Past

I paused the current episode of The Mist I was watching and made my way up the stairs, hoping that maybe she just wanted a lie in, or she hadn't realised how late it was and accidentally stayed in bed, but I knew, deep down, how unlikely either of those scenarios were. I knocked tentatively on the door of her bedroom.

"Don't let them in!" I heard her terrified reply, and I knew that this would be one of the worst days of all. Sad mum I could deal with, and even angry mum at a push, but scared mum was on a whole new level - I had to watch my every word, my every movement, because any little thing could send her down into a spiral of fear.

"It's okay, mum. It's just me. Can I come in?" I said softly against the door.

"Yes, just... Just don't let them in!" I opened the door slowly, letting her see that it was me, her daughter, first, before allowing myself into the room fully.

"They're here!" She said, and I saw tear tracks on her face.

"It's going to be okay, mum, but you have to calm down. You're safe." I maintained my gentle tone, but she merely whimpered.

"You don't understand. They're here. They're here! They won't stop until we're both dead!"

Present

Jody shook me awake, and I yawned sleepily, before sitting up slowly, blinking a couple of times, and stretching my arms.

"You're such a deep sleeper! I've been shaking you for ages!"

"What time is it?" I asked, and got out of bed, almost free of my sleepiness.

"It's eight, I know it's not a lie in, but we'll have a lot of chores."

"Ok, just let me get dressed. I'll be right down." I dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, ran a brush through my hair and threw it in a quick ponytail, and smiled at Minnie, still sleeping in her bed and went downstairs into the kitchen where almost everyone else was already eating, and I grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and sat down next to Tyler.

"That's all you're having?" Asked Jody from the other side of the table. I glanced down, and saw her plate pile high with toast and bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Yeah, I'm not really a breakfast person." I shrugged and took a bite of the apple.

"But what about bacon?!" Exclaimed Tyler. "How do you survive without bacon?!" I laughed.

"I've never really liked bacon that much."

"You don't like bacon? And you think you know someone." He shook his head at me in mock disgust.

"We literally just met yesterday."

"Yeah, but still - you don't like bacon!"

I finished eating my apple and, still siting down, lobbed my apple core in the bin and poured some of the cheap cat food Mike and May-li had bought into her cat bowl. I walked upstairs and into my room, but Minnie had gone, and for a second I was worried, but then I remembered just who might have cat-napped her.

"Hey, Tee, where's Ryan's room?" I asked her as she walked past.

"That way and on the left." She pointed me in the right direction.

"Thanks."

I followed her directions and knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" He asked, and instead of replying I pushed the door open.

"I believe you've stolen my cat again." I raised my eyebrows at him, and he looked nonchalantly up at me from where he was sat on his bed, reading a comic, with Minnie curled up in his lap.

"Is it stealing if she came to me?" I rolled my eyes, and I put Minnie's bowl of food down on the floor, and she jumped down and started to eat.

"I have to give her up, you know." His head snapped up.

"What?"

"Mike said I can't keep her."

"That's ridiculous!"

He gestured for me to sit down and I joined him on the bed.

"They think that it'll cost too much, and some of the others could be allergic, and, oh yeah, she might not get on with Mischief the dog."

"If Bailey was allowed to keep that mangy animal, I can't believe they'd do that! We can figure out something, I'm sure."

"We?"

"Yeah, d'you want my help or not?"

"Look, I honestly don't think that there's anything we can do, and I don't want to get on anyone's bad side. If an opportunity arises, then sure, but for now I don't see a way around this." He looked down for a second, and then nodded.

"Okay. Do you want to go downstairs?" I stood up.

"Yeah. Sure." We walked down to the kitchen in virtual silence, and walked in to see Tyler balancing an orange on his forehead.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath, and Ryan let out a quiet laugh.

"Trust me, that's normal around here."

"55... 56..."

Mo was counting, glancing at his watch, but the orange began to wobble.

