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  ‘Where was the pouch when you last saw it?’ asked Darcy.

  Mio pointed to the corner at the front of the locker.

  ‘And you made no attempt to hide it?’ demanded Darcy.

  The old Mio flared. ‘No, I did not! I didn’t think anyone would steal it. It was in my locker, remember, and my locker was locked!’

  ‘Remind me not to let you guard me with your life…’ he said, flinging Mr Lark’s words back at her.

  This time Mio did not reply. She’d take his cutting remark. She felt she deserved it.

  ‘Who knows the combination, Mio?’ asked Clem.

  ‘No-one.’

  Bryce interrupted with, ‘It’s not hard to crack a combination lock. Even Darcy could do it…’ His smile was forced, the old friction between them bubbling under the surface.

  ‘Gee, thanks!’

  Tong walked several steps down the corridor, saying, ‘This not get us anywhere. We should go.’

  ‘Yeah, let’s go,’ agreed Bryce.

  Darcy looked around with a frown. ‘Where’s Clem? Trust her to disappear at the wrong time.’ He turned to the others. ‘You go back to the bikes. I’ll go get my loopy sister.’

  ‘No, I’ll get her,’ said Mio, taking off. ‘Meet you at the stairs.’

  Bryce, Tong and Darcy walked away from the lockers while Mio headed for the library. Just as she was about to go through the swing doors, Clem burst out, brandishing the black pouch. ‘Guess what the cleaners found beside the computer?’ she said, her voice singing with triumph.

  ‘Yes!’ Mio beamed at Clem, saying, ‘Clever, sister,’ for Clem was the closest she had to a sister, seeing as Sachi, her best friend, was still in Japan. Relieved, she took in great gulps of air, aware that many times today she’d been holding her breath. ‘Problem solved. Let’s go see Mr Lark.’

  ‘Not so fast,’ Clem said, handing her the pouch.

  Mio opened the pouch and tipped it upside down. She peered inside, running a finger along every surface and edge. She turned it inside out, realisation washing across her face.

  ‘Empty.’

  Chapter Five

  As Mio dragged herself down the stairs she came face to face with Mrs Burridge. Darcy, Bryce and Tong were standing in a line, their heads bowed, doing their best to look contrite.

  ‘Mio Shinokazi!’ exclaimed Mrs Burridge. ‘Not you, again.’

  Mio cringed, wondering when Mrs Burridge would ever get her name right. She’d been at The Met nearly two years now. You’d think she could pronounce Shinozaki.

  Mrs Burridge glanced up when Clem came through the door. ‘And Miss Jacobs as well. To be expected when your brother’s about.’

  ‘We can explain,’ began Clem.

  ‘Oh you shall, young lady. You most definitely shall. It’s past five. You know the new safe-school rule.’ Mrs Burridge clasped and unclasped her hands as she ordered the girls to ‘stand with the others’.

  A miserable Mio shuffled over, thinking her day couldn’t get any worse, could it?

  ‘Well?’ said Mrs Burridge walking along the line as if she was a sergeant inspecting the guard.

  No-one said a word. They’d all agreed that they’d do anything to keep this a secret and spare Mr Lark further heartache.

  ‘Tell the truth and you’ll get off lightly. Turn this into an interrogation and I’ll assume you are guilty.’

  ‘We left something in a locker,’ ventured Clem.

  ‘Something we needed,’ said Darcy.

  ‘Belongs to a friend,’ said Bryce.

  Mrs Burridge’s nostrils pinched, then flared. ‘What did you leave in the locker?’

  ‘Black bag.’ Tong made a small square with his fingers to indicate the size.

  Mrs Burridge noticed that everyone had spoken except Mio. She moved down the line to stand in front of the subdued girl. ‘And what’s in the black bag, Mio?’

  Mio stared at the ground. How could she answer this without telling a lie?

  Mrs Burridge planted herself in front of Mio, her arms crossed, lips crushed together. Mio’s stomach clenched so hard her muscles cramped. But when Mrs Burridge repeated, ‘What is in the bag, Mio?’ she knew she had found a way out. ‘There’s nothing in the bag, Mrs Burridge,’ she answered, lifting her head and taking comfort from the fact she was telling the truth. She held out the pouch. ‘See?’

