They walked to the shop in companionable silence. It was approximately a three-minute round-trip, although Jack and Ellen made it last longer by spending some time arguing over which specific flavour of Kettle Chips to bring home. Kettle Chips were what Flora would get on a Friday afternoon for the Green Genie drinks, so Jack knew they must be good. In the end, he picked sweet chilli and Ellen salt and balsamic vinegar. Jack was taken aback when the cashier rang up the amount. It seemed that Kettle Chips were expensive.

‘Oh, I’ll get it,’ Ellen said, moving to the card machine.

‘Thanks. I’ll pay you back.’

‘It’s just some crisps, Jack.’

They stepped back out into the sunshine of the May day.

Ellen took her sunglasses from her head and put them back on her eyes.

Jack squinted. Rokeby Close stretched out in front of them.

Ellen opened one of the bags of Kettle Chips and started eating. ‘The sweet chilli ones are quite nice, actually,’ she said, looking surprised. ‘I stand corrected.’

‘I have them at work,’ Jack said, pleased.

‘How’s your new job?’ Ellen popped another crisp into her mouth and Jack heard the crunch as her jaws closed.

‘Oh, I don’t start until June.’ Bryan was making him train up the new recruit, who was called Niamh, and was Irish and very enthusiastic. ‘But that’s not long.’

‘That’s cool.’

‘Yeah. I can’t believe it.’

‘Well, you are a viral star.’

He squirmed, but she smiled warmly.

They’d reached the door of 49 Rokeby Close now. Ellen handed Jack the open bag of crisps and pulled the key from her back pocket. There was a crunch as she unlocked it.

‘Hi!’ Ellen called out.

Jack followed her into the kitchen. He could see Ben and Alexa were curled up on a picnic blanket in the garden, Ben’s arm snaked around Alexa’s back, his other hand on her thigh. She was gazing at him. He watched Ellen sit down a respectful distance from them, and tear the bags of crisps in half. And then felt his phone buzz in his pocket: Johnny.

Hi mate

Fancy a beer?

Jack quickly tapped out a reply.

Maybe later!!

Hanging with my housemates at the moment!!

Shyly, not sure what to do with his hands, he joined the others outside.

Ben nudged a beer towards Jack with his foot and threw a bottle opener after it. Jack picked it out of the long grass, and popped the top in one fluent motion, managing to kick over the bottle. He looked up. No one had seemed to notice.

‘What do you reckon Elias and Cynthia are off to do now?’ Alexa asked, after they’d all taken a satisfied slurp.

‘Rob some blind children?’ Ellen tipped the bottle into her mouth again. She missed, and beer dribbled down her face, which she wiped with the back of her palm.