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him to pal up with?
    Fiona? Hardly likely. She was far too common for the likes of Zesh.
    The fat girl? No, somehow, he didn’t think she was quite the kind Zesh would want to spend time with.
    Thinking about it, there was only Liam. He mightsurprise Zesh. Now that there was no Axel in the picture, and that was what he had hoped for, no Axel, Liam felt free. He stretched himself out, his legs under the seat. And he opened his eyes for one last look. His mum and dad and his two brothers were standing by the car, waving. He waved back. There were Zesh’s parents too. His dad looked as arrogant as Zesh himself. Standing erect, he only nodded at Zesh, but his mother kissed her fingers and placed them tenderly against the window of the bus. Zesh looked embarrassed by the gesture. The redhead with the big boobs could only be Fiona’s mother. She was as loud as her daughter. Jumping up and down and jiggling all over the place. ‘Cheerio, hen. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!’
    Fiona peeked over the bag she held over her face. ‘Would she no’ give anybody a red face? She’s a total embarrassment!’
    Considering Fiona had purple hair, Liam thought she had a bit of a cheek saying that.
    And the fat woman, well, she just had to be Angie’s mum. She looked so much like her. She was standing beside Angie’s dad, holding his hand. Her expression was full of concern. No wonder. Their daughter was sitting beside the dreadful Fiona.
    Mr Marks jumped on the bus. ‘Right, is everybody here?’
    He looked relieved that the ‘everybody’ didn’t include Axel. He checked his watch. ‘I think we’ve waited long enough for Axel O’Rourke. Let’s get this show on the road then.’
    Yeah, Liam was thinking, fast, before Axel does turn up.
    There was a cheer as the door folded shut. The waving grew frantic, as if the parents thought their children were off to the wars and not on a school trip.
    The bus had just begun to move off when a car roared into view. Allan’s car. Liam recognised it. Allan was Axel’s mother’s latest boyfriend. His heart sank. The car drew to a halt and Axel was bundled out. He didn’t want to go either. You could see that in his face. Mr Marks spotted him. For a moment it looked as if he wouldn’t stop the bus. He did, but very reluctantly. There was an ominous sigh from everyone.
    The door slid open and Axel jumped on. His face broke into a sarcastic smile. ‘Breathe easy, folks, I’m here.’

Chapter 8
    I saw death that day, so much death. The bodies of my comrades floating in the sea beside me, the smell of charred flesh. Part of me wanted to give up and let death take me too, but I fought on, swimming against the tide in the ice-cold water, heading towards a gloomy shore. If I could reach the land, I would be safe.
    Safe?
    It would perhaps have been better had I died in the water.
    * * *
    â€˜It looks like a prisoner of war camp to me.’ Fiona threw her rucksack down in disgust. ‘I was expecting a five-star hotel at least.’
    She glared at the low corrugated-iron building that hugged the compound. The windows were open and bright yellow curtains fluttered in the breeze. There were flowers blooming along the borders, but there was no disguising the fact – it was a corrugated-iron building.It was bad enough most of them had been sick on the boat coming over, but to arrive finally at this!
    â€˜It’s been here for years, Fiona.’ Mr Marks lifted her rucksack and pushed it back into her arms. ‘But it’s been all modernised inside. Twin-bedded rooms for the girls, and four-bedded rooms for the boys.’
    Liam shouted out, ‘That’s sex discrimination, sir.’
    Mr Marks didn’t even bother to disagree with him. ‘I know. It is. Now, come on.’
    Angie came running up beside him. ‘Does that mean me and Fiona can share, sir?’
    Fiona