We didn’t get the chance to say anything else because the bell rang and we had Monty. Again. For French.

Not that it makes much difference what we have Monty for. It always ends up being about him and Biffo and Sprogsy at drama college.

French was mostly listening to Monty tell us about his youth in le gay Paree. And guess who was there?

“Mais oui, we had such a gay camaraderie, Biffo and Sprogsy and I.” He started chuckling fatly. “Let me illustrate, with the aid of my training in clowning, a très amusant incident that happened.” He put on a big red nose and started acting out the surprise he got when Biffo and Sprogsy pushed him into the Seine.

As he splashed about on the floor shouting, “Au secours … vous êtes méchant!!” we started passing notes to each other.

Flossie wrote:

Bonjour Mon Arbre Sisters,

I ’ave ze plan. Zis is mon three or four boyfriend plan. Je commence on Saturday at le gig. I am going to make Seth Hinchcliff my plaything.

Au revoir

How can she even think about having anything to do with that family?

At lunch we got togged up in our hats and coats and slouched out through the gates. It was freezing. We linked arms for warmlies as we crunched over the dead leaves and fallen-down branches. The woods have changed since we were last here. Not many leaves on any of the trees.

Suddenly I felt all wistful and autumny and said sadly, “The woods have gone all baldy.”

Jo was scampering ahead. “Baldy-smaldy, it’s just trees. I wonder if the lads will be out and about. Do you think so, do you? I know they are back today because Phil told me it was the same day as us.”

Vaisey said, “It would be really nice to see Jack but maybe it’s a bit too soon. I mean, it’s only the first day … and anyway, does my hair look a bit, a bit …”

I said, “Mad?”

As Vaisey started smoothing down her curls she looked at my head. “Lullah, you’ve got a bit of twig in your hair. Shall I pick it out?”

I let her pick the twig out of my hair not because I wanted to impress the boys. It was just too twiggy.

I said to Jo, “Did Phil say he would meet you today at the tree? At lunchtime?”

Flossie said, “Did you tell him to bring some mates for me? Like a mate should.”

Jo started spontaneously smashing up a big mound of toadstools with a stick. She said, “If someone has been talking to you every day and then didn’t get in touch for two whole days is there a secret boy meaning in that?”

I don’t know.

I said, “My cousin Georgia says that boys are like gazelles. She says they get alarmed when they get close to girls. And have to leap off to the woods like gazelles in trousers. Or have I just made that up?”