This is, obviously, chapter 5. I hope you enjoy. There aren't really any Drake Chronicles original characters but the next chapter will go back to them. I just wanted to get into some detail about running away

Chapter 5: New Friends

Poppy POV

I was absolutely shattered. However, I kept running, I couldn't stop otherwise I'd never start again. And if I never start again, Nicholas would catch up and that'd defeat the idea of running away from everyone and everything. I was practically swimming in my own sweat because I'd been running for so long, it felt disgusting. I've been running for hours now, so many I've actually lost count, the only thing I knew was that it was most of the night and I as I saw the first light of day I knew Nicholas wasn't following. He can't go out in the daylight he was still too weak.

I stopped for a quick breather and realised that I ran all the way over to Ash's house. Why did I come here? The only answer I could think of was Jamie. I was never going to see my two-year-old brother again and I had to break in one last time. Yes, I've broken into my old step-dads house several times but only when he has Jamie. I want to make sure he doesn't treat Jamie the same way he treated me. Nearly got caught a few times. I went round to the back garden and had a quick look through the window of the living room. No one was there so I knew everyone would still be in bed. There was a large oak tree in the garden very close to the house and a branch went right up close to Jamie's room, which I climbed very quickly and slipped the window open. Ash was a prick, he never locked it, clearly not thinking that maybe if someone could try to kidnap him they would most likely succeed.

The room was large and like a rich person nursery for their children, with plenty of toys and a small cot when Jamie was sound asleep. There were far too many toys and they were only suitable for when he would be older. Oh well, I have to accept it as this is where he's going to be growing up now and there's nothing I can do about it. He was so sweet when sleeping; with his brown hair like mum and rosy cheeks and when he opens his eyes, I would be able to see the caramel colour Ash has. My baby brother is beautiful but it's painful to look at him now. All I see in him is Ash, remembering what he did to me, and mum, remembering her sweet innocent character, and I feel like I should hate my brother for it but I know I can't, it wouldn't be fair on him and I'm not that selfish. He can't help the way he looks, but I love him anyway. I stroked his forehead before looking around the room and noticing a pad of paper and pens in the corner. I stood up a quickly wrote a scruffy note to nanny because I knew ash and his new girlfriend would be up soon. Twat. He's told us that she's going to raise Jamie as her own. Bitch.

I slipped the note under Jamie's head, knowing that Ash would find it, hand it over to nanny, and warn her to keep me away from them all. After kissing Jamie's forehead I headed for the window just as the door to his room opened and Liz and Ash walked in and saw me just sticking my leg out to the branch. "Poppy," Ash said, clearly shocked at my being there.

"Ash," I said coldly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Leaving,"

"But why did you come here? Trying to kidnap your brother again?"

"Ash, you know for a fact I've never tried to kidnap Jamie. I only snuck in to say goodbye,"

"Going somewhere?"

"Yes as a matter of fact. I'm running away, not that it's any of your business,"

"What about your mother? Surely she needs you right now?" he was standing completely still while Liz was running over to Jamie to make sure, he was OK.

"Sh, baby, it's OK," she was cooing to him as he started crying "the mean little girl's leaving,"

"Mum's dead Ash. She died the other night, too weak to do anything except lay in bed. She needed support and instead f fucking anything with boobs you might've realised that and help her. But no, you decide you to leave her for that skank. And just so you know, I will come back at some point and tell him who I am, what you done to me and all about mum. So enjoy everything while you can Ash,"

"Poppy, I'm sorry about everything that's happened and I'm sorry Lucy's dead. I loved her; you've got to believe me. And my offer of adopting you is still there if you want it. I doubt you will but since you kind of an orphan now I'm willing to take you in," how could he act like this after everything that's happened? He's a fucking rapist and he's acting like nothing happened. I was just angry so I turned and jumped out the window and I ran even further away from home, no destination in mind just far, far away.

