Bessie felt her heart leap. She didn’t like Tony Dunlop, didn’t like the way he looked at her and didn’t like his little brown front tooth. She was particular about teeth. Tony was Lawrence’s best friend and her gut flipped at the possibility that maybe Lawrence had told Tony about them meeting up for sex and maybe Tony had told Michelle! The very thought angered her on so many levels, namely that Lawrence had not kept his word of secrecy, but also that it was not Tony Dunlop’s story to tell – it was hers.

‘Well, I shouldn’t believe a thing Tony says, he’s full of shite.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ Michelle linked arms with her as they walked slowly towards school.

‘Well, you have to tell me now,’ Bessie said with a nervous laugh. ‘You can’t start a conversation like that and not give me the punchline!’

‘The thing is, I know Tony’s full of shite, but . . .’

‘But what?’

Michelle’s voice changed, taking on a softness Bessie rarely heard from her friend. ‘He . . . he told me that Lawrence fancied me.’

The words thumped Bessie’s chest and smacked her in the face. She felt her heart jump and her face colour.

‘Fancies you?’ The quake of unease in her bones made her want to cry. Why would Tony say something like that? It wasn’t true! It couldn’t be!

‘Yeah. Jesus, no need to sound so shocked – I’m not that unfanciable! Especially now I have such smooth shins.’ Michelle’s big eyes pleaded, and Bessie knew in that moment that her best friend wanted Tony’s words to be the truth. It was one thing to joke around about both wanting to marry Simon Le Bon and each agreeing to be bridesmaid for whoever he asked first, but it was quite another when the boy in question was Lawrence. This was not in the least bit funny.

‘I . . .’ She didn’t know where to begin, how to begin. ‘I just . . .’

‘I mean, don’t worry! I haven’t said anything to Lawrence, and I ignored Tony because I wanted to talk to you first, but there are things I want to say to you before anything happens . . .’

‘What . . . what things?’ Bessie was flustered and confused. Regardless of Michelle’s doe-eyed response, the news from Tony was either bullshit and infuriating or true and upsetting, and until she knew which, her response was going to be measured, lest she give the game away.

Michelle squeezed her friend’s arm so they were walking as close as could be, hip to hip. ‘I wanted to say that I know we joke about Simon . . .’

Bessie laughed through her nose.

‘And you know I would never do anything to hurt you, Bessie?’

She nodded. This she did know. They were a team.