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“Honestly, I reckon Owen should just come out and tell everyone,” Paige was saying as she and Charlotte waited for the school bus to pull away from their drop-off point. “It’s not like he’d lose any friends. We’d all be there for him.”

“Course we would, but you can’t blame him for not wanting people to know. You weren’t there when Darren Brown came out the year before last, but Owen was, so he saw what happened. Darren got tormented rotten, and not only by the Durmites, though they were definitely part of it. The other boys were really mean, pushing him around, calling him disgusting names, stealing his stuff…They managed to get him thrown off the rugby and football teams, and you know how Owen loves his sport. It was so bad for poor Darren that he ended up leaving the school.”

Having heard about Darren Brown, Paige had to concede that maybe Owen was right to keep his secret, even though she was certain most people knew, or at least suspected. She guessed as long as he was in denial they could be too, and what business was it of hers to try to change things? None, was the answer; she just wished people weren’t so prejudiced and narrow-minded, and that he could live his life the way he deserved.

Spotting Waffle bounding along the lane toward her, she broke into a smile. “Here he is, the best boy in all the world,” she laughed, ruffling him savagely as he reached her. Since he came most days to meet her from the bus, she wasn’t surprised to see him, only pleased.

Making a fuss of him too, Charlotte said, “By the way, how’s your knee now? Still hurting?”

Checking the graze, which started to sting as soon as it was mentioned, Paige said, “It’s fine.” It had happened during netball when Bethany Gates had tripped her, sending her crashing to the ground. Since Bethany had sworn it was an accident and the coach hadn’t actually been watching at that moment, the game had simply continued.

“You should have said it was Bethany,” Charlotte stated belligerently. “She did it on purpose. I saw her stick out her foot, and Kelly Durham punched a fist in the air when you went down, like she’d bloody scored or something. If you ask me, they planned it.”

Though Paige suspected the same, she couldn’t prove it, and even if she could, she was hardly going to start whining to the coach when she’d only end up paying for it later, so she simply shrugged it off. “I’ll just have to keep an eye out for her next time,” she said, waving to a neighbor as she drove out of the lane and turned down toward Port Eynon. “Are you coming over later? We can work on the penicillin history project together.”

Charlotte grimaced. “It’s my granddad’s birthday,” she reminded her, “so we’re going there tonight. When does it have to be in by?”

“Not till next Tuesday, so plenty of time. I’ll hold off until we can do it together, and do some more on my video tonight.”

“It’s going to be brilliant,” Charlotte told her. She gave Paige a playful nudge. “Fancy Mr. Thomas saying you have a natural talent for making films. He never gives anyone a compliment normally. I reckon he
desires
you.”

“Oh, puh-lease.” Paige gagged. “He’s totally gross and his breath stinks.”

“Just a bit. How does his wife stand it? Anyway, my video, of course, is total shite.”

“That’s not what he said. You just don’t have enough material, but you can always use some of mine if you need it.”

“I might take you up on that.” Charlotte was checking a text. “My mum wants to know where I am, so I guess I’d better go. I’ll FaceTime you later if I get a chance. Good luck with the…Oh my God, oh my God,” she suddenly cried. “I almost forgot. Did you get the text from Cullum?”

“You mean about going surfing at the weekend?”

“Yeah, that one. When I saw him last period I asked who else was going and it only turns out that Oliver and Liam might be there too. So we have to go.”

Paige’s insides were in free fall. Oliver was going to be there. And Liam, whom Charlotte was totally crazy about. “Definitely,” she agreed. “I already said I would anyway.”

Grinning, Charlotte hefted her heavy bag over her shoulder to start in the opposite direction. “You’re in love,” she teased. “You’re going to kiss him, shag him, marry him, and have his babies.”

“You mean that’s what you’re going to do with Liam,” Paige called after her, her smile so wide it almost hurt.

“Bring it on!” Charlotte laughed. “I’m ready for it whenever he is.”

“I’ll tell him that.”

