Vaisey said, “Look, no one needs to know anything about the Cain thing.”

I said, “Accidental Number Six on Lullah’s Lululuuuve List?”

Vaisey said, “Yes. When The Jones come to college you can act like a normal person, you know, all casual.”

I said, “Oh, I see what you mean. Sort of cool—I mean, it’s just a band, isn’t it? Everyone knows what I think about Cain.”

Vaisey bounced her curls around, gave me another big hug, and said, “Exactly—I won’t tell.”

As we walked back to Dother Hall, she said, “Hey, I’ve got a secret Curly Wurly we can share. I wanted to ask you something special. About the duet.” She handed me a bit of Curly Wurly. Yum yum.

I said, “Fire away.”

She was pulling at her curls like mad. I was glad we were changing the subject to something more cheerful. “What did you have in mind, little curly pal?”

Vaisey said, “Well, Jack says that when he drums he puts all of himself into it and he doesn’t hold back . . . he . . . feels the rhythm in his soul.”

I began to get worried.

“We’re not, I mean, you don’t want me to do a drumming duet, do you? Because you remember the last time when we did ad hoc drumming and my leg went through the stage and there was a . . .”

Vaisey put her hand on my arm and smiled. “No, not drumming . . . he says we’ve all got something inside, like a secret that we feel vulnerable about. But that can be our best bit.”

I said, “For a boy, Jack is very wise.”

“Oh, I knew you’d understand, Lullah. I think you’re the best pal I’ve ever had. You’ve always understood me. Do you remember when we first met and I showed you how I used to ride my pretend horsey to school?”

I laughed. “Yeah, that was bonkers. . . .”

“And you didn’t laugh at me, you sort of understood.”

I changed my face to an understanding one.

Vaisey was quite worked up. “And so I want to do something that’s about my childhood, something that really means something, something other people might not understand. And I thought of you.”

I hugged her. “Yes, you and me, Vaisey. This will be an opportunity to put the Sugar Plum Bikey fiasco firmly behind us.”

She said, “I wondered if you’d be Merrylegs in my Black Beauty piece.” Doomed, I am doomed.

As I walked home later, I thought, Everything is coming back to haunt me. The Dark Rusty Crow of Heckmondwhite is back, and now so are my long lanky legs.

Held up to the cruel audience of life.

And what is more, this time when I show them in public . . . there will be four of them!

See you there, cheeky miss

ON MONDAY I ARRIVED at Dother Hall desperate to go to the loo. Dibdobs gave me some of her special foraging tea that’s made out of dried dandelions and squirrel poo or something. I haven’t been able to stop going to the loo since. And my pee is green. But thankfully not full of acorns.