Bex wanted to run after Anna, but she couldn’t because of her stupid shoes. She’d worn sandals to match her sundress, but all the others had boots on. She stood on one leg to remove a piece of grit from under the ball of her foot.

Suddenly she was shoved from behind. She let out a yell and slipped from the rock she was on. Crashed onto her hip and then fell onto the rubble, her head snapping back into the mud below.

‘Shit, sorry, I lost my balance.’ Kirsty reached out to Bex.

Bex grabbed Kirsty’s hand and pulled herself out of the mud. Her face was plastered in it.

‘Well done, Kirsty,’ Gary said.

‘Shut up, Gary. It was you that made me lose my balance.’

‘It bloody wasn’t!’ Gary strode over and grabbed hold of both of Bex’s hands. He stood in front of her, and looked into her eyes. He had a very intense gaze. ‘Are you sure you’re okay, Bex?’

Bex wanted to look away, but somehow couldn’t.

‘Well, anyway,’ Kirsty said. ‘We need to get Bex cleaned up. She can’t walk all the way back like that.’ Bex caught her sister’s eye. Had Kirsty pushed her?

Anna came barrelling over. ‘Oh my God! What happened. Get off her, Gary!’ She pulled Gary off Bex, and put her arm around her. Bex felt like crying. Thank goodness for Anna. She hadn’t really wanted Gary to look at her in that way. She hardly knew him and wasn’t sure whether she liked him or not.

‘She’s not all right,’ Kirsty said. ‘She’s got mud all in her hair and on her face.’

‘No, honestly …’ Bex said.

‘We’ll have to nip to Daniel’s,’ Kirsty said. ‘It’s the closest house by far.’

Bex looked at Daniel’s face. The colour had drained from his cheeks. He said, ‘I don’t think …’

‘It’s not necessary,’ Bex said. ‘I can walk home.’

‘No you can’t. Look at you.’ Kirsty waved an arm as if they weren’t all looking at Bex anyway.

‘You do look quite bad,’ Anna said. ‘It would be good if you could get cleaned up. Are you hurt at all?’

Bex shook her head. ‘No, no, I’m okay.’

‘Dad will know I brought you down here,’ Kirsty said. ‘And this would just prove he was right to be so over-protective.’

Anna looked at Daniel. ‘I suppose your place is nearest.’

‘If he doesn’t want to, then I don’t think we should go there,’ Gary said, and Daniel flashed him a grateful smile.

‘It’s not that I don’t want to invite you,’ Daniel said. ‘It’s just … you know.’

Kirsty turned to Bex and stage-whispered, ‘It’s Daniel’s mum. He’s embarrassed by her.’

‘I’m not,’ Daniel said.