After four hours of running away from Ash's I still had no idea where I was. I was cold from the weather, but hot from running, hungry, and felt extremely faint. I slowed my pace feeling that if I didn't do it soon I would never stop sweating. There was a small shop down the road from where I was and I bought a bottle of water and gulped it down because buying three more. An upside to going out running often, I never forget my purse, as I always need to buy a bottle of water. I now have about $40 to keep me going in my little quest to run away.

By now Ash would've given nanny my note and she would either be thinking I'll be going home soon so not worrying about it, going mad and calling the police about my disappearance, or going mad and waiting for Nicholas to wake up to get him and his brothers to search for me. They'll never find me. It's been raining today so the rain and the muddy ground will cover my scent and tracks. And with any luck they sense of smell isn't strong enough to pick it up after the rain stopped. Also they didn't know me well enough to know my scent very well. I think that for once luck is on my side. For now.

I started to run again but not for long, due to the fact that as I turned a corner I bashed into a boy running the other way and before I knew it I hit my head on the pavement.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, are you OK?" he asked, helping me up. He was tall, about my age with gorgeous sandy blonde hair with caramel eyes. He was wearing a navy blue tracksuit with a plain white t-shirt underneath the hoody.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine thanks. I'm sorry too, I should watch where I'm going," I replied.

"Maybe we should both watch where we're going eh?" he asked jokily.

"Yeah, maybe," he smiled at me.

"I'm Luke," he said, holding out his hand. I took it.

"I'm Poppy,"

"Nice name. My sister was named after a flower too. Though in my opinion not as pretty as 'Poppy',"

"Really? What's her name then?"

"Daisy. Well, actually that's not even a flower is it? It's a weed. That's what my sister is. A weed."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your sister,"

"Really? She's the reason I ran away and am currently homeless," he said so simply, it didn't sound right. I was going to reply but he said something else. "So, Poppy, been out running long?"

"Yes, since about 3 this morning," his eyes opened wide clearly shocked at my response to his question.

"So you wouldn't fancy running with me for a while?"

"Actually that sounds great. I need some company," we started running in the direction he originally came from.

"Do you live nearby? I was thinking maybe I could run you to your front door and get your parents to make you go to bed for a few hours," he asked.

"Um, I don't know where exactly are we?"

"You don't know where we are?" I shook my head. "Well, we're in Grydon (AN: made up town btw) I think,"

"Grydon? Hm, I live about twenty miles away from here. Also I don't have parents. Not anymore,"

"Orphan?"

"No. My dad's still alive but I don't know him. My mum used to live in a place called Violet Hill before she moved away while pregnant with me and never told my dad. She was sixteen. She died of cancer a few days ago,"

"I'm sorry. Have you ever thought about finding your dad?"

"That's my childhood dream, but I don't think I'm ever going to bother now."

"So you're running away too?"

"Yep. My best friends trying to kill me so it's safer," I realised what I said and picked up the pace trying to find a way in which to get out of this one, but luckily he didn't ask questions. Thank God. He caught up to me and placed his hand on my arm.

"Why don't you come with me? I know a guy who's taken me and a few other runaways in; if I talk to him he could help you out as well. He owns a theatre company and we do a lot of travelling." Those eyes were so beautiful I couldn't say no to him. And he seems nice and in a strange way he reminds me of Alex. Even though their hair's a different shade of blonde-haired person and their eyes a different shade of brown. I nodded and he ran off signalling me to following him.

Ten minutes later we arrived at a strange looking caravan that looked like it belonged to a gypsy. It was very red and quite large with a wooden blue door. Well, wooden looking but Luke said it was made of some other material. The inside practically looked like a hotel. Hotel on Wheels that's my first thought, and there were kids running around everywhere, all boys except one, of all ages and overall one adult. There was a corridor with rooms all down it and at the edge a large living area where a broad man was sitting. He was talking with the only girl in the place and he looked pretty angry.

"I told you Elaina we can't afford it. We're lucky if we have enough fuel to leave at the weekend. I might even have to sell a few of the tents and other unnecessary stuff we have. In fact I have to send all the young kids home just to keep us running," he said.

"When you say young, how young?" the girl asked.

