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all thetrendier people in the class were. For some really strange reason , Jocelyn was in a totally wild humour. I don’t know what had happened to her, but when I sought among the nearby universes there were an amazing number of them in which Jocelyn was with me. Then I realised there were even more that didn’t concern me, but where she was with another boy. In fact, it would have been possible for every one of the boys in the hall that night, without exception, to score Jocelyn. It was during the slow songs I could see that most clearly. All the adjacent universes showed her with a variety of boys. If they’d started kissing her, had steered her towards a dark corner, she’d have stayed with them.
    At the time I was delighted that I could see this before any of my rivals. But, looking back, I feel a little sad. Whatever it was that put her in such a mood was not good. My ability to move is very limited in some ways. But if I had searched, I might have found a universe where she talked to me about what had happened . I feel all protective thinking about it now, when it’s too late. I can’t move to universes that have branched away from turning points that are far back in time; in fact, a few minutes is my limit.
    Sixteen-year-old boys are quick to boast to each other about their conquests. A lot of it is just desperation, not to be left behind, not to be thought a failure at something far more important than exams or sports. With me, though, I didn’t boast at all. I never said anything about any girl, until now, writing this down. It would be good to say this was because of my respect for the girls that I was with, but since I’m being honest, sciencedemanding such honesty, I’ll admit my discretion came about because I very quickly learned something by watching the consequences of bragging.
    Even if you only tell your best mate, the word gets around and girls simply will not go with you. That’s how it was for Zed. If he wanted to score, he had to go to events involving girls from St Theresa’s, because our girls had closed ranks against him. Girls don’t want to get together with someone who is going to boast about it, not just because they don’t want to be a conquest, but because they want to enjoy themselves discreetly, without ending up with a reputation.
    ***
    After a while, I began to notice Tara. Despite that terrible day on the barge, it was easy to overlook Tara. After all, she was very quiet. As I’ve already said, around that time I had been given to speculating on different girls, testing the possibilities. One day I concentrated on her. I had become tired of the ‘beautiful’ girls, the ones who spent hours upon hours concerned with their looks. The strange thing is, with the possible exception of Jocelyn, the more beautiful the girl, the more obsessed she was that she could have higher cheekbones, or more voluptuous lips, or something along those lines. I saw the other boys feverishly chasing such narcissistic girls and I was slightly contemptuous of them.
    One slow school afternoon, I was examining the girls in the class with this new perspective and I thought of Tara. Tara keepsher hair long, in most universes anyway. As it is red, watching her you sometimes get caught in breathtaking moments where you want to be an artist and put her in a painting. Simple moments, like when her hair gathers at the shoulder, then cascades as she leans over to adjust the straps on her false foot, or when she smiles. She doesn’t smile often enough.
    What about the fact she had only one foot? Of course, you say, what difference does it make? Today I’d agree with you. It makes none. You get so used to her limp; you’d miss it if it were gone. To some extent, it’s part of her character now. Back then, though, the lads were ashamed to fancy Tara and, if you said that you did, you’d get a slagging for being creepy, like you had a fetish. Not that I cared about their slagging. I was a lot older than them