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you like orange juice or apple juice, and does your mum know you’re here?’
    I grabbed a juice carton off the side, pulled out a chair and was sitting with my feet on the table until Debbie came and slapped them off. ‘Stop showing off, we’ve got company,’ she whispered to me with wide eyes.
    â€˜Orange, please,’ Nathan said quietly. He was standing by the kitchen door, and he was rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the floor.
    â€˜His mum knows, Mum,’ Jake said. He opened the treat cupboard and gestured Nathan over. Nathan walked through the kitchen slowly and carefully.
    â€˜I’m sure Nathan can answer for himself, Jake,’ Debbie said.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Nathan said. ‘She’s at work till, like, eight every night, so this is better if it’s OK with you. I get bored at home on my own.’
    â€˜What about your dad?’ Debbie asked.
    â€˜Mum, stop with all the questions,’ Jake said. His eyes were wide. He held out the chocolate bar box to Nathan.
    â€˜He works, too,’ Nathan said. He picked out a KitKat. ‘Thanks,’ he said, waving his KitKat in Debbie’s direction.
    Debbie nodded. ‘Brothers and sisters?’
    â€˜Sister, but she goes to a childminder. She’s in primary school.’
    â€˜OK,’ Debbie said, nodding. ‘Well, you’re always welcome to come here with Jake and Adam. Do you want to stay for dinner?’
    Nathan looked at Jake, then me, for approval. We nodded.
    â€˜Yes please,’ he said.
    â€˜Good,’ she said. ‘Right, get out of here you lot, you’re under my feet.’ She laughed and ushered us out of the kitchen so she could get on.
    â€˜Sorry about all the questions,’ Jake said flopping onto his bed and opening his bag of crisps.
    â€˜That’s OK. It’s nice, you know, she cares.’
    â€˜Yeah, she does,’ Jake said.
    I sat down on the end of Jake’s bed and opened my crisps and juice. Nathan stood in the doorway looking around Jake’s room. Jake jumped up to his Xbox and turned it on.
    â€˜Do you play?’ He asked Nathan.
    â€˜A bit,’ he said.
    Jake was holding one controller in each hand. He was biting his lip and his nose was curled up. ‘I’ve only got two controllers,’ he said.
    â€˜It’s OK,’ Nathan said sitting on Jake’s bean bag chair. ‘I’ll just watch for a bit.’
    Jake threw one of the controllers at me and it hit me right in the knee. I did a massive fake scream, then I leant over and smacked Jake in the arm. ‘Dick,’ I said.
    Jake and Nathan laughed.
    â€˜What games have you got at home?’ I asked Nathan.
    He looked towards the window. ‘I haven’t really. I mostly play when I go to my cousin’s house,’ he said.
    â€˜Have you got a PlayStation?’ Jake asked, signing in.
    Nathan shook his head.
    â€˜What do you do at home, then?’ He asked.
    â€˜Erm, I…’
    â€˜You don’t have to have a PS4 or an Xbox, Jake,’ I said. I could tell Nathan was really uncomfortable. I thought back to earlier when we’d seen him on the bench reading his book, and guessed he probably just liked reading. Maybe he wasn’t that into games and stuff.
    â€˜Well, you can play here whenever you like,’ Jake said. ‘Do you like FIFA?’
    â€˜I love it,’ he said.
    â€˜Watch me kick Adam’s arse into next week, then you can try and take me on yourself. You know the controls, right?’
    Nathan shrugged.
    â€˜You don’t know them?’ I asked. ‘Have you ever played?’
    Nathan shrugged again.
    Jake and I looked at each other.
    Nathan looked at the floor.
    â€˜Don’t be sad, Nathey Boy,’ Jake said. He leant over and gave Nathan a slap on the back of his shoulder. ‘Now is as good a time as any to learn. But let me tell you this… you will never, ever, be as good as I