruel about Sian’s eyes, like she’s hunting – out for the kill.
    “You and me gonna talk,” she called out when she saw me. There were too many kids in the aisle for her to get to me, so as the bus went along I looked out of the window. I imagined myself cycling in a road race at the Olympics, leading the pack with my legs going like pistons. Then I realised the bushad stopped, and the adrenaline started up again as everyone began to get off.
    Sian came straight up to me. She looked like a dog baring its teeth.
    “Why d’you hit Ryan?”
    “I didn’t––”
    There was a gasp when she slapped me. All the usual chattering stopped. My cheek stung, and I felt a tear run down from my eye. Kids were all around us, like they’d been told to make a neat circle.
    “I didn’t hit him.” My voice was shaking.
    “Standing in the alley minding his own business, he was,” she said. “Then you turn up and have a go.”
    I braced myself for another slap when Kate pushed her way into the circle.
    “Hello.”
    “You keep out of this,” Sian said as she stabbed a finger towards her. “This your bodyguard?” she said to me.
    I didn’t feel so scared with Kate stood there. “I didn’t hit your brother,” I said again. “My bike got nicked and he saw who took it.”
    “He said he didn’t see nothing and you were asking him to grass.”
    “If he didn’t see nothing he couldn’t grass then, could he?”
    That was it. I could tell, just by the look in her eyes, that I was out of the gang. Part of me was relieved. She turned and walked off. Karen, Tracy and Jo sneered at me before following her. The circle of kids broke up, disappointed.
    Kate and me made our way into school.
    “Heard your bike got stolen,” she said. “Is that why you weren’t around in the afternoon?”
    I nodded.
    “Your gran was worried she’d upset you.”
    “Nah,” I lied.
    “She asked me to tell you to go round hers today, for lunch.”
    “You going?” I asked.
    “Unless it’s a problem?”
    I shrugged.
     
    I didn’t see Sian as we left at lunchtime, and we made straight for the terrace.
    “Any news?” Gran asked as soon as she opened the door.
    “About what?”
    “Your bicycle, of course. Oh, why didn’t you lock it, Gemma?”
    “Gran, don’t
you
start. It got nicked, all right? My fault. Not blaming anyone except me, stupid me!” Istarted crying. “I loved that bike…”
    “Come ’ere.” Gran hugged me, which set me off all the more.
    Up in Gran’s bathroom I washed my face. My eyes were puffy, and my cheek was still red from Sian’s slap. I listened at the wall but couldn’t hear anything from next door, so I guessed “gorgeous Banerjee” was at school – probably some posh one for boys and girls that play the flute or the piano.
    On the landing I could hear Kate and Gran talking. I made my way down, feeling a bit embarrassed. I went in and saw a twenty-pound note by my plate.
    “What’s this?”
    “Towards your new bike,” said Gran. She raised her hand.