But as winter set in, one day Em started coming back to school. One bright, crisp day Katie nearly ran into her going through the school gate. Her heart started thudding with panic. This was so horrible! If only Em would go away, just leave the school so that Katie didn’t have to face all this, and the way she had been so mean and nasty to Em! As their eyes met, Katie turned her lips up into a quick, darting smile. She didn’t dare do more, but she didn’t want to turn away without doing something that said: I didn’t really mean it. I want to be your friend really, only I’m not allowed.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it all morning, and all the more so because Lily Davies was absent that day, leaving the space next to her empty. What if she made it up with Em? Would her mother ever know? But with a plunge of dread she knew that she would, somehow. Mother always found out everything. On the other hand, if they made it up for a bit, at least they could be friends again for a while and Em might not think so badly of her.

After playtime Miss Lineham ordered them all out into the playground for PT. She produced a pile of wooden hoops and the children stood squinting in the bright sunlight, rubbing their hands together in the cold.

‘Right, children,’ Miss Lineham commanded, ‘Line up in twos, please!’

Katie’s heart started to beat very hard again. Dare she ask Em to be her partner? In the old days they would always have shared a hoop, no question. For a few seconds she dared to hurry towards Em, and thought she saw Em watching her hopefully and start moving towards her as well. But then Molly Fox was at Em’s side. Molly Fox of all people! The thought of the Fox family made Katie’s flesh creep. Katie was stung by the rejection. A sneer spread over her face. Well, if that was what Em wanted, Katie didn’t want to be her partner, or her friend. She could keep rough, stinking Molly Fox, so there!

‘Will you be my partner?’ she asked a mousy girl called Gladys Day, who agreed eagerly, flattered to be asked.

At the end of the lesson, though, when they’d gathered up the hoops and were heading inside, Katie noticed that Em was near her in the line and she hung back so as not to get close to her. But to her discomfort, Em turned round, her cheeks blushing pink and said, ‘Hello, Katie.’ Her voice trembled a bit. ‘Can you come and play out later? I haven’t seen you for a long time.’

Katie looked down at her feet in their neat black pumps. She felt raw from what seemed like Em’s rejection earlier. Fancy choosing Molly Fox as a partner over her! And Mother said . . . Against her better nature, she looked up at Em contemptuously.