I had no idea what she knew, or what she’d no doubt been told. She still hadn’t asked. I knew there was only a limited time left when I could hide the truth from her. Or at least dispel the horrid rumors that had probably been whispered during my absences. But, on the days I was in school, we were in such a honeymoon period glow, I didn’t dare ruin it. I was too scared she might realize how dark I could be.

The pizza delivery stank out the whole house. Mum and Dad met us in the kitchen, claiming their own box, fighting us for half the bottle of Pepsi that went with it.

“We’re psychic,” I told them, as if I’d been accepted into Oxford. “We just did a test now, and we are totally psychic.”

“That’s right,” Jessica said, her eyes still glowing. “They’re going to hire us to solve mysteries soon.”

Mum sighed, while Dad broke into a big smile. If my parents had any reservations about Jessica after the party, they’d been displaced by how much she cheered up their troubled daughter. I watched Dad glance at Jessica as she went to our fridge and took out the array of dips we’d bought from Sainsbury’s earlier that day. She was always treating our house as if she lived here, which she practically did—coming over after school to watch CITV with me on the days I hadn’t gone in, bringing me my sheets of homework diligently, and never making me feel bad about not being at school.

“Is that right?” he said. “You can read minds, huh?”

“Yes, and we’re going to do magic later. That reminds me, do you guys have a fire extinguisher?”

“No fire,” Mum said, while Dad laughed. “Seriously, Fern. It’s nice to see you happy, but no fire inside.”

“Fine, fine, no fire.”