May drifted into June and all the kids in town were off for the half-term holiday, although for Megan, Ashley, Zac and other kids their age they might not have school but it didn’t mean they escaped schoolwork. They knew that on their return to their classes the next week they’d be faced, almost immediately, with tests and exams so their respective schools would be able to gauge their likely performance in their GCSEs that they’d be facing the next year.

It didn’t help matters that the weather was glorious, so the incentive to stay at home swotting was non-existent and Megan found her little half-brothers very useful in providing an excuse to go to the play park at least once a day.

Besides, she told herself, all work and no play...

She glanced at her phone to check the time – half eleven – stacked her books up on her desk, grabbed her mobile and stuffed it in the back pocket of her shorts and trotted down the stairs. As she reached the ground floor she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Out of curiosity she headed across the hall to see who their visitor was. Miles – what did he want?

‘Oh, hello, Megan,’ said Bex. ‘Miles has come round to see if Alfie has been successfully caged.’

‘OK,’ responded Megan, although she couldn’t think why Miles should be that interested.

‘Did you want something?’ said Bex.

‘I came to see if the boys wanted to go to the park – or the nature reserve. I’m fed up with revising and the weather is so nice.’

‘That’s a lovely idea. Tell you what, why don’t I make up some sandwiches and you could have a picnic out.’

‘Yeah, why not.’

‘And I’ve got some cold sausages in the fridge. Give me five minutes and I’ll make you a proper feast.’

‘Cool,’ said Megan.

‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said Miles.

Megan poured herself a glass of water and sat on a chair while she watched the pair work. Her dad, she remembered, had always been pretty hopeless in the kitchen. Beans on toast was about the limit of his skills. He’d been brilliant in other ways; she remembered how he’d taught her to swim and ride a bike, how they’d gone kite-flying on the beach one summer holiday and how he’d made her a go-kart. But cooking? Nah.

Miles got one of Bex’s big knives and expertly shredded some cabbage, celery and carrot. The blade flashed through the vegetables.

‘You’ll have to teach me how to do that one day,’ said Bex, smiling at him.

‘I’d be delighted to,’ responded Miles. ‘It’s a useful skill to have. In fact, there’s no time like the present.’

‘Let’s finish making the picnic first, hey, so the kids can get off out and enjoy the sunshine. You can give me a lesson when we’re on our own.’

‘I’d love to.’

Did Megan imagine it or was there something going on between them? No, she’d imagined it, she told herself. Miles was just being friendly. ‘I’ll go and tell the boys we’re going out, shall I?’

‘Please,’ said Bex, busy buttering bread and slapping some tinned tuna onto the slices.

Megan wandered out into the garden and found the boys in the sandpit making sandcastles.

‘We’re off out for a picnic lunch,’ she told them. ‘Mummy’s making sandwiches right now.’

‘Can we go and see the diggers?’

Lewis rolled his eyes and scowled.

‘I thought we’d go to the nature reserve and see how many bugs we can find.’

Alfie’s face crumpled.

‘But we can see the diggers on the way home,’ she added, trying to avoid a meltdown.

‘Must we?’ whined Lewis.

‘And we can go to the swings if you like.’

Lewis continued to look grumpy.

‘We won’t spend that long at the building site, promise. And perhaps I’ll ask Mummy for some money for ice lollies.’

That clinched it; smiles broke out on both the boys’ faces.

Bex came to the back door holding a bottle of suntan lotion. ‘Slather the boys in this, would you?’

‘Of course.’

Bex threw the bottle gently in her direction and Megan caught it. ‘Tops off, lads,’ she ordered.

By the time she’d got her half-brothers and herself protected against the summer sun, Bex had returned with a backpack filled with goodies.

‘How long are you planning to stay out?’ she asked.

‘An hour or so – I dunno, really.’

‘Make sure you’ve got your phone in case of an emergency or anything.’

Megan patted the back pocket of her cut-offs.

‘Good, have a nice time, and boys, you’re to do as your sister says, understand?’

Lewis and Alfie nodded.

‘Let’s go,’ said Megan, hefting the rucksack onto her shoulders. ‘Oh... I sort of promised the boys a lolly.’ She looked hopefully at Bex.

‘Of course.’ Bex dived back into the house and re-emerged with a ten pound note. Megan stuffed it into her other pocket then led the way out of the garden and along the road, Alfie’s slightly sweaty hand held tightly in hers.

It didn’t take long to reach the lane that led to the reserve and with an exhortation not to go too far, Megan told the boys they could run on ahead. It was, she thought, like letting dogs off the lead. The lads scampered off and then dived into the long grass in the big meadow causing an air-burst of butterflies to fly upwards. Megan followed more sedately feeling slightly wilted in the summer heat.

