‘Except for any Nike Air Flyknits,’ Karim says. ‘Cos they are like joy on your feet fresh out the box. Just saying.’

‘And the thing is, Chets.’ I turn back to him. ‘You’ve been turned before, so the hive already knows you, and your body knows how to be a sporeling.’

‘He’s like the hive mind’s comfiest fluffy slippers,’ Karim says. ‘Am I right?’

‘Too far, Karim,’ I say. ‘You took the analogy too far.’

‘Yeah, it was smart when Kat said it,’ Ade says. ‘But you’ve ruined it now.’

Karim shuffles uncomfortably. ‘Like I said, tough crowd.’

‘So Chets, just high five us and put our minds at ease,’ I say.

Chets backs up a few more steps, then stops. He takes his hand out of his pocket, hesitates for one, two breaths, and with a speed and grace I don’t 224 see coming, he pulls off his shoes and socks while running towards the far side of the Lookout, and throws them at us. I dodge a little too late and take a glancing blow to the side of my face. I feel the skin pull and tear. The other shoe finds its mark in Karim’s eye socket, hitting him full force and knocking him to the ground. Kat runs to help him while I turn back to Chets. He takes a flying leap, getting maybe two metres of air, before landing high on the glass wall on both his hands and feet. Then he scuttles upwards, out of reach, and stares down at me.

‘What the actual?’ Mak shouts.

Trent scrabbles backwards across the floor, pizza still in hand, swearing like he’s in a late-night Netflix B-movie.

There’s a wet trickle sliding down my cheek, but I’ll deal with that in a moment. I back up, my eyes never leaving Chets, until I’m level with the others, except Trent who is squashed right up against the wall furthest away from Chets.

‘You OK, Karim?’ I ask.

‘Your friend is crawling up the walls like a woodlouse,’ he says. ‘And of all the things that could have happened to damage my gorgeous face 225 in a horror-movie situation, I never would have guessed it would be being hit by a shoe.’

‘Serves you right for calling me a slipper,’ Chets shouts from his upside-down position just underneath the viewing platform.

‘I guess he lied about having a plastic tree,’ I say.

‘You know my human mother always tries to keep up to date with the newest and most popular material items,’ Chets calls. ‘She wasn’t about to display a plastic tree when the neighbours in the big houses were all getting Crater Lake cone trees. She bought the biggest one she could fit in the living room.’

‘He’s right,’ I sigh. ‘I should have known that. I let myself down there.’