Quite a long chapter, I think!
Shout-out to N4F and Dobe-14!

I've snuck out. I'm only around the corner, but I had to.
"You got the cash?" Gloria asks me.
Gloria is a girl from Burnywood. She was my only friend there, with a criminal past. She knew what Ashley was doing to me, so she gave me my first knife.
We'd met up several times whilst I was on the run, and she'd gave me scraps of food she'd found, maybe a little change, and if I was really lucky, a new knife.
"Yeah," I stuff the money into her hand, ignoring how much dirt she has under her chipped, uneven nails. She looks like a mess.
"You've got cleaned up, girl!"
I nod "Bath once a day,"
"Man, I'd die for a hot bath,"
"Why don't you go home, then?" I ask.
She shrugs "Burnywood's been burnt down, innit? I left five years ago, and I don't want to go and live amongst charred rubble."
"The police all think you're dead, Gloria,"
"Let them think that. I don't need the authorities." She takes out a knife in a black case, and presses it into my hand.
"Thanks,"
"So, you going back on the run any time soon?"
"I'm not sure yet,"
Her eyes trail down to my left ankle, and then she looks up at me, a knowing smile on her face "You've been tagged, bad luck."
"The latest fashion around here, want one?" I joke.
"Nah, I'm a'right." She grins.
I stuff the knife in my over-sized hoodie pocket, and then we part ways.
"Bye, kid."

X X X X X

I'm sitting in the same cafe where I met my aunt last week. It's a miracle I'm even allowed to come out with Tracy and Frank.
"I thought that I'd been sanctioned for two weeks," I'd told Tracy.
"Yeah, well, I changed my mind! Get in the car, it's about Liam."
I complied almost instantly.
The pair explained on the way here that someone named Jack had contacted Liam and claimed he was his older brother. I didn't believe it, but I came anyway. For Liam's sake. If somebody was playing a joke on him, I'd rather take the embarrassment than let Liam do so.
"That has got to be him," Tracy whispers to me and Frank, gesturing to a tall, thin young man in a leather jacket.
"How do you know?" Frank asks her.
"Well, look around, Frank. Plus, he's made Miss Grumpy smile and only Liam does that,"
The guy turns around, holding a muffin and a cup of tea.
"You have to be Tracy," He says to Tracy.
"How'd you know that?" She asks.
"You were the only three clocking me," He explains.
"Got eyes in the back of your head, have you?"
"No," he scoffs "Saw your reflection." He sets his bought items on the small table, and extends a hand out to Tracy "I'm Jack,"
"Yeah, I guessed," Tracy shakes his hand "This is Frank – Liam's best friend." Jack shook Frank's hand.
"Are you his girlfriend?"
I felt my face change colour, but I told him in a strained voice "I'm Astra... A... friend."
He gives me an almost sympathetic look, and I quickly break eye contact, clearing my throat.
"Nice to meet you," I shake his hand.
"So, you look out for my brother?" Jack asks, sitting on the stool opposite me.
"Yeah, he means a lot to us,"
"Good to know,"
Tracy nods, and we all fall silent. I stare hard at Jack, trying to identify anything that shows his resemblance to Liam.
I swear I've seen him before...
"So...," Jack begins, snapping me back into focus.
"So, why contact him now?" Tracy asks.
"Felt like the right time,"
"Not for Liam,"
"Look, ever since I found out I had a kid brother, which wasn't long ago, I couldn't stop thinking about it, and it's like... discovering another part of you out there. I'm not doing this on a whim, it's not been easy for me either,"
"Liam thinks it's a wind up," Tracy tells him.
"Well, now you know it's... not."
Another short-lived silence follows.
"Anyway, I was passed from one home to another, too," Jack fills the silence "So I know what its like – going through the system."
"So you know Liam's vulnerable and confused right now?" Tracy asks him.
"Yeah,"
"How did you find out about him?"
"A mate of mine tipped me off about this kid – Liam O'Donovan – being up in court. Same name as my brother, so went along to the Visitors' Gallery. Soon as I saw him... Well, you read the letter."
"You've got a mate who hangs outside of court rooms?"
"He's a reporter," Jack lies clumsily.
Looks like he's not as good as a liar as Liam.
"Who just happened to mention Liam?"
"He knew I had a brother..."
"Yeah, they don't let the public into Juvenile Court," Tracy tells him.
"Alright, I see him get caught with that woman's handbag," Jack explains, his eyes go to me "You was with him, briefly." The last word cuts through me, and I have to lower my gaze.
"And you didn't intervene?" Tracy presses.
"Well I didn't know it was Liam then."
His phone rings.
"Sorry, I have to take this," He gets up, and heads to the door.
"What's the problem...? I understand... See you soon..." He ends the short-lived call and turns to us "I gotta' go. We need to talk more."
"Yeah, we need to," Tracy agrees.
"Tell Liam I'll be in contact with him in a day or two," Jack is staring at me as he tells us. I nod my head.
"Jack!" Tracy calls as he has his hand on the door. He turns, and she takes a photo of him on her mobile.
"You could've at least smiled!"
He rolls his eyes and heads out the door.
I look down at my watch, and tell Tracy "It's six forty-five. We have to go now if I want to be back before my curfew."
"Alright then, get in the car,"

