‘I could teach you!’ I offered.
But it didn’t work. I felt too shy to point out all Tanya’s mistakes. When I dared tell her something was wrong she went red.
‘Hey, this is boring! It’s the holidays. Who wants to do school stuff in the holidays? Come on, let’s go into the town.’
‘No!’
‘Oh, come on, Mandy, I’m fed up with staying in.’
‘There’s not time before my mum comes to collect me.’
‘Don’t be daft. Your mum doesn’t come till half-one. Why don’t you want to go shopping, eh?’
‘You know why,’ I said desperately.
‘What?’
‘Because . . . because I don’t like it when you . . .’
‘When I what?’
‘You know.’
‘No. So tell me,’ said Tanya, doing up her sandals.
‘When you . . . take things.’
Tanya stood up in her heels, her hands on her hips.
‘But I always nick something nice for you too,’ she said.
‘Yes, but . . . I wish you wouldn’t. I get so scared.’
‘Look, it’s OK. I know what I’m doing. I won’t get caught, honest. I never do.’
‘But . . . it’s wrong,’ I said, nearly in tears.
‘What?’ said Tanya. ‘Oh, give me a break.’
‘It’s stealing.’
‘I know it’s stealing. But they won’t miss it. They mark the prices up to counteract any shoplifters. And how else am I going to get all the stuff I need, eh? Old Pat isn’t exactly generous with the pocket money even though she gets paid a fortune for looking after me. It’s OK for you to be Miss Goody-Goody. You get heaps of things bought for you.’
‘I know. I’m sorry. Don’t get mad at me, Tanya. OK. We’ll go shopping,’ I said tearfully.
‘Oh, I’ve gone off the whole idea now,’ said Tanya. ‘You’ve just spoilt it all. I used to get things for Carmel and she was thrilled, she thought I was really great. We used to have such fun together. But you’re no fun at all, Mandy White.’
She threw herself down on her bed and hid her face.
‘Oh, Tanya, don’t, please,’ I said, sobbing now.
I couldn’t believe everything had gone so terrifyingly wrong in just a few seconds. I could have bitten out my tongue.
Then Mrs Williams knocked at the door and poked her head round.
‘Yes, I thought I heard someone crying! What’s up, Mandy?’
‘Nothing,’ I said stupidly, although I was howling.
Mrs Williams looked at the bed.
‘Is Tanya throwing a moody?’ she said. ‘Hey, Tanya?’
Tanya didn’t move.
‘Never mind,’ said Mrs Williams. ‘You come downstairs with me, Mandy. We’ll have a cup of tea and a biscuit, OK?’
‘But what about Tanya?’
‘She’ll come and join us when she feels like it,’ said Mrs Williams.
I was sure she was wrong. I cried so much I couldn’t gulp down my tea. Simon came and sat on my foot, staring up at me curiously. Charlie crawled over too, whining irritably himself because he was teething. Great drools ran down his chin. Baby Ricky started whimpering in his pram in the hall.
‘Good heavens, you’re a moany lot today,’ said Mrs Williams. ‘So what was the row about with you and Tanya, eh, Mandy?’
‘Nothing,’ I repeated, blowing my nose.
‘Yeah, nothing,’ said a familiar voice.
Tanya came clacking into the kitchen.
‘I want a cup of tea too, Pat. And let’s have some chocky biscuits too, yeah?’ She bent down and tickled Simon’s tummy. ‘We want chocky bickies, don’t we, little pal?’
He giggled and squealed. Charlie clamoured for attention too and she swung him high above her head. He drooled with delight.
‘Yuck, you’re drenching me, you little waterspout,’ said Tanya, putting him down again and wiping her face.
She looked at me.
‘Hey, you’re spouting too! What’s up, Mandy?’
‘Oh, Tanya,’ I sobbed. ‘Will you make friends?’
‘We’re always friends, you daft banana,’ said Tanya, and she dabbed at my face with the dishcloth. ‘Here, wipe your eyes.’
‘We’ll go shopping now,’ I said.
‘No, it’s OK,’ said Tanya, nibbling her chocolate biscuit. ‘Maybe tomorrow.’
