‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly! Can’t stand cats,’ I retort, and we fall into a fit of giggles.

She takes her green eyeshadow off and leaves a few minutes later to chat to one of our teachers before lessons start. I slide back towards the wall, lean against the radiator and let the warmth permeate through my body. I’m just about finished removing my make-up, when something weird happens.

I can smell it. Mum’s perfume.

I sit up and look around. I half expect Mum to jump out from behind the curtain and yell, ‘Surprise!’ Then she’ll tell me that she’s cured and that she loves me and that she’s sorry about our argument.

I’ll say the same and we’ll go back to her flat together. I’ll tell her all about the dreams and how she was like a sleeping princess waiting to be rescued from her tower.

But she doesn’t.

Instead I notice her perfume in Elle’s hand.

My body freezes and I count the number of drops she uses on herself and Abir. One, two, three, four, five dreams down the drain.

‘Elle!’ I eventually choke out.

Elle and Abir look up at me. ‘What?’ she asks innocently. ‘It was poking out of your coat, Saff. Sorry. It’s cool, though. Very vintage.’

She doesn’t realize what she’s doing, I say to myself, but I still stand up and snatch it back, nostrils flaring like an angry bull.

‘What’s your problem?’ Abir says, rolling her eyes.

‘It’s my mum’s.’ I bend down so I’m level with her. ‘And there are only a few drops left.’ My voice doesn’t wobble and I don’t turn away. I look her right in the eye. ‘Want to say something else, Abir?’

She stares at me for a moment, mouth open. Then she shakes her head.

The monster in my belly growls in satisfaction. I haven’t seen it since my argument with Mum.

‘Good.’ The monster cheers.

I grab my things then, and storm out.

I can hear Elle and Abir whispering furiously to one another as I leave. It makes me feel uncomfortable. What if they’re saying mean things about me? Part of me wants to turn round and apologize, the way the old Saff would have. But I don’t.

Elle scribbles Sorry in her notebook, during History.

She adds a smiley face underneath it.

It’s fine, I write back. I leave out the smiley face, though.

When I get home from school Lady bounds up to me, acting like she hasn’t seen me for days, even though it’s only been a few hours.

I bend down, stroke her, and kiss her forehead.

‘Want some treats?’ I ask in a high-pitched voice. Lady jumps up on me and wags her tail. That’s her way of saying, ‘Yes.’

‘Come on then!’