The crowd starts to thin. Some girls run past me, screaming and laughing. I make myself small so they don’t touch me, then ahead of me, through the crowds, I see Elliott with some of the boy and girls from my class leaning against the railings, swapping cards. I smile. I’ve come for the tower but I brought my cards just in case. I pat my back pocket and check there still there. I’ve got two Wayne Rooneys and I know Elliott’s got Zlatan Ibrahimović and I only need him and then I’ll have the whole of the Swedish team.
I start to walk towards him. There’s no sign of Dan or Sophie and I can’t see the Georges either. Knowing them, they’ll have pushed their way to the front of the queue for the tower.
‘Alex!’ Elliott shouts and waves to me. Then he looks to my right and slowly lowers his arm. I turn and see Dan walking in my direction. Sophie and the Georges are with him. My chest goes tight like someone is squeezing me. Dan said he’d tell them to leave me alone, that he’d ignore me, but now he’s headed right for me, looking like the bully he is at school.
They’ll walk past me.
I glance back towards the tower. Maybe they’re on their way to join the VIP queue. I turn my back and head in the opposite direction.
‘Hey, Shark Face, who let you out?’ Sophie shouts.
Her voice makes me jump and I suddenly feel hot.
I keep walking.
‘Hey Shark Face, the sea’s that way.’ She shouts again.
She’s seen me before Dan. Or maybe he just hasn’t told her to leave me alone. I’ve tried to avoid them but he hasn’t kept his side of the deal.
I wait for the sound of their footsteps to come running behind me.
I should have known he wouldn’t do it.
I wait for the shove in my back and for my bag to get pulled off my shoulder. They’re taking ages. They should be here by now.
I turn round slowly. Dan is talking to Sophie. The Georges are standing beside them, scuffing their feet on the ground. They all turn in my direction. Is Dan telling them to ignore me or are they going to come over and get me like they usually do? Sophie looks at me like she’s trying to make up her mind, then turns and starts walking towards the sea wall. The Georges follow. Dan gives me a thumbs up when Sophie isn’t looking, then he turns away and follows her too.
A smile creeps across my face. I can’t believe it. I let go of my breath. This can’t really have happened, can it? He’s really told them to leave me alone.
I hitch my bag up my shoulder and slowly walk towards Elliott, still thinking that Sophie and the Georges will come running after me any second.
Argh! No! I stop still.
Dan and Sophie have pushed their way into Elliott’s group and are standing in the middle. I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying, but I see Sophie push Elliott and then Dan snatches Elliott’s cards out of his hands. I slowly move closer.
‘I’ll have that one, and that one,’ Dan says. ‘And does anyone want Buffon?’ He shows the card to Elliott’s group. None of them answer, they just step away like they think he’ll pick on them too.
No, that’s not what’s supposed to happen. Dan, what are you doing? They can’t stop picking on me so they can pick on Elliott again.
Sophie pushes Elliott in the chest. ‘What are you doing here piggy. You should be in your sty.’
The Georges laugh.
George C. pushes Elliott until he falls back against the railings. He’s surrounded by wolves and there’s no escape. I can’t leave him there. I know what it feels like.
I try to start walking towards him, but every time I go to lift my feet it’s like they’ve been superglued to the tarmac. I look around for help. There’s thousands of people here, but none of them can see what’s going on. Dan drops Elliott’s cards and scuffs them under his heel. My heart stops and I feel sick. Elliott’s staring at the ground like he’s trying not to cry.
‘Hold him,’ Sophie says, giggling.
Dan and the Georges grab hold of him. Sophie reaches into her bag and pulls out a marker pen. Elliott wriggles and moves his head from side to side.
Stop!
I try to move my feet again. It’s not superglue but it might as well be because I can’t move a millimetre. I want them to stop picking on Elliott, but I don’t want them to pick on me. But why do they have to pick on anyone?
I remember what Dr Patrick told me.
I’m as big as an elephant and all my problems are the size of ants.
Sophie draws a moustache on Elliott’s face that’s twice the size of his mouth.
Stop! Stop!
