Page 29 of The Dead Ex

G–R–E–A–T V–A–L–U–E.

‘There’s a big stack of DVDs just inside. Darren’sgoing to push Kieran into it, pretending to have a row. They’ll come falling down. While the assistants are distracted, you’ve got to go to that other display – see? The one on the right. Grab a load and scarper. OK?’

‘But what if I get caught?’

‘You won’t if you’re quick. And if you do, you say nothing. Got it? Not even “No comment”, cos then it looks like you’ve done this sort of thing before.Just act scared and cry.’

‘Why can’tyoudo it?’

‘Cos I’ve already got a caution.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Don’t mess around with me, Scarlet. You know what I bloody mean.’ Dawn gave her a push. ‘Move it.’

‘I don’t want to. I’m scared.’

‘Want to be my best friend?’

She nodded.

‘Go on then. You’re clever. I know you can do it.’

Scarlet’s legs began to walk unsteadily towards the shop door.

‘Aboutfucking time,’ one of the boys said. Then suddenly, without warning, he raised his fist. One of the uncles had once hit Mum, and she’d clobbered him back, just as Darren and Kieran were doing to each other.

There was a loud clattering noise as the DVD display fell over. ‘Those kids are at it again,’ shouted one of the shop assistants.

Quickly! Scarlet’s fingers were shaking so much that shecould hardly pick them up. One, two, three, four.

‘STOP THAT GIRL,’ she heard someone yelling after her. ‘The black kid with the braids and red beads.’

No! She’d dropped one. Too late to bend down. Running out of the door, she dashed down a corridor. Where should she go now? Dawn hadn’t said.

Then she saw it. A sign. L–A–D–I–E–S.

‘If you ever get into trouble, go to the toilet,’ Mum had alwayssaid. ‘Lock yourself in and then scream for help.’

Scarlet shut the first cubicle door behind her. There was shit all over the floor (ugh!) and no toilet paper. Sitting on the seat, she panted with terror. Someone was coming!

‘That one’s occupied,’ said a voice. ‘Take the next one.’

Scarlet waited until the loo had flushed and the footsteps had gone.

Creeping out of the toilets, she startedto walk as fast as she could across the centre to the main doors. Round the corner maybe? And down this road here towards McDonald’s? Someone had thrown a bag of chips into the bin outside. Scarlet wolfed them down. There was a park over the road. Some swings. Mum might be there, looking for her. Perhaps they’d let her out of prison by now …

‘There you are!’

It was Dawn.

‘Got the stuff? Goodgirl. Time to pass them on.’

Scarlet didn’t like to ask what that meant in case Dawn stopped being her friend.

They walked and walked through the rain until they reached a market on the other side of town. It was different from the one where the man used to give Scarlet vegetables. This one had men who didn’t smile or ruffle her hair.

‘I’ll give yer a fiver,’ one of them said to Dawn.