‘I guess.’ She was right but what she was saying was that I needed to revise more and I was sick of revision. It was all right revising with Farah but on my own it was tedious. ‘But revision is sooooo boring and it doesn’t matter how long I spend going over and over stuff it doesn’t sink in.’

‘What can I do to help?’ she asked. I shrugged my shoulder and tidied up the crumbs I’d made on the table. ‘Shall I test you? Don’t look alarmed.’

‘If you like but I don’t know if it’ll do any good.’ I gave Rusty a fuss and she dropped her head in my lap. She was spending longer periods away from the puppies. I think she was getting a bit fed up with them.

‘How’s your dad?’

I couldn’t help rolling my eyes at the mention of him. He was texting every day and it was doing my head in. I know he wants me to go home but badgering me all the time is not the way to go about it. ‘He texted me four times today. Four!’ I held up four fingers and Maggie smirked.

‘Four’s not exactly excessive.’

‘But they’re so long. One was all about his AA meeting. One about an appointment he’s made with a debt counsellor, another about hoping to go back to work soon and the last one asking if I want to redecorate my bedroom because he knows some bloke who can get cheap paint.’ I was bored just repeating it all.

‘It sounds like he’s missing you… very much.’

‘I guess.’ I rubbed Rusty’s ears.

‘And a new-look bedroom would be something nice to go home to.’ Maggie went to check on dinner. I wish she’d say if I’ve been freeloading here too long. I felt bad that I didn’t want to go home. But there was no amount of paint that was going to make Dad’s place feel like Maggie’s.

*

Maggie decided there was time for a martial arts class before I tackled more revision. We went around to the large lawn area at the side of the house and I reeled in the washing line so no one got strangled on it. She set out some rules that I was only to use what she taught me in self-defence or to gain spiritual enlightenment – whatever that is.

Maggie took up a boxer-like pose. ‘Come on. Try to hit me.’ She waved me forwards.

‘No way.’

‘You won’t be able to land a punch. I guarantee it.’

I crossed my arms. ‘But what if I do? What if I hit you and knock you out? I’ll get arrested. Spend the rest of my life in jail or on the run.’

‘What are you reading at the moment?’