I answer the door, surprised to see Izzy.

‘Hiiiiii?’ I say, a little confused. We don’t live in the olden days, we have mobile phones to communicate now. Why is she at my house? I glance at my phone to make sure I hadn’t missed a message from her. Nope.

‘Sorry,’ she says, looking nervous. ‘We weren’t really sure how to explain on the phone so we . . . kind of just decided to come round.’

‘We?’ I ask, confused, and for a moment I think she means Elle and Abir. But it’s Charlotte and Gini who hang back a little, so I didn’t notice them at first.

I wonder for a moment whether I’m dreaming or in a strange memory that’s not my own.

‘Can we . . .’ Izzy hesitates. ‘Come inside?’

‘Oh!’ I say, snapping out of it. Be normal, Saff. ‘Of course! Er, shall I make hot chocolate?’

There’s a moment of silence, where I feel like I’ve asked exactly the wrong question, but then the girls’ faces light up and I relax.

‘Yes please!’ Izzy says, speaking for the trio.

‘Sorry to bother you . . .’ Charlotte says as we head into the kitchen. ‘We just wanted to . . . well, I suppose, talk.’

Lady waltzes in from the living room, having decided the girls aren’t a threat. She looks at me approvingly, like she’s trying to say ‘good choice’.

I almost tell her to shut up, except I realize she hasn’t actually spoken.

‘Is that your dog?’ Gini asks delightedly.

I turn round, looking shocked. ‘What dog? I don’t have a dog! Who is that?’

Gini looks up, surprised. ‘But she . . . Oh!’ She laughs. ‘Funny.’ She sits on the floor stroking Lady. I almost roll my eyes because Lady’s being fully charming. Big frog eyes blinking, tongue lolling. The others laugh too and I feel weirdly elated.

The four of us end up on my bed, drinks in hand, as Charlotte nominates herself to explain why they’re here.

‘Izzy told us about the other night at Maccies and what you did,’ Charlotte says, and she sounds so much more confident than she does at school.

As Charlotte speaks Gini watches her the way a person should look at their best friend, like she’s the most special person in the world. I’ve never really spoken to Gini, but I’ve noticed lately, from photos she uploads, how close she seems to be to her family abroad. Her parents are originally from Nigeria and they go back all the time during school holidays.

I wonder if Mum and I will start going to visit Aunt Zaina and Rawan?

‘I wanted to come after you,’ Izzy admits, looking quite upset. ‘I thought they were being awful. And the whole thing at the bike shed too . . . but I was too scared . . . I guess I . . .’