Xena smiled.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Since you asked so nicely, you can go.’

Ziggy threw up his hands. ‘Are you crazy …?’ One look from Xena stopped him.

‘But hey, rich kids,’ she said. ‘Stay in school where it’s safe, okay? Stay at home with your rich parents in your big house and don’t come here again. This here’s the real world, you understand? You wouldn’t like it here. It’s not a place for you.’ She turned and walked along the cracked footpath towards the distant trees. The rest of the group followed her a few seconds later. Ziggy was the last. He gave us one last stare. Its hardness was like a punch to the face.

Aiden and I walked past the graffiti on the wall, through the arch and out onto the street. I tried not to look behind and I tried not to run. But when I couldn’t keep control anymore, I glanced back. The park was deserted and there was no sign of the street kids. It was as if they’d melted into the landscape.

But I didn’t care what my eyes told me. I ran as hard as I could, Aiden keeping pace at my side. We didn’t stop until we came to the school fence.

Mr Meredith was waiting for us on the other side.

We were in trouble. But at that moment, it seemed trivial compared to the trouble we’d just been in.

3

Dad drove the car himself, which he only does at times of great stress, when he needs something to do with his hands.

Mr Meredith had rung him when it was discovered we were nowhere in the school grounds. Charlotte hadn’t said anything, which was probably good. Going off to find non-existent mangoes would be an embarrassing explanation. Now I could say we just felt like we needed a walk and that we’d only gone a couple of hundred metres before returning. No need to mention being surrounded and nearly kidnapped by a gang of street kids.

Dad sent us to our room as soon as we got home. About the only thing he said was that this was a situation he and Mum would deal with together. He’d get her on his tablet just as soon as she was out of a meeting in Melbourne that couldn’t be interrupted. For the next hour Aiden and I would just have to stew.

It turned out to be an hour and a half. We couldn’t even use our tablets because Dad had strictly forbidden it, and the library was out of bounds too. Aiden just sat cross-legged on his bed and I guess I should have used the time to talk to him, if only to get our stories straight. But somehow it didn’t seem important. I knew Aiden would let me do the talking anyway and that he would echo whatever I said. He’ll lie through his teeth to protect me. He’s done it before. Many times.

So I spent my time thinking about the girl. I’d never known anyone like her and although I should have been revolted by her dirtiness and the fact she hung out in a gang, I wasn’t. She was fascinating. Aiden would probably say that I thought she was fascinating precisely because I’d never known anyone like her. Maybe the exotic is always fascinating. Whatever. I couldn’t help but imagine the life she led and the history that brought her to that park and into my life, albeit briefly. And why did she just let us go? There didn’t seem to be much logic in it.