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school was the day I met the clown; the end of my normal life. I thought I remembered everything about those terrifying hours, but my memories of Justin were vague. On that day he was just the new boy.
    With a bitter little smile Justin shook his head. He resumed leaning on the mural and ignored me.
    “Come on then, what did I do to you?”
    He shrugged. “It obviously isn’t that important, not if you don’t even remember.”
    “It obviously is that important.”
    “Leave it, Oh.”
    I was groping about for a way to make him tell me what I’d done when the memory clarified.
     
    I headed for my usual seat but someone was already there – a new boy. He sat with his back to the room, looking out of my window, so all I could see was his neatly clipped hair, almost as dark as mine, and his thin brown fingers playing restlessly with a pencil.  
    “Hey.” The boy turned and our eyes met. My first feeling was disappointment. He wasn’t black like Pete, or even half-and-half, like me; he was just a boy with a deep tan. His eyes were brown, like mine, but they flickered nervously, taking in my clenched fists and the sight of Pete and Hannah standing behind me. I narrowed my eyes. “That’s my seat.”  
    He bit his lip and said nothing. I glanced at the teacher. Mr Barnes wasn’t looking at us so I squared my shoulders.  
    “You’re new, so you don’t know. But that’s my seat. Harley’s not here today, why don’t you go and sit next to James?”  
    In his place across the classroom James heard his name, and leaned back to study us until my hackles rose. Finally he used one toe to push the empty seat back: a silent invitation to the new boy.  
    But the new boy gripped the table. He wasn’t going anywhere.  
    I pressed my lips together. “Look, today’s my birthday and I’d really like to sit in my own seat near my mates.” I tried a smile.  
    The boy licked his lips. “It’s your birthday?”  
    “I’m ten.”  
    He looked out the window a final time then sighed and raised his voice loud enough for the rest of the class to hear. “Well seeing as it’s your birthday.” When he moved past the three of us he looked as if he really was doing me a favour.  
     
    At the end of the lesson I was right behind Pete when the necklace Hannah had given me slithered into my vest.  
    I fixed the loose clasp as the classroom emptied around me.  
    When I had it refastened I stood, then paused with the strangest feeling that someone was watching me. My eyes went to the corner of the playground.  
    I leaned closer to the window and saw something bright moving in the shadows. As I stared, a single crimson balloon appeared from the back of the building. It hung for a moment in a breath of still air then danced across the playground. No one looked up to watch it fly. Not one single child.  
     
    I walked quickly down the corridor. This was the third balloon I’d seen since the clown had appeared at the end of my street. I assumed he was some sort of naff birthday treat from Mum and Dad but his eerie silence had creeped me out and I had been grateful to jump on the bus and leave him behind. Now I was beginning to loathe the sight of balloons. Did it mean he had followed me to school?  
    I flung the double doors open and almost crashed into the new boy. James had him half pinned against the wall.  
    “Come on – truth or dare? You’ve got to choose.”  
    Justin’s face was pale under his tan and he was clutching his bag like a lifebelt.  
    “Just go with dare,” I muttered. “How bad can it be?”  
    Justin looked grateful as I sped past but I wasn’t thinking about him any more, I was thinking about the balloons I had been seeing all day. Balloons the colour of blood.  
     
    Was that what he was upset about? That I hadn’t helped him when James had him pinned.
    I lowered my brows, trying to place him more firmly in my recollection of that day.
     
    Mrs Pickard cleared her throat meaningfully and