She smiles. “Of course. Only seven point seven billion people in the world. Why not? Odds are totally in your favour.”

“You’re not helping. You know that, right?”

“Moon, listen. You’ve gotta snap out of this not-talking-to-boys malarkey. No chat equals no kissing. And no kissing equals no shagging. You’re seventeen, not twelve.”

“Whatever. I dated Ennis for like a month.”

“Dated? It was more like a week. And anyway, he wasn’t right for you.”

“No. Turns out he was right for Katie, though.”

“True. And Sarah-Jane. And don’t forget about Jaleesa. Not bad for one month’s work. All while supposedly dating you.”

I shake my head. “It felt like I knew him, Bea.”

“Ennis?”

“Malik. Dark eyes. Like meeting him was somehow…inevitable. You know? I mean—look, this is gonna sound dumb, but weird things have been happening to me lately. Things I can’t explain. Things you won’t believe.”

“Oh yeah? Try me.”

I turn and look at her, knees touching, her jumpsuit rucked up, the train bucking us back and forth. “Do you remember everything, Bea? From the woods? The fight. What you did. Pulling her off me, hitting her like that.”

“Moon, it wasn’t like—”

“Because I don’t. Not really. It gets blurred for me. Confused and mixed up. I see shadows. Everything warps. The air shimmers and—”

“Shimmers?” Now she’s laughing at me.

I bite my lip and feel a burning heat up my neck. “See? Never mind. I knew you wouldn’t believe me. No one ever does.”

“No. Moon, listen—”

“Forget it. Forget I ever said anything. Just leave it alone.”

Bea gives me an exaggerated frown, offended by my tone. “Geez. What crawled up your arse?”

A clamp tightens around my throat, making it difficult to breathe. I’m getting irritable. My pulse is thumping and Bea is looking at me with an expression that feels judgemental, even though I know it isn’t. “Nothing,” I say. “It’s nothing.”

I pull my hood down to my mouth and feel my heart turn to a lump of coal.

“Ana?” Bea says. Her voice is softer.

I don’t answer. I lose myself in the sideways lurches and rhythmic thumps. I can feel her looking at me, and then her hand, over mine. I remain still. The darkness is a powdery-black under my hood.

Suddenly, the train brakes. HARD. A screech, followed by a loud crash, rips me wide-awake. Then I’m flying over seats and the world is tilted and my head slams into a metal pole with a sick smack! A flash of blue. The lights buzz. I sit upright, dazed, rubbing my temple. I can feel a lump already—a stickiness.

Then I see her. Bea. Lying on the floor.

Not moving.