Gone Missing by Jean Ure Page B

asleep. The baby was crying fit to bust, but Darcy didn’t stir. Honey, very indignant, said, “Just as well we’re here. Poor little thing!” I left Honey to look after her and went to wake Darcy. I bounced myself down on to the bed.
    â€œHey!” I prodded at her. She groaned, and opened an eye.
    â€œWozzamadder?”
    I said, “The baby’s crying.”
    â€œOh, God!” She rolled over, on to her back. “Can’t you see to it?”
    â€œHoney is, but I just thought you ought to know.”
    â€œWhy? What do I want to know for?”
    I said, “It’s your baby!”
    â€œIt’s not my baby.”
    â€œWell, your sister’s. Two men called last night,” I said.
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œMidnight. I told them she wasn’t here.”
    â€œRight.” Darcy hauled the duvet over herself.
    â€œNeither were you,” I said. “What happened?”
    â€œNothing happened, I just stayed on a bit. It’s half term! You don’t have to look at me like that, I wouldn’t have gone out if you hadn’t been here. I told you, I never leave it more than a couple of hours. OK?”
    I said, “OK,” though I didn’t really think it was. I thought that Honey was right, and if I had a baby I wouldn’t trust it to someone like Darcy. But I didn’t want to get on the wrong side of her.
    There wasn’t much for breakfast; just a bit of stale cereal and a couple of crusts of toast. Darcy said that was all right, she wasn’t hungry.
    â€œI never eat breakfast.” She said she’d go down the shops later on and stock up. “You two had better stay here, you don’t want people recognising you. Let’s see if you’re on the telly!”
    We still weren’t. I didn’t know whether I felt more disappointed or relieved, but Darcy said it was good.
    â€œLonger they leave it, the better.” She said that when she came back from shopping she would do something to change our appearances. “Do something with your hair…give it a make-over!”
    We had some fun, that first morning. Darcy came back from the shops with a load of chocolate-covered doughnuts, which we sat and consumed straight away. Darcy said, “See if the baby wants some,” but Honey wouldn’t. She said that doughnuts weren’t good for babies.
    â€œThey rot the teeth.”
    Darcy said, “What teeth?” and we both cackled.
    Honey got quite cross. She told us that we were behaving irresponsibly. She said, “This baby is helpless . We’re supposed to be taking care of her.”
    â€œOh, just stop being such a bore,” said Darcy. “Me and Jade left home to get away from all that!”
    It was true that at home I couldn’t have gorged on doughnuts, specially not chocolate-covered ones, without Mum nagging at me. I said this to Darcy.
    â€œThis is it,” said Darcy. “You’re free !” She pushed the box of doughnuts at me. “Have another!”
    I managed four, but after that I came over a bit sick and had to stop. Darcy jeered and called me a wimp. She said, “You ain’t got no stamina, girl! You’d better get your act together tonight, I got hotpot.”
    â€œShe can’t eat hotpot,” said Honey. “Not if it’s got meat in it. She’s a vegetarian.”
    If looks could have killed, then surely Honey would have dropped dead on the spot. What business was it of hers?
    â€œYou gotta be joking,” said Darcy.
    â€œNo, she is,” insisted Honey.
    Darcy looked at me like I was some kind of bug-eyed alien. “Since when?”
    â€œSince never,” I said. “It was just something to annoy Dad. He got on my nerves, you know? Always trying to make me eat stuff I didn’t want.”
    â€œYou told me it was principle,” said Honey.
    She was really starting to get on my nerves! Ever since she’d taken