"57... " but the orange had fallen off. Some of the other kids who were crowded around him reached forwards and grabbed pound coins from the table.

"Are you gambling?" Asked May-li, who had just walked in.

"Come on, just give me another chance! I need that cash!" Said Tyler.

"Well what for?" May-li was still as confused as I was.

"A pass to the leisure centre - they've done it all up! It's got a wave machine and everything."

"You're entitled to a free pass y'know. You all are."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's in the forum news letter."

Carmen handed him the leaflet she had been reading.

"What's this all about?"

"The children in care council forum." Carmen replied.

"Yeah, all the members are young people in care." Added May-li. "It's good - gets things done.

"A free leisure centre pass! This is brilliant!" Exclaimed Tyler, making May-li laugh.

"They do other things as well."

"Can I get free tickets to the football?"

"Not just free stuff, Tyler." May-li sounded a little exasperated. "You know, it gives you a voice. Lets you be heard."

"Mmkay... So who do we ask about this?"

"Er, well, we don't have a representative, but we can put one up; there's a space for Ashdene Ridge, all we gotta do is just nominate someone."

"Seriously? I'm well up for that!" This last comment was met with sniggers from everyone else.

"I'm serious. I could do that." He looked affronted. "It's, you know, important."

"Come on, you've only just heard of it." Said Bailey, who Tyler had introduced me to that morning.

"Okay, so, Tyler it is then." Smiled May-li.

"Hold on a minute. I want to do it!" Said Floss, looking almost triumphant.

"Oh, come on, you?" Smirked Tyler.

"Yes, and it's not just because I want the freebies."

"But it's not just because I-"

"You so do." Cut in Kazima.

"Alright, alright. Looks like we're gonna have an election, then." Said May-li. "Tyler against Floss." To this, Floss looked as though she'd already won, but Tyler looked disappointed.

"Don't worry Tyler - I'll vote for you." I smiled in an attempt to cheer him up, and he looked slightly less down.

Everyone left the kitchen and went their separate ways, and I followed Harry.

"Um, Harry? Can I have a word?" I asked, and he smiled up at me.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

"It's about Minnie."

"What happened?! Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. It's nothing like that, but Mike and May-li won't let us keep her. We get enough time to find her a good owner, but that's it."

I knew that her wasn't as attached to her as I was, but I knew that it would still come as a blow to him.

"I'll talk to him - to Mike. I'll get him to change his mind." And before I could reply, he had run off to the lounge, probably to get back up from some of his friends, but I walked straight to Mike's office, where I could hear raised voices, as Ryan was hovering, ear suspiciously close to the door.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as his head snapped towards me, and he not-so-subtly moved away from the door.

"Nothing." He said, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Since when is eavesdropping nothing?"

"Keep it down would you!" It took him a second to realise what he had said.

"Okay, fine, I'm eavesdropping. Now, please just shut up!" I raised my hands in surrender, and after a couple of seconds, a furious looking Carmen stormed out of the office, and Ryan jerked his head away from the door.

"How do you know I won't just tell everyone?"

"Lucky guess?" He shrugged, smirking, and before I had the chance to reply, I heard Tee's

voice.

"You should've put yourself up for this, Sash." She said to the girl waking next to her with the rainbow dreads.

"Oh, you reckon?" She looked pleased with herself.

"Yeah, you'd be well good!"

"Are you having a laugh? She makes Tyler look like Barrack Obama." Said Ryan.

"Hark who's talking." I retorted.

"Yeah, who asked you?" Said Sasha, folding her arms.

"Sorry, you don't have to stand for us to know you're a loser." Ryan said, and with that, he walked off with everyone else.

"Right, everybody listen up, okay?"

We were gathered in lounge, where May-li was explaining the rules of voting.

"There's a few rules - everyone has only one vote, on these." She held up a smallish piece of paper with two boxes drawn on it, one labelled Tyler and the other Floss.

"So you put your X on Tyler or Floss."

