I’m about to close the door when I hear familiar laughter down the corridor. I step out to see Karim and Chets walking together, obviously finding something hilarious.

‘Lance.’ Chets beams at me. ‘I was just telling 308 Karim about that time in Year Three when you called Miss Havistock “mum” in front of the class, and Mak laughed so hard he fell off his chair.’

‘Great,’ I say, wondering if I’m going to regret trying to get Karim and Chets to be friends.

Karim high fives me as he bounces past. ‘Tell me more, Chets,’ he says. ‘I need to know everything embarrassing that Lance has ever done.’

Karim’s parents turn up next, all dressed up in festive jumpers, and carrying bags full of presents and food. Karim’s mum puts her hand on my cheek in a reassuringly non-bug-like way, and smiles. ‘Merry Christmas, Lance. Is your mum inside?’ I nod, and smile back, and let them in, knowing my mum is gonna be stoked to see them.

I close the door and walk into the seating area of our room, stopping to watch everyone for a minute. Not in a creepy way, it’s just honestly the best feeling in the world to see them here, and happy, and together. Life has been crazy since the summer, and there have been times when I genuinely didn’t think we’d make it through. But here we are. I guess life will always throw change at you, and there will be times when people have 309 to go their own way for a while. But knowing that I have people in my life who will always be there when it really matters makes me feel like I can face anything.

‘Come on, Lance. I saved you a space,’ Kat calls over, so I walk to where she’s sitting, and squeeze onto the sofa next to her. She smells like apple pie, and her eyes look like something Elsa has magicked up out of the most perfect animated ice.

‘Isn’t this the best?’ she whispers, smiling around at everyone.

‘Worth fighting an alien wasp creature for?’

‘Actually, yeah,’ she says. ‘If that doesn’t sound insane?’

‘Nah,’ I smile. ‘I know exactly what you mean.’

Acknowledgements