Worse Than Boys(66)

They’re out on bail at the moment, and me and Mum don’t take any chances. We check our flat every night just in case, and always make sure our smoke alarms are in full working order. Better safe than sorry.

I just try not to be alone too much.

And I’m never alone really. I’m at rehearsals a lot with Lauren. I’ve actually got a part in the show. It’s not much of a part. But I do get to thump Zak Riley in it, and that can’t be bad.

‘I think you fancy Zak Riley,’ Lauren said to me one day.

What a stupid idea! How can you fancy someone when all you do is argue with them? Rose is in the musical too, playing Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies, of all things! And I have to admit, she’s pretty good.

Erin actually apologised to me, can you believe it? She even admitted to me that since it all happened she’s never wet the bed again. She smiled when she said it. ‘So, you really did me a favour.’ Then she added, ‘Or Heather did.’

For a while I think people thought she and I would be friends again, but that would never happen. We talk to each other, but we could never be the kind of friends we were before. I’d never want to be.

Lauren’s my best friend now. And we don’t bother with any gangs. There are no more Hell Cats or Lip Gloss Girls. No fights, no leaders. I can’t understand sometimes how I ever got caught up with all that. We’re still friends with Grace and Sonya, and we can actually have a friendly conversation with Rose and Erin too. Now, we simply have fun. And that’s so much better.

And Wizzie? She’s still our mate. She says me and Lauren were born to be best friends. I worry about Wizzie. She spends a lot of time away from us, up on that dark estate where she lives. And her secret? I’ll never tell anyone where her scars really came from. I just hope there aren’t any more.

Lauren’s mum and mine get on really well. They’re going to the school show together. I get on so much better with my mum now too. A lot of that is thanks to Lauren. She really is the best friend you could ever want. How could anybody not like her?

And between us, I think big Anil really does fancy her.