‘Were you here?’ I asked her. ‘What did he say?’

She shrugged. ‘Saw him with my eyes. Didn’t speak to him with my mouth.’

5.30 p.m.

We’ve both calmed down, but Sam’s gone into quiet mode. He’s jumpy. I’ve tried to tell him he’ll be fine – Mr Lombard is bound to notice me because I’m the only brown person round here besides Lily and Dad and that old lady at the village hall. Sam doesn’t stand out at all.

But now we have to go to this lame end-of-term concert at the village hall, and he’s spooked about it because with my coat turning up on top of the goat incident, evidence is mounting up. Apparently everyone goes to this concert when the schools break up – it’s one of those things that happens in the village, and you can’t get out of it. Our mums are doing the refreshments for the interval, so me and Sam are doubly doomed. We have to help.

8.30 p.m.

I’m back. What a night! Still can’t believe it.

At first, it was dire. Little kids sang and played instruments and parents wore numbskullingly sickening smiles. So boring. Until the music stopped. That’s when everything started happening, out of absolutely nowhere. The first thing was that Mr Lombard climbed on to the stage and cleared his throat like a very important walrus.

‘The parish council has received reports of children trespassing in village gardens. Newcomers to our village need to listen very carefully: this is not the way we do things in Folding Ford. We do not trespass on private property. The police have already been informed, so those problem elements amongst you need to take note.’

A few faces turned to stare at me. How did they know? Sam poked me in a told-you-so way.

Mum turned to me too, with this horrified look, and mouthed, ‘Problem elements?’ I felt sweat breaking out on my forehead and at the roots of my hair, and everyone started whispering, and the heat in my brain felt like it might blow the top of my head straight off.

And that’s exactly when rain started pelting against the windows, as if someone was hurling buckets of water at the glass, sideways. Wind howled somewhere near the roof, circled lower and louder, then whined through every crack in the room. It almost felt like I was doing it – it completely matched how I was feeling.

Every single staring person forgot about me and gawped at the storm instead. There were Oohs and Wows as everyone stood up and went to the window for a closer look.