I decided I didn’t care what Tanya did. I had to have her as my friend no matter what. Even if it meant she went shoplifting while we were out.
I got terribly scared all the same when the two of us set off for the town the next morning. Tanya looked at me closely.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes!’ I said quickly, forcing a smile.
‘Come on, tell old Tanya what’s bugging you,’ she said, tickling me under the chin as if I was Charlie.
‘Give over,’ I said, laughing too loudly.
I wanted so badly to show her I could be fun.
Tanya might not be that great at reading words but she could read my mood just like that.
‘It’s OK, Mandy,’ she said. ‘Look, if it seriously bothers you I promise I won’t nick any more stuff for you, OK?’
‘Really?’ I said, dizzy with relief.
‘I’m not saying I won’t nick any stuff for me, mind you,’ said Tanya, grinning. She put her arm round me. ‘You still want to be friends with me, yeah?’
‘You’re the best friend in the whole world,’ I said fervently.
We went to the Flowerfields Shopping Centre and at first we had the greatest time ever. We larked around watching the animated mice and bunnies and squirrels dancing through the plastic flower display. Tanya fished out a whole handful of change from the wishing fountain – but then she threw it all back.
‘Come on, make lots of wishes, Mandy,’ she said, scattering coins so fast the water plinked.
I wished that Tanya would be my friend forever.
I wished that Kim and Melanie and Sarah would stop teasing me when I went back to school.
I wished that I could turn into Miranda Rainbow.
I wished that wishes always came true.
‘What did you wish for, Tanya?’ I asked.
Tanya wiggled her nose. ‘If I tell then it won’t come true,’ she said.
We wandered all round Flowerfields. We spent ages in the HMV shop listening to music. Tanya fingered a new Kurt T-shirt wistfully. I held my breath. But she just gave it a little stroke.
‘It’s lovely, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘I’ll see if Pat will buy it for me. I need new clothes for the summer.’
‘I’ve got some savings, Tanya. I could buy it for you as a present,’ I said. I fumbled with my purse. ‘I haven’t got all my money with me today, Mum won’t let me take it all out at once, but I’ve got nearly twenty pounds at home, honest.’
‘You keep it, Mandy,’ said Tanya, but she looked touched.
We went up in the glass bubble lift to the top floor. Tanya held my hand as we flew up in the lift together. I was so happy I felt as if we were flying right out in the air, soaring sky high. Then we stepped out into the top arcade and Tanya peered round, sussing out all the best shops.
‘Hey, this looks good,’ she said, tugging me along with her.
It was a shop called Indigo. I’d never been there but I’d heard Melanie going on and on about it. It had a dark blue front with silver slatted doors, the sort you get in a cowboy saloon. It was dark blue inside, with swirly silver lights. We looked strangely blue ourselves and we got the giggles.
All the clothes were on silver racks with special spotlights. They were mostly denim, jeans and shirts and little skirts and jackets, and there were some dark blue knitted sweaters too that Tanya went crazy over. She tried one on and whirled around, stroking its softness.
‘I could buy you that instead,’ I said.
Tanya wrinkled her eyebrows and showed me the price ticket.
‘Wow! Well. I can’t afford th
at,’ I said.
‘No-one can afford it,’ said Tanya, looking at herself in the mirror.
There was a sales assistant across the shop, watching. A fair, good-looking boy dressed in Indigo clothes.
Tanya stuck her chest out.
‘Honestly, look at that guy giving me the eye,’ she said, smirking a little.
‘Maybe you’re not supposed to try on the jumpers,’ I said.
‘How can you tell what they look like if you don’t try them on,’ said Tanya, struggling out of the sweater reluctantly.
She took her time folding it up. I watched her, my heart starting to beat fast. But she put it back on the shelf beside the others.
We went over to look at the jewellery in a case against the wall. We bent over the huge chunky silver bracelets and the rings studded with turquoises. The case was locked so we couldn’t try them on.
‘Shall I call that guy over, get him to open it for us?’ said Tanya.
‘No!’
‘He’s still staring at me.’
She stared back, a silly expression on her face.
