I swing round and stamp over to him, stopping only when my face is millimetres from his.

‘Get the fuck out of my way.’ I spit each word at him.

Amit backs up in the chair. He drops his sandwich into his lap. ‘Morky?’

‘Stop laughing at me.’

‘I’m not laughing, mate,’ he whines.

‘This isn’t all some big joke.’

‘Calm down, man. Please.’ His bottom lip wobbles. He scrapes at his left eye with the back of his wrist.

I’m standing right over him. He flinches as I reach above his head for the door handle. I’m sure I can just shove him and the chair out of the way as I drag it open.

‘Why are you being like this?’ His eyes are wet and defenceless as he stares up at me.

I step back from him. ‘You didn’t need to get involved in this, Amit. But you had to, didn’t you?’

Next time, we’ll all be having a go on you.

He shakes his head, a look of confusion twisting his face. ‘I don’t know what to say, Morky. I don’t know what you want me to say.’

‘Say nothing. Just get out of here and let me get on with my day.’

He stands shakily and spreads his arms, palms turned towards me.

‘Don’t square up to me,’ I snap, failing to keep the volume of my voice under control. My face is burning. A cool tear etches its way down each cheek.

‘I’m not squaring up to you, mate.’ His breaking voice cracks the sentence into pieces. ‘I just want to know how to make this right.’

‘It’s too late!’ It infuriates me that there’s no authority in my voice, that the words squeak their way out. Why can’t I do this without crying? I tense every muscle in my face and glare at him. ‘Way too late.’

Someone in every hole.

He looks down at his shoes. ‘I don’t get it. You got four of us suspended, Morky. You got us suspended over a bit of weed. But it’s you who’s mad at me?’

I knew it wouldn’t be long before this came up. My Little Stunt. The one thing the whole class think they can use to justify everything.

‘You know what you’ve done.’

Little short guy. Asian. He was filming.