At that moment we hear laughter behind the hedge, and see the boys next door jumping into the inflatable paddling pool and floating on their brown backs, like raisins being soaked in brandy. I tug at Belle’s arm. ‘Come on, let’s ask if we can play at theirs.’ ‘But how are we going to get to see the willies?’ ‘They always have to pee at some point,’ I say, with a conviction that makes my chest swell. The idea that I’ve got something someone else is longing for makes me bigger. Side by side we go next door. My belly is full of bubbles. Will the worms inside me survive the Coke?
