Run, Zan, Run (2 page)

‘Well, you might not have meant to help me, but those girls have been giving me such a lot of bother. I don’t know what they would have done if you hadn’t stepped in when you did.’

The girl stepped from the box and brushed herself down, all the time eyeing Katie curiously. ‘What on earth are you frightened of them for? They’re wimps.’

‘Wimps?’ Katie took another tentative step forward, amazed. ‘Ivy … the last girl to run away, she’s the toughest girl in our school. Even the boys are frightened of her.’

‘What do you mean,
even
the boys? You must have a school full of wimps.’

She had every right to think that. Especially after the way Katie had hidden. ‘I was coming to help you yesterday. Honest.’

The girl shrugged that aside.

‘Didn’t need any help. Is that why you come this way? To avoid Bootface?’

Katie giggled. Bootface Ivy. She liked the sound of that.

‘You’ve seen me?’

The girl nodded. ‘Every day?’

‘Why have I never seen you?’

‘I’m an expert at hiding.’ She suddenly began to laugh. And Katie noticed, for the first time, her eyes. Bright blue, almost mischievous eyes. ‘You talk to yourself. I’ve heard you.’

Katie blushed.

‘Don’t worry about it.’ The girl punched her arm. ‘I thought I was the only one who did that.’

‘What are you doing on the dump anyway?’

‘I live here.’

Katie looked around. There wasn’t a building, a structure of any kind. ‘Here?’ She repeated. ‘Where?’

The girl stepped over to the cardboard box. ‘It’s called a mobile home.’

‘You’re kidding me on. Nobody lives in a cardboard box.’

‘Don’t they?’

‘But what about your home, your mum and dad?’

Her eyes lost their sparkle … or had the sun gone in? Katie couldn’t be sure.

‘Not got any. Look, I’m moving on. It’s getting a bit too busy for my liking around here.’ She hesitated. ‘I wouldn’t worry about Bootface too much. She’s a nothing.’

Katie stood watching her walk away, carrying her home with her. Did people really live like that? On the dumps? She knew there were homeless people. Wasn’t her dad always on about their duty to them? But as young as …

She realized with dismay she didn’t even know her name.

‘Hey?’ She called out and the girl turned round. ‘My name’s Katie Cassidy, by the way. You never told me your name.’

She stood for a moment, her head cocked to one side, reminding Katie of a bird. Then she smiled. ‘I don’t tell anybody my name.’ She said it as if having a name didn’t matter. ‘Call me anything you want.’

As the girl turned again, Katie caught sight of the faded print on the box she carried. Zan.

‘That’s what I’ll call her,’ she thought. ‘I’ll call her Zan.’

She’d probably never see her again anyway, this strange, mysterious girl. But as Katie watched her go, she was glad she’d met her. Glad too that she’d come back this morning to thank her.

Ivy Toner could be beaten, could be frightened.

She’d never be afraid of her again.

Thanks to the girl in the cardboard box.

Chapter Two

Katie was in the corridor waiting to go into her history class when Ivy turned the corner and began striding towards her, menace in every step.

She could feel her heart begin to pound, could sense the other girls turning from her, as they always did, too afraid of antagonizing Ivy to show any friendship towards her.

Ivy stopped beside her, flanked as ever by Michelle and Lindy.

‘So, where’s your clatty friend now?’

‘She fairly scared the knickers off you anyway.’ That was what she wanted to say … instead, she swallowed.

Ivy poked at her. ‘I asked you a question.’

‘She … she’s not a friend of mine …’ She heard herself answer. She should be sticking up for Zan. Yet here she was, ready to desert the girl in the cardboard box to appease Ivy.

‘You jist tell her to stay well away from me.’

Ivy curled her lip and tried to look fierce. Katie had a sudden picture of her fleeing over the dump. She giggled.

‘I know,’ she said, madness sweeping over her. ‘She fights dirty.’

Ivy almost fainted. To tell the truth, so did Katie. Had she a death wish, or something? Ivy knew what Katie was laughing at, what she was referring to. She knew that Katie had seen her running away. That memory made Ivy madder than ever. She leaned very close to Katie’s mouth. Katie shrank back so she wouldn’t have to smell her stale smoky breath.

‘I’m goin’ to get you, hear me? No’ now. No’ today. No’ here. But I’ll get you.’ She stood straight, still sneering. ‘A’ right, Katie?’