"Only vote for Floss." Floss cut in.

"Yeah, thank you. Then, you pop it in the slot like this." She finished, looking around to check that we all understood.

"How to we know who to choose?" Asked a younger girl whose name I hadn't learnt yet.

"They'll have to persuade you, and you have until," May-li checked her watch "four o'clock."

"Got it." Said Mo.

"Oh, and no asking Mike and I for help, yeah? We have have to be impartial. We can't be seen taking sides okay, so good luck to the both of you."

"Don't forget - vote Floss!" Floss smiled around as everyone dispersed, and Tyler looked a little lost. He walked over to Carmen, who didn't look very convinced by what he was saying, and it looked like Floss had already won.

"Hey, Alex, do you want to come to he skate park with me? I'm meeting a few of my friends there and I thought I could introduce you." It was Harry.

"Yeah, I'd love to! I, uh, don't have a skateboard or anything though."

"Oh, that's okay. You can borrow mine if you like. Or, you could just watch."

"Yeah, let's do it." We walked to Mike's office to let him know that we were leaving.

"Mike, I'm going now, and Alex is coming too if that's okay."

"Where are you going?"

"To the skate park. You said I could."

"Oh, yeah, of course. Off you go." Mike waved a dismissive hand at us. Harry grinned at me, an we began to walk out of the office, when I heard May-li say to Mike,

"You've done the risk assessment for that, right?"

And then his frantic reply,

"No, no." I turned around, and he almost dived through the door.

"Harry, I'm sorry mate, you can't go today."

"But you said! I'm meeting my friends there." I could tell that Harry was more upset than he was letting on.

"Well, I haven't done a risk assessment."

"So do one now!"

"It's not that simple, Harry. I'd have to go to the skate park and-"

"Well come on then, my friends are waiting for me."

"Harry, no! I can't just drop everything!" Mike'svoice was getting louder as he got more frustrated with Harry, and I felt as though I should cut in, though I had no idea what to say.

"Well why not?" Asked Harry.

"You're not the only person here alright!" Mike was yelling now, and his raised voice had attracted the attention of Ryan, who had come through the kitchen door looking curious. "Some of us have to keep this place running!" He was reminding me of when mum got angry in her Bad Days, and I felt frozen, remembering what it was like. I had thought I was safe here, but maybe Mike was just as bad.

"I don't suppose you ever think about that, do you?!"

"Mike!" May-li was trying to cut in an calm Mike down, and I gave Ryan a 'help' look.

"Forget it." Said a completely put out Harry. He walked over to where Ryan and now several other people had gathered, and Ryan put his arm around him. I followed, and stood on the other side of Ryan.

"I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." Mike finally seemed to get it together, but I was still braced for another outburst.

"Look, I promise that I'll sort it out."

"Are you okay?" I heard Ryan mutter into my ear, and I almost jumped in surprise.

"Yeah, I just- it reminded me of my mum, and I just... I just panicked."

I looked up at him, and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"It's okay, I know what it was like. My mum - she had anger problems, and there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say, to calm her down. She hated me." I placed a hand on his arm as Mike finished speaking so we walked outside as I joked, trying to cheer him up, though it had been the other way around mere seconds ago,

"Maybe we should start a club- the Society for the Protection of People with Angry Mothers."

"Catchy." He said sarcastically.

"We could call it S.P.P.A.M for short." He gave me a half smile.

"Spam. Even better." We reached the kitchen.

"Though I do feel like we'd just get a load of kids who hadn't done their homework."

"Or forgotten to tidy their rooms." We both laughed.

"You know, you're not the only one, Harry." Said a peeved Carmen.

"Four times he said he'd do my file now. Four times!" She looked pointedly at May-li, who had just entered the kitchen.

"I'm sorry he hasn't done it yet." She replied.

"And Harry's form." I added.

"Yeah."

"Come on, let's have a kick about." Said Ryan, walking away with Harry, and when I made no move to follow, he turned around.

