‘No. No, of course not.’ He shook his head but his expression didn’t make me feel any better. ‘I won’t let that happen. I’ll sort it.’ He rubbed his palm across his chin. He’d cut himself shaving and there was a fresh scab.

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to ask what he was going to do, how he was going to make sure we didn’t lose our home but I was afraid he wouldn’t have an answer, so I didn’t ask.

He seemed to jolt to life. He looked at the clock. ‘I’d better go. Are you going out, Tom?’

‘Nope.’

‘Then lock up behind me… and take care.’ He gave me a slap on the back, which ended with a squeeze of my shoulder. He meant well.

*

Wednesday was never a great day at school. I was useless at French and biology but at least I got to see Farah in English, although I had to make sure Kemp didn’t see me. I sort of nodded at her and she smiled back at me. It was the highlight of my day – other than that it had been the usual dullness. After the lesson I was packing my bag and she was talking to a friend but looking at me. I put my head down but she came over anyway. Joy, embarrassment and fear wrestled inside me. Embarrassment won and the heat rose steadily from my collar.

She’d only come over to ask me about the library so I relaxed a fraction until I saw Kemp standing behind her running his finger across his throat. I gathered all my stuff in a rush and told Farah I couldn’t talk. In my haste to escape I tripped over my desk and sent it flying. It narrowly missed hitting the teacher. He thought I was kicking off and gave me an instant detention. Utter disaster.

I went to the library and picked up a load of Save The Library flyers to deliver with my paper round at the weekend. When I finally got in Dad was whistling. Instead of feeling good about him sounding upbeat I was suspicious. It had been a long time since I’d heard him whistle. What had happened to make him sound so happy? Lottery win perhaps? He was stirring beans on the stove.

‘All right?’ I said dropping my bag on the floor.

He did a double take. ‘Is that a new bag?’

‘Mine broke. I used some of the Xbox game money.’ I’d kept a bit back.

‘Oh, yeah. I meant to say thanks.’ He looked embarrassed. You could tell we shared the same gene pool. ‘Grab a tray and I’ll dish up.’ I looked around. The kitchen wasn’t exactly clean but the bin wasn’t overflowing anymore.