Mary sighed. I almost laughed at her lack of enthusiasm. She echoed how the crowd felt. “I’ve a sign-up sheet fer yers. Come to the stage. Line up. C’mon. Ye’ve got te help out here, it’s compulsory.”
The crowd started to shift into a line, and I grabbed hold of Hiro’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go sign up for decoration making,” I said. “Mary needs our help, and it’s not like she’s not helped us.” I manoeuvred Hiro through the crowd to the queue. Daniel followed behind.
“What can we make?” Daniel asked with a frown.
I poked him in the chest. “You are a talented carpenter and you should tell them that. They might need help with tables or something.”
“I guess so,” he replied.
“Daniel, look.” I grabbed his arm. A few places in front of me stood Angela. She was with Cam. The two of them laughed as though they’d just heard a funny joke. “Do you think we should talk to her?”
It was Hiro who answered. “She’s thinking about not wanting to talk to you. In fact she’s thinking about running away right now in case you do talk to her.”
“I guess that’s a no then,” I said.
Daniel looked at me and I saw the hurt in his eyes. We both missed Angela. We’d been through so much together.
“Hey guys.” I turned around to see Sebastian behind us. “What are you signing up for?” He stood next to Ginge and looked flushed. He was smiling, and his brown eyes were wide and animated. It was obvious that he had a major crush on Ginge who was an extremely beautiful, albeit frightening, girl with wild red hair which hung in her eyes and whipped up in the breeze. Ali told me that she was his best rifle with the best shot in the Scavengers. She wasn’t the chatty type and would stand around snap her gum instead whilst eyeing you up as a threat.
“Decorations,” I said. “What about you?”
“The Scavengers are going to clear the market and I’m going to help.”
“What about you, Ginge?” I asked.
“I’m singin’.” She blew a bubble with her gum and it popped with a crack.
“I didn’t know you were a singer,” I said.
“I dunnae like te most of the time.” She talked at speed with a thick Scottish accent. I had to concentrate to understand her. “Just special occasions an’that.”
“She has a beautiful voice,” Sebastian gushed. “Hey, isn’t that Angela? I’ve not spoken to her for ages. Is she all right?”
I shared a glance with Daniel. We had no idea. I shrugged. Sebastian saw my expression and changed the subject, launching into a detailed retelling of the last few days on the market. I listened with a smile, holding Daniel’s hand on the left and Hiro’s on the right. We moved up the queue as people signed up for their tasks – slaughtering the pig, gathering table cloths, baking bread, finding garden games for the children.
“What have you got left?” I asked Mary when we reached the stage.
Mary leaned over to ruffle Hiro’s hair. “All right, laddie?”
“Yes,” Hiro answered.
She laughed at his shyness and then turned to me. “Ye can make bunting out of old tents?”
I wrinkled my nose.
“We need someone te climb trees to hang the decorations?”
Climbing trees sounded fun. “I can help with that.”
Mary thrust the sheet under my nose and I signed it. “What about ye, Danny-boy?”
“I’m a carpenter.”
“Stick yer name down here then.” Mary passed him the paper and pen.
Daniel’s face turned scarlet and I remembered why. Trying not to make it too obvious I took the pen and paper from him and scrawled his name down. Mary noticed but didn’t say anything. I took hold of Daniel’s hand and squeezed. His eyes were back to thunderstorms.
“What about ye?” Mary said to Sebastian.
“I can help dismantle the market stall.”
“All right then––”
“I ain’t havin’ a clone touchin’ my stuff,” a man interrupted us. He pushed past us towards Mary, his fists clenched. He was young, in his twenties,
The crowd started to shift into a line, and I grabbed hold of Hiro’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go sign up for decoration making,” I said. “Mary needs our help, and it’s not like she’s not helped us.” I manoeuvred Hiro through the crowd to the queue. Daniel followed behind.
“What can we make?” Daniel asked with a frown.
I poked him in the chest. “You are a talented carpenter and you should tell them that. They might need help with tables or something.”
“I guess so,” he replied.
“Daniel, look.” I grabbed his arm. A few places in front of me stood Angela. She was with Cam. The two of them laughed as though they’d just heard a funny joke. “Do you think we should talk to her?”
It was Hiro who answered. “She’s thinking about not wanting to talk to you. In fact she’s thinking about running away right now in case you do talk to her.”
“I guess that’s a no then,” I said.
Daniel looked at me and I saw the hurt in his eyes. We both missed Angela. We’d been through so much together.
“Hey guys.” I turned around to see Sebastian behind us. “What are you signing up for?” He stood next to Ginge and looked flushed. He was smiling, and his brown eyes were wide and animated. It was obvious that he had a major crush on Ginge who was an extremely beautiful, albeit frightening, girl with wild red hair which hung in her eyes and whipped up in the breeze. Ali told me that she was his best rifle with the best shot in the Scavengers. She wasn’t the chatty type and would stand around snap her gum instead whilst eyeing you up as a threat.
“Decorations,” I said. “What about you?”
“The Scavengers are going to clear the market and I’m going to help.”
“What about you, Ginge?” I asked.
“I’m singin’.” She blew a bubble with her gum and it popped with a crack.
“I didn’t know you were a singer,” I said.
“I dunnae like te most of the time.” She talked at speed with a thick Scottish accent. I had to concentrate to understand her. “Just special occasions an’that.”
“She has a beautiful voice,” Sebastian gushed. “Hey, isn’t that Angela? I’ve not spoken to her for ages. Is she all right?”
I shared a glance with Daniel. We had no idea. I shrugged. Sebastian saw my expression and changed the subject, launching into a detailed retelling of the last few days on the market. I listened with a smile, holding Daniel’s hand on the left and Hiro’s on the right. We moved up the queue as people signed up for their tasks – slaughtering the pig, gathering table cloths, baking bread, finding garden games for the children.
“What have you got left?” I asked Mary when we reached the stage.
Mary leaned over to ruffle Hiro’s hair. “All right, laddie?”
“Yes,” Hiro answered.
She laughed at his shyness and then turned to me. “Ye can make bunting out of old tents?”
I wrinkled my nose.
“We need someone te climb trees to hang the decorations?”
Climbing trees sounded fun. “I can help with that.”
Mary thrust the sheet under my nose and I signed it. “What about ye, Danny-boy?”
“I’m a carpenter.”
“Stick yer name down here then.” Mary passed him the paper and pen.
Daniel’s face turned scarlet and I remembered why. Trying not to make it too obvious I took the pen and paper from him and scrawled his name down. Mary noticed but didn’t say anything. I took hold of Daniel’s hand and squeezed. His eyes were back to thunderstorms.
“What about ye?” Mary said to Sebastian.
“I can help dismantle the market stall.”
“All right then––”
“I ain’t havin’ a clone touchin’ my stuff,” a man interrupted us. He pushed past us towards Mary, his fists clenched. He was young, in his twenties,
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