The group take up their positions as one, all apart from Frank, who catches my eye. He doesn’t smile or nod. He stares until I’m forced to look away. Leanne catches him looking and smirks. Despite her “Hey, guys!” faux friendliness and attempts to get us all to join in with countless games of Hunt the Bitch, the Rizla game and charades, she couldn’t be more delighted that a crack has appeared in mine and Daisy’s friendship. There’s a natural pecking order in all friendship groups, and I’m fairly certain Leanne knows she’s on the periphery. It’s not enough that she’s Al’s best friend. She wants to be in with Daisy, too. Two rhinos to feed off is better than one, especially if you’ve frightened the other bird away. The only person who’s been genuinely friendly towards me is Al, and I haven’t been able to get her on her own since our abortive trip back down to Pokhara yesterday morning.

I tiptoe past the group and sit down on one of the steps leading to the garden as Isis leads everyone through the meditation.

Al, who’s spent the last half an hour in the kitchen having her ankle checked over by Sally, appears at the doorway to the house. She raises a hand when she spots me then hops slowly towards me and gingerly lowers herself to the ground. “What’s up? You look pissed off.”

“Have you noticed that Daisy’s stopped talking to me?”

“I noticed that things were a bit weird between you two yesterday, but I assumed it would blow over. What happened?” She digs around in the neckline of her T-shirt and pulls out the packet of Marlboros stashed under her bra strap. She lights one then offers them to me. I only smoke when I’m drunk but I take one anyway. The smoke catches in the back of my throat as I inhale. There’s something strangely satisfying about the sensation.

I exhale heavily. “Someone told her about the conversation we had the other day. The one before we left, when I told you about her trying it on with Elliot and that other guy.”

“Jesus.” She sighs. “Well, I didn’t tell her.”

“I know – someone must have overheard us.”

“And she’s pissed off?”

“She is with me. She wants us to have some ‘space’.” I make quotation marks in the air with my fingers. “Apparently, she had a little chat with Leanne and Johan while we were trying to get down the mountain, and they told her that we’re unnaturally attached and she’d be happier if we stopped being friends.”