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to do my normal getting ready for school stuff with him in the way. Mum had an en-suite so I was used to having the bathroom to myself. Today I suddenly remembered he was around and I had to dive back into my room and put my dressing gown on. Then when I got downstairs he was in the living-room with a bowl of cereal, watching TV. I was never allowed to do that! So I just went and got my cereal and took it into the living-room too, and by the time I realised Mum was having a private conversation with him it was too late to back out.
    â€˜Well, I’ll phone your deputy head today,’ she was saying. ‘You should have told me earlier. But I don’t suppose a day off will do you any harm.’
    He was getting a day off school for no reason!
    â€˜Come on, Vic, love,’ Mum said, turning round and looking at me properly. ‘You’ll be late.’
    I didn’t tell anyone at school, not even Fliss and Becca. If I didn’t talk about him maybe he wouldn’t exist. But when I got home there he was, sitting in the living-room watching TV as if he hadn’t moved all day. And it was the corner of the sofa I liked, the nice squishy bit.
    When I went upstairs to get changed, Mum was putting clean clothes away in my room for me. ‘Try to make him welcome, Vic,’ she said.
    â€˜I am.’
    She gave me a look. ‘How would you feel if I was in hospital and you had to go to stay with Theresa and Declan?’
    â€˜I’d go to Dad’s. I wouldn’t go there and you wouldn’t even want me to.’
    â€˜You used to go all the time.’
    â€˜When Gran was there.’ I yanked off my school tie and stepped out of my revolting green skirt. My shirt felt sticky even after one day. I threw it over the chair and Mum picked it up.
    â€˜I don’t like the way you’re behaving.’
    â€˜But he’s horrible .’ I had my back to her when I said this, rummaging in my drawers for my favourite old jeans. Then I remembered I’d left them at Dad’s – I hated it when that happened. I threw on old trackies and a top.
    â€˜Don’t be ridiculous, Vic. You’ve hardly said a word to him.’
    â€˜He doesn’t speak to me .’ I got out my French books and plonked myself down at the desk. She sort of gave up on me and I stayed upstairs until she called me for dinner. Spag bol. My favourite. I wondered if it was for my benefit or his . My phone bleeped and I got it out of my back pocket to look. ‘WANT 2 MEET ME & BECS @ STARBUX? F xxx.’ I read it out and was going to text back yes when Mum totally wrecked everything!
    â€˜Why don’t you bring Declan along to meet your friends?’
    I couldn’t believe her! To be fair to him, he grunted something like ‘Nah, you’re alright.’
    â€˜Then no,’ she said. ‘It’s a weeknight and your mocks are in a few weeks. And if you expect to go to the stables on Wednesday …’
    I knew what that ‘ if ’ meant – I was going to have to start being nice to him.

Chapter 5
    DECLAN
    Seven o’clock Tuesday morning. I scrabble under the pillow for the exercise book I shoved there last night and stare at the blank page. How do you write an apology letter? Dear Emmet. Dear is the kind of word you use for someone you like. I lean back against the headboard, chew the pen and look round the bedroom. All clean and yellow in the light from the bedside lamp. This is the third morning I’ve woken up here. I wonder how much longer I’ll be able to put up with Princess Vicky without breaking her nose. Dear Emmet . I’m not sorry – Emmet McCann deserves more than a broken nose – but in a way I am. Because hitting Emmet was how it all started. Right, here goes. Dear Emmet. I am sory that I hit you. Declan Kelly . Short and sweet. And sort of true.
    When I get to school I go straight to Payne’s office.
    He looks at me over his specs