‘But that’s not your name?’

‘Dalai Lama is his title. His name is Tenzin Gyatso.’

‘Cool. Is he a relative or something?’

Susan lets out a little gasp of laughter and puts her hand to her mouth. ‘No, Malky! Dalai Lama means “great master”. He is the world leader of Tibetan Buddhists.’

I nod slowly and – I hope – wisely. ‘Like the Pope?’

Susan shrugs and smiles. ‘I suppose. A bit like the Pope.’

I say to her, ‘Are you a Buddhist then?’ and she does the exact same shrug-and-smile.

‘Sort of. Not really. It’s quite hard to be a good one. I practise with Mola.’

It occurs to me that I have never said sorry for siding with Kez that day, and for what I said in the lunch hall earlier. And so I do. She gives her shy smile and nods. ‘Thanks,’ she says. ‘Friends?’

‘Aye. Friends.’

I seriously think this whole thing might have ended right there had the next few seconds been different. If I hadn’t had that conversation, I’d have been on my way home and Susan would never have found out.

But what happens, happens. And guess whose fault it is?

My phone goes as I’m standing there with my hand on the doorknob, ready to go.

It’s Seb. He’s FaceTiming me. I think about not taking the call, but I remember I was supposed to be there when he got back from goalie training …

I hold the phone up and Seb’s face appears. He’s on Mam’s laptop in our bedroom, in his green keeper’s top.

‘Sorry, mate,’ I say, trying to head off any whingeing. ‘I’m just leaving now. Five minutes.’

‘Okay. Are you passing the corner shop?’

‘Yeah. Why?’

‘Can you buy some triple-A batteries …?’

Batteries? I should have been quicker. I can see where this is going. I try to swipe the phone screen to end the call, but I’m in too much of a hurry, and end up stabbing at it with my finger to no effect. Meanwhile, Seb is still talking.

‘The ones in my Dreaminator are losing power. Look – it’s not as bright …’ He tilts the laptop and my phone screen is filled with an image of Seb’s Dreaminator.

Susan sees and hears everything and, oh my God, the look on her face.

Chapter 52

‘You lied to me, Malky Bell. You have been lying to me since the start, haven’t you? And do you think I did not hear Mr McKinley say Dreaminator? I am not deaf, you know.’

I’ve tried to make a swift getaway, but she has followed me down the weedy path and her voice has gone all quiet again. It’s like … when other people would shout, Susan Tenzin goes the other way.