I’m an elephant. I’m an elephant.
Dan’s an ant.
Sophie’s an ant.
The Georges are ants.
I’m an elephant. I’m an elephant.
Sophie shoves Elliott again.
‘Let’s leave him,’ I hear her say over the crowds. ‘The tower is opening soon.’ She walks off and the Georges follow. Elliott wipes his eyes on his sleeve. Dan turns round to me, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even look me in the eye.
That wasn’t your plan. That’s not what we agreed!
I try to tell him, but my tongue is stuck as fast as my feet.
I’m an elephant. I’m an elephant.
I grit my teeth and clench my fists. I’m so mad I could scream.
‘Alex, I got you one.’ Lizzie’s standing beside me, waving a blue hat.
I shake my head.
‘Don’t you want it?’
I look at Dan.
No, that’s not what I meant.
I’m an elephant. I’m an elephant.
Dan walks away. Elliott is kneeling down, picking his cards up off the ground, and I didn’t do anything to help him.
I’m so mad with Dan I feel like I could hit him. But I’m even madder with myself. Elliott is my friend and I just stood and let it happen. I’m not an elephant at all. I’m a mouse.
Dan: I’m an idiot!
I stand up and walk to the front of the cave with my phone. I’m going to see Ben tomorrow. I don’t need to draw Shooting Star, I just need to take a picture. But she’s got so big I can’t fit all of her in. She looks like a real raft now that all the bottles are fixed on. All I’ve got to do is wrap a fishing net round her to keep the bottles on, get some wood for paddles and the rudder, and then find a mascot. I’ll ask Ben what we’re going to use for an anchor when I see him.
I hold my phone above my head and take a picture, then a selfie with Shooting Star behind me. I can’t wait to show Ben what me and Shark Face have done.
I look at my watch. It’s 10.35 and Shark Face hasn’t arrived. I wonder if he might be ill, but I think his mum would text mine if he was. He was supposed to come back here after the Observatory opening, but I saw him walking towards the town with his mum and sister. I don’t know if he got to go up the tower. I did. Me, Sophie and the Georges were on the first ride. The deck rose really slowly, but when it reached the top you could look through telescopes and see for miles. I saw boats on the horizon and the Isle of Wight and, when I spun round, I saw the town centre like a bird does and I spotted the Albion football ground. I took a picture of that for Ben too.
I check the time again. It’s 10.45. I text Mum.
Has Shark Face’s mum texted?
I press send, then realize what I’ve done.
Mum replies straightaway.
Who?
Sorry, meant for Sophie. I lie.
Dan, are you okay?
Yes ☺
I walk to the back of the cave and drag one of the fishing nets out onto the seafront. I can’t attach it to Shooting Star on my own, but at least I can flatten it out and check that none of the links are broken while I’m waiting for Shark Face to arrive. I find two broken links straightaway and I fix them with bits from the other nets. All the time I’m thinking of going to see Ben tomorrow and all the things I need to take.
After I’ve mended another link, I look up and see Shark Face walking along the s
eafront. I’m so used to seeing him now that his gloves don’t look as silly as they used to. But his funny walk does.
‘All right, Shark Face? Thought you’d given up.’
He walks straight past me into the cave. He never says much but he hasn’t ignored me like this.
I stand up.
‘I was just checking the nets.’
‘Okay.’ he says quietly. Then he puts his bag on the hook and looks at Shooting Star.
There’s something wrong. He’s ignoring me like mum does when I’ve upset her at home. But I’ve not done anything. Maybe he’s just had an argument with his mum. Or perhaps his sister. I don’t know what it is but he doesn’t look like he wants to tell me.
I point at the corners of the net.
‘You pick up that side, then we’ll drag it under Shooting Star.’
Shark Face nods and takes a deep breath. We both crouch down and pick up our sides.
Shark Face pauses and looks across at me.
‘What’s wrong?’ I ask. ‘Is it because I started without you? I only did it because I’m going to see Ben tomorrow, and we’ll lose time.’
‘It’s not that,’ he says quietly.
‘So what is it then?’