X X X X X

I've literally just got in the front door when Liam bursts in, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. He's breathing raggedly. Obviously, he's been running to get home.
"I made it, I made it," He tells Mike, checking his watch.
"Are you doing this deliberately?"
"What?" Liam asks.
"It's seven o'clock! You nearly missed your curfew, again!"
Liam's mouth curls up into a trademark grin, and he asks rhetorically "Well, I'm back, ain't I?"
Mike rolls his eyes, exasperated.
"Hey," Liam greets me, shrugging off his jacket and carelessly hanging it off the newel post.
"Hi," I greet him in a quiet voice.
"You wanna' go play cards?"
I nod gratefully, and we childishly race up the stairs to his room. Liam beats me.
"I let you win!" I tell him, trying not to breathe so heavily to disguise the fact I'm so unfit.
He laughs "Sure, and you're going to let me win at cards, too?"
"Probably,"
He opens his bedroom door, and walks in.
I follow him in.
The room is empty.
Everything is gone.

X X X X X

Liam has gone into rage mode.
"Liam, where are you going?" I demand, following him down the stairs.
He ignores me.
"Liam, please answer me!" I plead.
Still, no response.
I follow him through the kitchen, where the younger kids are talking to Gina about some film they went and saw.
Liam runs his hand along the counter, knocking over several plastic cups.
"Liam!" Gina yells.
Liam ignores her, and I follow his lead, refusing to even look at any of the kids.
I follow Liam out into the garden, and we stop when we see Elektra sitting in the garden.
On Liam's bed.
Outside.
"Oh, well hello, Liam!" Elektra smiles slyly at him "Well, what do you think? Should we put this in a modern art exhibition?" She gestures to everything she's moved outside. Tyler gives me a nervous look, but I just ignore him. I'm far too confused.
Liam and Elektra are... dating... Yet she upsets him by doing this?
Liam's face changes into a scowl, and he grabs hold of the safety tape (which Gus used to make a perimeter), ready to storm over to her.
"Oh, no. It's past seven o'clock." Her eyes glint cruelly.
"You win," Liam lets go of the tape and sarcastically claps.
Elektra shrugs a shoulder, pretending to be modest, but I know she's craving the attention being given to her.
"You got me good,"
Then he jumps over the tape.
Elektra gets off his bed immediately, and steps backwards, almost afraid.
Liam ignores her, and lies down on his bed.
Elektra walks round the bed, and walks towards me. A thin tape is separating us from attacking each-other.
"Coming in to see your boyfriend?" She jeers "Or are you just going to leave him again?"
"I thought he was yours,"
"Not anymore," she mutters.
"He dumped you?" I ask a little too enthusiastically.
"No, I dumped him." She eyes me suspiciously.
Liam scoffs at the obvious lie, and turns over on his bed.
"So, aren't you coming in?"
Liam looks up at me.
"Yeah," I step over the tape.
Liam grins as I sit down on the end of his bed, crossing my legs.
"Are you two mad?" Elektra asks.
"Probably," Liam answers for both of us.
Moments later, Mike appears, enraged.
"Oh, here we go," Liam rolls his eyes.
"Have you gone crazy?" Mike yells.
Liam props himself up "You tell me, Mike. I come back from the cinema and I find my room in the garden! I thought you was supposed to be in charge!"
"Okay, all of this stuff back up to Liam's room. NOW!"
Elektra and Tyler set to work immediately.
"And you two, into the office."
"No!" Liam orders "Anything you want to say to us, you can say right here, can't ya'?"
"Why are you behaving like this?" Mike asks "It's like you two don't even care anymore!"
"Maybe we don't."
"Liam, take a look around, alright? These kids, they look up to you, what signal are you sending them? That it's cool to mess your life up?"
Liam gets up almost immediately, and I quickly get to my feet.
"Don't you mean it's cool to be a criminal? Cos' that's what you think we are, innit?" Liam stands face to face with Mike, his stance threatening and defensive at the same time.
"No!" Mike protests.
"You told me to look you in the eye and tell you the truth, and guess what, I didn't steal that woman's bag. And I'm pretty sure Astra would never hurt someone unless she was attacked."
"That's enough, Liam," Gina told him.
"Do you know what? He has a point," Mike admitted.
I blinked in disbelief.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have questioned you. But if you keep getting in trouble, honestly, I don't see a happy ending. We're your family, so don't push us away, please."
"Well you got that wrong as well, Mike."
"What do you mean?"
"I've got a family – a real family."
"What?"
"He's got a brother called Jack," Tracy announces "Me, Frank and Astra just went to see him."
Mike turns to me "You're supposed to be sanctioned!"
"I know. But I needed to be sure this guy wasn't a dud. And sometimes, you have to break the rules for people you care about."

