Saliva forms in Kat’s mouth and she tries to swallow it, but her throat constricts. She feels it gather like a sticky puddle at the back of her mouth. She’s not fat; not anymore. Why did she feel any sympathy for him? ‘I don’t know who you are,’ she growls. ‘Or what the fuck you’re talking about. But you need to leave Beth alone.’ She takes a few steps forward. ‘For your own sake. Do you understand?’ She clenches her fists and broadens her shoulders. She knows she looks intimidating; she’s trained hard enough over the years, turning all that jelly into muscle.

Her aggressive stance seems to work because he takes a step backwards, and a few more. But then he pauses, resolve creeping back up with every metre of distance made. ‘She did kill him,’ he snarls. ‘She deserves to be punished.’

‘Heroin killed your friend. Pure and simple. You need to leave Beth alone.’

‘You’re wrong.’

‘Stay away from her,’ Kat hisses.

He juts out his chin. ‘She’s the real scum, not Jon,’ he growls. Then he gives Kat one last look of disgust and turns back down the hill. Kat watches the black-clothed figure disappear into the dark night, then turns back towards Beth’s front door. Despite what has just happened, she feels totally calm. Because she knows Beth better than he does. Better than anyone around here.

April 2003

April 2003

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Katherine

Katherine zips her coat up to her neck. She knows it makes her look even more like a balloon, but she’s freezing. If she tried moving a bit, she might warm up, but she can’t risk it. Can’t risk them seeing her.

Because how would she explain that?

Her mum doesn’t know she’s in town either, let alone in Victoria Park. Not that Katherine lied to her; it just sort of happened. She was hanging out on her estate, but then found herself walking down Becca’s street. She nearly got caught too because two of Becca’s friends turned up – one Katherine recognised, Clara, and another one she didn’t – but luckily, she managed to hide behind a neighbour’s car when Becca opened the door. The three of them left together soon after that, and Katherine followed. She even got on the same bus as them without being spotted.

The three sixth formers are in the skate park now. Sat on the edge of the concrete quarter pipe, legs dangling over the side, drinking cans of cider and talking too quietly for Katherine to hear. It’s funny, watching them. Part of her aches to go over there, to sit down next to Becca, clink cans and lean in, create some distance from Clara and that other one with peroxide hair. But a bigger part of her enjoys watching, imagining what could happen, rather than risking sounding stupid, or worrying about how Becca might react.