His name is Marcel and he goes to a performing arts high school I’ve never heard of. When I tell him about Balmoral, he shrugs. He stops next to the fire escape door and I get a chance to look at him properly. He’s beautiful, I’ll admit it, with perfect skin and huge eyes.

Now that we’re here, who’s going to make the first move? Things are a small step away from getting awkward.

‘So, um, what year are you in?’ Marcel says eventually.

‘Ten,’ I answer. ‘How about you?’

He dips his head, smiles. When he raises his eyes again, he looks defiant. ‘Year Nine.’

I can’t keep the shock out of my voice. ‘How old are you?’ He towers over me.

‘Fifteen.’

‘I’m sixteen.’ I shake my head. If this gets out, I’ll never live it down.

Marcel smiles. ‘Well…I like older women?’

I smile back.

He reaches out and traces a finger around the outside curve of my breast, making me draw breath. ‘You’re really hot,’ he says.

He stoops and kisses my collarbone, then lower, pushing my tits up with both hands. He moves back up to my neck, the space below my ear lobes, then finally, my mouth. His lips and tongue are hot and wet, he kisses like he has plenty of experience. When he pushes me through the doorway and into the stairwell, I relax and let him. My back rests against the cold concrete wall.

Marcel presses his whole body against mine, and finally all the thoughts and visions from these last few weeks melt away. The ghosts creep back into the dark corners.

Marcel has a stubbly scalp and ridges of muscle on his arms. Skin on skin and soft mouths and I don’t see flashing blue lights and think about how I gave up on Yin long before she disappeared and maybe now I’m going to pay for it. We steam up the whole stairwell. We’re both out of breath when Marcel finally pulls away.

‘You know,’ he says, a newly sheepish and innocent expression filling his face. ‘I’ve never had a blowjob.’

I stare back. The lone light bulb in the corner casts distorting shadows over his gorgeous face. He’s batting his eyelashes with the best of them, namely me. I know his game. I tilt my chin and the corners of his mouth twitch.

‘Liar!’ I say. ‘You big fat liar.’

He smiles with full brilliance, dazzling teeth in the darkness. ‘It was worth a try, wasn’t it?’

‘Here’s a deal,’ I say, once I’ve made up my mind. ‘I’ll use my hands.’