She kept track of the boys more by sound than sight as she walked along the footpath towards the stream. Every now and again they bounded out of the grass to check where she was before diving back in again. She found a place on the bank in the shade of a willow and near the bridge which she decided was perfect for their picnic. She dropped the rucksack off her shoulders and pulled her T-shirt, damp with perspiration, away from her back then headed off to tell the boys where to find her.

When she got back to her chosen spot there was a border collie sniffing at the rucksack and pawing it.

‘Oi, shoo,’ she yelled at it.

‘Oscar’s not doing any harm.’

The voice was familiar. Megan spun round. ‘Oh, it’s you.’ She was still mad at him for fighting Ashley and lying about dealing with his drug problem. He didn’t look that well; his skin was pasty and he had spots. Well, that’s what you got for being a junkie, she supposed. ‘What do you want?’

‘Nothing, I’m out for a walk with Oscar.’

‘I didn’t know you had a dog.’

‘No, he’s new. He’s a rescue dog.’ Zac called the collie to come to him and the dog trotted over. Zac slipped the lead he was carrying onto his collar.

‘Cool.’

‘Mum got him for me.’

‘Why?’

‘You were right, Megan. I was a stupid twat and I needed to sort myself out.’

‘And are you?’ She wasn’t sure she believed him – not judging by the way he looked.

Zac nodded. ‘That why I’ve got Oscar. Mum read that people coming off drugs need something else to do. So she thought a dog might help me.’

‘Does it?’

‘A bit. It’s still shit though and I feel like crap some of the time, really lousy. Honestly, I’ve never felt this bad.’

That explained the way he looked. Megan was almost inclined to feel sorry for him. Almost.

‘But looking after Oscar,’ said Zac, ‘means I’m not thinking about myself all the time. And walking him is an excuse to break away from my old habits.’

‘Is that why you haven’t been to the skatepark?’

Zac stared at his feet. ‘Dogs aren’t allowed there. And I don’t want to see my dealer either.’

‘I can imagine,’ said Megan. ‘You ought to talk to Ash and apologise to him, though. It wasn’t him who told your mum.’

‘Really?’

‘No, he told me his mum found some stuff in your room when she cleaned it.’

‘OK, so I was out of order blaming Ash.’

‘You were out of order trying to punch the living daylights out of him. You were out of order doing drugs.’

Zac nodded and sighed. ‘Look, I’ve said you were right so there’s no need to bang on about it.’

Megan eyeballed him. ‘As long as you owe me money I’ve got every right.’

‘Be like that then. I’ve got enough shit going on without people like you adding to it.’

‘Piss off, Zac, and stop feeling sorry for yourself. All of this is your own fault.’

‘Come on, Oscar,’ said Zac. He tugged at the lead and stormed off.

‘Be like that then,’ Megan shouted after him.

The boys came bounding out of the grass, pink and glistening with perspiration.

‘Is it lunchtime yet, Megs, we’re starving,’ said Lewis.

She knelt down by the bag and unzipped it, before handing out fat sandwiches to her half-brothers.

‘Who was that?’ asked Lewis.

‘No one,’ said Megan. ‘A nobody.’

The boys, clutching their food, ran back into the long grass and left Megan staring after the fast disappearing figure, wondering if she ought to have been less harsh. She knew what it was like to feel friendless and alone with others ganging up on her and now she was doing it to Zac. Maybe, next time she saw him, she’d try and be more sympathetic. But only if he was still clean.

*

‘Oughtn’t you be getting back to the pub?’ said Bex after Megan had left. And she was a tad concerned at the way he’d found an excuse to visit her and then had found an excuse to stay longer. For some reason, she felt less than comfortable in his presence.

‘I thought you wanted me to teach you some knife skills.’

‘Not if that means Belinda blaming me for you being late.’ Or blaming her for Miles paying her more attention than she felt he ought.

‘Jamie can cope for a minute or two. All the prep’s been done and it’s quite early for punters to want lunch.’

‘Really?’ said Bex. ‘You seem to forget that I work there too and I’ve taken orders for food this early.’

‘Do you want to get rid of me?’

‘I’ve got things I ought to be getting on with,’ she lied.

‘More baking?’

She nodded.

‘Another time, then,’ said Miles. ‘Maybe when you’re back at work, next week, if we have a quiet lunchtime.’

‘Maybe.’ Or maybe not.

‘As you’re obviously busy, I’ll be off.’ His voice sounded chilly. Maybe he hadn’t liked being rebuffed like that.

‘Bye then,’ said Bex.

Miles walked out of the kitchen and she heard the front door shut. She sagged onto a chair. It was for the best.