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from the bottom of the steps. He shook his head.
    ‘You,’ he said, ‘were going to go round a girl’s house.’ He paused. ‘For
salad
.’
    I walked straight past him. I wasn’t going to get tricked into talking to him again – not today. He quickly caught up with me, waiting for a reaction. I gave him nothing.
    ‘So,’ he said, after a moment of silence. ‘That thing about your grandparents was sort of OK. It wasn’t as bad as the other presentations, I mean.’
    I didn’t reply.
    ‘Er …’ said Callum. ‘What were they called again?’
    ‘The Tornado Chasers,’ I said curtly.
    Callum nodded. ‘Yeah. “Tornado Chasers”. That’s, yeah … really, really cool.’
    We crossed the bridge and walked beside the stream in silence. I picked up the pace. I wasn’t going to let him make me late again.
    ‘That’s the sort of thing I’d do, you know,’ said Callum, apparently under the impression we were having a conversation. ‘If I could be bothered. Run out of the village and chase a storm, take some pictures of it. Like it’s no big deal.’
    ‘Really,’ I said.
    ‘Yeah.’ Callum grinned. ‘That’d show all the idiots around here.’ His face darkened. ‘I’ll tell you what, they wouldn’t think I was such a big joke any more … Going on about me like I’m a
baby
, just because I got kept back a year!’ He growled. ‘I’d like to see the looks on their faces when they saw a photo of me, standing right next to a …’
    He stopped mid-sentence, and fell silent. I turned round. He was fixed to the spot, staring into the middle distance. The corners of his mouth slowly flickered up into a smile.
    ‘That’s it,’ he muttered. ‘That’s how I’ll show them! I’ll be a … what were they called again?’
    ‘Tornado Chaser,’ I said dryly.
    ‘Yeah!’ he said. ‘A Tornado Chaser! I’ll sneak out the village and run after a tornado! I’ll be famous! The hardest boy in Barrow – in all the valleys, even!’
    A ray of sunlight cut through the trees and lit up his face. He was beaming.
    ‘Great,’ I said, turning away from him. ‘Well, good luck with that.’
    Callum glared at me. ‘I mean it! I’ll really do it! And I’ll take pictures to prove it, too.’
    ‘I’m sure you will,’ I said politely over my shoulder.
    Callum glowered.
    ‘Well, who cares what you think?’ he said, running to catch up with me. ‘It’s because of having a dweebus like
you
as my Home-Time Partner that I have to do it in the first place!’
    I blinked defensively. ‘Well, I’m
not
a dweebus actually, so …’
    Callum snorted. ‘Oh, of course not! You’re a regular tough guy, aren’t you? That’s why you can’t go to Ceri’s tomorrow night – because of all that “tree-climbing” you’ve been doing after school?’
    I flashed crimson.
    ‘Er … well,’ I mumbled hopelessly. ‘I mean, my parents are quite strict about that sort of thing, and …’
    ‘Well, they don’t need to be!’ said Callum. ‘You? Climb trees?
As if
!’
    I shot him a furious glance.
    ‘For your information,’ I muttered, ‘I am
extremely
good at climbing trees. I used to do it all the time. I was the best in Skirting. Then one day … well, my parents caught me doing it, and I startled. So I fell and hit my head. It’s why I have to wear the helmet. It’s notbecause I’m a … a
dweebus
.’
    ‘Alright then,’ said Callum, taking a step forwards. ‘Seeing as you’re such an expert tree-climber, we’ll have a test.’
    ‘Fine!’ I said.
    ‘It’ll decide, once and for all, whether or not you’re a big fat liar. And the biggest wuss in the world.’
    ‘Fine!’ I said. ‘Name the time and I’ll be there!’
    ‘Tomorrow after school,’ said Callum. ‘After curfew’s started.’
    My eyelids barely flickered.
    ‘A-after curfew?’ I squeaked.
    ‘Yep,’ said Callum. He glanced at me casually. ‘That’s not a problem, is it?’
    I broke out into a cold sweat.
    ‘No,’ I said, shaking