  At the sight of it Mrs Burridge whooshed like an angry camel. ‘You mean to say you broke the rules and entered the school all for the sake of an empty pouch?’

  ‘Yes, Mrs Burridge,’ said Mio, her voice ringing clear.

  ‘Yes, Mrs Burridge,’ echoed the others.

  Mrs Burridge hesitated. Something was not right. But she was already late for a meeting with the school accountant and couldn’t afford to waste any more time. ‘Very well, then,’ she said. ‘However, tomorrow morning I want each and every one of you to hand in a one-page essay on The Importance of Rules for School Safety.’

  Now the voices did not ring so clear. ‘Yes, Mrs Burridge.’ Grabbing their bikes they trudged towards the gates.

  ‘That sucks!’ said Darcy.

  ‘Makes me so mad I could scream,’ agreed Clem.

  ‘Kick parked cars,’ said Bryce but at the look of horror on Clem’s face he added, ‘Only joking. Freewheelers don’t kick parked cars.’

  ‘You know what I need?’ said Mio, at the mention of Freewheelers. ‘I need to ride.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Tong, throwing on his helmet and jumping on his bike.

  ‘Let’s go-o-o-o!’ yelled Darcy.

  And with that they all leapt on their bikes. Mio took the lead, and with teeth gritted and eyes full-beam ahead, she raced down the street, leaning into the corner like a pro. The others followed, enjoying the way the ground loomed to meet them, then fell away as they straightened up. Mio picked up speed. Short sharp breaths punctured the air as she turned her face to the wind. This was one of the few times when Mio felt truly alive, free. Jiyu. Jiyu—to behave as she pleased. Not having to consider others. No limits, no rules, no right or wrong. Just free.

  Darcy caught up and pedalled abreast of her, his grin so wide that his gums showed, like he’d hit g-force. Neither of them spoke; they didn’t have to. Bikes and bodies were moulded as one. In tandem they took a curve and in tandem they straightened, heading for a wall that dropped to a street below.

  Tong kept his eyes on the two ahead, admiring the precision, the flow, to their riding. It was perfect, as though heaven and earth had changed places. Tong bent his head and started cycling harder, intent on securing his own place in heaven. His cheeks stung and his ears whistled; even a runny nose was cause for celebration. His lungs filled with air and he lifted his head to the clear sky.

  Clem and Bryce lagged further behind, content to make this moment their own and not compete with the others. But while Darcy and Mio rode side by side these two played tag, at one time one ahead then the other overtaking while that one fell behind, only to repeat the move over and over again, like a two-man team at a velodrome.

  Mio and Darcy’s landings were perfect. They touched down, their wheels flattening, then sprung up and propelled forward in such a way that it could only be described as lyrical. Laughter tumbled from Mio’s mouth, like bubbles bursting. Which is exactly how she felt—all that tension, all that worry was evaporating in a volley of sound.

  ‘Good one, Mio.’ Tong had finally reached them.

  Together they rode, low on fear and fired by magic, as they zig-zagged cracks and leapt gaps, titanium titans flying through the air. Nothing would stop them—not the impossible peak-hour traffic, not the patchwork of potholes or the grooves of metal grates, not the oil slicks or puddles or lousy patch-up road jobs. On a flat stretch they eased, content to coast while the other two caught up.

  Without realising it, they’d ended up not far from Wheels Skate Park. It was receiving its finishing touches before the grand opening. ‘Let’s check it out,’ said Darcy, heading for the huge
construction. They stood outside the security fence watching some workmen put the final screws into the inside spectator barrier whilst others finished the landscaping.

  The park spread out further than an Olympic swimming pool. It looked like a lunar landscape with its ramps, pipes, trick boxes, pyramid, handrails and stairs resembling the moon’s terminator and seas, craters and mountains and battered highlands. Workmen crawled all over it, checking for obstacles or damaged coping—the material on the lip of a ramp or a pool—that might impede safety.

  ‘Can’t wait to try all that,’ said Darcy pointing to the half-pipe, ramps, banks and bowls.

  ‘Me either,’ said Bryce. ‘Looks rad.’

  ‘What rad?’ asked Tong.

  Clem laughed. ‘Rad means radical. It also means Bryce is trying to act, like, real cool.’

  Bryce shrugged. ‘Just getting into the spirit of the occasion.’