“And I’ll tell Oliver. He’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, Paige Moore wants to do it with me? Let’s get a room.’ ”

Though Paige was still laughing and buzzing with excitement as she started toward home, no way was she going to allow herself to believe anything would ever happen between her and Oliver Pryce. It just wouldn’t, not in a million trillion years. She was too young for him, and he already had a girlfriend, and even if he didn’t he wouldn’t look twice at her. But if he did…He definitely wouldn’t, but if he did…If he saw her again and remembered her from rugby…It might turn out that he’d been thinking about her too, wondering who she was, how he could get to know her. It would be, like, totally amazing, actually out-of-this-entire-world amazing and awesome and utterly brilliant, if they actually started going out. Oh God! She could hardly even think of it. Everyone would be like,
No way is she with him,
but it would be true.
She,
Paige Moore, would be Oliver Pryce’s girlfriend. Kelly Durham and her gang wouldn’t dare to have a go at her then. They’d back off big-time once they realized she was moving in a different league than they were, going out with someone who was at college and had a car. Or more likely they’d want to be her friend, crawling round her, sucking up like little pigs, but she wouldn’t even bother looking at them, never mind letting them into her crowd. They could just drop dead and go and find someone else to have a go at, because no way in the world would Oliver allow them to carry on messing with her.

“Come on, Waffs,” she cried, feeling suddenly elated as she broke into a run along the lane. “It’s freezing out here, and I’m starving.”

In no time at all she was passing Butler’s Farm and the half-finished new build next to it, crossing the patch of grass they called a green, where random white stones marked the border and sheep were often found grazing, and skirting the three grand Victorian houses that had been knocked into one to form an upmarket B&B. Next to them was a shabby old bungalow belonging to a couple from Llanelli who hardly ever set foot in it, and next to that was a long quaint stone house with wide arched windows, two tall chimneys, and a massive oak in the front garden. This belonged to her grandma, who didn’t appear to be at home, since her car wasn’t there and no lights were on. However, after running up the lane past more cottages and houses tucked in behind wild bramble hedges or shiny black gates, she spotted her grandma’s car on their forecourt, so it was no surprise when she let herself and Waffle into the kitchen to find Kay busying herself with the ironing. Weirdly, ironing was one of Grandma’s favorite things to do.

“Hi, darling,” her mother said, interrupting a phone call as she looked up from the tea she was making.

“Hey,” Paige responded, dumping her bag and grabbing a biscuit for Waffle. “Hey, Grandma, kiss kiss.”

Kay gave one of her awkward smiles. “Kiss kiss to you too,” she replied, sweeping the iron along the back of one of Jack’s shirts. “Good day at school?”

“Same old.”

Kay frowned. “Same old what?”

“It was OK,” Paige assured her, slotting a slice of bread into the toaster before shrugging off her coat. “How about you?”

“My day was very good, thank you,” Kay replied seriously. “I went with the WI to visit one of the cockle-processing plants in Pennclawdd. There are two, and strictly speaking they’re in Crofty, but the cockles come from the Burry estuary, which Pennclawdd sits on the edge of, and the families that own the plants all come from the village too. They’ve been harvesting cockles there for hundreds of years—”

“Yes, Grandma, we’ve been there with the school. So did you bring any home?”

“Of course, and a recipe for laver bread, which is actually seaweed. We tried some while we were there and it’s delicious.”

“Are you going to make it, or will Mum?” Paige asked warily.

“Oh, I expect I shall. Your mum’s always so busy, but she’s going to make us a seafood pasta this evening using some of the cockles I brought.”

Though Paige didn’t much care for cockles, she wouldn’t hurt her grandmother’s feelings by admitting it, so she simply said, “Cool. Can I have a cup of that tea, Mum?”

“Please?” Kay prompted.

“Please. Where’s Dad?” she asked her mother as Jenna got off the phone.

“He went to give Barry the builder a hand with something,” Jenna told her, “and knowing them they’ll stop at the pub on the way back. Good day? What happened to your knee?”

“Oh, I fell over in netball. By the way, Mr. Thomas was totally blown away by the footage me and Dad shot for my ICT project. He reckons I’m going to have a really good film when it’s edited together. He might even show it to the Welsh Tourist Board if it turns out to be as good as he thinks.”

Jenna’s eyebrows rose. “That’s fantastic,” she declared, coming to hug her. “Next thing we know you’ll be turning one of Celticulture’s books into a movie.”

Liking the idea, Paige said, “That would be so cool, wouldn’t it? Especially if it was
Poetry Emotion.
I agree with Dad, I reckon that would make a brilliant film, or TV series.”

“We can always dream,” Jenna said with a smile. “Do you have much homework?”

