Just then, one girl, her mask slightly skewed to one side, stepped up in front of her, holding a banana in one hand and a silver foil packet in the other. She’d seen a condom before, she wasn’t that naïve, and she knew then what they were going to make her do.

‘The challenge, should you accept it,’ announced the girl, Claire guessed it was Vivian, ‘is to put the condom on the banana.’

Vivian grinned, ripping the condom packet open, as the girls whooped and cheered before Vivian added, ‘With your mouth.’

The clamour in the room surged tenfold and Claire hoped nobody would hear them and investigate. She’d never been in any sort of trouble before and even the thought of it brought her out in a cold sweat. Claire glanced around the room at the group and then at Vivian’s outstretched hand, the lubricated plastic reminding her of a washed-up jelly fish. Quickly, she leant down and took the condom between her teeth.

*

Claire lay on her bed, fingering the silver charm bracelet that was now finally hers. After she had completed the absurd banana challenge, the girls had lifted her high in the air, cheering for their new member and Claire had felt so much pride she hadn’t stopped smiling since. The Queen Bees met once or twice a week in drama room three and had secret pow-wows. The next one was on Thursday and Claire couldn’t wait to attend as a member. There was a party on Friday night and on Saturday afternoon, the girls were planning a shopping trip to Manchester. Finally, she belonged.

She tried not to think about Paul and how she had used him, but he had been on her mind more times than she liked to admit. Her guilt was the only thing that punctuated her happiness about being in the Queen Bees. But what could she do? She felt especially bad because she knew he was already targeted by some of the other lads.

But there was something else she realised with a jolt; she actually wanted to see him again. Paul hadn’t been at all what she’d expected. She’d expected a boring, skinny boy who simply muttered but the reality had been quite different. Before the film had begun, they’d talked and laughed a little, ignoring the commotion of Charlotte and the girls behind them. And that was what had impressed her the most – he really didn’t seem to care about them; his attention was firmly focused on her. If she was honest with herself, she was slightly surprised he hadn’t called her. Maybe she’d got it wrong? Maybe he didn’t like her as she thought he did?

The shrill ring of the phone interrupted her thoughts and for a minute she was sure it was him, convinced she had psychic abilities. But then her mum shouted up the stairs.