‘I’m up for that,’ Matt agreed. ‘Just let me send this video to some of the guys first.’

21 BETSY & MEL

‘Betsy is my one true love,’ Brad told Charlie as he fondly slapped the roof of a petrol-powered Subaru. ‘She’s eighteen, same age as me, and almost as beautiful.’

‘Obviously,’ Charlie said, managing a smirk, but churning thoughts of her first day at school in over two years.

Betsy was born red, but the old Subaru now had a green door, a dented blue hood and several patches of dark grey Rust-Oleum. The passenger mirror was cracked, and the rear fender held in place with a web of plumber’s tape.

‘There’s a knack,’ Brad said when Charlie tried opening the front passenger door.

Brad hopped round from the driver’s side. He pushed his knee against the door and strained until the latch popped.

‘Voilà!’

The inside smelled of mould and beer. As Brad settled into a preposterous orange-and-black racing seat, Charlie lobbed a girl’s leather jacket and a half-drunk bottle of vodka into the back, before bedding down on sticky green velour. She almost wished she’d taken the school bus, though Juno said they were the first stop on the route and it took half an hour longer than a car.

‘Be nice to me, Betsy,’ Brad pleaded, turning the ignition and bouncing like he was geeing a horse. He gave a whoop, followed by, ‘Good girl,’ as the engine clattered to life.

Charlie had warmed to Betsy’s charm as they rolled out of the OIL parking lot, with dark grey smoke billowing behind.

‘I think Betsy might struggle to pass her next emissions test,’ Charlie noted.

‘It’s just oil,’ Brad said. ‘Once she warms up, she’s golden …’

Every warning light on the dash lit up and the speedometer needle didn’t move as Brad hurtled past another car.

‘First day of high school,’ Brad said dramatically. ‘Nervous?’

‘I guess,’ Charlie said, staring at the near-empty backpack between her legs and realising that it still had the $7.99 tag from when she’d bought it at the mall the day before.

As Charlie ripped the tag, Betsy rolled into a side street and straight on to the driveway of a small-but-neat house. Brad blasted the horn, though his passenger was already halfway out the house. She was a Filipino-American, dressed in gold Adidas sneakers, rainbow-striped leggings and an oversized US Army jacket.’

‘This is my girl, Mel,’ Brad introduced.

Mel crouched by the passenger door, scowling at Charlie as she spoke with a thick New York accent. ‘Who’s this bitch?’

Charlie felt uncomfortable as Brad pushed the button to drop Charlie’s window.

‘Charlie, Mel. Mel, meet Charlie,’ Brad said warmly. ‘It’s her first day of high school, so be nice.’

But Mel kept scowling. ‘She’s in my seat.’

‘Seriously?’ Brad said, shaking his head. ‘It’s a five-minute ride.’