‘Well, your ma thought there was nothing, so maybe it’s just over for her, and people that believe in heaven end up in some pleasant kind of bubble yoke, and people who believe they are going to hell end up tortured somehow.’

‘What about people who blow up shopping centres full of people and think they’ll be rewarded?’

‘Oh yeah, not them.’

‘So everyone else but not them?’

‘Yeah, it’s hard, I dunno.’

They walked on past the library Rabbit used to go to as a kid and past the swimming pool she used to swim in. Then they turned around and started on their way back home, past the credit union Rabbit saved her money in and past the first tree she fell out of.

‘Is that how she got that big cut on her arm?’

‘No, that tree is in my gran’s back garden.’ She touched the tree with her hand.

It was so strange that everything was still there – the church, school, library, credit union, swimming pool and even the trees – but her ma was gone. Everything reminded her of her mother. A year earlier it would have been too painful – but now it was nice to walk around and see the places Rabbit had been and touch the things she’d touched. She wrapped her arms around the tree. Kyle waited and waited.

‘Juliet?’

‘Yeah?’

‘How long more are you going to hug that tree?’

‘A minute or two.’

‘OK.’

There was no one home when they got back to the house. They went up to the box room where Juliet was staying.

‘Was this your ma’s room?’ Kyle asked.

‘Yeah, she got the smallest room because she was the baby.’

‘It doesn’t look like her room.’

‘Gran had the house redecorated after all her kids left home.’

They sat on the bed.

‘Are you going out with anyone, Kyle?’ Juliet asked. ‘You never really talk about girls on Skype.’

Kyle blushed from red to purple.

‘I’ve kissed one or two.’

‘Yeah?’

‘But they’re not like you.’

He couldn’t meet her eyes; now her face burned too.

‘You?’ he asked.

‘Oh no, you’re the only boy I know.’

He turned his head quickly and they both leaned forward at the same time, banging their heads together briefly.

‘Ow,’ Juliet said, rubbing her temple.

‘Sorry,’ Kyle said, and before she could say anything he kissed her. At first his tongue felt like a lizard’s darting in and out of her mouth in quick succession. She didn’t know whether to seal her mouth shut or grab onto his tongue during its next invasion. She pulled back and raised her hands. ‘Stop.’

Kyle moved back. ‘OK.’

‘Feels weird,’ she said.

‘Sorry.’

‘Can we just start again? Just, keep your tongue to yourself for a minute.’

‘OK.’

They planted their lips on each other, moving a little bit; it was nicer but a little stiff.