‘I thought you hated boys,’ I said sourly.
‘I do,’ said Tanya. ‘But I can’t help it if they fancy me, can I?’
She walked over to a display of cowboy boots, so we were much nearer the fair boy. He had his arms folded, and he kept tossing his head to flick his fair hair out of his eyes. He was certainly still staring at Tanya. He had blue eyes. Dark blue. Indigo, like the shop. He looked the sort of boy you see in television soaps. The sort most girls are crazy about. Maybe even Tanya.
‘Tanya, come on. We ought to be getting back soon, because of my mum,’ I said sharply.
‘We’ve got bags of time yet,’ said Tanya. ‘Come on, I want to try some of these cowboy boots. Aren’t they great?’
She bent and undid one clompy sandal. Her foot wasn’t very clean. She stuffed it quickly into a white studded boot.
‘Terrific, eh?’ said Tanya, waggling her leg admiringly. She looked up. ‘Oh, oh!’ she said.
The fair boy was coming over. Tanya winked at me and then smiled as the boy approached.
But he didn’t smile back.
‘Can you get us the other boot, eh?’ said Tanya, her hand on her hip.
‘No, I can’t. And you can take that one off too. You kids have been messing about in the shop long enough. It’s time you were going,’ he said.
I felt myself flushing, nearly dying of embarrassment. Tanya was red too as she tried to take off the boot. She lost her balance and nearly fell over.
‘Look, stop clowning about,’ said the boy. ‘You shouldn’t try on boots with bare feet. It’s not hygienic.’
He sniffed as Tanya’s grubby foot came out of the boot. Tanya said nothing at all. She didn’t look at him. She didn’t look at me. Her hands were shaking as she strapped her sandal. She turned and started walking out. I scrambled after her.
I saw her hand reach out to a shelf. I saw a blur of dark blue. And then it was gone, but Tanya’s sweatshirt was suddenly straining over her stomach.
I tried to make my legs keep on walking. Out of the shop. Along the top arcade. Towards the lift.
But then someone shouted. Tanya turned.
The boy was coming after us.
‘Run!’ she yelled. ‘Run!’
We ran. We ran for our lives. There was no time to wait for the lift. We pounded along the upper arcade and then Tanya dived for the escalator. I threw myself after her, hurtling down the moving staircase, barging into cross women, zigzagging past those who wouldn’t budge, bumping and jostling so that I banged hard against the rail and for one sickening moment felt I might topple over into thin air, down down down into the wishing well.
I screamed, and Tanya turned. She was already nearly at the bottom of the escalator. She could have carried on running. She’d have probably got clean away.
But she stopped. She started running up to me.
‘I’ve got you,’ she said, her fingers tight round my wrist.
My head cleared, the lights stopped whirling. I looked round. There were two security guards in blue uniform at the top of the escalator.
‘Quick! I’m OK,’ I gabbled, and I started running down again, we both did, pushing and shoving and dodging, down until we got to the bottom and they were still only halfway down after us.
‘Run, then!’ shouted Tanya.
We ran again, and my heart was banging in my chest and I had a stitch and my mouth tasted of metal but I kept on running. I ran as fast as Tanya, who was clopping like crazy in her sandals. The shopping centre was full and though it meant we had to keep pushing we were hidden from view half the time. We were getting near the entrance, skirting the plastic flowers, outrunning the rabbits and squirrels, getting nearer, getting there, getting away.
Tanya suddenly stopped dead. Her fingers tightened on mine. I saw her staring. I saw what she was staring at. More security men, talking into their radios, spreading out. Waiting for us.
‘Quick, into one of the shops,’ said Tanya, darting.
But we weren’t quite quick enough.
One of them spotted us, and moved fast. We turned and started running back into the centre but we were too late. There was a hand on my shoulder. Two hands, pinning my arms.
‘Hang on now, little lady,’ said a voice.
‘Run, Tanya!’ I screamed at her.
But they had her now too, one each side of her, and she was caught, I was caught, everyone was staring and pointing. I heard the word thief. I shook my head and I struggled and I kept trying to open my eyes up wide, because I so wanted it all to be another nightmare.
