‘What’s wrong?’ Connor said.

‘I don’t want to die with everyone looking,’ and a look came over Manus’s face that was disgusted.

Busola looked at me again, ‘I think it’s you’re the one playing with matches.’

‘It wasn’t me,’ I said.

‘Was it nice?’ She was being horrible. ‘Or was it an accident?’

‘Let’s go home,’ Manus said. ‘Before Daddy gets back.’

I walked behind everyone. Busola was trying to blame me. My face was hot and I felt upset. I shouldn’t have told her. Manus was saying Mummy would tell Daddy and he’d smack us for looking at dead people, so she shouldn’t tell anyone. I only told Busola because I couldn’t hold it on my own. And it wasn’t me playing with matches, it was Manus, but he told me not to say anything.

‘What did the policeman say?’ Connor said again.

‘That I couldn’t be Mummy’s because I was black,’ I said.

‘Because you’re adopted,’ Busola said.

‘No, I’m not.’

‘And what did Danny’s mum say?’ Manus asked.

‘She said he was a bully, and he pushed me.’

‘Where did you get all those bruises from?’ I looked at Busola and didn’t answer. ‘You’re just trying to get attention,’ she said.

‘Go inside if you’re gonna cry about it.’ Connor slipped his bum off the windowsill and spat in the road. We were locked out, it was getting dark and no one was home. We couldn’t go anywhere. Busola ignored him and looked off up the road with her thumb in her mouth. Only Manus and Connor could get up on the ledge of the windowsill, me and Busola had to lean back against it to get out the way of people going past in the street.

‘Where’s Mummy?’ she said.

‘You’re gonna tell her,’ said Manus, ‘and get us all in trouble.’

She looked up at Connor, ‘I don’t have to do what you say.’

He jeered at her and climbed back on the windowsill, ‘You’ve got nowhere to go,’ he said. ‘I can go tomorrow.’

My back jerked up sharp against the ledge. It hurt and there were blind spots in front of my eyes again. It got in the way of faces when I tried to look at them. I stared down until it went away.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Manus said.