She laughed as she was leaving her. So did Michelle and Lindy. Katie felt the cold beads of sweat form on her brow. She had no doubt Ivy meant what she said. She would get her.

Now what was she going to do?

‘Aren’t you hungry?’ Her mother lifted the untouched plate from the table.

Katie shrugged.

‘Is something bothering you, Katie?’ Her mother sat across from her. She was very pretty, with large dark eyes and a head of rich dark curls. She looked much younger than her forty-four years. She was a little bit of a snob, but she had a kind heart and at least once a day did something completely silly.

Katie longed to tell her. But she knew what would happen if she did. Exactly what had happened before. Her mother would insist she be taken out of that ‘rough school’. Her father would insist with equal fervour that she remain where she was and face up to the bullies. ‘That’s the only way to beat them.’

They would have an awful row about her, and the last thing she wanted was for them to fight.

Her mother, however, guessed at the problem. ‘Is it that girl? Is she still giving you bother?’

Katie tried to protest, but too weakly.

‘She is! I knew it! Douglas!’ She pulled her husband’s paper from his fingers with a flourish. ‘I want her out of that school immediately!’

Her father looked from one hand to the other, wondering where his paper had gone to. Then his eyes moved to his wife, standing over him.

‘Katherine! I was reading the news.’

‘We have something much more important to discuss. Our daughter. I want her out of that school.’

Her father sighed. ‘Now will you give Katie credit for standing on her own two feet. She’s not going to give in to any bullies, are you honey?’

Slowly, Katie shook her head.

‘You see?’

‘You’d be much happier in another school, wouldn’t you dear?’

Again, Katie nodded.

‘There!’

‘She’s only saying that to agree with you.’

‘And she’s only staying in that school so she won’t hurt your feelings.’

‘And all you want to do is get her into Riverside Academy.’

‘It’s a fine school. It was my school too. If my mother knew I’d let her granddaughter go to that rough school … why, she’d turn in her grave.’

‘Katherine! You know fine and well your mother is alive and fighting fit and living in Aberdeen.’

‘Well,’ Katie’s mother said, refusing as usual to be beaten, ‘if she was dead she’d be birling in her grave.’

Katie stood up. ‘Honestly, Mum, I’m fine, I really am.’ She looked from one to the other, trying to convince them. ‘In fact, I think she’s going to leave me alone from now on.’

It seemed almost as if that might be true. Ivy and her cohorts ignored her in the corridors at school, swishing past her as if she didn’t exist. No longer did they wait for her outside the school gates either.

So why did she feel they were only biding their time?

Katie still walked over the dump, almost without fear – there was never any sign of Ivy.

There was never any sign of Zan, either – she couldn’t help but call her that – every cardboard box she knocked on was empty. Yet Katie longed to see her again, and tell her it was all over, thanks to her.

At least, she thought it was all over.

Hallowe’en came along, and there was a disco at the school. Many of the pupils were dressing up for it, but not Katie. She decided she’d feel silly walking up to school alone, dressed up. And she would be alone. Her so-called friends were still too afraid of Ivy to risk calling for her.

Her parents were having a fancy dress party of their
own, and the house was decorated with masks and sticky buns hanging from string and apples bobbing in buckets of water for the fun and games they intended for their friends.

‘I’ll run you up to school,’ her mother offered. She was half dressed as Cleopatra, with her make-up completed and wearing her wig, but otherwise incongruously attired in a jogging suit.

‘No, Mum, honestly, I’m meeting some of the girls.’ She lied because her mother would have insisted if she hadn’t. And it would be so embarrassing to be driven up to school with her dressed like that!

Her father, a convincing Count Dracula, would be an even more embarrassing chauffeur, and there were people in school who already thought her parents rather strange.

‘Now, are you sure?’ her mother asked again.

‘Honest, I’m meeting them round the corner.’

It was already dark when she left, but the road was brightly lit and busy, especially tonight, Hallowe’en, and it was fun being out in the street. Guisers of all shapes and sizes passed her, in all sorts of colourful and imaginative costumes.

She wished now she had taken the trouble to dress up.

Only at the old bridge spanning the disused railway track did the road become quiet. No guisers here, no children. Only an eerie quiet.

Ominous.

Katie began to hurry, the clipping of her shoes the only echoing sound as she almost ran across the bridge. She was nearly there. A car passed along the high road, its lights bright and welcoming. Safety.

Out of nowhere Ivy sprang. She had been hiding behind the wall. Behind her Michelle, then Lindy, till all three stood threateningly in front of her.

