They were sitting on the platform in the middle of the pond. The sun was out again, really hot, kaleidoscoping the water.

Matty snuck a hand into one pocket again to feel last night’s leftover rice, two cool and sticky little balls wrapped in leaves from the woods at the top of the Heath.

Sometimes in the last year or two Dad would bring some takeaway back, even if Mamma had made dinner, and alternate a forkful of pasta and a forkful of prawn stir-fry. It would make her mad. More arguments. ‘I’m a growing lad, Rosa.’

‘You are disgusting.’

‘I didn’t know you were making me anything.’

‘You did not ring to ask. You did not ring to tell me you’d be late. Again.’

He would say ‘Ah, well,’ in a sighing voice and carry on eating, or nudge his foil box over towards Matty, who would steal bits when Mamma wasn’t looking. The ends of his hair a little wet, maybe.

Why would he want to die? Did he run out of money, like the man in It’s A Wonderful Life? They weren’t like Nicks, definitely not, but they had always seemed to have enough. Did he just suddenly feel really unhappy?

‘I’m bored.’ Nicks curled his fingers and put them in his hair, as if he was giving himself some sort of futuristic electric shock. ‘Let’s go find moorhens to scare.’

‘In a sec.’

‘It’s so hot,’ said Nicks. ‘Come on, fuckarse.’ And he bombed into the pond.

While he was still underwater, Matty rolled the rice balls in, one at a time, for the evil spirits. Just in case.

They walked out of the gate together to a loud whistle. Daz was standing up at the highest part of the grass in his small red trunks with a towel over his shoulders, waving. The grass slope was heaving with men today.

Matty looked at Nicks. ‘Do you want to go over?’

Nicks was frowning up at them. ‘Nah. Let’s go to the other pond.’

Gegsy was leaning up on his elbows, gesturing Matty over, pointing at his boombox.

Nicks’s face had gathered into a scratchy scowl. He dug a bare toe into the dust of the path. ‘Got to go.’

‘But you just said—’

‘Got to go,’ he said again and turned, stalking away, scuffing his heels so that little puffs of dust followed him.

Matty watched him go before weaving between the groups of men on the grass. Nicks didn’t seem to like hanging around with anyone else. It was almost nice, like being kept a secret.

‘Here’s my little apprentice.’ Gegsy was lying just in the shade of the biggest tree with long denim shorts on, the edges frayed. His skin was very white and you could see all of his ribs, and the tattoos on them. ‘Got a new one for you.’