All through my afternoon lessons I feel a warm glow when I remember Dad will be home when I get back later, even though it’s a Monday.

I can’t remember the last time he was home on a weekday.

I’d like to watch the cricket together on telly but that woman is coming round later. What was her name? Angie. Still, I can’t wait to meet her dog, I hope it’s a Jack Russell or a Staffie. I could take him for a walk down by the canal if she’ll let me, pretend he’s mine for a bit. I bet Amelia and Spike would love him.

The lads are standing in a tight knot at the school gate. They stop talking and break apart as I walk over to them.

‘Fancy a kickabout on the field later?’ Jack asks me when I join them. ‘We’re meeting down there at six.’

‘Nah, I can’t.’ For once, I’m telling the truth about my evening plans. ‘We’ve got people coming round to the flat, later.’

‘No worries.’ Linford looks at Jack and Harry. ‘We can manage without Cal.’

A tightness settles on my chest.

‘See you tomorrow then, yeah?’ I call as they walk off, but they can’t have heard me because nobody answers.

As soon as I open the door, I hear voices in the flat. It’s usually deathly quiet in here when I get home from school, so it feels strange, but nice.

I dump my rucksack on the kitchen floor and slip off my shoes before walking into the lounge. I see a pretty, slim woman with long pale hair sitting on our settee next to Dad. My heart begins to thump.

I glance around the room but there’s no dog in here. Maybe she tied him up round the back so Dad can surprise me with him later.

Dad stands up and strides over to me. He’s got his best jeans on and what looks like a brand-new T-shirt. And he’s had a shave.

‘This is our Calum.’ Dad beams, guiding me over to her like I might run off. ‘This is my lad.’

‘I am so happy to meet you, Calum.’ She’s got a strong foreign accent I didn’t expect, but speaks very good English. She holds out her hand. ‘My name is Angelika; Angie to my friends.’

‘Me and Angie met when I was on site doing some clearance work for a contractor at the university,’ Dad explains. ‘The wind took her umbrella off and I chased it down, brought it back for her.’

‘My hero!’ Angie giggles.

‘When you put your head out of that classroom window and we started talking, well –’ Dad’s face flushes like a schoolboy – ‘I thought all my Christmases had come at once.’

It’s embarrassing, watching the two of them.

She’s probably a cleaner at the university or something. According to Linford, his stepdad says they’re all coming over in droves and taking the unskilled jobs from local people.

The room smells of flowers and talcum powder. She holds out her hand.

‘Hello, Calum.’

‘Hello.’ I shuffle my feet.

There’s a beat of silence, then Dad says, ‘I’ll make us all a drink.’

He disappears into the kitchen and I feel like running after him.

‘Come. Sit here, Calum,’ Angie says, patting the seat next to her.

My head feels like it is being boiled.

‘So, Calum, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?’

I sit down and inspect my nails.

‘Dunno really. Watching films and footie mainly.’

Angie laughs, a silvery tinkle that feels out of place in our quiet flat.

‘OK, that is what you like watching. But what do you like doing?’

I’m distracted by the sound of the loo flushing across the hall. I can hear Dad pottering around in the kitchen, clinking cups. But if he’s in the kitchen, who is . . .

A figure appears in the doorway. My mouth drops open and I jump up off the settee.

For a second I freeze, thinking he’s wandered in here off the street to cause trouble. And then Dad’s words come back to me: she’s bringing someone with her. The heat drains out of my face.

‘Calum, meet Sergei.’ Angie smiles. ‘He is my son.’

Sergei Zurakowski steps into the room. His face has turned the colour of the uncooked sausages on Mrs Brewster’s barbecue. He probably looks even more shocked than I do, if that’s even possible.

We stand staring at each other with open mouths.

Dad appears behind him holding a tray with four steaming mugs and a plate of custard creams.

‘So, I see you two have met at last.’ He beams, oblivious. He places the tray on the chipped pine sideboard.

Angie peers in turn at us both like she’s watching a tennis match.

‘Wait.’ Angie’s smile fades a touch. ‘Do you boys know already each other?’

‘From school,’ I say with a nod, tapping my fingers on the sides of my thighs.

‘Yes, we see each other quite a lot at school, don’t we, Calum?’ Sergei looks over at me, narrowing his eyes. ‘We were together briefly this afternoon, in fact. I ran into Calum and his friends.’

Very clever.

‘That’s brilliant! It’s a small world.’ Dad laughs. ‘Tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous about you two lads getting on but it looks as though the four of us are going to be a match made in heaven – eh, Angie?’

‘I do hope so,’ she says softly, watching Sergei’s face.

Dad grins and winks at me and I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out.

