"Is there something on my face?" Katy demanded as she opened the metal doors to the Arches. Luckily Connor was alone.
"What? No?" he said, confused. He eyed her rucksack.
"Really? Everyone's been giving me really weird looks." She said. "Listen, can I ask you a favour? Can I sleep here tonight… Jack found the bag and kicked me out."
"I dunno…" Connor said nervously. He looked around.
"Don't worry," Katy said sarcastically. "I won't tell anyone. I just want somewhere dry and reasonably warm to sleep. And I brought vodka." She shook the bottle at the mechanic and he grinned.
"Go on then."
x
Next morning Katy woke up and squinted as bright light hit her eyes. It took her a moment to realise why she was lying underneath a dirty sheet on the back seat of a car. It wasn't until she spotted the almost empty bottle of vodka on the floor that she worked out why her clothes were scattered around.
"Shit." She muttered. Connor looked as though he was feeling exactly the same. He had the decency to look away as she found her clothes, quickly dressed and gathered her things. "You can keep the vodka." She said, the shadow of a grin playing about her lips. "Let's just forget this, yeah?"
"Suits me fine." Connor said nodding, relief crossing his face. "I told you you'd change your mind about me." He joked, looking for a reaction on the teenager's face.
"See you." Katy left the Arches quickly, ignoring his words and headed for the tube station. She was planning on going to stay with Nathan and Daisy for a few days to get her head sorted. Her phone was still dead and no one saw her as she walked quickly away from her home. She was glad. With one last look over her shoulder Katy put her hood up and kept her head down, heading for the station.
x
Katy knocked loudly on the door of her friends' flat. Daisy answered it, looking as though she was expecting someone else to be stood outside.
"Can I come in?" Katy asked in a quiet voice. The older girl nodded reluctantly and stepped aside so that the teenager could walk in, before closing the door firmly and sliding the bolt across the top. Katy looked at it, nervously, but walked into the living room and sat down. "I've been kicked out." She said bluntly. "Can I stay here for a few days, just until I get sorted?"
"Yeah…" Daisy said nervously, she wasn't quite meeting Katy's eyes. "I mean… I'll have to check with Nath."
"Course. Where is he? How's the…" she pointed to her stomach, indicating she was talking about his wound.
"He'll be back soon." Daisy avoided answering the question. "I actually thought that was him at the door." She seemed incredibly tense and Katy instantly regretted coming. Something wasn't right. But it was too late now.
"Are you OK?" she asked, moving closer to her friend.
"Yeah… Katy, you shouldn't stay… get out of here before…" She stopped as a loud hammering sounded on the door.
"DAISY!" Nathan shouted from outside. "Open the door you stupid cow!"
Daisy leapt to her feet and pulled the bolt across. Nathan flew through the door, which smacked the girl and rebounded, slamming shut. She didn't make a sound, although Katy was sure it must have hurt. Nathan was staring furiously at Katy.
"What do you want?" He demanded.
"I need to stay for a night or two." She said calmly. "I got kicked out."
Nathan considered her for a moment, before he shrugged. "You'll need to pay your way."
"Course… as soon as I find a job or something."
"I can think of a job for you." Nathan said nastily. "I'll get on the phone… I'm sure I know some people who might want to meet you."
"No thanks." Katy said disgusted, knowing exactly what he meant. She glanced at Daisy who seemed to have shrunk as soon as her boyfriend appeared.
"Well it'll have to be robbing then." He said with a shrug. "I got a nice little job ready and waiting." Katy sighed and nodded.
She did her best to stay out of Nathan's way. She hadn't known him as well as his brother, but she was shocked at how different he was from the last times she had seen him. Daisy was covered in bruises and terrified to say anything in front of him. But she was also too in love with him to leave.
As she lay on the sofa that night, Katy tried to ignore the screaming match that was going on in the bedroom. The flat below seemed to be having a party and, apparently to compensate, the flat next door's TV was blaring. She sighed and thought about her sisters. Why had she been so stupid?
