Rave ran in and slammed the door. He was soaked. ‘Holy shit. It’s mental out there.’ He pushed his wet hair back from his face and tucked it behind his ear, just as Jeremy had done in his fantasy. You’re killing me, you’re actually killing me. He went to the line and grabbed a clean towel. Jeremy looked away as his friend stripped down to his jocks. He felt sick and his hands trembled, even though he was holding on to the rucksack as tightly as he could.

‘Beany, we might have to stay here till morning,’ Rave said, wrapping himself in the towel. He moved over to the fire and warmed his hands over it.

‘I can’t,’ Jeremy said.

‘We have no choice. There’s no way we’ll make it down safely in that weather.’ Rave sat down beside his friend.

‘I need to go,’ Jeremy said.

‘You’re not going anywhere till this rain stops.’

Jeremy looked out over the soaking city. The rain battered the roof with such ferocity that Rave had to turn up the music. He’s right. Oh, God almighty. I’ll have to stay here.

Rave laughed. ‘Cheer up, Beany. You look like I just killed a kitten. We’ll sneak back first thing in the morning. What’s the worst that can happen?’

Oh, I don’t know, I might just start crying, and if I do, I’ll never stop or, worse, I could just break down and tell you I love you, I’ve always loved you. I always will. ‘Nothing,’ Jeremy said. ‘It’ll be fine.’

Rave smiled. ‘Best night ever.’

THURSDAY,
5 JANUARY 1995

Chapter Nine

‘Outshined’
Soundgarden, 1991

Maisie

FOR JEREMY’S THIRTEENTH birthday Maisie paid a magician to entertain the kids. It was her first children’s-party hire: he sounded like such an accomplished and nice man on the phone, and his price was so reasonable it meant she could go all out on the food.

It was a huge mistake. The Amazing Antony was a retired bank manager who knew exactly four card tricks, used a child’s magic set his wife had bought him for Christmas, and his balloon animals consisted of a snake, a snail and something he referred to as a dog but looked more like a chair. He wore a pressed suit under his red cape, and a purple pointed hat that looked less fairy-tale wizard than Ku Klux Klan. It was disconcerting but he seemed genuinely excited to be there, and it was obvious he really wanted the kids to have a good time.

‘Are you ready for the show of your lives, kids?’ he said, seating them in a row in front of him.

‘Yeah,’ Valerie and Bridie shouted. No one else answered him. Maisie clapped a little too enthusiastically to conceal her nerves.

‘What kinds of tricks would you like to see, kids?’ he said.