Will grabs the triangle. He looks over at the girl and the guy playing on the other table and he remembers to feel out of place, something that for the past fifteen minutes he’d managed to forget. But they both say hi to him, and right now he can’t work out why he’d expect them to do anything other than that.

‘Nearly forgot, cuz,’ Alfie says. ‘Got something for you.’ He checks he’s not being watched before pulling a soft leather case from his school bag. ‘Very fucking least I can do.’

Again, there’s that puffy-eyed sincerity in Alfie’s expression. He shakes it away, his noisy bluster reasserting itself. ‘Careful you don’t burn your hands on them, mind.’

Will pops open the case and delicately examines the Ray-Bans.

‘Aviators,’ Alfie says, putting on his own pair and pouting. ‘Just like mine. Even levered the security tag off so you don’t have to.’

‘They’re so cool.’

‘Try them on.’

‘If anyone asks, I’ll say I found them.’

‘Good lad. You’re learning.’

‘I love them,’ Will says, slipping them on. ‘So kind of you.’

‘Yes, Will Parks! Proper suit you.’

‘Reckon?’ Will says grinning.

Alfie grabs his phone and holds it up. ‘Selfie,’ he says. ‘We’re the Blues Brothers, man.’

Will forces himself to keep a straight face as he looks up at the screen, Alfie’s chin resting on his shoulder. A picture is snapped in which he barely recognizes himself. For a moment he wonders if life could ever look like that.

‘Oh, and one other thing,’ Alfie says with a dangerous grin.

‘What?’

‘I may have made a little arrangement on your behalf.’

‘What you done?’

‘What have I told you about looking worried, Parks?’

‘To not do?’

‘That’s right. So you know me as Alfie Lim, but I go by another name too. Cupid!’ He mimes firing a bow and arrow.

‘Fuck, really? What have you done?’

‘No need to thank me.’

‘Seriously, Alfie, what have you done? Fucking hell.’

‘Relax. Just volunteered you for a bit of charity work. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?’

Will’s panic subsides a little. ‘I guess.’

‘So you are now helping April with her fundraising activity.’

‘Really?’

‘You’re meeting her after school today, to brainstorm ideas.’

‘Alfie –’

‘All arranged, Parks. Very keen she was, too. She suggested Al’s. You know, down on the front.’

‘Look, I don’t think I –’

‘Mate.’ Alfie puts his arm round Will’s shoulders. ‘If you can do a runner from the police, you can definitely buy a girl a coffee, yeah?’

‘Can I, though?’

‘Certain of it.’

‘I dunno …’

‘Don’t sweat it, cuz. You can thank me in the next life.’ Alfie picks up his cue, fumbling with it and trying out different ways of holding it. ‘Come on, let’s play.’