Ben swallowed. At first he’d been glad to see Callum. They hadn’t actually spoken in almost a week, because Callum had made it clear from the start that Ben and the others shouldn’t be seen together too often. But Ben had done everything he was supposed to do, and more besides, and he’d been hoping that Callum would be pleased. Pleased enough, maybe, that Ben would be able to convince him that there was no need for them all to remain so far apart.

But there was no way Ben would have dared to raise the subject now.

‘I didn’t start it,’ he tried to explain. ‘He was talking shit about my mum. He called her a whore. A slut.’ Even as he recalled what the boy had said – a boy he didn’t even know – Ben flushed with unsatiated rage.

‘So you shoved him. And in the process earned yourself another full week of detention.’

‘Yeah, but … what was I supposed to do? I mean, everyone heard what he said. I’m not going to just sit there and—’

Callum’s hand shot out and seized one of Ben’s fingers. Ben was too surprised to react, and before he’d registered what was happening, Callum was wrenching his finger against the joint, forcing it towards his wrist. He was about to cry out – in shock, in pain – but Callum’s other hand reached around Ben’s neck and clamped across his mouth.

‘Shut up and listen to me,’ he hissed.

Wide-eyed, Ben saw Callum check around the room. But there was nobody watching them. They were as tucked away as it was possible for them to be, with the other pupils all facing in the opposite direction. It was the reason Ben had sat here in the first place.

‘Are you listening?’ said Callum, his breath damp against Ben’s ear.

Ben did his best to nod. He tried to speak, to say yes, yes, he was, but all that came out was a muffled moan.

‘I helped you,’ said Callum. ‘And you promised you’d help me. Didn’t you?’ He removed his hand from across Ben’s mouth, but if anything tightened his grip on Ben’s finger.

‘Yes!’ said Ben. ‘I—’

‘Lower your voice.’

‘OK, OK! Just … let go of my finger, will you? Please.’

‘I will once you’ve answered my question.’

‘I said already! Yes! I said I’d help! I did!’

‘So why are you so determined to fuck everything up?’ Callum released his hold and Ben collapsed forward, whipping his arm away and cradling his throbbing hand in his lap. The pain was white-hot, so intense he almost couldn’t feel it at all.

‘I’m sorry, Callum, it won’t … it won’t happen again, I promise!’

Callum was regarding Ben coldly. But then his expression seemed to alter, as though more than anything he was disappointed that Ben had let him down.