Loop by Brian Caswell Page A

Sophie stopped talking long enough to realise that the movie had started, I’d be alright.
    Which I would have been, except that just when things had settled down a mobile phone started ringing two seats to my right.
    Not so unusual, you might think.
    I guess not. Except that there was no one sitting two seats to my right. The whole row was empty.
    The phone was sitting in the drink-holder on the arm of the seat, facing me, and the screen was glowing blue in the darkness.
    I reached across and tried to find the button that stopped it ringing. It was vibrating as I picked it up, but then I pressed something and it stopped.
    And the screen changed.
    I was staring at a text message.
    If u have found my
mobile plz return it 2 me.
U can call me at home on
6555 9222. ask for andy
I need it 4 my work & I
don’t no where I lost it
    I left the cinema to look for Mr Alston, but he wasn’t anywhere around so I went outside and rang the number on the screen. There was no answer, not even a machine.
    That was when Sean arrived, walking along the street outside the Majestic with Greg Blair.
    Blair the Bear.
    â€˜What’s this?’ Sean said, as he made a grab for the phone. Luckily, I’ve lived with him all my life so I managed to dodge out of the way.
    â€˜What does it look like?’ I asked, holding the phone out in front of me. ‘I found it inside. There’s a text-message on the screen. I’m trying to call the owner.’
    â€˜You’re what?’
    He sounded like he couldn’t believe his ears.
    â€˜I’m trying to —’ I began, but he cut me off.
    â€˜I heard,’ he said. ‘I just didn’t think you were that dumb. Do you know how much that thing is worth?’
    I didn’t. So Greg told me.
    I whistled.
    â€˜Give it to me,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I know a guy who’ll buy it from us. We can split the money.’
    I took a step back.
    â€˜Come on, Mikey,’ Sean said, trying to pretend that he called me by my name a lot, which he didn’t. I was usually ‘runt’ or ‘dweeb-face’.
    I took another step back.
    â€˜Look, kid …’
    The Bear was moving around, cutting off my escape as he spoke.
    â€˜Anyone who can afford to buy a phone like that can afford to buy another one,’ he said.
    But I wasn’t convinced.
    â€˜How do you know?’ I slid sideways away from him. ‘The message says he needs it for work. Maybe it isn’t even his.’
    â€˜Then he should have been more careful with it.’ Sean moved closer. Then he stopped, as if he’d suddenly had an idea. ‘How long have you been saving for that skateboard?’
    He knew exactly how long. Since Easter, when I lost control of my old one and it ran into the middle of the highway and got run over by a truck.
    I didn’t answer.
    â€˜With your share, you could get a new one,’ he went on. ‘Give us the phone.’
    They had me trapped. I knew I wasn’t going to get away.
    And besides, what did I care about some stranger who’d been careless with his phone? Everyone else I knew had a skateboard and a pair of in-lines. Why shouldn’t I?
    I looked at the phone one more time, then passed it to Sean, who passed it across to Greg.
    Who put it in his pocket.
    Then they turned and walked away down the street without saying another word.
    When I turned to go back into the Majestic, I saw Mr Alston watching me, and I knew he’d heard everything. He didn’t look disappointed, or angry. He just motioned for me to come.
    But I couldn’t. Suddenly I felt ashamed. I turned and ran down the street.
    Until I got there I didn’t know where I was going.
    I was just running. But you can’t run away from yourself. In the end you always know what you should have done.
    And if you didn’t do it … You know that too.
    I was breathing heavily and the sweat was running into my eyes. I wiped