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am.’
    â€˜He thinks he’s the king of FIFA,’ I said, rolling my eyes.
    â€˜Have you ever beaten me?’ Jake asked as the crowd started up and the game began.
    â€˜Shut up,’ I said.
    â€˜Exactly.’ Jake gave me a smug smile. ‘Nathan, just watch, and learn,’ Jake said as he booted his first goal straight in the back of the net.
    The next day, at lunchtime, it all kicked off in the canteen. The school dinners weren’t even fit for a dog to eat, so Jake and I brought lunch in with us. Nathan hadn’t because his mum was too busy to make him one, and told him pretty much just to get on with it.
    I had a bag with an apple, sandwich, and can of drink. Jake had his old Power Rangers lunchbox stuffed to the seams with food that Debbie had put in there, just in case we were all really hungry.
    Jake had barely got the zip of his lunchbox undone when we heard William’s voice singing the Power Ranger’s theme tune.
    Jake clenched his fists. I knew there was going to be trouble because I’d never seen Jake clench his fists before.
    Nathan saw it, too. He had a panicked look on his face; probably thinking exactly what I was, that some serious trouble was about to go down.
    William went right up in Jake’s face, singing still. He was singing it. Right in his ear. All his mates were standing around laughing.
    He turned to the girl in the seat next to Jake and told her to move. She looked up at him, confused. ‘Move,’ he shouted in her face and she got up, looking like she was about to cry, leaving her lunch where it was. William brushed it out of the way and sat down next to Jake, leaning his elbows on the table.
    â€˜Where’s your lunch, then?’ William asked Nathan.
    None of us said anything. I was holding my sandwich mid-air, too afraid to take a bite.
    â€˜Mummy not do you a packed lunch?’ William asked Nathan in a really piss-taking voice.
    We all stayed silent. Ignore the bully. Ignore them. That’s what we’d always been told. Then they’d go away. But he didn’t.
    He turned to Jake.
    â€˜So not quite moved up to being a secondary school boy yet, have we?’ He asked, pulling the Power Rangers lunchbox towards him. ‘What’ve we got here, then? Ooooh a chicken drumstick, oooooh another chicken drumstick …’
    I watched Jake’s jaw go tight.
    â€˜Oooooooh, cold sausages and a Babybel,’ William carried on. He was taking stuff out of Jake’s lunchbox and passing it back to his mates. I watched Jake’s face change into an expression I’d never seen on him before. I had a feeling he was about to explode. I had to man up.
    â€˜Look, can you just stop it, please?’ I asked putting my sandwich down and trying to pull Jake’s lunchbox back.
    William laughed. ‘Look at you trying to stick up for your mate. You look like you couldn’t fight your way out of a wet paper bag.’
    Jake shot up.
    My breath caught in my throat.
    Nathan’s eyes bulged.
    â€˜Give me my lunchbox back,’ he said. His voice was calm but steady.
    William and his mates started cracking up. Silence had fallen on the area of the canteen we were in and everyone was watching us.
    Jake tried to take his lunchbox back but William grabbed it and lobbed it in the corner, the rest of Jake’s lunch going everywhere.
    I didn’t see it coming. I mean, I knew Jake was properly pissed off but I didn’t see it coming. I don’t think any of us saw it coming.
    I heard it. The punch he landed on William’s jaw. An almighty crack followed by everyone gasping. I’d never seen him that angry. I’d definitely never seen him punch anyone.
    Then it erupted. The whole canteen was chanting ‘fight, fight, fight’ as William wrestled Jake down and they were scrapping right there in front of everyone. I looked at Nathan, and he looked back at me, and I knew we should try and stop it but