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has their faults–I’m sure I have simply loads–but Honey was so sweet, and so good-natured, and so eager to please. I don’t remember her ever once being nasty about anyone. She never made unkind remarks, like the rest of us did. I wish I’d been nicer to her! There werelots of times when I was mean. Like for instance when I said that we should dump our bikes in the hedge and walk up the hill to the station, and she gave me this reproachful look and said, “We can’t just dump them!”
    I said, “Why can’t we?”
    â€œCos that really would be stealing,” said Honey.
    That’s when I got mean. I said, “Look, just stop with all this stealing thing, you’re driving me nuts! This is my bike, and I can do what I like with it. And that’s Kirsty’s, and she doesn’t even use it any more. In any case, look at the state of it!”
    Even then, she had to go and argue with me, saying why couldn’t we leave them at the station so they could be found and given back? I snapped, “Cos we don’t want them to be found! We’re supposed to be running away . Right? We don’t want them coming after us before we’ve even got anywhere! For goodness’ sake!”
    Honey shut up then. We dumped the bikes where I said, and walked on up the hill. Because it was Sunday,there were hardly any people about. There was no one at all at the station, just me and Honey. According to the indicator board there was a train due in five minutes, and I have to say that that was a great relief. I’d been a bit worried about the trains, to tell the truth, cos they don’t have that many on a Sunday. If we’d have missed the 15:18, we’d have had to wait over four hours for the next one. I don’t what we’d have done. Gone into hiding, or something. I said to Honey that I thought luck was on our side.
    â€œIncidentally,” I said, “did you bring your phone with you?”
    She nodded, eagerly.
    â€œWell, just make sure you don’t use it,” I said. “In fact, give it me! I’ll take care of it for you.” I had this feeling they could trace people through their mobiles; I was sure I’d seen it on the telly. “It might even be bestif we just junked them,” I said.
    Honey’s lip quivered. “Junk our phones?”
    â€œYes! But wait till we’re on the train, we can chuck them out the window. They’re no use to us,” I said. “Not unless you want to get caught and dragged back home again?”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œOK, so gimme your phone.”
    Obediently, she handed it over. I could tell she wasn’t happy about it, cos Honey’s phone was her pride and joy, but we simply couldn’t afford to take any chances.
    â€œDon’t worry, we can always get new ones later on,” I said.
    Honey opened her mouth to say “How?” I knew she was going to say how; all she ever did was ask questions that I couldn’t answer. Extremely annoying. I told her again not to worry.
    â€œIt’ll all work out. Look, here’s the train!”
    The ticket office was closed, which meant we had to buy our tickets on board. I should have told Honey that I would get them for both of us; I just didn’t think. It was nearly a disaster! When the ticket man came round and asked us where we were going, Honey went and jumped in before I even had a chance to open my mouth. Very loudly and firmly she said, “I want a ticket to Glasgow!” And then she promptly clapped a hand to her mouth and squawked, “I mean, L—”
    â€œNew Street.” I got it in just in time. Another second and she’d have blurted it out. “Two singles to New Street.”
    â€œNot London?” She whispered it at me, but by then there was no one to hear. The ticket man had gone, and the rest of the train was deserted. “I thought we were going to London!”
    I