‘Well, none of this is my fault. I’m perfect,’ says Bridge, sliding onto the other side of the bed. Ellie and I start laughing, until she slumps.

‘Okay, maybe it is. Maybe I got caught up in starting high school and everything. I’m sorry,’ she says.

I like being sandwiched between my two best friends, but maybe I don’t need to always be in the middle anymore, either.

‘What were you doing on the roof?’ Bridge asks quietly.

‘It’s a long story. Can I have my snake now?’

‘Share?’ says Bridge.

‘Sure,’ I say with a smile.

Ellie bites the head off and passes the snake over. She studies the thick plaster on my leg. ‘You know this means you’re going to miss the running season and the netball season.’

‘Yeah. Now you’ll have no-one to beat you,’ I joke, hiding how I really feel. Then I stop. Pretending I’m always okay hasn’t been the best choice lately, so I decide to tell them the truth. ‘Actually, I hate that. No running. No netball. Just hobbling around on crutches,’ I say, starting to feel tears sting my eyes.

Bridge grabs my left hand and Ellie grabs my right.

‘That’s okay. You can play next season,’ says Bridge.

‘And plenty of runners recover quickly from breaks,’ says Ellie. ‘Plus you’ll have a really cool scar!’

‘What about school? All those stairs,’ I say, realising I’m going to be on crutches for weeks.

Ellie laughs. ‘Means you get to use the staff lift. Cool, huh?’

‘Your mum and I talked about getting the school to move you into 7C,’ says Bridge. ‘I reckon we’d have a shot.’

‘Oh,’ I say.

‘Yeah. So we can carry your books,’ adds Ellie.

‘And we can all be together,’ says Bridge.

A month ago this would have been the best news ever. But now I think maybe Nat’s right. I can’t change classes. Even if I wanted to. I shake my head. ‘No. It’s okay. I think I’ll be alright.’

Then the door to my room opens and Mum pops her head inside.

‘Time for us to go,’ says Bridge, leaning towards me and bumping into my leg for the third time. I manage not to yell as she kisses me goodbye.

Ellie coils what’s left of the jelly python in a circle on the table and squeezes my arm.

As my friends make their way out of the room, Mum edges further in. Then she pauses, like she wants to make sure it’s okay.

‘Can I come in, Clem?’

My eyes flood with tears. ‘Yeah, course, Mum.’

Chapter 17

My plaster cast is covered in drawings and scribbles. Each time I see Bridge or Ellie they add to it. Soon there won’t be any white space left. But I’ve saved a little square for Maggie and Matt.