Zara was sceptical. ‘It’s the film getting inside your head, don’t worry about it. Is there any more chocolate? What time are Robbie and Mary coming home?’ she asked with a wide yawn.

‘I didn’t imagine it. I definitely heard noises, and something breaking.’ Fran looked around but couldn’t see what it might have been. ‘There was someone in the house. They were upstairs, and then when I was in the bathroom, they went downstairs.’

‘But how would they have got in? Think about it. You watched a scary film, fell asleep, then woke up thinking you heard someone in the house – what would you say if someone else told you that story?’

Zara had a point. But the noises were so vivid, she couldn’t have imagined them. Could she?

‘What were you doing in Lily’s room anyway?’

‘I was checking on her – she was looking to play Hide and Seek, at one o’clock in the morning.’ Fran rolled her eyes.

‘God, is it that late?’

‘Yeah. You can head on if you want? I’ll wait for Robbie and Mary.’ As soon as the words were out, she knew she didn’t mean them. The last thing she wanted was to be on her own in the house.

Zara’s eyebrows went up. ‘What, and miss the chance of my walk home with Robbie? I don’t think so.’

Fran shook her head in mock exasperation.

‘Grand. I’ll make coffee to keep us awake. I don’t want to be flaked on the couch when they get in.’

Zara followed her into the kitchen and hitched herself up on to the counter top while Fran took out a jar of Maxwell House and two mugs.

‘Don’t make one for me. My stomach’s still not right,’ Zara said. ‘Coffee’s making me gag at the moment.’

Something about the way she said it – the forced lightness – made Fran look up.

‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes!’

‘Zara. That’s your lying face. What’s going on?’

‘It’s nothing.’ A beat. ‘It’s probably nothing. I’m late.’

‘Oh shit.’

‘It’s nothing. I’m sure of it. I’m just late.’

‘Zara.’

She slid off the counter and threw up her hands.

‘Oh God, I wish I’d said nothing now. You’re going to turn this into a thing.’

‘It is a thing. Can you do a test?’

A sigh. ‘I should. I will. Just to shut you up, OK?’

‘You can buy tests in the pharmacy now, you don’t even have to go to the doctor. I heard my mam talking about it. So, no excuse.’

Zara made a Scout’s honour sign.

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ Fran added, gentler now. ‘How could you be pregnant anyway – you’re not going out with anyone. It would be the Immaculate Conception, part two.’

‘Well, it could—’ Zara stopped herself and made a lip-zipping motion. ‘Anyway, as long as my parents never know we even uttered these words, I’ll be fine.’

A creak from the hall made them both look up.

‘It’s nothing,’ Zara said after a moment. ‘God, I’m getting as jittery as you.’