"You coming or what?"

"Sure, but I'm warning you now, I'm hopeless."

"You'll be learning from the best."

He grinned, and I followed them into the garden.

"Modest." I said sarcastically, and he grinned at me again, running over to get the the ball from where someone had left it in the goal.

"It's so stupid." Said Harry, passing the ball to me. "Why do I need a form to go and hang out with my mates?" I passed it to Ryan, surprisingly successfully; it turned out that I wasn't as bad at it as I expected.

"That's just the way things are for us mate. They just keep letting us down." Replied Ryan, and Harry looked up at him.

"Some people more than others." He gave the ball a powerful kick into the net, clearly annoyed at something, though I didn't know what. Maybe it had happened before I'd got there? Or maybe I was missing something? Either way, it seemed as though our brief game was over.

We walked inside, and I sat on a sofa next to Jody and Tyler.

"Got anyone else to vote for you, then?" I asked, to which he looked deflated.

"He's got me - I'm his campaign manager though, so I dunno if that really counts." Jody replied. I snorted.

"You're gonna have to do a bit better than that."

"Free sweets and DVDs if you vote for Floss!" I heard Mo announce.

"Now that's how you win an election." I said, standing up again, and Jody and Tyler followed suit, and I heard Ryan say

"Hey, when did the rules change about not changing sides?" Jody and Tyler rushed past me, and I followed to see May-li with one of Floss's posters.

"Yeah, how is that not changing sides?" Demanded Tyler, arms folded.

"Wha- no- I was just putting a poster up." Protested May-li, an Jody stepped forwards, arms also folded.

"So you're doing ours next?"

"No, cuz you're tall enough." Floss advanced on Jody, and they began arguing loudly, Mo trying to break it up, but to no avail, and I noticed Ryan stood there, smirking at the chaos.

"Having fun?" I asked, and he rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you?" I was about to reply, but Mike's voice interrupted me.

"Quiet!" He yelled, making me flinch. I felt Ryan's hand on my shoulder, reassuring me that it was okay.

"Maybe you should put the posters up where you can reach please Floss." He said quietly, and I relaxed, glad that he wasn't going to continue yelling.

"Can you reach the bin?" Laughed Tyler, earning him a high five from Jody.

"Shut up!" Exclaimed Floss

"Thank you, Tyler." Sighed Mike. "Let's try and keep this election on track, shall we?" He backed into the office, and May-li reached for the poster, as did Jody.

"I'll help you get it down May-li. Down on the floor!"

I went back outside with Harry and Ryan, and we carried on kicking the ball around, and Tee joined us. I could also hear Tyler trying to persuade Carmen to vote for him (again) and it not going very well, until I heard her saying something about her file, and the two fist bumped. Apparently, Ryan had been listening too, as he walked over from the game to talk to Tyler, and we followed.

"You know, Mike made Harry miss his trip today." He said.

"Because of some stupid form." Cut in Harry.

"Yeah, I know, how stupid's that? So you can get rid of all that, yeah, in this forum thing."

"Yeah, okay. Risk assessments gone." Tyler was beginning to look less hopeless.

"You should speak to Kaz about that. Yeah, she was moaning about it the other day. I think she's in the kitchen." Said Tee, and Jody nodded at Tyler as they both walked off to the kitchen, Tee following enthusiastically.

Instead of tagging along, I decided to sit down at the bench with Carmen, and we were joined by Ryan and Harry.

"Did I hear you talking about Vampire Diaries earlier?" I asked, knowing that this was the box set she had requested from Floss in return for her vote.

"Oh God. Not you too! She doesn't stop going on about it." Groaned Ryan, making me laugh.

"You like it too, then?" She asked, ignoring Ryan. "Stefan or Damon?" She asked, referencing the two vampire brothers who played main roles in the show.

"Oh, Damon all the way! Let me guess, you prefer Stefan?"

