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Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Intoroduction
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EITHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. FORTY-FIVE
  51. FORTY-SIX
  52. FORTY-SEVEN
  53. FORTY-EIGHT
  54. FORTY-NINE
  55. FIFTY
  56. FIFTY-ONE
  57. FIFTY-TWO
  58. FIFTY-THREE
  59. FIFTY-FOUR
  60. FIFTY-FIVE
  61. FIFTY-SIX
  62. FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. FIFTY-NINE
  65. SIXTY
  66. SIXTY-ONE
  67. SIXTY-TWO
  68. SIXTY-THREE
  69. SIXTY-FOUR
  70. SIXTY-FIVE
  71. SIXTY-SIX
  72. SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  74. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
  75. Copyright

And then I sit down again, quickly and without meaning to, my ears ringing, my face warm and getting warmer, a ball of fire centred on my left cheek where the man has punched me.

‘Carl, he’s just a kid from school. Don’t. He…’

The man stares her down. ‘Go and get in the car,’ he hisses.

Dana goes. I try to stand up again, suddenly more sober, but another fist lashes at me. It catches me on the other side of my head and I’m back on the sofa, head pressed against the cool, soft surface of a cushion. I think I’m groaning.

‘Don’t let me catch you talkin’ to her again. Right?’

And then he goes. ­­­

ELEVEN

ELEVEN

The walk home is taking longer than it should. It’s hard to walk straight and I can’t see too well. A girl, I think it was Louisa, found a bag of peas in the freezer and pressed them against my cheek where a mouth of warm blood had started to form around the cut from Carl’s fist. I still have the bag with me, though all the peas must have fallen out by now because it’s empty. It doesn’t do much to stop the blood which is now running down my face, along my chin and onto the front of my shirt.

I can feel a lump coming up on my right temple where his second fist caught me. It’s just under the hairline. When I touch it, it feels like a bag of nails has fallen open inside my skull.

The party broke up soon after Carl left. Jamie insisted I stay, but I insisted I go. I’m not sure that was the best idea.

I fall over, the pavement coming up suddenly before I can get out of its way. I lie unmoving for a few seconds, enjoying the world being still, then my phone vibrates in my pocket. It’s a text from Jamie telling me to let him know when I’m home safely. The clock on the phone says half past midnight. I don’t know what time I left. I text back – I’m fine. Nearly there.