Ruby said, "Clear off, you lot, otherwise I'm going to tell my dad about that chicken you stole."

Seth said, "You would an' all, you-"

But they began to slope off, making kissing noises. As Cain passed me he looked right into my eyes for a minute, just breathing and looking at me. From his dark eyes. And his dark-red mouth. From under his black hair. I felt like I was being drawn into a vortex of blackness. What did he want with me?

Then he said, "Look at state of you."

CHAPTER 15.

He's like a wild animal

A winking, snogging, wild animal As we walked along Honey said, "They're vewy thexy in a no good way."

I looked back to see Cain looking back at me. Then he did a clicking sound and one of the village girls, I think she's called Beverley, came out of the shadows. She got hold of Cain's arm.

Cain shouted out, "Night-night girls, don't do nowt I wouldn't do." And he laughed.

Ruby said, "That Beverley has been forbidden ever to see Cain since the last time."

Honey said, "What happened?"

Ruby said, "Well, she was right keen on Cain and he, you know..."

We all went "What???"

Ruby said, "Well, he snogged her and that, and then she was all keen, and he gave her a ring and so she started telling folk they were engaged."

Vaisey said, "What happened then?"

Ruby said, "Beverley turned up at one of The Jones's gigs and Cain were with someone else."

Jo said, "What, she just turned up? He didn't say anything? What did she do?"

Ruby said, "She went down to the river and she threw herself in it."

We all went, "Oh my God."

Vaisey said, "Did she drown?"

And we all looked at her. Then she realised and went a bit red. She said, "What did happen?"

Ruby said, "Well, the river was only a few inches deep, so she sat down in it and ruined her frock, and that were abaht it. But she went to bed and wept for weeks, and that. Her dad were livid and started a family row with the Hinchcliffs, and she's not to speak to Cain again."

Cain is a bounder and a cad.

When we reached the Dobbins' house, Jo, Flossie, Vaisey and Honey decided to try and, accidentally on purpose, find the boys. They were going to have a look round to see if they were playing snooker in the village hall or having a game of football.

I said, "My legs are tired after all that trotting. I think I will hit the hay."

Flossie gave my head a little squeeze.

"That was very nearly a joke."

Ruby said to me, "What? What about the eggs?"

I said, "Maybe tomorrow."

She said, "Huh. I'll come with you lot, then."

Vaisey said kindly, "It's a bit late, Rubes, and I don't want your dad on my case."

So Ruby went grumbling off home to play with Matilda and her new squeaky bone. That Matilda is scared of As they left, Jo had one last go at persuading me.

"Ben or Charlie might be there."

I was too fed up. I said, "No. I would love to, but I think I have pulled a fetlock."

I went in back to the Dobbins' house. They were still out. The last time I had seen them, they were telling the rough lads from the pub about their skipping rope. And Harold had his special Christmas pipe out.

I went up to my squirrel room.

I sat in my squirrel room.

Looking at my horsie legs.

What a night.

I love my new friends, but they can do stuff. And they are not all weird and self-conscious like me. Like Vaisey. Even though her whole head was painted blue and she was charging about in bits of old rag, she enjoyed it. And Honey sang in a lovely voice, and Jo waggled her sword about and slapped the audience with it. And Flossie, well Flossie was just Flossie...

And Ben hasn't sent me a note or anything. Even though he did jabby-tongue business. That seems a bit rude.

I wish Matilda was here, trying to get up into my bed.

I may as well get in it myself, there's nothing else to do.

I even broke my rule about not being childish and put the squirrel slippers next to me. Because they were soft and furry.

I wrote in my performance art notebook: I feel all hot and restless.

I feel like there is some big mystery I don't know about.

Some thing, wild, rising up inside me.

Calling to me.

Maybe I've got a touch of the Wuthering Heights.

Out on the moors, The lonely moors, I roll around in sheep poo.

Heathcliff, it's youuuuu, I hate you, I love you tooooo.

Let me in, I'm here, it's meeeee, Catheeeeeeee.

Look out of your windooooow.

I got up to look out of the window towards Grimbottom. That could have been named for Heathcliff. Maybe I'll read the book Harold gave me, Heathcliff: Saint or Sinner?

Um. The first chapter is about him being an orphan.

Well, I'm practically an orphan, but I don't go round setting dogs on people and shouting. And being mean. In fact, Matilda likes me very much. I am a tall doggie treat to her.

Boys don't like me, though.

Ooooohhhhh. I can't concentrate on Heathcliff. I'm too hot and bothered. Where's the James Bond book that Dad gave me? Here it is.

Now where did I get to?

Oh yes. In Jamaica, it's the bit where Honeychile is so hot and the fans are going round and round in the hotel room. And the waves are crashing against the shore. And so Honeychile took off all her clothes and stood by the window. Yes, this is the good bit.

Bond went across to her and took a breast in each hand. But still she looked away from him out of the window.

"Not now," she said in a low voice.

How does that work? Is that what you're supposed to do? Should I have said "Not now" to Ben?

If I act it out, I might get an idea of what it feels like.

I won't take off my jim-jams, I will just imagine that bit.

Although it's hard to imagine someone putting their hands over my corkers as I haven't really got any.

Maybe if I put socks down the front of my jim-jams that would be more like corkers. Yes, but then I wouldn't know what it felt like to have a hand over each one.

Maybe, if I put the socks on my hands, that would give me more of an idea.

I'll use my big thick hiking ones.

OK.

Right, I am walking in a sexy way to the window. Phew, I am hot. I am imagining the Caribbean Sea crashing against the shed at the bottom of the garden. James Bond coming over to me. He is putting a hand over each breast. Oooh, the hiking socks are a bit prickly. I am looking away from him out of the window. I am saying, "Not now..."

Oh, dear Virgin Mary and all her cohort, there is someone down there looking up at me!!! I bobbed down beneath the windowsill.

The light was on in my room.

Had they seen me fondling myself with hiking socks??

I stayed absolutely still.

Perhaps they hadn't seen anything and were just looking at owls or...

A voice shouted up. "Have you gone all shy now? Why don't tha come out and play with me?"

And a girl's voice further away said, "You think you're something."

And the boy said, "Correction, love, I KNOW I'm something. I'm Cain Hinchcliff."

When I was sure they had gone off I went and shut the window. For about twenty minutes, I lay on my bed. Those Hinchcliffs are not like anyone I've ever met before. Cain is wild. Not like a human being, more like an animal in trousers. He will love this. It's like he gets pleasure from being bad. He'll probably make up a song about it, like poor Beverley.

Just then, something banged against my window.

Someone was throwing stones against it.

He was back.

Bloody Cain.

He thinks he's so funny.

But he's not.

Well, I'm just in the mood for the big lairy lug. I've got nothing else to lose. He's seen me in my horsie legs and now, rubbing my corkers with hiking socks. What else can he do to me?

I went to the window and opened it and shouted down, "Where do you get your kicks...casualty?"

And Charlie said, "Er...no. I have come in friendship to worship the knees. Come down."

Gadzooks. I looked at myself in the mirror. Oh, what the bejesus could I do about myself?

Take my pyjamas and the socks off, for one thing. I did that and I put my jeans and a T-shirt on. And shook my hair about.

When I opened the front door, Charlie was slouching against the garden gate. He looked really cool. He's lovely looking. And I realised how glad I was to see him again. It had been a bit awkward last time, thinking about why he didn't come to the cinema. But he must like me as a friend if he has specially come round to see me. So I beamed at him. And he did a mega grin back.

He said, "You've covered the knees and I specially came to see them. Can I just feel one? To get the impression of knee."