Mam has texted that she’s been held up at work and Fit Billy’s cooking our supper again. Second time this week: it’s something super-healthy and vegetarian which is okay, but it’s got beans in it, and I know Seb will have really bad wind come bedtime. There’s good news, though: Mam will have calmed down by the time she gets in and she’ll be tired; I might even be in bed and avoid the confrontation about my antics in the lunch hall until tomorrow.

‘What is this?’ says Seb, eyeing the pan suspiciously.

‘It’s bean stew,’ says Billy, proudly.

It’s like Seb’s been waiting his whole life to deliver this line. He pauses to catch my eye, then says, ‘I don’t care what it’s been, Billy. I want to know what it is now!’

I start to tell him off, mainly because I’m angry with him about his FaceTime call. ‘Seb! Don’t be so …’

But I stop when Billy lets out a loud bark of laughter. ‘Good one, son! Top banter!’ he says and Seb smirks with satisfaction.

I think about taking the Dreaminators down, but then I realise that I’ll have to explain everything to Seb and I’m just not in the mood. Besides, I don’t want to scare him, so I’m going to have to lie to him, and Susan’s little lecture is still kind of ringing in my ears.

‘You’re quiet tonight, Malky,’ says Billy. ‘Is there something wrong?’

‘No,’ I say and to cover my silence I take another mouthful of Billy’s stew.

‘Nowt wrong with a bit of quiet, eh?’ says Billy, which I’m grateful for.

Later, Seb’s already lying in bed when I come in, brushing my teeth. Billy has found him new batteries from somewhere and the Dreaminators are glowing a little brighter, it seems to me. They look more powerful and they scare me.

‘Hey – got something for you,’ Seb says, and then lets rip with a huge fart that he wafts over to me with the side of his duvet.

I tut and shake my head, which is not the reaction he wants. I try to sound as casual as I can when I say, ‘You know what, Lil-Bro – let’s not do the dream thing tonight, eh?’

His voice goes up in pitch just like mine does. ‘Eh? You’re boring. Why not?’

‘No big deal. I’m just not in the mood, you know.’

‘But don’t take them down, Malky! They’ve got new batteries. We can do the cave-boy one. Ride on the back of a mammuf! We could even make it a … a dinosaur. I know there were no dinosaurs when there were people, but …’

Only a few weeks ago, I’d have ignored him. Told him to shut up and stop whining. And there would have been no way I’d have done what he wanted just, well, just because he wanted me to. I’d have taken the Dreaminators down to show him that I was his big brother and that I was in charge. But things have changed between Seb and me.

Instead, I reach over and turn off his Dreaminator. ‘Another time, eh, Seb? Not tonight.’

‘Why?’ he whines.

‘Listen, man, I’m just tired, okay?’ I turn mine off as well and climb into bed. I think I’m asleep pretty quickly.

And I’m definitely asleep when Seb creeps out of his bed and turns on both of the Dreaminators again, starting the dream that will end so badly.

The dream that begins in our usual cave, and leads to Seb being captured by a tribe of huge Stone Age warriors with spears.

The dream that ends with Seb lying in a hospital bed, unable to wake up.