  ‘Speaking of spirit!’ said Mio. Her words were clipped, sounding like they’d popped from her mouth.

  A group of skaters, led by Dunk Dog, appeared from nowhere, carving up the pavement as if it was their own. Boards swished and swizzled through the air.

  ‘They sure do dominate that third dimension,’ said Clem.

  ‘Fourth dimension more like it,’ said Mio.

  ‘Fourth dimension?’ asked Clem.

  ‘Yeah. Where you exist on a higher plane of space and time. Think three-dimensional object projected in multiple planes.’

  Bryce joined in. ‘What if they design a fourth-dimension rollercoaster? Awesome!’

  Clem thought about something her mother had once tried to explain to her, that the fourth dimension was the bridge between religion and science—the place where physical matter and psychic phenomena could meet. It had been all very confusing at the time but watching these skateboarders making gravity their own, made it easier for Clem to understand.

  And then the spell was broken.

  ‘Oy!’ yelled Dunk Dog. ‘Cop this.’

  A clod of earth flew through the air, pelting Mio on the arm.

  Chapter Six

  Darcy turned just in time to see the dirt explode in Mio’s face.

  Mio was spitting, swiping at her mouth and shaking her head when a hail of sods flew through the air. Some landed randomly to scatter on the ground but some hit their mark, so that Bryce and Darcy were now also sporting terracotta splotches.

  ‘Hey!’ Darcy checked out the terrain. He could see Dunk Dog and the skateboarders near a huge pile of soil and construction waste. Most of the lumps were soft and crumpled on impact, but when mixed with clumps of clay they twanged off the body, leaving dark red welts.

  It was raining dirt.

  The Freewheelers were stuck. They had no access to ammunition of their own whilst the skateboarders had an unlimited supply, as well as a fierce determination to keep the bike riders off their turf.

  ‘Come on,’ yelled Darcy, taking refuge behind a huge pile of lumber.

  Clem, Tong, Bryce and Mio huddled next to him. With regular monotony lumps of dirt hit the timber and shattered all around them.

  ‘What we do?’ asked Tong, ducking under his arm for protection.

  ‘Not much we can do,’ said Bryce with a grimace. ‘They’ve got all the ammo.’

  Clem agreed. ‘Maybe we should wait it out. They’ll get sick of it soon.’

  But Mio had other ideas. Her day had gone from bad to worse to dreadful and if she didn’t do something to stop the slide, the night was promising to be an absolute horror. She’d noticed that Dunk Dog and his skaters were grouped together and were all facing the Freewheelers—which meant no-one was watching their rear. Which meant that was where she was heading. Mio skirted around some work trucks, making sure that she remained concealed. Darcy watched her progress and frowned, wondering what she was going to do and whether she wanted him to help her. But one glance at her determined movements answered that.

  Mio crawled along the ground on her belly, behind a spectator stand and past a portable generator, till she was almost directly behind the group of skateboarders.

  Please be careful, prayed Clem, squashing her instincts to call out so as not to give Mio away. She wondered how one puny girl was going to take on an aggro group of skateboarders.

  ‘I’m going to help her,’ said Bryce but as soon as he stuck his head up, thwack!, the skateboarders did their best to knock it off.

  Tong dragged Bryce back down, telling him to ‘Stay still,’ while Clem brushed the dirt out of his eyes.

  ‘You okay?’ asked Darcy.

  ‘Just.’

  ‘What’s she up to?’ said Darcy through gritted teeth as he tried to catch a glimpse of Mio.

  ‘I’d tell you but I’m rather partial to my head,’ said Bryce.

  ‘She’s going to get hurt.’ Darcy eased himself up to peek through a gap in the slats.

  ‘See her?’ asked Bryce.

  ‘Yup.’

  ‘What’s she doing?’

  ‘Running in front of a steamroller.’

  ‘What?’ Both Bryce and Clem flung themselves to look through the slat at the same time, bumping heads and adding to the injury tally.

  Sure enough, there was Mio, standing in front of the steamroller, waving her arms to flag it down.

  Clem nudged Bryce aside, saying, ‘I don’t believe it. She’s going to get squashed.’

  ‘Me no look,’ said Tong. He scrunched up his eyes and braced himself, ready for her agonised howls.

  Another round of dirt found its mark.