All I can think is, How the hell am I going to explain this to Linford?

Dad announces that our ‘guests’ will be staying with us a while.

Me and Sergei both look up sharply.

‘We thought we would surprise you,’ Angie tells us.

‘Makes no sense being stuck in a poky bed and breakfast when you can stay here with us.’ He beams at Angie and she nods.

‘Yeah, stay here in this poky flat that’s barely big enough for the two of us,’ I mutter.

‘Calum, that’s enough!’ Dad snaps.

‘I would rather stay in the bed and breakfast.’ Sergei scowls at his mum. ‘The university said the staff accommodation would be ready soon, so why can’t we just wait? You did not say anything about staying here.’

‘Pete only made his kind offer at the weekend, Sergei,’ Angie replies. ‘Neither of us like the bed and breakfast. It is much better here, yes?’

‘No, Mama.’ Sergei folds his arms in a huff. ‘It is not better here, and anyway, what about all our stuff?’

‘I packed everything up today while you were at school.’ She beams. ‘Pete already brought it across here to surprise you!’

‘It is a surprise all right.’ Sergei glowers. ‘But not such a good one.’

Dad coughs.

‘Cal, I’ve put the camp bed and a quilt in your bedroom for Sergei.’ Dad’s keeping his voice jolly but his eyes are flashing me an unspoken warning to be nice. ‘Why don’t you two lads go and put it up together now, get to know each other a bit better? I’m sure you’ll soon be best mates.’

Sergei snorts.

I glare at Dad but he isn’t even looking at me. I walk out of the room across the tiny hallway and Sergei follows. Once we’re in my bedroom, I close the door.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ I round on him. ‘Why are you even here?’

‘Do you think I want to be here, with you?’ Sergei takes a step towards me, his face thunderous.

‘Yeah, well you’re the one who’s come here. If you don’t like it, you can—’

‘Do you think this is my choice, to be here with you when you hate me so much?’ He raises his voice and I glance at the door, hoping Dad and Angie aren’t listening outside. ‘How was I supposed to know that Mama’s new boyfriend was the father of the school bully?’

‘I don’t believe this.’ I groan, sinking down on to my bed and holding my head in my hands. ‘This is seriously my worst nightmare.’

Sergei releases a bitter laugh. ‘Believe me, it is my worst nightmare also.’

I snap my head up.

‘Yeah, I bet it is. But this is my home and my dad we’re talking about. You don’t even belong here.’

He moves towards me, his fists balled and his body tense like he’s going to spring for me. He looks different here in my room to how he looks at school. Taller, broader. I stand up but I’ve no room to move with the bed behind me.

He stops suddenly and his shoulders sag. ‘What is the use? You cannot reason with ignorance.’

‘Who are you calling ignorant?’ I take my chance and step away from the bed. If he wants to start on me then he can have a go and get what’s coming. This is my home, not his.

Sergei pushes the camp bed flat and starts to unfold it.

‘I do not belong here. This is what you tell me every day at school and now you tell it to me here, in your home. I understand now, OK, Calum? Perhaps you can tell your friends I have the message now, so they stop doing this –’ He smacks his fist into his open hand.

I think about how Angie looked at him when she realized we knew each other.

‘Are you going to tell them?’ I nod towards the lounge. ‘About the stuff that happens at school?’

Sergei doesn’t answer but he doesn’t look away, either.

He pulls out the bed’s metal legs and stands back.

‘Do what you like anyway.’ I shrug. ‘It’s not me that gives you a hard time.’

‘But you are there when this hard time happens, yes?’

‘Yeah, but I don’t actually do anything to you. Linford, yes, sometimes Jack or Harry, but not me.’

‘You watch them do it. You laugh in all the right places, Calum.’

I stand up and walk over to the window. I have to shuffle sideways because his camp bed has taken up all the floor space.

The grass out back is so long the little path down to the gate has nearly disappeared.

‘Why can’t you just stay out of their way?’ I turn round when he doesn’t answer. ‘You didn’t have to walk by us today, did you? You could’ve gone the long way round.’

Sergei shakes his head slowly. He presses his lips together like he is trying hard to keep in lots of things he’d quite like to say.

He shakes out the fusty-smelling quilt that has been stuck in the back of the airing cupboard. He lays it carefully on top of the bed before walking over to the door.

‘You can ignore me all you like.’ I fold my arms. ‘Fact is, I don’t do anything.’

‘Exactly, Calum.’ He reaches for the handle and then turns around and looks right at me. ‘While your friends make so many people’s lives at school a misery, you do nothing. What a hero you are.’

Then he walks out and closes the bedroom door behind him.