Chloe sat down on the bed, sinking into its heavy covers, her head spinning at the idea that you could get into a university like this one just because you wanted to be with your boyfriend.

Zadie started to pull things off hangers. ‘I am so useless. I can’t believe I didn’t warn you about the party. Do you want to borrow something? You’ve probably got stuff back at college that you’d rather wear, but seeing as you’re here already, this would be great on you.’ She held up a short black silk dress.

Chloe knew she should at least protest that she didn’t want to wear it, that she was happy in her jeans and top. In her head her mother’s voice was scolding her about taking things from people, asking why anyone like Zadie would want to lend someone like Chloe a dress. But in spite of all that, before she’d even realized what she was doing, she was stripping her clothes off with a kind of abandon that didn’t belong to her, her jeans and top were shoved into her rucksack and she was looking into the mirror at a girl in a beautiful dress.

Zadie gave a dramatic sigh when Chloe turned around to show her. ‘Fuck, you look great. Do you want shoes?’ She turned back to the dressing table, where she was doing her make-up in front of a huge antique mirror. ‘What size are you?’

‘Five.’

‘Oh, I’m a seven. Annoying. Never mind, just go barefoot.’

‘You’re sure you don’t mind?’

Zadie looked at her in the mirror, their eyes meeting in the glass. ‘Mind?’

‘The dress, and everything.’ She shifted from one foot to the other, not sure where to put herself.

Zadie put her lipstick down and turned to look at her properly. Did she sense Chloe’s discomfort? ‘D’you want to go and get us both a drink before everyone gets here?’ she said. ‘Glasses are in a cabinet by the back door, and there are loads of bottles in the fridge. Just open one. Max should be around somewhere.’

Relieved by the idea of having something to do, Chloe padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was warm in the house, the kind of indulgent warmth that came from having the heating on all the time. People like Max and Zadie didn’t worry about bills. They probably had someone to sort things like that out. Chloe couldn’t imagine someone as sparkly as Zadie having to deal with the dullness of paperwork.