The final lesson of the day on Monday afternoon was art, which was always a really fun way to not do much work. And everyone liked Ms Storm, the art teacher, even when she thoroughly perplexed them with all her constant allusions to Mother Earth and artistic spirit guides. So, nobody was surprised that Ms Storm wanted to take advantage of an uncharacteristically warm October day by taking the students outside to draw leaves.

The Winsbury garden was small but elegantly maintained by Tony, the school’s caretaker and groundskeeper. Formed by the Winsbury School building on one side, and a tall ivy-covered wall around the other sides, the garden was a sanctuary. The sound of Central London commotion faded into the background, hidden by the rippling whispers of trees and bushes, and the lazy burble of the miniature waterfall.

Jessa, Flynn, and Maggie rustled through the fallen foliage to find leaves with the best colour-to-shape ratio, then retired to their favourite corner of the garden, next to the old stone archway that they were convinced hardly anybody else knew about. Jessa sat cross-legged on the old wooden bench, with her sketchbook balanced between her knees. Flynn took the other end of the bench, and Maggie spread out her chunky cable-knit cardigan on the paving stones to use as a blanket.

“Do you mind if we sit with you?” a voice asked.

Tonia Pitts and Annora Huff stood before them, leaves in one hand, sketchbooks in the other.

“Not at all,” Maggie was the first to welcome the pair.

Tonia took the place between Jessa and Flynn on the bench, while Annora simply plopped herself onto the ground, her skirt billowing like a little parachute on her way down.

“Thanks,” said Tonia. “Cecily’s back there talking about her Halloween party. It was driving me mad.”

“And she’s talking about it extra loud to make us feel bad,” Annora added. “I think we’re the only people who aren’t invited.”

Jessa had spoken to Tonia many times before, and found her to be very friendly, if a little blunt, but she realised that this was probably her first ever interaction with the usually shy and quiet Annora.

“Nah,” Jessa replied. “We didn’t get invited either. Do you want to come to my party instead? It’s at my house, and it’s going to be really fun. Here…” she scribbled down her address onto a blank sheet from her sketchbook and ripped it out for Annora and Tonia (on the assumption that the two of them were always together, so they probably wouldn’t mind sharing the one invitation).

“Cool, thanks!” Tonia folded up the paper and slipped it into her bag.

“Sorry I didn’t properly invite you,” Jessa said sheepishly. “I honestly thought everyone was going to Cecily’s party, so I didn’t bother asking anyone else.”

“Yeah right,” Tonia said through teeth clamped around the pencil end she was chewing. “You’d have to pay me to go to that.”

“I wouldn’t go, even for a hundred pounds,” Annora stated.

“A hundred?” Tonia thought about it. “Make it two, then I’ll go to Cecily’s. But don’t worry, Jessa, I’ll go to yours for free.”