There seemed no choice but to turn and go back towards them. Strong, like a superhero.

The other black girl sat up on her elbows. Her bikini was luminous blue, ten times stronger than the colour of the sky. She squinted at Matty. ‘What you listening to, then?’ She put her palms out and raised her eyebrows, and did it again with larger, impatient actions. ‘Giz.’ She took the headphones, the metal band expanding, and the white girl rolled closer to listen. Matty had to hold the Walkman out like the lead of a dog.

Two bikinied bottoms in full view, the material disappearing into the centre between their thighs.

‘What you doing listening to black music, little white boy?’ said the one with the headphones on.

A small fizz of pride. ‘Just like it.’

‘Ah, so cute,’ said the girl who’d first spoken, in a pretend-soft voice.

‘Where you go school?’ The white girl stabbed her question. Her bikini was purplish pink, and had a red heart on the bottom.

Matty said.

‘Where you going September?’

‘St George’s.’

‘Why you looking at us, then?’ The girl in the blue bikini rolled back over and lay her head on the first girl’s breasts. ‘Wanted some fun time, did you? Thinking about making us girls cry with your killer sex-moves, yeah?’ She shut her eyes, tipped her head back and opened her mouth, emitting breathy sighs. A quiet titter from the first girl. ‘Go on, show us your knob.’

They all shrieked with laughter. Matty tugged on the headphone lead. The blue-bikinied girl held on fast. Another tug. The other two girls stretched out, going for an ankle each.

Matty let go and legged it.

‘You better run! We’ll get you in school!’ From the bottom of the slope, you could see the girl in the blue bikini whipping the white girl with the headphone lead, while she moaned, over and over.

At least at the Men’s Pond there were no giant, vicious secondary school girls. Younger and older men were lounging on the green, loads more than last time, reading or chatting. Cigarette smoke drifted slowly above them and there were a few dogs, one barking rapidly. A boombox was playing. Matty stood at the entrance, heart doing salmon-flips, pretending to read the sign about swimming safely and winter swimming and algae levels. And walked through the gate.

The path beyond it was thin and bordered by hedges, and at the end there was a door with dark metal panelling and a notice saying MEN ONLY. The door to another dimension. Deep breath.