Katie glanced around. The street was empty.

Fight back, a voice inside told her. Kick, shout. scream. Do anything, but get away.

‘I don’t want any trouble.’ She knew her voice was trembling.

Ivy sniggered. ‘You’re no’ goin’ to give us any.’ She nodded to Lindy and Michelle. ‘Get her!’

Before she could move, a hand was clamped over Katie’s mouth, her shoulders firmly gripped. Lindy and Michelle lifted her off the ground, and half carried, half dragged her after Ivy. Round the wall of the bridge, through open fencing and bushes. She felt nettles sting her face as they pulled her roughly along beside the wall,
with the sheer rock drop under them on to the tracks below.

Ivy turned on her. ‘I told you I’d get you. Didn’t I? Well,’ her next words sent shivers through Katie, ‘tonight’s the night.’ She nodded to the other two. ‘Get her up there.’

‘Up there’ was a brick wall built to break a fall on to the rocks and tracks below.

Katie screamed, and knew it was useless. Who would hear her? Who’d take notice of a scream on Hallowe’en?

Katie was pushed on to the wall. Standing there, looking down – she couldn’t stop herself – she had never been so afraid in her life. She began to sway and tried to step back. Ivy’s hand gripped her calves. ‘No way, hen,’ she said. ‘You take a good look. ’Cause that’s where you’re goin’.’

Katie gasped. She couldn’t be serious. Even Ivy Toner couldn’t be that bad.

Ivy began to shake her legs.

‘Ivy, don’t!’ This was Lindy. Even she didn’t think Ivy’d go that far. ‘We could get into trouble for this.’

No worry about Katie’s safety, only their own.

‘Aye, let her go,’ Michelle pleaded. But Ivy’s grip remained firm.

Katie was afraid to breathe, afraid even the slightest movement would send her tumbling on to the rocks below.

‘Are ye ready?’ Katie could feel the pressure on her legs. One more push, no matter how gentle, and she’d be over.

She was going to die. At that moment, she had no doubt of that. She was about to die.

‘
Aiee!
’ The sudden shriek was from Lindy, standing on Ivy’s right. Katie was too afraid to glance round. She could only concentrate on keeping her balance – on not falling.

‘Hey, Lindy. Where ur you?’

There was no answer to Ivy’s question, but her grip remained as firm as ever.

‘
Aiee!
’ Now it was Michelle’s scream that made Ivy jump. Startling her so much that Katie almost fell. What was happening? She didn’t dare look back to see.

‘Michelle?’ Ivy sounded scared. ‘Lindy!’

But there was no answer. Lindy and Michelle had vanished.

‘Who’s there?’ As Ivy turned to confront whoever it was she let go of Katie. Katie didn’t waste a second. She jumped back off the wall, on to safe ground, just glad to
be alive, glad to be staying alive. She fell badly. Her ankle exploded with pain and she grasped it and rolled further away from Ivy, out of sight. From the shadows she watched Ivy. She was jumping around, looking left, looking right, her eyes wide and afraid.

‘Lindy! Michelle!’

‘They can’t help you now.’

The girl stepped from the darkness. Zan. Her face dirty and her hair matted, but her eyes bright and challenging.

‘You again …’ Ivy’s voice trembled. She was afraid. Ivy Toner was afraid! ‘Where are my mates?’

Zan only smiled. That seemed to scare Ivy even more.

‘Let me go.’

‘Who’s stopping you?’

Ivy darted to the left and the right, her nervous eyes never leaving Zan. Suddenly she rushed at her, trying to take her by surprise. Zan sidestepped her neatly, put out her foot, and tripped her over. Ivy crashed to the rocky ground, falling heavily, and Katie heard her howl with pain.

Zan placed a foot on Ivy’s back.

‘Let me up!’ Ivy screamed.

‘I’ll let you up … but only if you promise never to touch, go near, or threaten my wee friend again.’

‘Let me up!’ Ivy screamed.

Zan pushed Ivy’s face closer to the ground. ‘What are you not going to do?’ she insisted.

Katie gasped as she saw Ivy reach out her hand to grab Zan’s ankle. If she did she could topple her. But Zan was too quick. Suddenly, she was sitting astride Ivy’s back, both her wrists clamped in one dirty, strong little hand. With the other she pressed Ivy’s face into the dirt. ‘What are you not going to do?’ she repeated.