I found myself at school the next morning trying to desperately come up with a more plausible story than the one I told Alison, or at least to fill in the holes in my horrid lie, failing miserably even as I ran right into my friends.

The nook by the door where we all met every morning was in full sunlight, giving me a clear view of the worry on their collective faces. They crowded around me, touching me as if to reassure themselves I was in one piece. Simon's glasses caught ...