‘I’ll tell Mum I got into a fight after school, and no one at school will ask.’ His voice gets all tight, so I sit back and shut my mouth. It’s true too. No one at school even mentioned his black eye. Rhi hasn’t asked either, and I can see her thinking about it now. Guilt tightens her jaw. I turn to stare out the window until we come to the edge of town.

‘Both of you better duck down,’ Sam says. ‘I’ll take you to the back of the town hall and drop you there. I’d drop you closer to your place, but …’

‘No worries, thanks Sam,’ Rhi assures him.

We make it without any problems and Rhi gets out of the car. I stop with my hand on the door, before turning back.

‘Sam.’ I can’t think of what to say. ‘Thanks.’

He nods and I follow Rhi out. There aren’t any words that’d do it anyway.

As he drives off I turn to face Rhi. She’s smirking at me.

‘What?’ I know I sound defensive.

‘Stacey and Sammy sittin in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.’ She finishes with a squeal as I go to grab her. She dances out of reach. ‘First comes love, then comes marriage.’

‘Then comes the floggin from the Millers and the Thomsons.’ My sarcasm gets through where my horrible rhyming doesn’t.

‘Yeah true,’ Rhi muses.

That’s all I need. Rhi is an eternal romantic, falling in love as fast as she falls out of it and never regretting anything. She’s always after me to open myself up to ‘possibilities’. I usually say something about keeping away from the ‘possibilities’ of getting an STD or ‘possibly’ getting with someone who turns out to be related to me. I can wait till I’m out of this town to get a man, there are just too many relatives and racists here.

‘Come on, Mum and them will be home soon. You can get into some of my clothes.’

We head up the street and into the house. As always it’s unlocked with all the windows wide open to let the heat of the day out. What shocks me is the note on the table.

Babe, we stopped off to get food. Gone back out. Left some chicken and salad in the fridge for you. Stay safe and INSIDE. Love you xox

‘Holy shit, you are one lucky cow.’

‘Ya mean “we”? I wouldn’t be the only one in trouble ya know.’

Rhi gives me her trademark cheeky grin and I pretend not to notice it’s still a bit wonky.

‘You get in the shower first, I’ll get us some clothes.’