"Yeah, Damon's an idiot! I mean, season on Damon... He was just a twat!"

"Harsh... "

"Oi, Ryan, you on me. Penalties." Called Sasha, who was walking down the lawn towards us.

"You having a laugh? You really want me to humiliate you in front of all of these?"

"I think I can take it."

He scoffed, but stood up anyway, dribbling the ball to the place he was going to take his first shot from.

"'Kay, you asked for it." He waited for her to take her place in the goal, before easily scoring his first goal.

"Best of three." She appeared not to be out out in the slightest. He prepared to take the shot, but before he could kick the ball, Sasha whistled, and a dog came running at Ryan, who let out a cry of fear, making Carmen laugh loudly, but I stood up, and stood between Ryan, who was attempting to run away, and the dog, running at full pelt towards him.

"Sit." I commanded, and for a second it looked unsure, but then it sat at my feet. Another dog came running from the same direction, and the one at my feet looked as though it were about to get up again, but I repeated my command, as firmly as I could, and both dogs say at my feet. I crouched next to them, stroking them and rubbing their backs until I saw Bailey walk over and sit next to Sasha. I stood back up, and began to walk, the dogs following calmly behind me.

"How the hell did you do that?" He asked incredulously, and I smirked.

"Magic." I replied.

"No, seriously, I've been trying to get them to calm down all day!"

"You just need a bit of authority and some practise."

"I have authority! And anyway, I have a dog you'd think I'd know."

I shrugged.

"Apparently not."

I walked back l up the lawn and inside, where Ryan was waiting by the door.

"Thanks, by the way." He said.

"That's okay, it was nothing."

"No, seriously, thank you. I was kinda expecting you to just laugh."

"What kind of friend would I be if I did?"

"So we're friends now?" His words made me realise what I'd said; he didn't really strike me as the sort to have friends, more allies, and he was probably only talking to me for Harry's sake.

"Oh, I mean... Only if you want to be?" I looked up at him, feeling awkward to say the least.

"Yeah, I mean, you did just save me from a pair of rabid dogs."

"Well, I wouldn't say rabid. They were actually pretty cute."

"Don't push it." He said warningly, though I could tell that he was joking, and I just laughed, and he did too.

"Vote for Tyler! Vote for the ends of risk assessments! Don't vote for Floss, she's corrupt!" Tyler had attracted a small crowd in the corridor, where he and Jody had constructed a small podium, and he was yelling through a megaphone.

"Everyone vote for-" but Mike had snatched the megaphone from him.

"Get down from there. Now. No more risk assessments - is that what you're telling people?" He snatched one of Floss's posters from the wall. "And this isn't any better - free DVDs?" Ryan gave me an amused look. "Look. This forum is a responsibility which the two of you don't seem ready for, so this election's over." This was met with an outburst of complaints, and Tyler said,

"Hang on a minute! If you cancel the election, then we've got no voice for the forum. Look. I know you all thought it was just for the free passes and stuff, and I did too. I can admit that. But it's not! It's so much more! We can be councillors. Politicians, even. Now listen to us. Help us get a bit of control over our own lives. You've always told us we can do what we want, Mike. Well, I want this." After a couple of seconds, Jody began clapping, and the rest of us joined in.

"Alright, Tyler. Last chance. Do not waste it." Conceded Mike.

"Right, polls close in fifteen minutes, what are you waiting for?" Said May-li, and everyone gradually filtered through into the lounge where forms and ballot box had been placed, apart from Floss and Mo and Tyler and Jody, who went upstairs.

"Oh, Alex, Harry isn't still upset about earlier, is he?" Mike asked me from the doorway of the office, and I shrugged.

"He's okay."

"But he's still a bit upset." Cut in Ryan.

"Oh. Okay." He turned to May-li, still in the doorway. "What are you looking for?" He asked her.

"Oh, Carmen's file. I could see how busy you are, I thought I'd update it. Where is it?"

"It's in my car." Mike had lowered his voice, but I could still hear him.

