‘I know,’ Chris says, and there’s a wry laugh in his voice, like the joke’s on him. ‘I know you don’t. I do, though. I don’t want people thinking that.’ He hears himself. ‘No, I mean— Shit. I don’t mean I don’t want people thinking we’re together. I’d be totally fine with that, it’s not like I’m embarrassed or – I mean, not just fine, it would be better than just—’

He’s knotting himself up. Selena says, laughing at him, ‘It’s OK. I know what you mean.’

Chris takes a breath. He says simply, ‘I don’t want it to be like that. Like me and Joanne going into the Field to . . . whatever. I want it to be like this.’

His hand going up. The hall, smoky gold. The small flutters of air in the darkness, far above their heads.

‘If we meet outside the Court after school, I’m going to make a balls of it. I’ll say something stupid to make the guys laugh, or else we’ll go somewhere to talk and everyone’ll watch us go and I’ll have, like, not one single thing to say. Or else the guys’ll slag me, afterwards, and I’ll say something . . . you know. Dirty. I wish I wouldn’t, but I will.’

Selena says, ‘Can you get out of school at night?’

She hears the hiss of caught breath in the air all around her. She wants to say back, It’s OK, I know what I’m doing, but she knows it wouldn’t be true.

Chris’s eyebrows go up. ‘At night? No way. You can? Seriously?’

Selena says, ‘I’ll give you my number. If you find a way, text me.’

‘No,’ he says, instantly. ‘Maybe it’s different here, but the guys go through each other’s phones all the time, looking for . . . well. Stuff. The Brothers do it too. I’ll find a way to get in touch. Just not like that. OK?’

Selena nods. ‘About getting out,’ Chris says. ‘One of my mates. He might be able to figure something out.’

‘Ask him.’

Chris says, ‘I’ll make him.’

Selena says, ‘Don’t tell him why. And till then, don’t talk to me. If we see each other around the Court or something, we’ll act like we don’t even know each other; like before. Otherwise it’ll all get ruined.’

Chris nods. He says, obscurely and out to the hall but Selena understands, ‘Thanks.’

Miss Long bangs the door open. ‘Selena! You, whatsyourname! Inside. Now.’ This time she stays there, staring.