“Do you know what, Eloise? You’re not worth it. My parents love me. They know me and would never believe pathetic, childish little rumours from someone like you. You’re the pitiful one, doing anything you can to be popular when in actual fact no one likes you. It’s all for show. Even Helen, your so-called best friend, doesn’t like you anymore. I’m done with both of you. I would hate to be like either of you. You deserve each other. I can still go to the police, make a complaint.”

She turns to walk away, but Eloise’s voice stops her in her tracks. A menacing rock of apprehension hits the bottom of my stomach. I want to tell them both to shut up, not to egg each other on, but I remain silent.

“And the police would believe you over me? Oh, please! I don’t think you get it. It is you that should be pitied, not me. You with your constant smell of cow shit on your clothes and your pathetic, working class parents. You can’t honestly think Hels wants to be friends with someone like you, do you? She’s laughing behind your back along with the rest of us. You should hear some of the stuff she’s said about you. You should go back to where you came from.”

“No, I—” I start to say, but El talks over me.

“She told me last night that she’s not interested in you, just wanted to humiliate you because you won’t get the message that she doesn’t want to spend time with you. She thinks you’re pathetic, that your family are cheap and tragic. She’s one of us, not one of you.”

Eloise’s lip is snarling, her face almost unrecognisable in its bitterness.

Tracey takes a step towards her, her back straight and her shoulders stiff.

But El isn’t finished. “She told us about your brother. He’s a spastic, isn’t he? Can’t look after himself? Simple in the head? A black spas? That’s what Hels says anyway. We had a good laugh at that. Didn’t we, Helen?”

“No, I never—”

But Tracey can’t hear me over the growl that is coming from her. “You bitch!”

“What are you going to do, Tracey? Hit me? You don’t have the balls,” Eloise taunts.

Tracey is visibly shaking now. Then her face changes, a serenity seems to wash over it. She looks out to the sea, then back to Eloise and says clearly, “What is it you said to Tina the other day?”

“What?” Confusion flickers.

“The other day before you pushed Tina when the car was coming. You said something.” She steps forward and says, “Tell your mother I saved your life.”