"It's in your car?"

"Yeah."

"Mike, those files aren't allowed outside the house!"

He turned to Ryan and I and said, "We'll continue this later, okay?"

I just nodded, but Ryan said, "But I thought you wanted to speak about Harry?"

"Ryan, please, just go."

He shut the door, but Ryan didn't move.

"What are you going to do?" I asked him quietly.

"What do you mean?" He turned towards me.

"You know what I mean. You've got the same look you had when you were eavesdropping earlier. What are you going to do?"

"I'll tell you if I don't get caught."

"Okay, fine." I said, though I had a sneaking suspicion that it was something to do with the file Mike had been talking about.

I walked into the lounge, but Ryan didn't follow. Tyler was frantically trying to get more people to vote for him, and Floss was handing out sweets. In other words, it was chaos. I filled in my sheet, and managed to push my way through to the box and push it in, just before May-li announced that time was up, and Mike proclaimed Tyler our winner.

We had been gathered in the lounge for so sort of announcement, and everyone was speculating what it might be.

"I think he's won the lottery." Said Jody.

"Like he'd tell us if he did!" Scoffed Bailey.

"What do you think, Carmen?" Asked Tee, but she didn't reply.

"Hey everyone, thanks for waiting." Said Mike, who had just walked through the door, followed by May-li. "So, earlier today, someone broke into my car."

"Did they nick anything?" Asked Harry, but he was promptly shushed by Jody.

"No, Jody, it's fine. Yes Harry, they took some paperwork. Paperwork to do with running this place. Important files that I shouldn't really have had in the car. There's gonna be an investigation."

"By the police?" Asked Sasha.

"Not just that, Sasha. I shouldn't have taken this paperwork out of the office, so my bosses will want to have a look at it as well, so while they're doing that, I'm stepping down."

"Hang on," said Carmen, "So you're leaving?"

"For the time being, yes."

Everyone broke out into complaints, telling him how he couldn't step down, how they needed him. Everyone, that is, apart from Ryan.

"So this was your plan." I muttered in his ear, having to stand on my tiptoes, making sure that no one else could hear me.

"Hey, guys, let Mike speak, yeah?" May-li's voice cut across the racket.

"But it's not his fault! Someone broke into his car!" Protested Tyler.

"It is my fault, Tyler. I made a mistake. I've let you down, as that's why I think it's right for me to step aside."

"I shouldn't have got angry. I let you down." Said Harry.

"This isn't easy, believe me. I don't know when I'll be back. But I do know that you'll all be fine because you'll all look out for each other."

He walked away, and Harry ran off, but I knew better than to follow him; he needed a few minutes to cool off first.

"I just... Can't imagine this place without him." Said Tee despondently; we had moved through to the kitchen, where May-li had made a start on dinner.

"Try and be positive, Tee. We don't know what's gonna happen yet." She said, though she didn't look very positive herself. I decided to leave, not really in the mood for their depressing conversation, especially not when there might be something I could do about it.

I knocked on Ryan's door after checking to see if Harry was okay (he refused to come out of his room), and when he asked who it was, I walked straight in.

"Why? You saw how Harry was! I know you probably don't care about everyone else, but he's refusing to leave his room." Ryan turned around and glared at me.

"This benefits you, you know. Maybe you'll get to keep your cat."

"Don't act like you did this for me, we both know that that's not true."

He sank onto his bed, no longer sounding angry, just sounding defeated.

"He told the others things about me that they weren't supposed to know, and I just- I can't forgive him for it." I came to sit down next to him.

"We all make mistakes, just try and put this right. For Harry." He smiled at me.

"How do you not hate me right now?"

"Because I know you'll try, and if I'm not here for you, no one will be."

To my surprise, his arms embraced me in a hug, and I hugged him back, knowing that we had now moved far beyond our peace treaty of yesterday, and that I was going against Jody's advice. I was getting attached to Ryan Reeves.