So, anyway, she’s punched the little one and then she just keeps going, pummelling this little girl, right? By now word has spread, or else there was just a rush of girls coming to the toilet before the bell, because the place is full and as they’ve come in I’ve sort of been nudged closer and closer to the action, and so I cannot only see this poor kid’s face, all wet and red and with a big bit of snot dripping onto her lips (‘Eeewwww!’), but I can hear this noise. Underneath the yelling of the little girl’s friends and the excited commentary of the crowd, I’m actually close enough to hear the sound of the bully’s fist smacking into the little girl. (Here, Nic would slam a closed fist into her own open palm. After the first time, Will and Lena knew to be silent at this point in the story. The thwack wasn’t loud but it thrilled them every time.)

The bell rings. A couple of girls run out, more worried about being late to class than missing the end of the fight. But most of us stay because it’s like the big girl hasn’t heard a thing. She’s punching and punching and the little one is trying hard to get away, ducking and weaving and covering herself, but the big one just changes her target, going for the arms or chest or shoulders. Never the head, but everywhere else she can land a blow she does and the little one doesn’t hit back, just keeps moving her arms around to protect herself best she can and sliding back and forth against the wall trying to escape.