Sam Blake

holiday had gone past in a flash. It didn’t help that she’d spent most of it working in the hotel rather than hanging out at the beach, but now they were back and beginning the Leaving Cert syllabus.

Frankie did the introductions. ‘This is Jess, new from

Sitting at the bottom of the stairs in Katie’s black-and-white-tiled hallway, Frankie put her head in her hands and tried to shut out the chaos that was unfolding around her.

The light was catching the diamond stud in her nose and making it gleam

tiny, and with her knees drawn up to her chin and her huge eyes dark in a very pale face, she looked even more pixie-like than normal.

the patio furniture

caught in some sort of alien ray beam and couldn’t speak.

pick her way

beginning the Leaving Cert syllabus.

cheeks. Even with her eyes shut, the blue strobes of the ambulance and Garda cars outside were imprinting themselves