Dave had joined them for sixth class in primary school. He had just moved and no one really wanted to talk to him because once they did he forgot to shut his mouth. He liked to joke around, play pranks. Sometimes his ma was called in. He was suspended once for covering the boys’ toilet pans with cellophane. Some of the lads splashed themselves and laughed about it, but Spots Farrelly appeared in class crying his eyes out and covered with shite: Dave had been suspended for a week. Rave liked him. Most of the time, he laughed at him but when Dave went too far he was always the first to tell him. Dave listened to Rave: he respected him. Jeremy had put up with Dave initially but only because Rave asked him to.

‘But why?’ Jeremy moaned.

‘Because he’s funny.’

‘He’s a prick.’

‘Only because he thinks he has to be. He’ll work it out.’ Jeremy had no idea what Rave meant.

‘It means he’s cool, Jeremy.’

Jeremy disagreed but he never brought it up again.

When they’d moved to secondary school, Rave and Jeremy had joined the soccer team, and that was where they’d met Jonno and Mitch. Jonno was slim and fast. Mitch was tall and built like a brick shit-house. They were both good players. Rave was good too. Jeremy was OK but he loved the game. Mitch made it clear from day one that he wanted to be friends with Rave. He made no bones about it. With Mitch came Jonno, and Mitch accepted that if he and Rave were to be friends, Jeremy and Dave were part of the package, but he was unsure about Dave. Rave didn’t care. Dave was in or Rave was out, so Dave was in. It was fine. Jeremy had got used to him by then.

Jeremy sat to one side of Rave and Casey was on the other. Deirdre was on Jeremy’s other side, holding his hand. Her hands are so hot even in the freezin’ cold … and here come the sweats. Crap.

Rave fished the bottles of vodka out of Jeremy’s bag and threw one to Mitch, who caught it easily. ‘Share with Mel,’ Rave said, and Mitch nodded.

Rave threw another to Jonno. Jeremy was slow to take a drink from his bottle. He was worrying about being away from home. I should be there. The lads didn’t notice at first. He let them all drink away and share stories of their Christmases with the girls.

‘Me ma nearly burned the house down, I swear. We were smoked out of it. The cat’s still got a black face – she looks like the bleedin’ chimney sweep in Mary Poppins,’ Dave joked.

‘I loved that,’ Jonno said.

‘Course ya did, ya big homo.’ Dave elbowed him in the ribs.

‘Me da wants to go away to the sun next Christmas,’ Mitch said.