Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 06] by Dates Mates, Mad Mistakes (Html) Read Free Book Online

was
one of them.
    I stepped up my pace,
then glanced over my shoulder. Someone was on the path behind me. A boy in
black. He put his head down when I turned. Was it Park Boy? I glanced again,
but he’d left the path and was heading for the trees, so I couldn’t see his
face. He looked about same height as Park Boy, but I couldn’t be sure that it
was him. I could feel my heart beginning to pound as I glanced behind again. No
sign of anyone. I don’t like this, I thought. I looked across at the trees and
could see movement, like someone was darting from tree to tree, trying to stay
out of sight. My heart began to beat really fast and I felt my chest tighten
with fear. Was it Park Boy playing some daft game? Then it dawned on me that
even if it was, I didn’t know him at all. Maybe he was some kind of weirdo.
    I stopped for a moment
to try and locate exactly where the person was. But whoever it was in the trees
also stopped. I set off again, walking fast, but not quite breaking into a run
yet. What shall I do? I thought. I could feel myself begin to panic and I got
my mobile out of my pocket and put my thumb on the keypad, ready to phone Dad
if I got into any trouble. He lived nearest and could be there in five minutes
if I needed help. I took a
really
quick glance over my shoulder and
saw the shape of someone on the path. Yeah, it is Park Boy, I decided,
breathing a sigh of relief. Same denim jacket. Right, I thought. Let’s see how
he
likes it when people disappear behind trees! As I turned a corner on the path,
I snuck behind a tree and waited. I could hear the sound of footsteps
approaching and as the Boy walked by, I leaped out.
    ‘Park Police,’ I
yelled. ‘What do you think you’re playing at?’
    A young lad with dark
hair almost leaped out of his skin. He took one look at me and began to run as
fast as he could away from me towards the gate. Whoever he was, he wasn’t the
one who had been following me. As I watched him scarper, I heard someone
laughing behind me. I swung around and Park Boy stepped out with a huge grin on
his face.
    ‘You creep!’ I yelled.
‘You really scared me.’
    ‘Er, excuse me,’ he
said and pointed at the young lad in the distance, who was still running. ‘I
think it’s
you
who’s scaring people. Park Police!’
    ‘I thought he was you.
What were
you
doing? You were following me, hiding in the trees.’
    ‘I thought you
saw
it was me,’ he said, pointing back up the path. ‘Way back there.’
    ‘Yeah, but I don’t
know you.’
    ‘From the cafe, this
morning…’
    ‘I know. But I don’t
know
you…’
    ‘Oh, right,’ said the boy,
then smiled. ‘Josh Harper.’ He pointed at the girls I’d passed. ‘I’m with some
mates. Do you want to come and join us?’
    I looked behind me to
the other side of the park, then towards the gate off to my left. I did a quick
calculation. If I walked back over and hung out with them for a while, it would
be late and I didn’t fancy walking the path again when it was really dark, and
I didn’t want to act like I was a weed, asking one of them to come with me.
    ‘Er, no thanks,’ I
said.
    ‘Got to be home by
curfew time?’
    ‘No. Just…’
    ‘Then chill,’ he said
and sat on the grass, smiling a really wicked smile.‘I won’t bite you… least
not until I’ve got to know you better.’ He pulled out a can of lager from his
jacket. ‘Want a drink?’
    I pulled a face. ‘No
thanks. Lager tastes disgusting.’
    He laughed and reached
into his other pocket and pulled out a small bottle of vodka. ‘Prefer this?’
    I shook my head again.
‘What are you? A walking bar?’
    ‘No, that’s the lot.’
He lifted his arms and leaned back on the grass, inviting me to go into his
pockets. ‘But you’re welcome to go through my things, officer.’
    I felt myself blushing
and was glad that it was beginning to get dark. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice.
    ‘No, I believe you,’ I
said.
    ‘So what’s your