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‘Ah, well, takes a while to settle into anything new. You’re a great girl, Kelly, you’ll be all right. The uniform is lovely on you. The blazer looks very smart.’

‘Thanks.’

‘My Mandy misses you. She says school isn’t the same since you left. Herself and Shannon miss the craic with you. I think they’re worried you’ll get all posh and won’t have time for them. But I said to Mandy,“Kelly Murphy will never change. She’s as solid as they come.” ’

‘I miss Shannon and Mandy too. Big-time. I’m off to meet them,’ Kelly said.

‘Sure they’ll be only thrilled to see you. Here.’ Mary Harris handed her a tenner. ‘Get yourselves a hot chocolate or something.’

‘Ah, no, it’s fine, Mary.’ Kelly handed her back the money. She knew things in the Harris house were tight with Mandy’s dadbeing sick and not able to work. Lucy sent over a hamper of food for them every week. She was very kind, and Kelly loved that about her. ‘I’ve money from working in the shop last Saturday, so I’ll treat the girls,’ she said.

‘Well, if you’re sure?’ Mary put the money into her pocket. ‘I’d best be off. I’ve to get Larry’s medicine.’

‘How’s he doing?’

‘Getting better, thank God. Hopefully he’llbe back at work soon, not driving me mad at home and me running around like a slave for him.’

‘I’m glad to hear he’s on the mend. Will you tell him I said hello?’

‘Course I will. He always liked you, did Larry. Always said, “That Kelly has her head screwed on, unlike our Mandy!” ’

Kelly smiled as she watched Mandy’s mum bustle off up the road. She headed up to the school to wait for her mates.

She heard a wolf-whistle.

‘Hey.’

It was Sean Whelan! Kelly tried not to blush, but she knew her cheeks were going red. Sean was a year older than her, the coolest guy in the neighbourhood, and the cutest. He hadn’tseemed to notice Kelly, until suddenly this summer she had felt his eyes on her whenever she passed him. She always seemed to get tongue-tied around him. It was so embarrassing –whenever he spoke to her, she acted like an idiot.

‘Hi, Sean,’ was all she could manage to say.

She tried to calm down. She’d fancied him for ever, but Lucy had warned her to stay well away from him because his family were trouble. It was totally unfair. His older brother, Gavin, had got into trouble for selling cocaine at a nightclub, but Sean was nice. Still, once Lucy had heard about Gavinand the drugs that had been it. Kelly and Dylan were warned to stay away from the Whelan family.

She was ridiculously over-protective, but any time Kelly complained, her mum would just say, ‘Look what happened to me and I was the smartest girl in my law class. It’s my job to keep you safe and out of trouble.’

Kelly really liked Sean. Apart from being good-looking, he was sound and smart andfunny.

‘I heard you moved school,’ Sean said.

‘Yeah.’ Kelly sighed.

‘Not keen on it?’

‘Not really.’

Sean stood close to her. Kelly’s heart was pounding. ‘So, have you hooked up with some posh bloke who has a mansion and a trust fund?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Maybe yes or maybe no?’

Kelly smiled. ‘Maybe no.’

‘Glad to hear it. What are you doing on Saturday?’

‘Nothing.’

A slow, sexy smile spread acrosshis face. ‘Good. That new Ryan Gosling movie is on in the Odeon in town on Saturday night. I was thinking of going, you free?’