A teenage girl made her way out of the tube station. She adjusted the straps on the large backpack she was wearing and moved the smaller shopping bag further up her forearm. Katy watched a police car speeding past and turned to glance in the direction the car had come from. Three men in mechanics overalls were staring after the vehicle.
One of them, tough-looking and bald, watched the teenage girl. They made eye contact for a moment before the teenager turned her back on him and walked away in the direction of the Vic. She guessed that the pub would be the centre of the community and that was why she headed there first.
Katy stood on the square for a moment looking at the Vic silently before walking into the gardens. Another teenage girl was sitting, crying, on the bench. Warily Katy sat down beside her. Neither spoke or acknowledged the other for a few minutes.
"Here" Katy said quietly, handing the other girl a tissue. She smiled as the girl accepted it, thanking her. "You all right?"
"I will be." The girl said with a shrug. "It's just, trouble at home, family stuff you know?"
"Not really. It was only mum and me… but she died about 2 months ago." Katy told her with a shrug, looking away as she said it.
"Oh, I'm sorry…" The girl started to say, but Katy stopped her; she had had enough sympathy to last her a while.
"Nah, don't be. She had… problems. She's probably better off where she is. Anyway, I'm more interested in what's bothering you. Mum, dad, siblings?" Other people's families fascinated her, maybe because it had only really been her and her Mum.
"I live with my step-mum, Bianca, actually. And my sister and brothers. My dad died, when my sister, Tiff, was a baby. But it's not really about them." The girl said, looking a little lost. The girls sat in silence for a few minutes, each thinking about their own problems.
"Sorry, you don't want me butting into your business. I'm just too curious for my own good sometimes. Mum always said it would get me into trouble one day." Katy said apologetically. She knew how annoying it could be when people intruded on private thoughts.
"No, don't go. It's OK." The girl said hurriedly as Katy stood up to leave. "I need someone to talk to; a friend." Katy hesitated as the girl smiled at her imploringly. Then she sat down, making the girl smile more broadly. "What's your name? I'm Whit, Whitney Dean."
"Hi Whitney. I'm Katy. I could do with a friend right now too." She admitted as the two sat side by side, slouched on the bench with their legs stretched out in front of them.
"Because of your mum?" Whitney asked curiously.
"Amongst other things." Was the short reply that she was given. Katy glanced, unwillingly towards the pub, her eyes drawn to it. Whitney seemed to notice because she looked over as well.
"So why have you come to Walford? Have you got family here or something? Your dad?" She asked.
"That's what I'm here to find out!" Katy told her with a wry smile. Whitney furrowed her brow slightly and gave a confused smile, intrigued by Katy's evasive answers.