"The thirteen year olds and younger. They're too young to be running away from home. I've put posters up and their parents are coming to collect them. Maybe that way with only the six of you, I might be able to feed everyone,"

"So it'll just be me, Luke, Jake, Mike, Chips and Dingo?"

"Yes Elaina. And we're selling this caravan and buying a smaller one," the girl just got all huffy and stormed past us and stormed out of the caravan.

"Luke, what's up?" the man asked.

"Derek, I need to ask you a favour," Luke said sitting down.

"OK, what's up?"

"First of all, what was up with Elaina?"

"Oh, she wants us to buy more equipment for the shows but we can't afford it,"

"Typical, what kind of equipment?"

"New microphone and more lights. She's still going on about that spotlight,"

"Still? Typical, Elaina init?"

"Yes I'm afraid. So what was this favour you wanted?"

"Oh yeah. Derek this is my friend Poppy," he gestured to me and the man, Derek, looked over to me. "I was hoping she could move in with us and be given the support I was given when you found me?"

"Oh, Luke, I don't know. I was just saying to Elaina that we're losing money at the moment and that we'll be lucky to see it through the week. I'm already sending over fifteen of you back to your houses."

"Please, Derek? She has nowhere else to go and if you're sending all the younger ones home surely we can have one more person. I personally am getting sick of hearing Elaina complaining that she's the only girl and she should be respected aren't you?"

"Yes I am but I don't know Luke,"

"I'm sure she'll earn her keep, won't you Poppy?" he looked at me asking for confirmation. I just nodded, not wanting to say anything in case I say something wrong. Derek sighed and nodded.

"Alright, but she better earn he keep and be willing to work. Even if it's just cleaning up after the show," he stood up, walked over to me, and held out his hand. "I'm Derek, dear, I own this place. Welcome to the Hotel on Wheels, as I call it. The others don't like it though,"

"Because it sounds stupid. We're more a theatre company than a hotel, nowadays and not a very successful one at that," Luke said intervening.

"Shut up Luke. Whatever money we do make with our business is enough to feed everyone so surely that's enough?" he turned back to me and shook my hand. "Pleased to meet you,"

"Pleased to meet you too sir," I replied.

"Derek will be just fine, Poppy. How old are you?"

"Fifteen. I'll be sixteen in a couple of months,"

"Can you sing?"

"Yes. I think so, I've taken part in many talent shows at school and when messing around with my friends,"

"Excellent. Luke will you help Poppy settle in? I've got to go and see what food I can cook up tonight for everybody,"

"Sure," Luke said and we left the room but just after Derek said something else.

"Oh, and Luke? Poppy can stay in the room opposite you until we get a new caravan," and we left. Luke led her down the hall giving her a tour. It didn't take very long; there was one corridor with doors. They were everyone's rooms and Luke showed me to the room I'd be staying in, and showed me to the bathroom. The kitchen area was just a big tent with tables for everyone to sit at and a few gas ovens with a sign saying no children behind the counters.

"And this small area with all the benches is where we chill out in the evenings and have a campfire," Luke said as we can to a small area behind the caravan with a burnt pit in the middle of a circle of benches and camp chairs. These people seemed as if they were on a family camping trip instead of runaways. There were four boys playing top trumps on one of the benches. Luke ran over to them gesturing me to follow and flicked one of them on the ear. The boy turned round and frowned at him.

"Luke you twat," he said laughing. They all laughed as Luke and the boy started play fighting. I just stood there, laughing quietly, until one of the boys noticed me.

"Hello, love. And what's your name?" the boy was tall and slim, with soft brown hair and dark brown eyes. He seemed cute, with a British accent, but not as cute as Luke, who, by the way, stopped his fight to introduce me.

"Guys, this is Poppy. She's gonna be hanging around for a while. When I say for a while, I mean she's moving in,"

"Dude, great idea but what about Eliana?" the boy Luke was fighting with said, picking up his top trump cards that had fallen on the floor.

"What about her?"

"Well, she won't be very happy will she?" a third boy said, he was quite chubby, but not fat.

