Cataindar

CHAPTER TWO

This summer holiday was not going to be the regular break from White Manor School; of cinema trips, reading and the occasional sleepover. This summer Luisa and her family would be staying with her grandmother in Wales, for the whole six weeks.

Luisa had pestered her mum to explain why they had to go for such an extended trip, but her mum had replied, "Well, Wales is really lovely in the summer," and "It will be really nice to see your uncle." But the manner in which her mum had spoken, with some hesitancy, made Luisa feel like she was being lied to.

The trip to Wales had been postponed for one day to allow Luisa to join Stacey in a shopping expedition to Hounslow. Her mom had given Luisa a little cash to get some new summer clothes.

Luisa didn't know exactly why she was supposed to enjoy shopping, but she knew it was something that she should enjoy. Going shopping was cool, so she was not about to turn the invite down from Stacey, who was the only person Luisa knew with some expertise in the art. As they bounced from Primark to H&M Luisa had been slightly awestruck by how Stacey could just wear anything and make it look so grown up. But the process of finding and trying on her own clothes had ended up being quite stressful. Stacey burned Luisa's fashion opinions, and tried to force Luisa to buy outfits so skimpy that she would rather die than wear them.

After a few hours it was finally over. Luisa and Stacey clambered on the 281 red double-decker bus, laden with bags.

They tapped their travel cards against the reader and entered the bus. Luisa went to sit on one of the nearest sets of two free seats but Stacey scoffed behind her, "Uh, what are you doin'? Only benders sit downstairs. Get seats upstairs girl, at da back."

Luisa changed direction and followed Stacey, hauling herself upstairs with difficulty, trying to deal with all the bags and the rapidly accelerating bus.

Luisa almost bumped into Stacey who had stopped at the top. She peered around Stacey to see three teenage boys huddled in the centre of the top deck. They were wearing hoods, their flat-rimmed baseball caps poking out at various angles. Underneath Luisa could catch their faces; they were all from the Indian subcontinent. They were cackling over a huge bucket of french-fries covered in sauce, like witches over a cauldron. Their long, blue-jeaned legs blocked the way to the back seats.

A few rows behind them was Terry, the psychopath from school. He was fast-asleep, his head resting against the vibrating window pane, with his mouth slightly open like a wet cut. At the very back of the bus was a man in a black leather jacket and jeans. He was late twenties or early thirties, with a strong neck, cropped hair, high cheek bones, thin eyes and a straight nose that had been very slightly flattened through the bridge. He looked like a boxer, but one that hadn't lost many fights. He sat stretched across the centre seats at the back of the bus and gazed languidly out the window. His small eyes flicked to Luisa with little interest before turning again to survey Hounslow's streets. Luisa guessed he was from Eastern Europe, a new breed of Hounslow-ite sprouting from the cracks of the shattered Soviet Empire.

Stacey took in the scene and pulled the shoulder of Luisa's shirt speaking softly, "Allow dat," she said. "Allow the back, lets jus' sit up 'ere, yeah?"

They sat at the very front. Facing the glass pane of the front windscreen, dumping their bags on the floor. Luisa took the window seat as Stacey settled in the aisle. Stacey turned towards Luisa, her eyes lighting up with mischief, "So. What do ya' fink I should wear to Charmaine's summer party? Because you know Milad is gonna be there and-" Stacey's sentence was cut short when a chip covered in mayonnaise hit her in the side of the head and hung suspended by a ringlet of her hair.

Cackles and guffaws erupted from the gang of boys in the middle of the bus.

Stacey shot to her feet. Her face was set in a snarl and her tanned skin was flushed with red. She singled out the boy who had thrown the chip at her and kissed her teeth loudly, pursing her lips and sucking air through her teeth.