I snorted at the story. Our village was first class for dramatising events. Once when someone lit the Guy Fawkes bonfire early half the village turned out because the rumour was that the pub was on fire and the whole place would be ash by morning.

‘That’s shocking,’ said the other. ‘I’ll have to go into town to get my books renewed.’

‘Exactly. I mean, I don’t use the library but I wouldn’t want to see it close.’

I shook my head. People were only interested in themselves. No thought for the impact on others. Lots of people used our little library. But most importantly what about me? All because of our village library Farah had spoken to me. I had done a first-rate impression of a salad vegetable but at least we had spoken – I called that serious progress. The library was also my link to Maggie. I had to keep going because I was hoping she was going to ask me over for Sunday dinner again. And I liked being in the library – there was something familiar and safe about it. And maybe I felt closer to Mum there – I dunno.

Mr Gill was stacking up some empty boxes. One of those would be an excellent place to hide my romance books at home. ‘Could I have one of those please?’ I asked.

‘Instead of a carrier bag?’ he replied.

‘Yeah. If that’s okay?’

‘Five pence,’ he said. This guy was never going to have financial problems.

I added a small bottle of Coke and a large Mars bar to the other shopping. Why shouldn’t I? My Xbox flashed into my mind. I’d sold off my games and accessories already because I figured they were useless without the actual console and as it was going to take ages to save up there might be a new version out by then. Even if I went for a second-hand one it was going to take a while to save up for it. Probably years. Maybe never. I knew what I needed to do.

*

I left Dad a note with the sixty-eight pounds I’d got for selling all my Xbox gear and games minus today’s shop and enough for a new rucksack. I knew he’d found the money when I heard him sobbing at the kitchen table but I didn’t go down. Neither of us would have been comfortable with that.

*

Maggie was waiting for me on Saturday morning. ‘Good you’re here, Tom. We’re having a meeting after book club – the more the merrier. Can you call up some friends, like that nice girl who was here last week?’

‘What? No. I don’t have her number.’ I liked Maggie’s optimism that I might have had Farah’s phone number. I’d love to have her phone number.

She waved a hand in front of my eyes. ‘We need as many people as possible.’