‘Amma, please come home.’

It’s Sunday night, Imran’s definitely going to kill me now I’ve called him out in front of the whole school, and I can’t enter this competition without Kelly. Our plan to win her round clearly didn’t work and even though Ms Mughal and everyone want me to do it, Big Bad Waf belongs to Kelly just as much as me. She’s my best mate. My life is falling apart, and I need Amma.

There’s a pause on the end of the line. I chew my lip, snipping off ragged flakes.

‘I’m sorry, beyta,’ Amma says. ‘I’m needed here just a little while longer. Sohail is putting on a brave face, but your little cousins – oh it breaks my heart to see them suffer!’ Her sobs cut me up, and when she starts to apologize for them, holding it together becomes impossible.

‘I miss you, Amma …’ A tear rolls down my own cheek.

‘Give me ten more days. I’ll bring a box of petha dhi mithai for you and a beautiful jamawar sherwani. You’ll look so handsome! Is everything OK?’

I clamp a hand over my mouth. Offloading my problems on my already miserable mother seems unforgivable. She’s trying to be a rock for Uncle Sohail and my little cousins, even though her big sister just died.

‘You know me: same as ever,’ I say, giving a hollow chuckle. ‘Shaista’s doing well. Some make-up company tapped her for advice about launching a line of Asian cosmetics. And Dad’s given up smoking.’

‘What about you, beyta? How’s your comic book coming along?’

I smile. ‘Better than ever. I have this friend called Kelly, who’s full of amazing ideas. Only she’s stopped coming to school … family problems, innit.’

‘Oh dear! Make sure you’re a good friend to her.’

‘I will,’ I say, though I don’t know how.

‘I better go now. Take care of your dad. He can be such a hopeless buffoon.’

I hold back the ugly crying till she’s rung off.