He approached, only really seeing her, heart leaping at the odds of her being one of them. The others lost clarity and focus, became peripheral. He was smiling, and she noticed, recognition curving her lips upwards, Aaron drawn by the strength of a connection he’d not known existed until now. He almost reached out a hand towards her, managed to stop himself (too soon, way too soon), pushed his glasses up on his nose and widened his grin.

‘Oh hell nah, not him too, are you lot bloody serious?’

Old Girl, expression wrinkled, shook her head with even more violence than her words, hair whipping her back and shoulders. Tall Kid spat laughter. Dream Girl’s smile didn’t exactly grow, but didn’t disappear. Damn it. Skinny bitch.

He ignored her, stopping before them, eyeing the younger two without saying anything. Actually he didn’t know what to say but an older cousin had told him silence could make him look confident if he pulled it off right.

‘Are you shittin’ me? You lot seriously trying to say that’s him?’

They stared him out, daring him to say the real reason he came up to the sixth floor acting like he knew anything. Dream Girl seemed uncertain. Tall Kid’s swaying body, hard eyes and clenched fists made him look as though he wanted an excuse to spark him, and would probably enjoy it too.

‘They’re not saying it’s me. I am, because it is. I called you. Last night I said I could feel you, all of you, and I meant it. Now I want to know why.’

He let that sink in, concentrating on the white trail scribbled across blue sky behind their heads, fading into wisps then nothing but molecules, hearing low gasps, mutters, feeling the atmosphere change. Dream Girl and Tall Kid relaxed. Old Girl felt it too, sucking hard enough on the fag to hollow her cheeks and make her eyes bulge, enhancing her death stare, which roamed in all directions until she threw the blazing stub at his feet, where it exploded into a bouncing trail of sparks. Aaron refused to move or acknowledge what she’d done. He stared into her eyes, waited.

‘Have fun on yuh play date then. I’m off.’

And she was, brushing his shoulder lightning fast, muttering curses all the way to the fire doors, which clapped sudden thunder after her. He scratched his head, turned to the others.

‘What’s her problem?’

‘She thought you’d be older.’

‘How’d she know I’m not?’

Both smirked. He felt himself grow hot and tried to shake it off. Be cool. He had to be cool.

‘She thought we’d all be.’

That was better. Tall Kid stepped forward, eclipsing Dream Girl with his broad body, but Aaron could see her aura glowing on all sides. He imagined he could even feel her heat. Then the fist was high, up in his face.