Awake and Dreaming - Kit Pearson [35]
“But I don’t have a lock!” said Anna. “I lent it to John after his broke.”
Grace looked impatient. “Well, you stay here and watch the bikes while Theo and I go in.”
“I need to pee, too!” said Anna.
“I’ll stay with the bikes,” offered Theo.
“I don’t want to leave you alone,” said Anna. She looked at the bikes and at her friend’s expression. “Okay … let’s go in just for a minute so we can use the washroom. I’ll lock my bike with Theo’s. But we can’t stay long—it’s getting late.”
Grace locked her bike to the railing. Anna wound the chain lock from Theo’s bike around hers as well.
They went into Eaton’s and used the washroom. Then Grace wanted to try on make-up.
“We really should go now, Grace,” said Anna.
“Just a few more minutes,” said Grace, spraying herself with a perfume sample.
When they finally went out again, Anna’s bike was gone.
“Oh, no!” She knelt to examine the lock; the chain had been cut. “My brand new bike!” she wailed. “I just got it for Christmas!”
“That’s why they picked yours,” said Grace. “Don’t cry. It’s all my fault—I shouldn’t have stayed so long. I’m sorry, Anna.”
She put her arm around her friend, but Anna just cried harder. Then she sniffed, looked miserably at the others, and said, “There’s nothing we can do. It’s really late. We’ve got to get home! Let’s go up Fairfield Road, it’s faster.”
Anna tried riding double with Grace, but they couldn’t balance the bike and soon gave up. When they reached Fairfield, they pushed the bikes up the hilly street as fast as they could. Now it was dark—the streetlights were on and people pulled their curtains in the houses they passed. Without the sun the air was clammy.
Anna was close to tears again. “We’re going to get into a lot of trouble,” she told Theo. “Especially me!”
“So am I,” said Grace gloomily. “I’m sorry, you guys. It was a dumb idea to go downtown.”
Theo shuddered. What did “a lot of trouble” mean? “Anna,” she asked, after they had said goodbye to Grace at her corner and hurried down their own street. “Are they going to hit us?”
Anna stopped in astonishment. “Hit us? Of course not! Mum and Dad would never hit us! It’s wrong to hit children!”
“Oh.” Theo was relieved, but she still trembled when they opened the front door.
“They’re back!” shouted Lisbeth. “We thought you’d been kidnapped!”
Ben pushed into their stomachs with his hard head and Bingo licked their faces frantically.
“Anna! Theo!” cried Mum, rushing into the hall. She put her arms around both of them at once. “Thank goodness you’re safe!” Then she stepped back, her voice stern. “Where on earth have you been? Dad’s gone out in the car to look for you. Do you realize what time it is?”
Dad burst in and hugged them violently. Then they all sat down in the living-room while Anna tried to explain. “It’s not Theo’s fault,” she said at once. “It was Grace’s idea, but I could have said no. And now I’ve lost my bike!” She began to cry again.
“But why didn’t you phone us when you realized it was so late?” demanded Mum.
Anna hung her head. “I didn’t think of that,” she whispered.
“I’ll contact the police about your bike,” said Dad, “but I don’t think there’s much chance of getting it back. Now Anna …” He pulled her close to him. “You’ve been very foolish, haven’t you … I’m sorry your new bike has been stolen, but I think you know it was your fault. You’ll just have to make do with John’s old one.”
“We were so worried!” said Mum. Her anger had evaporated and tears slid down her face. She pulled Theo onto her lap.
“I’m s-sorry,” sobbed Anna.
“I’m sorry,” echoed Theo.
“Oh, come and have your dinner.” Mum wiped her eyes. “I’ve kept it warm.”
THAT NIGHT, after they were all in bed and after they’d gone over the whole afternoon in detail for Lisbeth, Theo whispered, “Anna?”
“What?”
“When are we going to get into trouble?”
Anna sounded puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“You said we’d get into a lot of trouble, but nothing’s happened to us yet.”
“Nothing! But they were so upset and Mum was crying! That was the trouble! I feel so terrible when they’re disappointed