looked OK in the picture, but the reality wasn't quite right. The uppers were made from thick, shiny plastic and the soles were made from ?
Lauren held one of the shoes up for inspection, poked the bottom and decided that the only thing it resembled was one of the crispbreads that her mum used to eat when she was on a diet. And there was no way around the fact that wearing shiny plastic shoes that resembled a high-fibre snack was going to mark her out as a freak.
But she slid them on, gritted her teeth and stepped out of her room to go get breakfast. She told herself that there were people with no arms and legs and starving babies in the world, and that compared to them a pair of crap shoes really wasn't much to complain about. Then she saw James rounding the bottom of the stairs in his school uniform and a pair of black leather trainers.
Theret your vegan school shoes??Lauren asked.
James burst out laughing. Me and Kyle both took them out of their boxes and decided that it wasn't gonna happen. If anyone asks, weEl say we only went vegan when we moved in with Ryan and our mum couldn't afford new shoes for all of us.?
That if you're not allowed to wear trainers??Lauren asked.
James shrugged. Most schools let you, as long as they're black. If not, the worst theyEl do is tell us to wear something else tomorrow.?
Suddenly feeling a lot happier, Lauren spun back into her room. She dived under her bed to grab her black trainers, but only saw her white canvas Nikes and a pair of dark blue Converse. She realised that sher left her black trainers at campus, as well as a pair of black canvas slip-ons that would have been absolutely perfect ?
Lauren pounded wrathfully on her mattress as she stood up, then jumped out of her skin as the leaded window behind her shattered. A half brick bounced energetically across the carpet before hitting the radiator with a clang.
Ecum,?a boyt shrill voice yelled from the field out back, less than twenty metres away. Aet out of our village.?
Lauren caught a brief glance of the boyt grey uniform as Zara burst through the door and stared in shock at the shards of glass covering the carpet.
Are you OK??
Mine,?Lauren gasped, as she ducked under Zarat arm and opened the door leading out to the back garden. T saw him. He looks about my age.?
The crispbread soles made running uncomfortable, but Lauren spotted the lad belting through the overgrown field and set off at full pelt.
Tou're so dead,?she shouted, as the long grass flicked against her legs.
Lauren didn't gain any ground over the first couple of hundred metres, but she was fitter than her target, who began tiring after her vaulted over a metal gate and turned on to a straight road that led towards the modern houses on the northern outskirts of the village. By the time sher finally closed the young lad down, her cut into an expanse of lawn sandwiched between two houses.
Aotcha,?Lauren yelled triumphantly, as she wrapped her arm around the boyt chest and bundled him into the side wall of a house.
But she didn't get her grip right and he spun out and threw a wild punch. Lauren ducked it, hooked her foot around his right ankle and swept his feet from under him. She dived on top, rolled the lad on to his back and pinned his arms under her knees. The boy was taller than Lauren and visibly shocked at how easily her been taken down.
Tou could have had my eye out with that glass,?Lauren growled.
The boy jerked his head and spat in her face. Aood. Thatt what your deserve.?
Lauren was furious at being spat on, but fought off the urge to punch him out. That did I ever do to you??she asked.
Then you let me up youEl be sorry.?
Lauren grabbed the boyt nose between her thumb and finger and gave it an almighty twist. Eo I'll gonna be sorry am I??
Let go, bitch,?the kid yelled.
The chase had happened so quickly, Lauren hadn't had a chance to consider what sher do when she caught up. She could drag the boy back to the house and call the police, but that would turn into a whole massive thing and Ryan wouldn't appreciate having the cops sniffing around. Her combat training gave her a range of abilities, from knocking the lad out to breaking his arms