  By now the light was fading and the landscapers were packing up. ‘Why don’t they stop them?’ said Clem, her voice quivering with frustration.

  ‘They don’t have to,’ announced Darcy, giving a wry smile as he peeped over the lumber pile.

  ‘Why not?’ asked Bryce.

  ‘Look.’

  What they saw resembled Hannibal riding into battle on his elephant. They saw a big beefy driver at the wheel of a steamroller. And they saw Mio, perched beside him and pointing. Together they rolled across the grass, the drum flattening everything in its path. Closer and closer they got to the skateboarders.

  Suddenly, the air was rent by the blast of a horn. The skateboarders whirled around, their faces going from smug, to shock, to fear. The steamroller came nearer and nearer. The skateboarders froze, then leapt to their feet at the second blast of the warning signal.

  ‘Clear off!’ yelled a deep, gruff voice.

  ‘Get lost!’ yelled a high-pitched voice as a swathe of black hair came into view and a tiny hand reached for the horn.

  The skateboarders grabbed their boards and took off. All except for Dunk Dog, who stood his ground, saying, ‘Make me!’

  Mio reached for the horn and rammed it down. The third blast shook the air, making Dunk Dog jump. He flicked up his board, poised for flight, but glared at Mio. The driver rose from his seat making ready to leap down, fist raised, when she shouted, ‘Scoot!’

  This time there was no hesitation. Dunk Dog bolted after his mates with Bryce’s ‘Go, Mio!’ ringing in his ears.

  The Freewheelers watched as Mio and the driver shared a hearty laugh. They were still laughing when they were joined by the others.

  ‘That was amazing,’ said Clem.

  ‘Incredible,’ agreed Darcy.

  ‘Very happy you save us,’ said Tong.

  Bryce wandered over to Mio, who was still in the driver’s cabin, and said, ‘That’s a first. Saved by a stampeding steamroller.’

  The driver chuckled as he turned to Mio and held out a weather-beaten hand. ‘Glad to be of service.’ Mio shook his hand, once, twice. His face registered surprise to find steel under such delicacy. Mio smiled to herself. All those years of karate, striking at the makiwara to strengthen and condition her body, had paid off, so that her hands and wrists were now hard-soft.

  ‘Do-mo,’ said Mio slowly, bowing deeply. ‘Thank you.’ Mio hopped down and stood back whilst the driver started up his steamroller
again.

  ‘Be careful of that lot,’ he said. ‘Think they own the park.’

  ‘We will,’ said Darcy with a wave.

  ‘Thanks!’

  As the steamroller headed on its way Darcy plucked Mio off her feet and swung her around, saying, ‘You were amazing.’

  Mio shrugged herself out of his grip, irritated to be treated like a doll.

  ‘Mio Shinozaki should be Mio Kamikaze,’ announced Bryce, giving her a slap on the back.

  ‘You sure took them by surprise,’ agreed Clem.

  Mio gave herself a shake, saying, ‘Took myself by surprise, too.’

  ‘Dunk Dog nearly wet himself,’ said Darcy, with a grin.

  ‘He did, didn’t he?’ said Mio, her face glowing.

  It was now Tong’s turn to come forward. ‘Cám ón chi [thank you],’ he said with a bow. They stood apart, equally uncomfortable with such public displays of affection.

  As night was fast approaching the Freewheelers grabbed their bikes and headed for home. Not only was there homework and music practice to do and dinner to eat—there was also the small detail of Mrs Burridge’s essay!

  Next morning the Freewheelers met at the Van. They needed talk time and thinking time before heading off to school.

  ‘Recognise any of them last night?’ asked Darcy as he sat munching on a sesame bagel.

  ‘No,’ said Mio, calmly sipping miso soup from a thermos.

  Clem shook her head, her own mouth full of seeds and dough.

  ‘No,’ said Tong as he picked a slice of green onion from the top of his steaming noodle soup then popped it into his mouth. The Van filled with the aroma of lime and basil and fish sauce.

  The rich smell of the broth made Bryce’s mouth water and he cursed himself for forgetting to grab something for breakfast. Cara, his dad’s new wife, used to make sure he ate something before he headed off to school but with the night-time antics of Liv, their new baby, any extra shut-eye in the morning was a welcome relief, and a cooked breakfast had become a thing of the past.