‘Why did you do it?’
‘Do what?’
‘Yesterday.’
I give him a confused look and stand up.
‘I saw you,’ he says. ‘I saw you pick on Elliott.’
‘I know, but we still didn’t pick on you.’
‘Argh!’ Shark Face puts his hands on his head. ‘I didn’t mean pick on him if you didn’t pick on me.’
‘I thought—’
‘No, that’s not what was supposed to happen. Not to Elliott. It can’t. It can’t.’ He’s never looked this upset when I’ve picked on him. It’s like he cares about his friend more than he does about himself. ‘And what’s going to happen when we go back to school? Will you pick on me or him?’
I shrug. I don’t know what to do or where to look. I didn’t realize he’d be this upset. I thought he’d be pleased we didn’t get him. How could I get it so wrong? I try to think of something to say, but my mind is so jumbled I can’t think of anything. I started the day feeling so happy about going to see Ben, but now I feel bad. I couldn’t even sort it for one afternoon so how can I sort it at school. I won’t be able to stop them picking on him. I can’t stop them picking on Elliot either.
We drag the net inside and put it under Shooting Star. Now we’ve got to wrap it round her so any stray bottles won’t escape. I grab some nails from a jar and pick up the hammer. Shark Face pulls the net up over the bottles and base planks and I carefully hammer the nails in. All the time I’m trying to think what I can do to help Shark Face, but I’m back to the same place as I was before. I can’t do anything.
Shark Face lifts another part of the net.
I hammer in another nail, this time harder and faster. I can’t work out what to do at school and it’s making bubbles of anger rise up inside me. I can’t stand up to Sophie but I can’t let Alex get picked on like before.
I have to think of something.
Alex: Hammer and nails
Dan hammers another nail in. Each time he seems to hit it harder and faster like he wants to get the net fixed before he goes and sees Ben tomorrow. I pull another piece of net on to the wood and he bangs the nail in and we move along the plank like we’re parts of a giant sewing machine. He seemed upset that he got things so wrong with Elliott but he can’t be as upset as I was last night. I couldn’t sleep because my mind was going wild but it wasn’t my OCD, it was because I kept seeing Elliott’s face every time I closed my eyes. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t agreed to Dan’s plan in the first place, they would have just picked on me instead of him. Mum kept asking me what was wrong but I couldn’t tell her. I made her so worried that she made an emergency telephone appointment with Dr Patrick this morning. He helped me for a while but as soon as I put the phone down all my thoughts about what happened to Elliott flooded back into my mind.
We reach the end of a plank. Dan wraps the net over the corner like Nan when she makes the bed and he starts hitting the nails in again. His face is turning red and he’s got a serious expression on his face as he concentrates. Ten minutes ago I felt angry with him but now I feel a bit sorry for him. He really thought he was doing the right thing. It was the wrong thing but at least he tried.
We reach another corner. My hands are aching. Dan puts the hammer down and wipes sweat off his forehead with his arm.
‘What time are you going tomorrow?’ I ask.
Dan takes a deep breath.
‘I don’t know,’ he says, ‘but mum says I’ve got to get up early because it’s a long way and we’ve got to go around London. I can’t wait. I’ve taken two pictures of Shooting Star for him. I’ll show you.’
I stand next to him as he shows me a picture of Shooting Star on his phone. Then he grins at me when he shows a selfie of him with his eyes and mouth open wide. I smile.
‘It’s a shame she’s not ready or you could have sailed her up the Thames.’
Dan laughs. ‘I already thought of doing that.’ He nods at the blackboard where he’s stuck a diagram of the coastline from Brighton with a wriggly red line going towards Dover.
‘What?’
‘It’s okay, I decided it was too dangerous.’
‘Definitely!’
Dan laughs as he picks up another nail. ‘But we could take her for a trial on Sunday if she’s ready.’
‘I thought you were going to wait for Ben.’
‘We could just put her on the water, and I could get on just to see if she floats okay.’