X X X X X

"Okay, Liam. This is your last chance. Break curfew again and you'll spend the rest of your sentence in a Youth Detention Centre." Alexis resets Liam's alarm.
Then she turns to me "And you better wise up too, Missy. Or you'll be carted off there too, soon enough."
"I've still got two more chances, Alexis." I tell her, crossing my arms as I lean against the desk.
"I'm sure you'll waste them," She snaps back.
I'm about to argue with her, but Mike gives me a warning glance and I have to back down, feeling ridiculed.
"I'll lead you o-"
"I know the way out," Alexis tells Tracy, storming out the room.
Mike shuts the door, and everyone comes together, including me.
"So, what was you saying about Jack?" Mike asks.
"Look, I know I went behind everyone's back, but I did what I thought was right." Tracy admits.
"You still should've told me," Mike scolds her.
"And me," Liam adds.
"What? So you're on eachother's side now?" Tracy asks in disbelief "The only reason I did this was because you two gave me no choice! You were taking potshots at eachother all week!"
"She's right about that," Gina tells us.
"Look, Liam, you've got a brother. And no matter how hard you try to block him out, he's real. He's not going away," Tracy tells Liam, causing him to look away.
"And you're not here to judge him, you're here to pick up the pieces." Tracy scolds Mike.
"She's right about that too!"
"Alright!" Mike tells Gina, then turns to the rest of us "So, you met him?"
"Yeah,"
"And?"
"Well, he definitely wants to meet you,"
"But...?"
Frank and I exchange nervous looks, and Frank decides to break the news "He said he saw you getting arrested,"
"What?"
"Do you recognise him?" Tracy asks, showing him the photo of Jack she took.
"He's my brother? That's the guy that works at the DVD stall! So he saw the whole thing! Look, he could have stopped all this! He could've testified!"
I check for confirmation, and realise Liam is right.
I knew I'd seen him before...
Liam suddenly sprints from the room.
Reflexively, I go after him.
"Liam? Liam!" Mike calls after him "Wait!"
But he's not going to stop. Not for Mike, not for me, not for anyone.
He knows where he has to go, and he won't stop running until he gets there.
I follow Liam out of the front door and down the street, past Alexis in her parked car.
"Liam, Liam! Stop it!" Mike yells.
"Astra, get back here!" Tracy orders.
I ignore them both, focusing on Liam.
"Astra, go back!" Liam orders, running faster to leave me.
"No! I promised I'd come with you!" I'm still behind him, but I won't be able to keep up with him for much longer.
"That was if I broke the tags! Not now!"
"I'm coming with you anyway, Liam!" I tell him.
"Why?" He demands.
"Because I want to make sure you're okay!"
"You've just broke your curfew!" He tells me.
"Liam, I don't give a damn about that curfew. I'll break it as many times as I can to make sure you're alright."
He doesn't say anything. Instead, he slows down, to a jog, allowing me to catch up with him.
"Thanks," He tells me, his fingers winding with mine.

Oh dear, Jack O'Donovan, looks like your brother and his Tag Twin are coming to get you!

Reviews are highly appreciated :)