Ceri Michaels is the central figure. Her hair hangs long and impossibly glossy. She draws immaculately on her fag. Gracie, Jovana and Kelly surround her.

‘I think it’s fair enough,’ says Ceri. ‘Good on her.’ She smiles brightly. ‘Doesn’t stop her being weird, though.’

‘Do you remember when she came to school in red heels?’

‘It’s not her that’s weird.’

‘So that’s not weird?’

‘It’s her freak brother.’

Kelly laughs. ‘Oh my god. Did you see him on Saturday night?’

Alisha’s trying not to be too interested. These girls are idiots. But she saw Aaron on Saturday, and it was funny. He was staggering around outside the Coachman trying to get in. There was no way they would ever let him in. He kept trying. Eventually he puked on one of the bouncers.

She imagines Rose on the red carpet. She and Oni used to talk about this kind of thing all the time. They used to pose for Instagram, playing games about who could get the most likes, and they used to joke about how one day someone would find them. They would be discovered.

Everyone thought like that, though. Whenever you got likes, or something you said was shared, it felt like it could be the tip of an iceberg. Like there was this parallel world, a shimmering realm of fame and money just round the next corner. It was all rubbish, of course. But every social media star you followed had the same story. They were ordinary until they weren’t. And everything became wonderful.

Alisha knows that Rose must think like this too. She knows the fear is real, the shyness real, but she also knows this is something that can only be good, and that for Rose to not give a little back to everyone is just a bit rude.

‘She shags her brother, you know.’

Alisha snaps back to the moment. ‘That’s bullshit.’

They turn. ‘How do you know?’

Alisha frowns. ‘People don’t do that.’

‘There’s something weird there. She’s never had a boyfriend.’

‘She’s got no friends. How would she have a boyfriend?’

‘Look at her. How would she not!’

Alisha grinds her butt into the grass and gets up to head back in. ‘Just leave her be.’

That evening the likes have doubled. Alisha keeps refreshing it and seeing the numbers go up. She sees Rose, dark eyed, looking over her shoulder. Sees her dress falling, just so. Sees her legs, elegant and smooth.

The first time Alisha put on makeup was with Oni. They drew big panda eyes on themselves. It was intoxicating. If you pretend to be something, you’re halfway there already. Sometimes the whole way.

Alisha refreshes. Sees Rose, Rose’s eyes.

She’s already different.