Lauren’s dad bolts, lurching into the road. A car slams on its brakes and honks as he flaps to stay on his feet.

‘What are you doing?’ Will shouts. He is ignored.

The rock comes down on the windscreen of the Mercedes, the crazed glass bowing inwards. The side windows are next, popping into millions of green cubes like gemstones, glittering over the soft leather seats.

Lauren’s dad watches from the central reservation, his expression torn between fury and resignation. A crowd has assembled along the front. Cars crawl past. No one intervenes.

‘Gonna stop me?’ April yells at him. He looks out to sea. ‘Not so keen to get your dirty hands all over me now?’

The wing mirrors explode as they are propelled downwards, their entrails of fine wiring hanging in their wake, as the Mercedes becomes a steel drum, a metallic beat ringing out as panels are reshaped and shucked of special-order paint.

It’s many minutes before April’s energy starts to wane. Only then does Will dare to step closer. A siren howls in the distance, but seems to be getting worryingly closer.

‘You OK?’ Will says.

She glares at him. The colour is back in her face. ‘I’m OK.’

‘Sure?’

‘I’m fucking angry.’

‘Yeah, it’s …’

‘I’m fucking angry. At last.’

The buildings along the seafront flicker blue as a patrol car slows.

‘Go home, Will,’ April says firmly.

‘Don’t want to leave –’

‘I’m fine, Will.’

‘You’re not.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong, Will.’ Her grin is wicked, but it’s real. ‘I’m great. I’m going to finish this. Finish it alone.’

She looks around and the assembled crowd feign disinterest. Laying the rock on the ground she walks towards the police car.

She turns and blows him a kiss. ‘Night, Will,’ she shouts. ‘Get back to those decks, yeah?’

Today.

The End

It’s a Friday lunchtime, late November. The forecast promises snow, but right now the skies are summer blue, the cold biting all the harder in the dazzle of the sun. Will Parks, having missed this morning’s lessons, arrives at the gates of ECS. He didn’t ride the bus in today. It’s been a morning of tears and he needed the long walk, a chance to set aside the sorrow of what’s going on at home and shift into the right mindset for this biggest of days.