It’s so unfair, how can you get good at snogging if no one will give you a chance?

We were sitting on the wall in the moonlight when Seth wandered out. He had a towel and was rubbing at his hair as he leaned against the side of the door. All cocky and relaxed. Rubbing his hair. The Hinchcliffs have got twisty mouths just made for sneering and saying mean things. They are quite handsome, I suppose, if you like that sort of dark maniac look.

He stared at Flossie, who got out her compact and put some lippy on. Then she snapped the compact shut and stared back at him.

Seth said, “Nice.”

I looked at him haughtily and sniffed and he looked at me but just at my front bit, so I put my arms across my corkers. I hope I am wrong about them growing three inches a week otherwise they’ll be able to be seen over Grimbottom.

To change the subject and ignore Seth, I said to Vaisey, “Ted Barraclough has started a band. It’s called The Iron Pies. Ruby said that they are going to be doing local gigs.”

But she wasn’t listening to me, she was too busy smiling at Jack who had also just come out.

Jack said shyly, “Hello, Vaisey. How is it going, all right?”

Vaisey blushed and bobbed her curls around. “Yes, yes … We’re all very much enjoying your playing. Are you liking your new sticks?”

Jack said, “Yeah, did you notice? They’re special ones I got in London and they make the hard hat really ping out.”

Hard hat? Ping? Vaisey was nodding her curls about, and the next thing I knew, she and Jack had gone off “to look around.”

Seth shouted after them, “Don’t do owt I wouldn’t do, Jack. And that leaves you a wide field. You little sinhound.”

Then he said to Flossie, “All right, big lass?”

Flossie adjusted her glasses. Then she went over to him and looked him straight in the eyes. He put some chewing gum in his mouth and chewed on it and then said, “Cor.”

Flossie slapped him on the back quite hard and said, “All right, big lad?”

He choked on his chuddie but as she turned away, he slapped her on her bottom. Jo and I stood closer together. Like the sheep. Now he’d done it.

Flossie stopped and turned round. They were nose to nose, and for a minute we thought she was going to kiss him. Noooooo, she must have gone mad. But then just as he was puckering up, she slapped him hard on his bum.

He shot into the air and said, “Bloody hell. You’ve got a firm hand for a lass, tha might have ruined my singing career.”

As we went back into the gig, he said, “Grrrr.”

And she snarled back, “Grrr.”

I said to her, “What on earth are you doing?”

And she said, “Growling.”

I said, “Why?”

And she said, “I don’t know. I’ve got youthful high spirits. He brings out the animal in me.”