‘Let’s meet in the drama room after school,’ Charlotte had said before turning to the rest of the group. ‘I think we’re ready for a new member!’

Claire’s heart had soared – she was in!

And now as she combed her long blonde hair and adjusted her navy-blue skirt, so it was just the right length, she knew she was going to be the best Queen Bee member Charlotte had ever seen.

*

‘Open your books to page fifteen and we’ll start from there. Right, who would like to read the part of Helena?’ asked Mrs Matthews, her long beads jostling around her neck as she walked around the classroom. Normally, Claire would jump at the chance. Not only did she look the part of the main character, Helena, from A Midsummer’s Night Dream with her tall figure and long blonde hair, but she was a good reader too – clear and confident. English was one of her favourite subjects, but today the lesson dragged, and Claire found herself daydreaming, her mind too preoccupied with her Queen Bee induction after school.

Charlotte had been the one to set up the Queen Bees the year before in their fourth year of senior school and at the time Claire hadn’t thought much of it. It had started with a few whisperings between Charlotte and her Faithful Three and then they’d invited Emma and Janet and then Rachel and Nicola and before she knew it, the group of fifteen girls, who had all grown up together in Castlefield and had promised to never let anything come between them, was divided in two. And the Queen Bees were clearly having more fun.

They had gate-crashed the sixth-form social and had spent the evening drinking and dancing. It was even rumoured that Charlotte had snogged Stuart Cooper. Another time, the Queen Bees had gone on a shopping trip to Manchester and then watched The Stone Roses in concert. There were private gatherings at Charlotte’s house and secret letters passed in class. They even all had the same charm bracelets – flashes of secret silver that were hidden under the sleeves of their school jumpers.

As the club grew by invitation only, every girl wanted to join and not just from their class either. The stories about the Queen Bees had spread to the rest of their year group and there was even a rumour that Charlotte had a waiting list. And then Anne had been invited to join and Claire, who had been happy enough with her best friend and studies, knew that she would do anything to be a part of the Queen Bees.

*