Between us we finish the crackers in about five seconds. I consider starting on the sandwiches, but before I can get them out, Bridge and Ellie walk up.

‘Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you near the tree!’ Bridge sounds almost cross.

‘What tree?’ I say, sounding even crosser.

‘Near the food-tech building. We talked about it this morning.’

I shake my head. ‘Nope. We didn’t.’

Bridge seems to deflate and Ellie grins at me. ‘I’m really glad we found you, Clem! How’s your day going?’

‘It’s okay. How about yours?’

Before Ellie can reply, Bridge just explodes. She always talks too fast whenever she gets excited. ‘We’ve got food tech and drama for electives. What about you? And our maths teacher gave us lollies. He’s the best. And there’s a girl called Saskia and she seems really nice and we have homework already.’

‘Whoa,’ says Matt. ‘Sounds like you’re at a different school. I’ll see you, Clem. If you feel like a swim later …’

The three of us watch him walk away.

‘Who’s he?’ Bridge looks confused.

‘Matt. He’s Maggie’s nephew,’ I explain, realising that I haven’t wanted to mention him to them.

‘Is he the reason you’ve been so hard to catch up with?’ says Ellie playfully.

I snap a look her way. ‘No. I hardly know him.’

‘Sorry, Clem. I didn’t mean to …’ she starts.

‘Besides, I’m not the one who just turned up at the end of lunch,’ I say coldly.

Ellie steps closer and bumps me. She slings an arm around my shoulder. I know she’s being affectionate and trying to fix things, but I don’t want her to. I’m sure I’d feel differently if I’d been in their class and had an awesome start to the day, too. Now I just feel even more on the outside because I’m flat and they’re floating.

‘How was your morning?’ Bridge asks me.

I try to think of something to say. Nothing I’ve done sounds as exciting as their morning. Matt’s right: it does seem as if we’re at different schools.

‘It was good.’

Bridge looks really disappointed as I say it. Like I’m somehow letting her down.

‘I’ve got the perfect idea for us to be together, Clem. We can all join the junior choir,’ says Ellie, smiling at me.

‘Maybe,’ I say.

‘I will,’ says Bridge, and her words feel like a slap across the face.

‘I’m sure there’s a running team, too,’ says Ellie, trying to catch my eye. The moment is interrupted by a girl who wanders straight into our semi-circle and causes both my friends to turn away from me. I feel oddly distanced from them, like I’m on the sidelines, looking in on all of the action.

‘Clem!’