‘But I’ll feel bad if Dan Deaton gets off with Hester at that party. You know she’s into him, and with all the magic of fireworks at midnight he might forget how much hotter you are than her?’

Leila pulled her head around to face her friend, making Minnie drop the braid she was working on. ‘Do you want me to stay in and watch movies with you or not?’

Minnie shifted her eyes from side to side as though considering her answer. ‘Yes.’

‘Then stop winding me up about Dan! Honestly, if his head gets turned by a few fireworks, a couple of beers and Hester Finley in a short skirt, then he wasn’t worth having in the first place, was he?’

Leila shook her head, exhaled loudly and turned back to the TV.

‘Are you sure you want these braids like cornrows? You can see a lot of your scalp this way,’ Minnie asked, biting her lip in concentration as she tried to pick up the pieces of the plait she had dropped.

‘My head’s a good shape, I can pull it off.’

When Minnie’s mother came in they were still watching Splash. They had just reached the part where Tom Hanks realises something fishy is going on with Daryl Hannah’s legs.

‘A little help, please!’ her mum shouted from the front door.

Leila and Minnie jumped up. Minnie’s mother was carrying bags full of shopping balanced in both arms and had a fistful of post she’d scooped up from the mat.

‘What’s all this, Mum?’ Minnie asked, peering into a carrier bag.

‘Your birthday lunch, isn’t it. All the shops are going to be closed tomorrow so I need something to feed everyone.’ Minnie’s mother dropped the bags onto the floor and started flicking through the pile of letters in her hand. She made a nervous clicking noise with her tongue.

‘What’s wrong?’ Minnie asked.

‘Nothing, just with your dad’s new ventures I can hardly keep track of these bills.’

‘We’ll take these for you, Mrs C,’ said Leila, picking up the bags and carrying them through to the kitchen.

‘I said I didn’t need any fuss for my birthday,’ Minnie said quietly, picking up the last two bags from the doorstop. ‘You’ve got enough on your plate, Mum.’

‘Your brother’s bringing this new girlfriend over tomorrow. I’m not presenting her with Christmas leftovers. We want to make a good impression.’

Her mother followed Leila through to the kitchen and sank into a chair. She pressed the pile of bills onto the table, closed her eyes and squeezed the top of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

‘Have you got one of your headaches again? You need to take it easy, Mum.’

‘I’m fine, don’t make a fuss, Minnie.’