Perfect hoops of smoke fan out around my head into the night air as we walk away. I try again and splutter almost immediately.

‘Carls. This is worse than having to teach you how to do your bra up by yourself…’

‘It’s totally different. How stupid is that? Having to do them up behind your back? This is like breathing poison air…’

‘Well everyone who’s anyone’s breathing it,’ she says, pulling me to a stop.

I fluff my hair into the breeze as I gaze up at her. I knew Libra would be an air sign before I even found out for sure, Aquarius too. I love the feeling of real air, on my face, in my lungs, rushing through my whole body. But Rach is an Aries, she doesn’t care about any of that. It’s just my bad luck she’s a fire sign.

‘So what’s up with tonight?’ I smile in spite of myself. At least Kayleigh and I can fly away together, when she grows up. Librans and Aquarians are meant to be.

‘You have to promise you’ll do what I tell you, OK? No whinging or squealing…’

‘I always do, don’t I? What else would I do otherwise?’ 30

She frowns at my cigarette burning down to a finger of ash in my hand.

‘Sorry,’ I mumble as I look away. ‘Turns out Jase was planning to show up today, but legged it almost as soon as he opened the door. Didn’t help that Ma practically pissed herself. She can’t hear Kayleigh screaming and starving from a centimetre next to her but she’s all smiles for Jase. Doesn’t matter how long he’s been gone, or what he’s done…’

I trail off as I look up to find her sweeping open her blazer, all mad grinning and drama, jigging from foot to foot. In the dark, I can’t be sure…

‘Poppers? No way … Rach!’ A row of mint-new caps poke out of her bulging inside pocket. Real, box-fresh poppers.

‘Where did you get those,’ I whisper, fingertips brushing rough cotton as I stretch out towards them. ‘Actual laughing gas instead of poison air…’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ she says, pulling me down the road. ‘They’re ours, that’s all that matters. Just for us, just for me and you. And poppers aren’t laughing gas, Carls, for fuck’s sake. This isn’t for kicks and giggles, we’re not twatting about with a bunch of schoolkids anymore. But we need to go somewhere first, OK? I promised.’

I fall in step beside her, head spinning. ‘Promised who? Don’t tell me you and Drina actually made up?’

‘As if. Forget about her. I said, didn’t I? No more dicking about with that pathetic school lot. This is the real deal … if we ever bloody get there, that is…’