Running Scared has a dual POV and is set in present-day Manchester and Wales. Gangs, stepdads and other problems. What Luke wants is to run, hang out with his friend Robbie and avoid his stepdad and the local gang. It's difficult to find somewhere he can be safe. Running Scared showcases high drama, laugh-out-loud scenarios, morally grey characters and peril between Luke and the Ardwick Barmy Army (ABA). Luke has managed to avoid the Magistrates' Court for several months, a record he's trying to hold onto as his sixteenth birthday approaches. Unfortunately the combined efforts of his stepdad, Damian, and the Ardwick Barmy Army seem to be conspiring to put his record at risk. Luke's stepdad is forcing him to steal cigarettes, again.

Damian isn't even Luke's worst parent; first place is still held by his real dad who is doing a stretch in Strangeways prison. Luke is also trying to avoid the ABA who have threatened him with a 'Mikey', which is a reference to a recent incident where they poured petrol through Mikey's letterbox and set fire to it. Mikey survived but his girlfriend and baby boy didn't. In Rowan, a village in Wales, Joey is hassled by Tommo who has recently left school and he is selling drugs for a gang from Manchester. Tommo's marketing plan includes images on instant messaging such as a dandelion for weed and a diamond for crystal meth. Tommo is offering free samples and a crash course in what to do with them which Joey has declined. Luke's family moves to Wales to get away from drugs and gangs. He finds the gang are already there and he joins forces with Joey to try and destroy their cannabis plants.