RUBY, HITCH AND BLACKER HAD AGREED that the main focus should be trying to anticipate the next item on the thief’s list – trying to get a step ahead of him.

      Ruby had to start somewhere and since she had got next to nowhere with the poetry book, she decided to find out more about the Little Yellow Shoes. She checked the newspaper for the film festival listings and made a note of the time.

      She was early to school for once and was hanging out waiting for Clancy. Unusually he wasn’t one of the first to make it through the gates, nor was he dressed at all like himself – he looked kind of normal. Ruby was already seated when he finally made an appearance, not late but not overly punctual, as was his style ordinarily.

      ‘Where have you been and what are you wearing?’

      ‘What do you mean? I am on time and I look like everyone else,’ said Clancy.

      ‘Exactly,’ said Ruby, ‘what’s going on?’

      ‘Nothing,’ replied Clancy, ‘I’m just trying to blend.’

      ‘But why?’ asked Ruby.

      ‘It’s an experiment,’ said Clancy, he had second-guessed the grilling Ruby might give him for his weird behaviour and was primed with his answers. ‘You know, we were talking about it the other day, I thought I would see if it really works.’

      ‘What really works?’

      ‘Becoming invisible.’

      ‘Oh that,’ said Ruby, ‘well I have to say, I noticed you as soon as you walked in.’

      ‘Yeah but that’s different, you were looking out for me.’

      ‘Maybe,’ said Ruby. ‘Anyway, what I wanted to ask you is, do you feel like cutting class?’

      ‘I only just got here.’

      ‘Not now, at lunchtime.’

      ‘Will we be back for history?’ asked Clancy.

      ‘No, duhbrain, that’s why I said, “do you feel like cutting class”, as in not go.’

      ‘Rube, you shouldn’t ask me to do this, I can’t afford to get in trouble.’

      ‘It’s OK, you won’t, I gotta plan.’

      ‘You always say you have a plan but often the plan gets me into more trouble than the thing you were planning to keep me out of trouble for.’

      Ruby looked at him. ‘I’m finding you hard to follow. Look, are you in or are you out?’

      ‘Out.’

      ‘Aw, Clance, don’t say that, it’ll be fun, you gotta come.’ She gave him the Ruby Redfort eye hold. ‘I’ll do your Spanish homework for a week.’

      ‘I speak fluent Spanish.’

      ‘OK, biology.’

      ‘I’m good at biology.’

      ‘OK, so you pick.’

      ‘Fine, two weeks of French and math and I’ll cut class.’

      ‘You drive a hard bargain my friend.’

      ‘Take it or leave it.’

      ‘Meet me by the bike racks right before lunch,’ said Ruby. She was already walking away.

      ‘Where are you going?’

      ‘To put my plan into operation.’

      ‘Oh.’

      ‘Don’t blab.’

      ‘When do I ever blab?’ called Clancy.

      ‘Never,’ shouted Ruby.

      At that moment Red and Del came in through the doors.

      ‘She’s in a hurry,’ said Del.

      ‘Yeah, she has to do something,’ said Clancy.

      ‘What?’ asked Del.

      ‘How should I know?’ said Clancy.

      ‘You look different,’ said Red, giving Clancy the once-over, ‘really different.’

      ‘I’ve modified my look.’

      ‘You’ve what?’ said Del.

      ‘It’s intentional,’ said Clancy. ‘I’ve changed my style.’

      ‘Nothing about your style is intentional, how can you possibly change it?’

      ‘I’m taking more of an interest,’ replied Clancy, ‘this look’s on purpose.’

      ‘You have changed your look to “purposely bland”?’

      ‘It’s my new style.’

      ‘Is bland a style?’ asked Red.

      After Clancy had spent the hour struggling through math class, he felt a little more motivated about Ruby’s plan – he would join her in skipping school and happily allow her to do his math homework.

      They met at the agreed time and managed to dodge Del and the rest of their friends so they didn’t get caught up in any explaining.

      ‘So where are we going exactly?’ asked Clancy as he unlocked his bike.

      ‘The flicks,’ replied Ruby. ‘There’s a matinee showing in midtown village and I wanted to catch it.’

      ‘So why don’t we go after school?’

      ‘Because it’s only showing this lunchtime; it’s a one-off, all part of the Twinford Film Festival.’

      Clancy was by now sitting on his bike.

      ‘So how are you going to get there?’ he asked.

      ‘You’re going to give me a backie,’ said Ruby.

      ‘Oh brother! You’re gonna kill me Ruby, you weigh more than you think, you know that?’

      ‘Stop complaining man, you’re beginning to sound like your mother.’

      ‘That is a low blow,’ said Clancy.

      They set off at high speed. Clancy was a lot more athletic than he looked and despite his grumbling he found it pretty easy transporting Ruby.

      ‘So what’s so important about this film?’ shouted Clancy as they sped down Avenue Hill.

      ‘It features the Little Yellow Shoes, you know, the ones that went missing the other night?’

      ‘Oh yeah, what’s it called again, something to do with a cat isn’t it?’

      ‘The Cat that Got the Canary. It was made back in the