‘All teenage girls hate their mothers sometimes,’ Abi said. ‘And that’s fine, that’s normal. So, whatever Corinne told you about Val, well, I think you’d be wise to take it with a pinch of salt. I mean, look at all the lies she told us about Anouk.’

‘That’s different!’

‘Is it?’ Abi tried to keep her voice level. They’d already had the conversation about Anouk, about Corinne’s deception. It wasn’t worth revisiting, so she changed tack.

‘What about your other friends, hmm? Why don’t you try and meet up with some of them before school starts?’

‘What friends?’

‘Maybe give Lisa a call – I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.’

‘No, she wouldn’t.’ Disdain dripped from Beth’s voice. ‘She can’t stand me. She hates my guts, just like everybody else.’

‘I don’t get it, Beth. You and Lisa used to be such good friends – really close. Is this because of what happened at school? Was she frightened by it?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Beth said, her voice dropping away, growing defensive. She was still spinning the phone, a little quicker now.

‘I wish you’d talk to me about it.’

‘Why? Would that be healthy?’ The word dripped with sarcasm.

‘Something clearly happened between the two of you. I can’t help but think it’s linked to you hurting yourself in front of the school.’ Abi noticed the way Beth flinched when she brought up the incident. It prompted her to continue: ‘It’s something we never really talked about. Not properly.’

‘I spoke to the shrink you fixed me up with,’ Beth said tartly. ‘Isn’t that enough for you?’

‘No. No, I don’t think it is. I worry there’s something unresolved there, something that’s still troubling, but you just bottle all this stuff up inside when you should talk about it.’

‘I have talked about it.’

‘Really? To whom?’ But Abi already knew the answer, the knowledge coming instantly along with a small flare of anger. ‘Corinne. Am I right?’

Beth shrugged.

‘Well, Corinne is in France and you are here,’ Abi said, trying to be pragmatic, but impatience with the situation leaked into her tone. ‘Wouldn’t it be better for you to be friends with girls here, girls you can actually meet up with and have some fun with?’

‘Have some fun with? God, do you even hear yourself, Abi? Do you know how shallow you sound?’

Reeling a little from Beth’s use of her Christian name, Abi said: ‘Shallow? I just—’

‘You think friendship is something you just pick up and put down when it suits you. Something disposable and transient, like fashion.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’