Connor tilts his head back and stares up at the stars sprinkled over the deep navy sky, the moon a sliver between clouds. He wonders if Tyler is looking at the moon, thinking of home, of him and Ryan. It is comforting somehow to imagine that he is.

It’s cold tonight. Connor pulls his hood over his head and crosses his arms over his chest.

Ryan is late.

Once Connor wouldn’t have given this a second thought but since Tyler disappeared his heart beats faster, his eyes darting from left to right, searching for his friend, relieved when he sees Ryan jogging towards him.

‘Sorry,’ Ryan says. ‘Had a nightmare getting away from Mum tonight. She was really upset. Crying and shit.’

‘Because of your dad?’

‘Yeah.’ Ryan scuffs the toe of his trainer against the kerb. ‘Sometimes she wants me to stay in with her and sometimes she wants to be alone.’

‘Still no word from him?’

‘No. I don’t… I don’t understand what I’ve done,’ Ryan says softly, and then angrily, ‘Fuck him. I don’t need him.’

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘I do.’

‘No. You don’t.’ Connor jumps down from the wall and places his hand on his friend’s shoulder. Ryan turns towards him. Despite the gloom, Connor can see the tears in his friend’s eyes.

‘No,’ he says softly. ‘I don’t.’

When they were little and Ryan was upset, Connor always knew how to cheer him up: giving him one of his football stickers for his album; splitting a Snickers in half; letting him win on FIFA on the Xbox. How can he make up for a lost father? It’s impossible.

‘Anyways. How’s your bro?’ Ryan changes the subject.

‘Much better. Hopefully coming home tomorrow.’

‘Cool. Can’t wait to see him.’

‘He’s been asking after you. And Tyler.’

‘What did you tell him?’

‘Nothing, Mum doesn’t want him to know Tyler’s missing but he’s gonna find out.’ It has been five days now.

‘Not if we find him. Come on, let’s get moving.’

They had both been getting up for school a couple of hours earlier than usual and checking under the railway bridge and the old shopping precinct where the homeless people sleep to see if Tyler was there.

He never was.

After school, when Connor wasn’t at the hospital with Kieron, they visited the places they regularly hung out, along with the areas of town they didn’t usually go to. Connor is beginning to lose hope.

He picks up his crowbar from the top of the wall. It’s cold and heavy in his hands.

‘We can break the boards off the old shopfronts tonight. Have a look inside.’

They fall into step, heading across town, speculating again about what might have happened to Tyler.