‘You’re the dopey …’ I choke the words back as his face turns mutinous. Boys’ egos are too fragile for a serious truth-telling. Laney is the main focus, nothing else. I turn on Rhi who’s fixing her hair while glaring at me, standing only a few steps behind Sam.

‘What the fuck, Tace?’ Rhi’s sarcastic question makes me flush hot for a second. I want to tell her ‘nunya’ and leave her up here to walk home, but knowing her she’d run straight for her mother and then a call would go to Mum and everything was just plain—

‘Fuck!’ I do a rage dance, stamping my feet and flailing my arms around. ‘Just once, can’t things go the right friggin way?’

I stop my dance, take a deep breath and let it all go. Turning to find two gawking teenagers staring at me, I lift my chin and do my best Alana impersonation.

‘We’re out of time. You …’ my finger goes to Sam, ‘get in the car and take us to Potters’. You,’ same finger, different person, ‘get in the car and shut the fuck up. I’ll explain as we go. Or you stay right here and if you say one goddamn word to anyone I will cut you.’ My hand slices the air and Rhi’s mouth turns stubborn. ‘I’ll cut you from my life so fast it’ll be like you never existed. We’ll be done, finished! Because if you fuck this up and I lose my sister you’ll be dead to me.’

Rhi freezes. Mutinous mouth turning to tight-lipped fury. But she isn’t my sister-cousin for nothing. It’s my turn to be shocked when she spins on her heel and gets into the back seat. She slams the door shut. Guess I’m riding shotgun.

Sam hasn’t followed orders, but the look we exchange is enough. Striding to the car we climb in and ignore the sullen silence from the back.

My breath rushes out.

Into that awful angry space I can’t help but say what’s driving me. Something I’m not even sure of has been pressing harder and harder, the surety of it is grinding its way into my skull. I whisper into the window I am hunching against, so close that the glass fogs with my breath. Tangible evidence of a feeling I’ve been too terrified to give voice to until now.

‘We’re running out of time.’