‘Fuck off, Stacey,’ I spat.

Beside me, Marlon whistled under his breath. ‘You tell her, girl,’ he said.

I ignored him.

‘She can’t control her temper either, see? They’re as bad as each other. Like mother like daughter.’

Stacey took a couple of steps towards me, her shoulders back and her head cocked to one side. I stayed where I was, but I moved my feet a little so that I could jump up if I needed to.

‘School didn’t like it much, though, did they? Little Miss Perfect’s bitch of a daughter has blotted her copybook good and proper. Now what was it she did?’ Stacey put a finger to her mouth and arranged her face into a quizzical expression. ‘Oh, I know . . .’ Her expression changed in an instant and now she was staring at me with pure venom in her eyes. ‘Your slutty little daughter gave my beautiful girl a black eye.’

At my side, Marlon snorted. ‘Go Poppy!’ he said.

He really wasn’t helping.

‘It was no more than she deserved,’ I said under my breath.

‘What was that? I didn’t quite catch it.’

Stacey came closer still. This was a nightmare. Marlon seemed to be amused, but what must Clio be thinking of me? Even as I sat there, I was already thinking that this was probably the last I’d ever see of her. She’d drop me like a hot brick when she saw where I really came from. And where was Eddie? I needed him to chuck Stacey out, but there was no sign of him. I was going to have to deal with this on my own.

I got to my feet, crossing my arms across my chest and thrusting one hip forward just like I used to when I was a girl.

‘I said, “A black eye was no more than she deserved”,’ I repeated, louder this time so Stacey could hear me.

She was at my side in a flash, high heels and a skinful of alcohol proving no handicap. Marlon stood up too and came to stand next to me, my knight in shining armour, although it was hard to believe that he’d ever been in a fight in his entire life. Stacey jabbed a grubby finger in my chest. I felt the tip of her false nail pressing into my flesh and I pulled away slightly. For all my tough talk, I really didn’t want to make this any worse than it had to be.

‘You keep your nasty little slut of a daughter away from my Cindy,’ she snarled.

‘Well, actually,’ I said, ‘I’m pretty proud of what Poppy did to Cindy. I’d have done it myself if I’d been there.’