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it means the total opposite. It means you disrespect someone.’
    ‘Opposites. You mean like yin and yang?’ asked Clem.
    It was Mio’s turn to laugh. ‘Sort of, I guess.’
    ‘What about that one?’ said Clem. ‘The red and green one with the yellow outline?’
    ‘That one says, “Sleepin’ coz”.’ Bryce laughed. ‘I know him. Real hard to get out of bed.’
    ‘I thought you used to hang on the other side of town,’ said Clem. ‘What are your mates doing here?’
    ‘They’re not my mates!’ growled Bryce. He yanked up his collar and jammed his beanie further down on his head.
    ‘But you know them?’ probed Mio.
    ‘Some.’
    The council worker’s voice sliced through the city hum. ‘If it won’t come off you’re going to have to paint the whole wall.’
    The kids continued to watch from a distance when Clem asked, ‘What was your tag, Bryce?’
    ‘Not telling.’
    ‘Please,’ begged Clem.
    ‘Nuh.’
    ‘Promise to keep it a secret.’
    Bryce thought for a moment. ‘Promise?’ he asked, looking around the group.
    ‘Promise,’ they chorused.
    ‘My tag was,’ and he spelt, ‘P H R E E. Being free.’ He shrugged away the memory. ‘We always want what we can’t have…’
    The kids pushed on, wheeling their bikes down to the abandoned sidings. Here the track was far from the main line. It ran parallel for several hundred metres then arced away to finish in a dead end. The practice course from yesterday was just as they’d left it.
    ‘Once we’ve mastered this we’ll go up to The Peak. The more we practise up there the easier it’ll be on the day,’ said Darcy.
    Clem’s voice was hushed as she said, ‘I wonder what it’s like up there. The Peak.’ She shivered. ‘Sounds dangerous.’ Then she leant forward,drawing comfort from stroking Bella’s silk-like ears. Bella dipped her head so Clem could reach further. At the same time her wagging tail swept the bottom of the basket.
    ‘It is dangerous,’ said Mio. ‘Or so I hear.’
    All of a sudden Bella jumped out of Clem’s basket and started to-ing and fro-ing with excitement. As she scooted along she did a little hop that made her look as if she was skipping. ‘She’s so funny,’ said Clem, as Bella, tail up and nose down, ran in a zig-zag, trying to find a scent.
    The kids did some warm-up track stands. Tong and Bryce were improving all the time, Clem had mastered track stand one-handers and Mio had progressed to track stands no hands—with difficulty. Darcy had conquered all of them and was feeling pretty cocky. ‘Might try some wheelie walking,’ he called to the others. But his wheelie refused to walk, and instead he did a wheelie-to-ear-plant on the ground.
    ‘Ouch!’ he yelled, rubbing his throbbing ear as he stood up. Clem just laughed, saying, ‘Serves you right.’
    ‘That was wheelie successful,’ joked Bryce. Even Tong laughed.
    Clem scanned the railway yard, her voice clipped as she asked, ‘Where’s Bella?’
    ‘There!’ Tong had spotted Bella’s paws and tail tip in the distance, white against a backdrop of grease and grunge.
    ‘Here, Bella!’ called Clem. She reached into her pocket for one of the treats she had been using for training. Being a dog who thought with her stomach, Bella came. ‘Good girl,’ cooed Clem, handing her the tasty morsel. ‘Sit!’ Bella sat, scoring another titbit. ‘Down,’ commanded Clem, and as Bella lowered herself to the ground she was told to ‘Stay’. Clem walked back a few steps. ‘Stay-y-y-y.’ Bella didn’t move.
    ‘She’s getting really good, Clem,’ exclaimed Mio.
    ‘Clem good teacher,’ said Tong beaming at her, but just as the words were out Bella leapt to her feet, barked and bolted off.
    ‘Bella!’ called Clem.
    ‘Bella!’ yelled Darcy.
    But Bella was stopping for no-one. On she ran, exploring, every so often doing her funny little skip and yelping with delight.
    ‘That dog!’ moaned Clem, jumping on her bike and giving chase. The