"Oh, come on, Chips. Don't act like you like Eliana's constant nagging. Poppy will be awesome if Eliana shuts up once in a while." All the boys laughed and eventually agreed. "Anyway, Poppy, these are my friends and fellow runaways, Mike," the boy he was fighting with, "Jake," the one with the British accent, "Chips," the third boy, "and Dingo," the one who hadn't said anything. I looked at them.

"Chips? And Dingo?" I asked at their strange nicknames.

"Yeah, Chips is really called Mark but because he's obsessed with chips, the British and the American kind, we just call him it now. In case you didn't know the British kind are fries," Luke explained.

"I know what chips in Britain are, Luke. Where did Dingo come from?"

"My parents," Dingo joked. "Actually, I don't know where 'Dingo' came from. My friends just started randomly calling me it and it's kinda stuck. Don't know why though considering my name's really Arthur," Dingo, strangely, had similar features to Nicholas. Black hair and blue eyes, it looked really freaky. Mike was the complete opposite. He had ginger hair with grey eyes and freckles. Bloody hell, he nearly looked like Ronald Weasley from Harry Potter.

"So, Poppy? How'd you end up here?" Mike asked, curious, as he and the boys set up another game of top trumps, involving Luke. I just sat and watched.

"Well, how'd you end up here? Because I ran away. Life was getting ridiculous back home,"

"Why? What happened?" Jake asked. Oh my God that accent was so hot.

"Well, my mum died a few days ago. And I've never met my dad. Don't really think I want to, to be honest," OK not the complete truth but it avoids a whole other explanation. They all apologised but I just shook it off. I hated apologies, especially if I have to give them (even though it's not me giving it today). We spent a couple of hours talking and I showed these bozo's how to play their game properly, they didn't like me winning all the time, when the girl, Eliana, came over, being followed by a crowd of young boys.

"Bloody hell, would you boys go away!" she shouted at them before turning back to us and sat down next to Mike. "Hey, baby," she said giving him a kiss, when she noticed me. "Who's this?" she asked disgusted.

"Oh this is Poppy, El. She's gonna be living with us for a while," Jake said.

"WHAT!" she shouted. "No way am I sharing my glory with her,"

"Eliana, we don't have any glory. We're a failed theatre company and Derek said it was alright," Luke said.

"I don't care. We can barely afford to feed everyone as it is, let alone some smelly bitch off the street," she said eyeing me up.

"Oi! Just remember you were once like that, and she doesn't smell half as bad as what you did,"

"Luke. Shut up. OK? She's not staying here,"

"Why not?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" she questioned.

"I said, why not? Do you make the decisions around here? Because to be honest it seems to me like Derek does. I'm not the one begging for new equipment you can't afford and you know this because you just said you couldn't afford to feed everyone. I'm no genius Eliana but I know a microphone costs more than food. My one back home cost a fortune," I argued realising too late what I just said. All the boys looked at me and Eliana looked shocked. But it was none of them that spoke behind me.

"Well said Poppy," Derek said. "Right everyone, dinners ready go and sit down," and we all went to get some food. Today had gone by so fast I hardly realised. But then I remembered Nicholas. He could pick up my scent and find me, but to be honest I didn't care. Because this curry was the best damn thing I'd ever tasted. I sat next to Luke and the first thing he asked me was: "You have a microphone? Like, a professional microphone?"

"Yes. I told Derek in front of you I took part in talent shows and stuff. I was always rehearsing at home and it was a birthday present. It's connected to a stereo so you can play back what you recorded. It's really good for helping boost your confidence."

"So, you really can sing?" Eliana heard that and looked over.

"Don't think you're stealing my spotlight Poppy. I don't like sharing"

"Give it a rest Eliana," Derek said and she sat back and ate the rest of her dinner in silence.

That night I couldn't sleep. My thoughts went to Mum, then Nicholas, then me. I was changing in a couple of months and if I didn't go back, I was going to die...

OK, cliffhanger!

Bad ending I know, and not very cheerful is it? Oh well

Next chapter focuses on Nicholas and siblings... Might even find a way to involve Lucy

But to know what you want I need reviews (hint hint)