It couldn’t really be happening.
‘Come on now, stop struggling. We’ve got you. Don’t make things worse for yourself. Let’s go back to the shop on the top floor, eh?’
‘Not her! Not the little one,’ Tanya said. ‘It’s nothing to do with her. She’s under age anyway. Let her go. Let her go, you pigs! You’ve got me, isn’t that enough?’
But we were both taken back up in the glass bubble lift, and I couldn’t believe that only fifteen minutes ago we’d been so happy and I’d felt we were flying. Now I had men holding me as if I was a criminal. And that’s the way people were looking at me, looking at Tanya.
We were walked along the upper arcade and more people were looking and tutting and someone said it was a disgrace, kids running wild nowadays, and they blamed the mothers . . . and I thought about my mum and I started to cry.
‘Now then, no need for tears. Don’t be frightened, we’re not going to hurt you,’ said the security man, looking uncomfortable.
‘Let her go, can’t you. She’s only a baby,’ said Tanya.
‘Then what are you doing involving her in your shoplifting, eh? said the man.
‘Who says we’ve been shoplifting? Prove it! We were just having a look round, there’s no law against that, is there?’ Tanya said furiously. ‘And anyway, I keep telling you, the little kid’s done nothing. She isn’t even with me. Let her go home to her mum.’
‘You’ll get to see your mums after the police have got here,’ said the security man.
‘I’ll get to see my mum, will I?’ said Tanya. ‘Well, that’ll be a surprise.’
They marched us back into Indigo. The boy with the blue eyes was standing with his arms folded, shaking his head.
‘Yeah, that’s them. Stupid kids,’ he said.
‘You’re the one who’s the stupid poser,’ Tanya yelled. ‘We haven’t done anything. We were only looking at your crummy stock, trying on the boots and that. We haven’t nicked anything.’
She went on insisting even when we were taken through to a stockroom at the back. A female security guard came with us and asked us to give her anything we’d taken.
‘We haven’t taken anything,’ Tanya repeated.
I just cried, and Tanya put her arm round me. I could feel she was trembling too, and that made me cry harder.
‘Look, kids. Don?
??t make me have to search you,’ said the security lady.
‘You’re not to lay a finger on us! You’ve got no right. And I keep telling and telling you, we haven’t nicked anything. That guy out there, the one who fancies himself, he just wants to get us into trouble,’ Tanya insisted.
‘He says you took one of their blue hand-knitted sweaters,’ said the security lady.
‘Then he’s a liar,’ said Tanya.
But the security lady reached forward and tapped the soft bulge of Tanya’s stomach. It slipped. The woman put her hand under Tanya’s sweatshirt and pulled. The blue knitted sweater fell out onto the floor.
‘Who’s the liar?’ she said.
‘You planted it on me,’ said Tanya. ‘Didn’t she, Mandy? She shoved it at me to frame me, yeah?’
The security men at the door started laughing.
‘We’ve got a right tough little cookie here,’ said one. ‘I bet when the police come we’ll find she’s got a lot of previous.’
‘The police!’ I sobbed.
It was even more scary when they arrived, a man and a woman in dark uniform and police hats.
‘Hey, hey! Do I really look so fierce?’ said the policeman, laughing. He looked from Tanya to me. ‘A little Thelma and Louise, eh?’
‘Oh, ha ha. A comedian,’ said Tanya.
‘Well, you’re the hard nut,’ said the policeman. He walked towards me. I cowered away from him, snivelling. ‘So who’s this little shrinking violet, eh?’
‘Give over, you’re frightening her,’ said the policewoman putting her arm round me. ‘Don’t cry, now. What’s your name, eh?’
‘Mandy,’ I wept.
‘And how old are you, Mandy?’
‘Ten.’
‘She’s got nothing to do with this. She’s just a little kid who tagged after me,’ said Tanya fiercely. ‘Let her go.’
The policewoman patted me gently. ‘Well, we’re certainly not in the habit of taking prisoners as little as you, poppet.’
Tanya hunched herself up small. ‘Couldn’t you let us both go, please?’ she asked, sniffing.
‘She’s a great little actress,’ said the security woman.