I look at Shooting Star. I’m not sure taking her out is a good idea. The floats still aren’t on and I know Dan wouldn’t just stay in the shallows. He’d be so excited that he’d only be on it for two minutes and he’d be paddling towards France.
‘I think you should wait for Ben,’ I say.
‘It’ll be okay. I just want to make sure Shooting Star will ready for him.’ He picks up another nail. All he ever talks about is Ben and from the serious look on his face I think he’s on his mind now.
‘I hope he’s okay, tomorrow,’ I say.
‘He will be, especially when he sees all the stuff I’m taking for him.’
‘What things?’
Dan lifts up the hammer. But he’s too busy thinking about Ben to hear my question. I brace myself for the noise of him banging the nail in but then he stops and looks at me like he’s realized what I just said.
‘I’ll fix it, Shark Face,’ he says.
‘Fix what?’
‘Everything at school.’
‘But we were talking about your brother.’
‘Yeah, I know. But I’m just saying I’ll fix it. After I’ve seen Ben. I don’t know how, but I will.’
He looks at me like he means it. I don’t know what he’ll come up with but I hope it works better than his last plan did.
Dan: I visit BIG FISH!
Call of Duty. Yes.
FIFA 2016. Yes.
Grand Theft Auto. Yes.
Call of Duty. Yes.
Game of Thrones DVDs. Yes.
All-Star Batman comic. Yes.
Blue Beetle comic. Yes.
Two packets of Rolos. Yes.
‘Dan, how many more times are you going to go through that bag?’
‘I’m just checking I’ve got everything.’
‘Well, it’s too late now even if you haven’t.’
I put all of Ben’s things back. I’m in the car with my mum and we’re driving to St Albans. I’ve been awake all night and now we’re getting closer I’m so excited that I can’t stop yawning. I wish Dad was driving because he’d get us there faster. I asked Mum earlier why he wasn’t coming, but she said she didn’t want to talk about it then. At least I’m still going to see Ben and that’s all that counts.
I glance at the clock. We’re going to be late. It�
�s 1.45. We’re supposed to be there by two and we’ve still got six miles to go. I used to be able to just walk into Ben’s room and talk to him; now we have to make an appointment like we’re going to see the dentist.
‘Don’t worry,’ says my mum. ‘We’ll get there in time.’
‘I’m just excited.’ And nervous. I rest my head against the window and think of all the things I want to tell Ben. I want to tell him I’ve disabled auto brake and traction control on my Honda NSX-R and I don’t follow the suggested line on Forza any more. And I want to talk to him about Game of Thrones, but I can’t tell him what happens in Season Six because he hasn’t got Sky. I’m going to tell him I’ve recorded them all so I can watch them all again with him. But most of all I can’t wait to tell him about Shooting Star, and that me and Shark Face are working so fast that she’ll be ready to sail by the time he comes out.
‘Ah! Forza Motorsport!’
‘What?’
‘I forgot it.’
‘Stop it, Dan. You made me jump. My nerves are bad enough as it is.’
‘Sorry.’
Mum flicks the indicator and we turn off the main road and go down a smaller road into a village. We drive past a pub and a stone monument by a church, then I see a sign at the side of the road – Oakhill STC. We’re nearly there.
I reach down by my feet and drag my bag onto my lap as my mum turns into a car park. She stops the car. I just want to jump out and run inside.
We walk across the car park towards a massive building with steps leading up to glass doors. It looks more like the new library in town than a place where they keep kids who have done bad things.
Mum pushes the doors open. Inside, the ceiling is really high and made of glass. Mum’s shoes echo on the floor as she walks towards the reception desk. The room is so big it makes me feel small. There’s big glass doors leading off it and through them I can see corridors that go on for yonks until they disappear. It isn’t anything like Ben described it. He made it sound like a big house, not a maze. I went in a maze once with my dad at the fair. It was full of mirrors and fake doorways and I got scared when we couldn’t find our way out. I wonder if Ben feels like that here.
Mum walks over to a reception desk where a woman is typing on a computer. I look around the room. There are big red buttons by the side of the doors and posters stuck on the walls. One of them says:
All the Things That Could Go Wrong Page 17