o’clock. She had not spoken to Mandy since her family had arrived back from their holiday and so she considered their plans had not changed.
She stepped off the bus and found a bench and sat and waited. While she waited she pulled out her diary to double check that 11o’clock was the time they had arranged. Clearly written in her handwriting was the time on this Saturday. When the clock in the bus station had pointed to ten past eleven she began to wonder where Mandy had got to. It was most unusual for her friend to be late and her bus had already parked up in the station. The next bus would arrive at 11.30, so she sat and waited for this one to arrive.
When Mandy did not get off this bus she began to wonder what may have happened.
This was most strange, she thought to herself. “I‘m sure she hadn’t phoned me”, she thought to herself. She decided that as she hadn’t turned up, that she would catch the outgoing bus and call round to her house to see if anything was wrong.
She boarded the next bus out to Mandy’s side of town. The bus route was much longer going to the side of town that Mandy lived in than it took for Julie to bike as it had several stops before it reached the nearest stop to Mandy’s house. Julie walked the short distance to the house to see a double glazing van and a security alarm van parked outside the house.
She knocked on the partly opened door and waited. Mr Campbell answered her knock and invited her in. He showed her to the kitchen where Mandy was sitting with her eyes all puffed up and her face red, holding a handkerchief to her nose.
Julie could tell her friend was upset. She thought it might be because the holiday was over.
“Whatever’s the matter”, she asked as she went to put a consoling arm around her friend.
In broken gasps Mandy began to explain what had happened while they were away.
“They took my jewellery, my best watch and loads of mum and dad’s things. They even took James’s Gameboy. How mean is that”? Mandy told her in broken sentences.
Julie wasn’t sure whether she should mention her wait in the bus station. As it turned out she didn’t have to. Mandy apologised for not being there as arranged and also for not ringing her. Mrs Campbell had entered the kitchen to make a brew for the workmen.
“Why don’t you two go up to Mandy’s room, I’ll bring you a drink up shortly”, she suggested.
They both nodded at the idea and made their way upstairs. They both sat on the bed while Mandy filled Julie in on what they had come home to. Julie then told her friend about the break-in at the house just up the road. As they both mulled over the similarities between the two robberies it was plain that whoever they were they were becoming more active. The burglary at the Campbell’s was the fifth in the area over the past month, the month before there were three break-ins.
Mandy began to feel more like herself as her friend had come to see her. She felt that as she had let her friend down the least she could do was to go with her to town. After having their drinks Mandy went to the bathroom to freshen up. After telling her mother where they were going and getting approval from her they made their way back to the bus stop.
On the journey Julie explained that it was her intention to invite Mandy to their picnic. To this Mandy replied that she would love to come as she was now feeling much better and she needed to get away from the house and the feelings she had of the break-in if that were possible.
“Are all your family going”, asked Mandy.
“Everyone except my dad, he never comes on family outings. He will probably sit in front of the television and watch the stupid cricket or go over to his pals. He seems to prefer their company to ours”, replied Julie.
Knowing this was the case, did not make Julie feel any better. She saw how a real family could be when she observed the
She stepped off the bus and found a bench and sat and waited. While she waited she pulled out her diary to double check that 11o’clock was the time they had arranged. Clearly written in her handwriting was the time on this Saturday. When the clock in the bus station had pointed to ten past eleven she began to wonder where Mandy had got to. It was most unusual for her friend to be late and her bus had already parked up in the station. The next bus would arrive at 11.30, so she sat and waited for this one to arrive.
When Mandy did not get off this bus she began to wonder what may have happened.
This was most strange, she thought to herself. “I‘m sure she hadn’t phoned me”, she thought to herself. She decided that as she hadn’t turned up, that she would catch the outgoing bus and call round to her house to see if anything was wrong.
She boarded the next bus out to Mandy’s side of town. The bus route was much longer going to the side of town that Mandy lived in than it took for Julie to bike as it had several stops before it reached the nearest stop to Mandy’s house. Julie walked the short distance to the house to see a double glazing van and a security alarm van parked outside the house.
She knocked on the partly opened door and waited. Mr Campbell answered her knock and invited her in. He showed her to the kitchen where Mandy was sitting with her eyes all puffed up and her face red, holding a handkerchief to her nose.
Julie could tell her friend was upset. She thought it might be because the holiday was over.
“Whatever’s the matter”, she asked as she went to put a consoling arm around her friend.
In broken gasps Mandy began to explain what had happened while they were away.
“They took my jewellery, my best watch and loads of mum and dad’s things. They even took James’s Gameboy. How mean is that”? Mandy told her in broken sentences.
Julie wasn’t sure whether she should mention her wait in the bus station. As it turned out she didn’t have to. Mandy apologised for not being there as arranged and also for not ringing her. Mrs Campbell had entered the kitchen to make a brew for the workmen.
“Why don’t you two go up to Mandy’s room, I’ll bring you a drink up shortly”, she suggested.
They both nodded at the idea and made their way upstairs. They both sat on the bed while Mandy filled Julie in on what they had come home to. Julie then told her friend about the break-in at the house just up the road. As they both mulled over the similarities between the two robberies it was plain that whoever they were they were becoming more active. The burglary at the Campbell’s was the fifth in the area over the past month, the month before there were three break-ins.
Mandy began to feel more like herself as her friend had come to see her. She felt that as she had let her friend down the least she could do was to go with her to town. After having their drinks Mandy went to the bathroom to freshen up. After telling her mother where they were going and getting approval from her they made their way back to the bus stop.
On the journey Julie explained that it was her intention to invite Mandy to their picnic. To this Mandy replied that she would love to come as she was now feeling much better and she needed to get away from the house and the feelings she had of the break-in if that were possible.
“Are all your family going”, asked Mandy.
“Everyone except my dad, he never comes on family outings. He will probably sit in front of the television and watch the stupid cricket or go over to his pals. He seems to prefer their company to ours”, replied Julie.
Knowing this was the case, did not make Julie feel any better. She saw how a real family could be when she observed the
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