Brandon obeyed Granny Gold and ambled over to the Plastic family home. It wasn't hard to find. The place stood out a mile. Gran was right - why did these newcomers get to move straight into the best place in Plastic St while the rest of them were forced to stand about like spare parts? Something was wrong, and he was going to put it right. Even if it did mean co-operating with a daft old bat with a power fixation and a weak bladder.
There they were now, coming out of the house. Two pathetic little kids, a boy with a train and a girl hugging a toy mouse.
"Hi," he said, walking up to the boy nonchalantly. "Like your train."
"It's... it's mine," the boy blurted out.
"I'm Sara and this is my brother Tom," the girl said, coming forward shyly.
"Sara, eh?" Brandon sidled over to the girl. The boy was a wet fish. Maybe he woul
d have better luck with the sister. "What year are you in, Sara?""Eleven."
"This must be fate! You'll be in my class. I'll save you a seat by me, right at the back. I hope you don't mind sitting at the back, Sara, where nobody can see us."
"I-I'm Year Eleven too," said Tom.
"No kidding! You're twins, right?"
"Er, no," said Sara doubtfully.
"But you're the same age. And you're related." Brandon thought back to his biology lessons, which he had spent drawing rude diagrams in the sanitised text book, 'The Adventures of Mr Sausage'. "You must be twins!"
"Well, we've always been the same height, and we turned up at the same time... I don't know, we're just The Children," Sara concluded uncertainly.
"Okay... well, let's get to know each other. What are your favourite bands, Tom?"
Tom clutched his train tighter. "Bands?"
"Yes, you know. Rock, pop, dance, speed-death-thrash metal... Who d'you like? Do you like Rancid Armpit?"
"Who?"
"You haven't heard of the Armpit?"
Tom shook his head.
"Okay - Chainsaw Death Monkeys. You must have heard of them. No? Satan's Entrails? Acid Facewash? Sado Nun Attack?"
Tom looked increasingly blank.
Brandon sighed wearily. "Go on, then. Who do you like?"
"Farmer Fun and the Funtime Furry Friends," said Tom, his face brightening. "It's on at half past four every day on the Baby Boogie Channel."
