Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson Page B

as much sense as Hal does on a bad day.
    â€œIt is you, isn’t it?” the guard went on.
    â€œHe’s himself all right,” I said, since Hal wasn’t making any attempt to answer these very peculiar questions.
    â€œYou’re the little lad whose d— … Hal, that was his name. Are you Hal?”
    Hal nodded.
    The guard grinned, pleased with himself to have worked it out. Whatever “it” was. “Stepfather, eh?” he said. “Well, that’s great, so it is.”
    Hal still said nothing.

    â€œWell, well,” said the guard. “It’s a small world.”
    Which is rubbish. It’s a very big world. It’s Balnamara that is small, not the world.
    â€œSo tell me,” said the guard, “will yiz be all right now, for getting home? I mean, do you need …”
    â€œOh, we’re grand,” I said. “We were just a bit puzzled. He’s probably gone ahead home. It’s not a problem. We’ll find him. You’re right, he’s probably not missing at all.”
    â€œYe’re not lost yerselves, are ye? Ye know the way home?”
    â€œOh yes. It’s only about a mile, and we have our bikes,” I said cheerfully.
    â€œOnly, I … I could get a ban-gharda for yiz, if ye need any kind of …”
    Oh lordy, I thought. He thinks we’re helpless. And now he’s responsible for us, because we’ve told him we’ve lost our adult.
    â€œNo,” I said firmly. “We’ll be fine, guard, thank you. We know our way home.”
    â€œIf you’re sure,” he said doubtfully.
    What age did he think we were? About seven, I’d say.
    â€œPositive certain,” I said, with as big a grin as I could manage. I can do sweet little girl if I have to.
    â€œRight,” he said, and hopped back onto his saddle. “If you really are sure. Now, listen to me, if this gentleman doesn’t turn up by, say, this evening, you can come back to us. Give the station a ring. Or get your mam to do it, OK?
It’s probably fine, but you never know, do you? You can’t be too careful.”
    I nodded. “Yes, we’ll do that. We’ll definitely let you know if he doesn’t show up.”
    â€œRight,” said the guard.
    â€œRight,” said I.
    â€œSafe home, so!” he called as he pedaled off.
    â€œWhat do you think you are doing?” shrieked Hal as soon as the guard had disappeared. “Telling the guards about it! Are you out of your tiny mind?”
    I thought he was overreacting. I’d only asked for a smallish piece of information.
    â€œIt wasn’t ‘the guards.’ It was one guard.”
    â€œIt’s all the same,” said Hal.
    â€œHal, he has disappeared, you know. He was there, and then he wasn’t there and …”
    â€œBut he’s not missing ! He’s just … we just don’t know where he went. Maybe he met a person he knew. Maybe he came across the canteen and thought he’d have some breakfast. Anything might have happened.”
    â€œExactly,” I said. “ Anything . And I don’t know about you, but in my family, if you are in trouble, you talk to a policeman.”
    â€œWe’re not in trouble, Olivia. Not what you would call trouble.”
    I wasn’t so sure about that.
    Just then, a squad car came zipping by, going whee-hoo, whee-hoo, with its blue light flashing and spinning.

    Hal went paler than pale. I thought, if he goes any paler, I am going to be able to see through his skin and see all his bones and veins and everything, with the blood all pumping around. He really doesn’t like the police. Anyone’d think he was a criminal or something.
    The squad car came skidding to a halt at the hospital gate, and our friend in the glass kiosk didn’t wait to hear what the story was. He lifted the red-and-orange pole and the squad car revved up again and disappeared into the hospital