What actually happened was that we both applied for the same university in Brighton. Pia aced her exams and got on to her art course as planned. I didn’t quite get the grades I needed and so after an anxious wait to see whether I’d get through in clearing I had the disappointing call to say the places had been taken and that I could try again the following year. That was never going to happen. Instead I upped my hours at HMV and started taking a distance-learning course in media studies while teaching myself how to edit my own content, only pausing for the odd kick-about with AJ, who’d decided to go straight into the family building company, and Reece, who’d decided to take a year out without any plans to actually do something with that time. He eventually went to Ibiza the following summer before his dad forced him into getting a job. He’s now a postie in the area we grew up.

Learning away from a classroom wasn’t quite how I wanted to pick up my skills, but it taught me to go off instinct rather than wait for a teacher to tell me I was ‘right’. It was a move that eventually led to me becoming a freelance videographer, my employers mostly being big brands who want to create sponsored content with popular people online. On the whole they allow me to be as creative as I like with their chosen talent as long as it fits the brief, but the benefit in recent years was that it gave us the freedom to travel between jobs, and for me to press pause when needed.

Thinking back to Pia’s uni days though, I’m reminded of the pang of jealousy I’d feel whenever I’d see her around all her student mates. They were living this whole other independent life away from their parents and could just do whatever they pleased, when they pleased. I still had to let Mum know what time I’d be home for dinner BUT I was still an outsider who drove in and out in his car, and was able to offer her mates discounts on all the new music releases when I was there.