Chapter 3

Dailey pulled the fake baked beans money tin from the top of her wardrobe. Her babysitting money had been accumulating in there for over a year, so she should have well over two hundred, even after her summer clothing shopping spree.

She pried off the lip and upturned the can, frowning as a couple of ten-pound notes dropped into the hands.

'Where's the rest of it?' she wondered.

Her first thought was her thirteen-year-old brother. He'd been coming back from his Dad's house with a lot of gifts lately. Clothing and games. Was it possible he'd been stealing her money and pretending the items were brought by his Dad?

"Joey!" she shouted, storming into his room without knocking.

"Hey!" he cried. When his eyes shifted to the empty can in her hands, a flash of guilt marred his angry expression. "I didn't do anything."

"Like hell you didn't, you thieving little prick," Dailey cried. 

She went to grab him, but he dodged, slipped under her arm and out of the door.

From the top of the stairs, she could hear him shouting for Mum. "Mum! Dailey hit me!"

'That stupid little brat!' she seethed, thudding down the stairs with the thunderous steps of an angry God. 

"He stole all my babysitting money, Mum," she cried. "I need that money."

Mum turned away from Joey, regarding her with suspicious eyes. "What do you need it for?"

"What does that matter?" Dailey cried. "He stole my money and I need it back."

"Joey, did you take some of the money from your sisters piggy bank?" Mum asked him as if there was any real question. Of course he'd taken it. Who else would have?

The fact her mother was pandering to him and treating her with suspicion was so damn typical. He was always getting special treatment. Even when he was stealing her hard-earned cash.

"I just borrowed a couple of quid," Joey whined.

"There was over two hundred quid in there and I need to back now," Dailey demanded. "Mum, can you pay it back. I need to tonight."

"What for?" Mum asked. 

'Think fast, Dailey,' she urged her brain. Telling her mother she needed to pay a hacker was not an option. It would raise too many questions. 

"I, erm, I need it for a school trip. The last day to pay is tomorrow," Dailey said, pleased with her lie. It was half true. There was a school trip happening in few weeks and the deadline to pay very conveniently was tomorrow. Dailey wouldn't be seen dead on the school trip, but her mother had no way to know this. If it came to it, she would hang out at a hotel or a friend’s house for a few days. Her best friends had betrayed her, but she had others who would step up for her in her hour of need.

"I don't have that kind of money," Mum said. "But I can write a cheque to the school."

Her mother smiled with a mixture of guilt and sadness. She had been working overtime to cover the cost of a new boiler and had very little time or money to spare lately. Dailey had even overheard her telling the neighbour she felt like a bad Mum. 

Feeling scummy for lying, Dailey told her mother it didn't matter.

"It will probably be boring anyway," Dailey assured her. "I don't want you to waste money when we can't afford it."

Mum pulled her in for a hug, stroking the back of her head before announcing she had another shift later. As she searched the room for her uniform and lanyard, toppling a pile of washing, Dailey followed her brother to his room.

"You are going to have to sell all that crap to pay me back," she hissed.

"But you just said—"

"Forget what I said. I need that money tomorrow," Dailey said. She sat with her back to the door so he couldn't run off to Mum again. "Make a pile. We are taking this stuff to the cashback shop."

"I'll tell Mum," Joey threatened.

"She'll be at work in a minute," Dailey pointed out.

"You won't get anything for them. A few quid at the most. It's pointless," Joey told her. "If you don't believe me, they give prices on the website. I'll show you."

As Joey fiddled with the laptop Dailey searched the room for anything she could sell for a decent amount. His console wasn't the latest model, plus the chances of getting him to part with it were slim to none.

'I'm not going to be able to pay him,' Dailey realised.

The thought filled her with dread, yet the more she thought about it, the less worried she became. She watched him delete the pictures, so they were no longer there for him to use against her. What was he going to do? Threaten her with violence?

'He's not that scary,' Dailey assured herself. 'Yes, he's very tall and creepy and antisocial, but I'm fairly certain he wouldn't dare to hurt me.'

After spending the night dwelling on it, she decided he would just have to accept an IOU in lieu of payment. She had every intention of paying him back... just not in one lump sum.

Dailey shrugged and bit her lip.

"He's just going to have to be okay with it," she muttered to herself.