I have already apologised on the phone when I called her to see if she could come and rescue me. Twice. But she is obviously going to make me work for her forgiveness.

‘I’m sorry, too. I should’ve told you as soon as I knew. I just didn’t know how.’

‘So you let Nat tell me? Classy, Bridge.’

She laughs, and the sound immediately makes me feel better.

‘What’s the house like?’

‘White.’

‘Cool,’ she says.

‘No. It’s like being in a square igloo.’

She laughs. ‘At least it’s closer to me.’

‘Yeah. It means it only takes half an hour for you to come and save me when I lose my thongs!’

‘Sorry. Mum was being painful.’

‘That’s familiar,’ I say, even though I haven’t actually spent enough time with my own mum for that statement to be true.

‘Have you seen yours lately?’

‘Nup,’ I say, shocked at how easily I just lied to my best friend.

Bridge lies back on the grass and pulls me down so I’m next to her. All I can see are leaves and a peep of sky.

‘Only one more day of freedom, Clem!’

‘Hello, 7F.’

She rolls over to face me. ‘It sucks we aren’t together.’

‘Totally.’

‘We just have to hang out whenever we can.’

‘Promise?’ I say, holding up my little finger.

‘Pinkie promise,’ she says as she hooks my pinkie with hers.

‘Shall we go and finish cleaning your room?’

Bridge screws up her nose and leans her head against mine. ‘Nah. Let’s do something fun.’

‘Like what?’

‘Ellie’s coming over. That okay?’

I close my eyes, trying to let go of my confused feelings. Then I nod and open my eyes again. ‘Of course. That’s cool.’ Now that I’ve said it, I hope it’s true.

I’m scooting along on Bridge’s brother’s skateboard, in her much-too-big-for-me Converse. I used to have a lime-green Penny board, but it burnt in the fire. I actually found it, afterwards, when Dad and I walked through the wreckage. The wheels were melted plastic goop, like a big bubblegum bubble had exploded all over the metal. It was hard to believe I had once ridden it. I loved that skateboard. I’m not that skilled at skating, but on that short light board I could make my way round to Bridge’s house really quickly. Bridge’s brother’s board is longer and harder to manoeuvre. At least that’s my excuse for why I’m so clumsy today.

Ellie’s arranging a couple of wooden planks into a jump on the street. We’re lucky Bridge lives in a cul-de-sac where no cars drive past, except for the few neighbours leaving and coming home. It’s the perfect place to kick a footy or play cricket or practise skateboarding.

‘Is that okay?’ shouts Ellie, stepping back from the mini-jump she’s created.