‘Hey, is it true your dad killed her father?’ Sasha asked Beth. She had put aside her half-eaten apple and was releasing her hair from the tight ponytail that swung from the back of her head. Her gaze slid briefly in Corinne’s direction.

‘What?’

‘Didn’t he like run him over or something?’

‘Of course not!’

‘Word on the street is that your parents are on some kind of guilt trip about it. That they’re paying for her education as like a form of compensation.’

‘That’s total bullshit! She’s here because I wanted her to come. Because she’s been having a really hard time back home and she’s my friend.’

But Sasha seemed unconcerned with the detail. Bored of the conversation now, she smoothed her hair and stood up, fixing the strap of her bag on to her shoulder, checking with the others to see if they were ready.

‘It’s not true, okay?’ Beth persisted, unwilling to be shrugged off while the rumour still lingered. ‘It was an accident. It was no one’s fault.’

‘Fine. Like I care.’

Nicole snorted. ‘What a dope.’

‘I want you to say it,’ Beth went on, her voice shaking with emotion. ‘Say my dad didn’t kill him. Say it!’

People seated at tables around were looking over now, and from behind the bar, Callum said: ‘Ladies,’ a warning there in his voice.

‘Don’t say anything, Sash,’ Nicole counselled. ‘Ignore the stupid cow.’

But Sasha gave Beth a long, forensic stare, like that she’d give a specimen to be dissected in the biology lab. Something particularly disgusting. A bull’s eye. A rat.

‘I honestly couldn’t give a shit about what happened in France. But I do know this.’ Sasha took a step closer, so close that Beth could see the flash of a silver chain winking from beneath her open collar. ‘You’re a freak. You’re a fucking lunatic. Who the hell stabs themselves like that? In front of all of us? What, did you think you were Elliott fucking Smith or something? And we all know you would have been expelled if your parents hadn’t bribed Bracken to keep you. But you know what I think?’ And here she stabbed her index finger into Beth’s chest, pressing against her ribs at the point above her heart. ‘Next time, aim higher.’

Anger moved quickly inside Beth like the sudden snap of a towel in the air.

‘All right, that’s enough!’ Callum said. His hands were on the bar and he was leaning forward.

But Sasha just laughed and wiggled her fingers, saying: ‘Bye bye, freak!’

The long ribbon of their laughter trailed after them as they sashayed out into the foyer. But the rage stayed inside Beth, roiling and churning, her head swimmy like she’d had too much caffeine. Distantly, she heard Callum say:

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ she murmured.