“It’s going to be OK,” I kept repeating, though I wasn’t sure if it was. It was going to take a lot to win Amy and Kim around. And I wasn’t sure if I could be won around either. In twelve hours, Jessica had become a different person from the one I imagined. Sexually experienced, hedonistic, messy... It was a far cry from the girl I’d started to become friends with. The one who I chatted about Harry Potter with, or took silly photobooth pictures with.

“I can’t believe what a mess I’ve made.” She tried and failed to get her key into the door.

“Shh, you just need to get some sleep.”

She grabbed both my hands, the door key clinking to the cold ground. “No, but you don’t get it,” she said urgently.

I looked down at our entwined palms. “Get what?”

“I don’t care about Matt. I don’t care really even about Amy or Kim. I don’t care about people in our stupid school. The only thing I care about, Fern...is you. And how I’ve fucked it up tonight, made things difficult for you. Made you not want to be my friend anymore...” She was slurring, her words melting in together.

“Hang on... I’m not.”

“Look, I’m going to fix it. I’m not this person, I promise. Fern, you are so cool. You don’t even know how cool you are. I want us to be best friends, don’t you see? I’m so sorry. You’re the only one here worth knowing. I’m sorry. So sorry.”

“Please stop saying sorry... I know...”

The door swung open and we turned toward the shadow in the entrance.

“Jessica?” her mum said. “What’s going on?”

It was the first time I’d met her mum, and, I can’t lie, I was way more shocked by her mother than I was about her house. I’d assumed she’d be as glamorous as her daughter, but this woman was not that. Her hair was half badly dyed red and half grown-out gray, hanging limp around her face, which managed to be both haggard and plump at the same time.

Jessica sobered up fast. “Sorry, Mum, I dropped my keys. This is my friend, Fern.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “We’re just dropping Jess home.”

“We’re?” She craned around to see my dad, who waved from the Volvo window. “Oh OK. Thank you. Honey, come inside, it’s freezing.”

Jessica pulled me into one last hug, whispering, “I promise I’m going to make it up to you,” before dashing inside.

I paused on her doorstep, trying to take it all in. I smiled. She wanted me to be her best friend.

“Fern?” Dad called. “The engine’s running.”