“Some. What time are we eating?”

“About six, unless Dad calls to say he’s going to be late.”

“Which would be typical. How come he didn’t go into Cardiff today?”

“Irene Evans needed some help with her dog, so he decided to put it off till Thursday. Ah, that’ll be Colin delivering some wood,” she declared as someone knocked on the utility room window. “I’ll just go and—”

“Paige! Paige!” Flora cried, dashing into the kitchen, her skinny blond ponytail spilling out of its pearly band and pink-rimmed spectacles steaming up with excitement. “You have to sponsor me,” she declared, grabbing Paige’s hand. “Mum already did and Grandma. It’s only ten p and it’s for charity.”

Allowing herself to be dragged from her toast into the sitting room, Paige said, “What do you have to do?”

“I’m doing it too,” Wills told her, from his upside-down position against the wall. “The boys have to stand on their heads for twenty seconds without toppling over.”

“And the girls have to do fifty skips without being out,” Flora finished. “She’s sponsoring me, not you,” she told Wills, “because I asked first.”

“That’s not fair. I was practicing.
Mum!
Tell her Paige’s got to sponsor me too.”

“It’s all right, I will,” Paige assured him. “Where are your glasses?”

“I took them off so they wouldn’t get broken.”

“You’re cheating,” Flora cried. “You’re not supposed to put your feet against the wall, is he, Paige?”

“I’m practicing,”
Wills yelled. “Mum said she’ll come and hold me steady in a minute so I can try without the wall.”

“How many skips can you do?” Paige asked Flora, lifting her up and treating her to a boisterous hug.

“I did thirty-nine just now,” Flora replied proudly as she hugged Paige back. “I would have done more, but I got a bit tired.”

“She’s useless,” Wills declared, coming down from the wall.

“You are,” she shot back.

He poked out his tongue, so she did too.

“You’re such a baby,” he jeered. “Look at you, having cuddles.”

“You’re just jealous. Isn’t he, Paige?”

“Definitely,” Paige agreed. “But I don’t mind giving you a cuddle too,” she told Wills, starting toward him.

“No way,” he squealed, diving over the arm of the sofa. Suddenly he yelped, “Ow! Ow, ow, ow!”

“What’s wrong?” Paige sighed.

“I hurt my arm,” he wailed. “Look, it’s bleeding.”

Quickly putting Flora down, Paige went to check the injury, which didn’t look serious, but what had caused it probably was.

His blue eyes rounded with horror as she picked up his broken glasses.

Flora gasped. “That’s the fourth time—”

“Shut up!” he shouted. “No one asked you.”

“But it is, and Mum said—”

“If you tell her, I’ll beat you up.”

“You have to tell her,” Paige pointed out.

“Not if you mend them.”

“I can’t, the arm’s broken off. They’ll have to go back to the optician.”

“You take them.”

Paige laughed. “Like I’m really going to do that. I don’t even have a car to get there, never mind the money to pay.”

His little face started to crumple. “I hate them anyway. Who cares if they’re broken? They’re just stupid.”

“What’s going on?” Jenna asked, coming into the room with Paige’s toast, lavishly buttered. “Wills, why are you crying, sweetheart?”

“He’s broken his glasses,” Flora told her.

Jenna’s eyes closed. “Again, Wills? What’s the matter with you?”

“It wasn’t my fault,” he cried. “I didn’t mean to do it, did I Paige?”

“No, he didn’t,” she told her mother, taking the toast. Deciding to leave them to it, she went to grab her school bag and made for the stairs.

“Can I come with you?” Flora cried, jumping up and down. “Please? I’ll sit on your bed and be quiet, I promise. I won’t get on your nerves.”

“Later,” Paige replied, running up to the landing.

“I’m just popping out to get Josh,” Jenna told her. “If you feel like giving Grandma a hand with the ironing, don’t let anything stand in your way.”

“I’ve got homework,” Paige reminded her. Quickly closing her bedroom door, she dumped her bag on the bed and went to turn on her computer. How totally, unbelievably amazing it would be if there was a message from Oliver. The mere thought of it set her heart skittering about like a bunch of trapped butterflies. She had no idea what she’d do if there was; she guessed it would depend on what it said. But since there was absolutely no way in the world she was going to find anything, she should get a grip on herself and start chilling out.