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that. But I guessed he didn’t want me to worry, too. Not after everything …
    I reached my locker and stuffed my backpack inside, taking out my phone and my purse and putting them in my hoodie pocket. My mind was whirring overtime. I had to focus. Leave all that creepy stuff behind. I’d just have to put the necklace out of my mind. For the next few hours at least.
    Emma and Ashley were sipping their hot chocolate when I arrived in the canteen at twelve-thirty.
    ‘Well, hello, Mrs Luca,’ said Ashley, shuffling along the bench to make room for me. ‘We thought you’d dropped us. Now that you’ve got a live-in boyfriend and all.’
    I’d told A&E as much as they needed to know about Luca. That he was my childhood sweetheart who’d moved away, but that first love never dies and we couldn’t stay apart, blah blah blah. Fortunately, being hopeless, unquestioning romantics, the twins bought the whole story. Which obviously saved me a whole lot of awkward explanations about parallel worlds and werewolves. Thinking about it now, I nearly laughed out loud. They’d freak if they knew.
    I gave Ashley a half-hearted eye roll instead. ‘Hardly,’ I said. ‘What with my parents and my little sister watching our every move.’
    ‘Still, you must be happy, right?’ Emma leaned forward, desperate to hear my tales of cohabiting bliss. ‘You finally got your boy back.’
    I allowed myself and them a small satisfied smile. ‘I did.’
    ‘And?’ Ashley raised an eyebrow. ‘Is it amazing?’ She cocked her head and lowered her voice. ‘Or disappointing?’
    ‘No!’ I tossed my hair, which irritated me as that’s something I swore I would never do. ‘It’s great.’
    ‘Ashley’s just jealous.’ Emma gestured at her sister. ‘She wants a boyfriend.’
    I nodded slowly at Ashley, drawing in my breath. ‘Well, as it happens, I might just have a guy for you.’
    ‘Huh?’ Ashley coughed up some hot chocolate.
    ‘Eww, Ash.’ Emma made a face. ‘Gross.’
    ‘Who? Is he a friend of Luca’s? Is he smouldering and gorgeous? What’s his body like?’
    ‘Come on, Ashley,’ I said laughing. ‘Don’t you want to ask a few questions first?’
    ‘You!’ Ashley wasn’t doing a great job of hiding her delight. ‘Come on then, spill.’
    ‘Well.’ I took a breath. ‘You know Mrs C wants me to head up the student council this year?
    ‘Yeah—’ ‘No—’ said the twins in unison. ‘Whatever. That’s great.’
    ‘Right.’ I grinned. ‘Well, my first duty is to mentor a new student. This girl, Polly, she started here a few days ago— ’
    ‘Hey, is that the ginger girl?’ Ashley asked. ‘The ginger Goth?’
    ‘Well, I guess you could describe her as that. She’s really nice,’ I carried on, hoping I sounded like I meant it. ‘And she has a brother.’
    Ashley’s smile faded, understanding. ‘OK.’ She glanced quickly at Emma.
    ‘Ash doesn’t do gingers,’ said Emma brightly. ‘He’s got to be a ginger. I mean, that runs in families, right?’
    ‘Yes, he has red hair,’ I said carefully. ‘More auburn than red really.’ I paused taking in the obvious disappointment on Ashley’s face. ‘You want to see a photo?’
    The twins gave each other a meaningful telekinetic twin look before turning their attention back to me.
    ‘I suppose,’ Ashley shrugged.
    I dug in my pocket for my phone, located Ade’s photo and passed it over to the girls.
    I watched as their eyes widened and Ashley’s expression went from crestfallen to gobsmacked in the space of three seconds.
    ‘Wow,’ she breathed. ‘I never thought a ginger guy could be so hot.’
    ‘Yeah … I mean … He’s actually really … hot,’ echoed Emma, craning over Ashley’s shoulder to look more closely.
    ‘See?’ I summoned a smile, though inside I was wondering what I had got Ashley into. I didn’t know Ade. All I had to go on was Polly’s description. And that wasn’t exactly reassuring. That and the obvious intensity of