“I don’t know what you had for breakfast, Jacob,” Miss Spargo told him. “But I like it …”

At lunch, we found three seats together.

“I’ve got cheese, pickle and mayo with salad,” Freya said.

“I’ve got soggy bolognese wraps that Dad made,” I said. “Plus an apple, a banana and a cherry yoghurt.”

Jacob looked over at the hot food counter.

“Better get mine,” he said and he got up and wandered over, as Freya opened her lunch.

“Bit weird,” she said, mid-bite.

Most people who talk while eating annoy me, but not Freya. If anything, she looked even cuter.

“What is?” I asked.

“You and Jacob,” she said.

I told her what had happened, but I left out the crying bit. Freya nodded and took another bite.

“He’s quite nice,” she said. “But I knew he would be.”

“Yeah,” I said. “He seems much more chilled …”

“Anu got a proper shock, too!” Freya said, and her eyes sparkled with delight.

I smiled back at her, but it fast turned into a frown. Over her shoulder I saw Myles Granger heading for Jacob, with his gang in tow.

“Oi, chav!” Myles shouted.

Jacob turned to face Myles.

“What you up to?” Myles asked, squaring his broad shoulders and pushing his floppy blond hair off his face. I knew loads of girls fancied him, but I didn’t understand why. He was a bully – always smirking, always nasty.

When Jacob didn’t reply, Myles sneered. “Lost your tongue?”

I watched as Jacob clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Scrounging tosser!” one of Myles’s gang snarled.

“That’s right, innit?” Myles said. “You’re one of them dirty benefit rats.”

Myles went right up to Jacob and shoved him hard.

“Get lost!” Jacob yelled.

And then he turned and ran.

I made the mistake of watching him, which meant I caught Myles’s eye.

“Yeah, geek?” he said. “Missing yer boyfriend?”

He laughed, then left with his crew. I felt hot with anger, and my appetite was gone.

“I’m going to check on Jacob,” I told Freya.

“OK,” she said with a sigh. “But not without me …”

*

We found Jacob sitting on a fire escape behind the English department.

“Leave me alone,” he muttered.

“Myles Granger is an idiot,” Freya told him. “Just tell the teachers what he did.”

“I’m no grass,” Jacob said.

“Who cares about that?” I asked.

“I said leave me alone.” Jacob stood up. “I’m fine.”

Freya took her lunch from her bag.

“I’ve eaten a bit,” she said, “but you have the rest.”

“Me too,” I said. “I’m not hungry …”

Jacob looked at Freya’s half-eaten cheese sandwich. “You got any bad germs?”

Freya grinned. “No more than you.”

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get back to class.”

Jacob took Freya’s sandwich and wolfed it down.

“Nah,” he said, as he took my lunch leftovers too. “I don’t fancy it. I’m off home.”

I wanted to stop him, but he would have ignored me. He stuffed my wrap and fruit into his pockets. Then he walked across the grass, climbed the fence and jumped down onto the road behind school.