"Is that how you think?" She's serious. I've messed up. Need to save it. Come on. Come on. Light bulb. I pull the mask back on.

"It is how I think," shit Bane voice, "I would break him like a twig," stand up for effect, "For I. AM. BAAAAAAAAAANE!"

Hold maniacal pose for effect. Pray she bought it. It was all a joke. I was in character. Look at her. She's smiling. It worked. Thank you.

Sit down. Mask off. Ride the wave. "You ever kissed a supervillain?"

INT. CAR NIGHT The sounds of kissing. Close-up: dark edges of fabric against skin. The squeak of a trainer against dashboard. A masked girl. A fly unzipping.

We're in the attic.

Not sure how long we've been up here, lost track of time. We had to use some of those fold-down steps. Leia's insider knowledge. Our only light is through the skylight, which is about four times bigger than the one at Dad's place. I can smell new carpet.

There's not enough room to stand up, which is fine, because we're lying down and we can't fully make out facial features, which is fine, because we're using our hands. Side by side, my left arm under her body, her left leg over my hips. Dad's jacket behind me, her bomber jacket and beanie behind her. This is happening.

I'm not sure whether I'm hearing or feeling the music through the floor, but either way we're moving in time to it. She's holding my head as we kiss. My fingertips are skating round the top of her thigh at the edge of her shorts.

This is really happening. This is what I want. Is it what she wants? Course it is, why would you think that? But what if it isn't?

"What's wrong?" Leia says, sensing it.

"Nothing, sorry, I just ... This is really happening. I'm not dreaming it."

Leia touches my face and I flinch.

"Sorry," she says. "Does it hurt?"

"No. It's static."

She smiles and we kiss and I want her. All of her. I'm not dreaming this. I pull my head back to look at her face and be sure. I can make out the darkness of her curved lips, her tongue. I want to say something perfect.

"What did he mean, baggage?" And the second I hear my own words I want to take them back.

Leia's smile disappears and her hand slips away from my face. Why did I say that?

"Sorry. It's none of my business."

The song downstairs changes.

"It's OK. It's the past. Doesn't have to determine now, does it?"

Phew. Her hand comes back and she runs her finger along my cheek, crossing the river of my scar down to my chin. "Stupid boys," she says. Kiss. "Doing stupid boy stuff." Kiss. "Like your brother."

And the film skips.

All of me freezes. "What d'you say?"

Leia's confused. "What he did. How stupid it was."

What?

I sit up. "What you talking about?"

Is that why she kissed you outside? Because she felt sorry for you?

"What's wrong, Luke?"

"Don't call my brother stupid."

She sits up too. "Luke, I didn't ... I wasn't calling your brother stupid. I meant the violence, what he did."

"What do you know about what he did, or why he did it?"

It's like my body is leading my mouth while my mind watches. "You don't know anything."

She reaches her hand out. I shrug it off.

"Luke, I didn't mean to upset you." She's shaking her head.

"Upset me? You didn't upset me. How you gonna upset me?" Tell her. "You haven't got a clue."

She leans forward. "Maybe I have got a clue, maybe I know, maybe-"

"Maybe you should shut your mouth."

Killer. She wasn't expecting that. I wasn't either. I'm sorry. No you're not. I'm reaching for Dad's jacket. I don't want to. Yes you do. But I am.

"Luke, please, let's not fight." Her eyes are pleading, trying to understand.

I stare at her. "This isn't fighting. This is leaving."

And I'm opening the trap door thing, folding down the steps. The crack of metal as they snap open too quickly.

"Luke, please."

Don't look at her. Princess.

I don't look at her.

I pull on Dad's jacket as I move along the hall. My heavy armour. I can feel my blood.

"Yo!" Zia's running up the stairs. "There you are!"

Michelle's with him. Scared. His face says trouble. "Come. Now!"

EXT. NIGHT Out of focus streetlight. Girl shouting. A jar of honey hitting the floor.

We're outside the house. Jono's holding Simeon back near the front step. Max is on the floor, leaning against the bottom of the bay window, hand over the front of his face, blood running between his fingers, the shackles between them broken.

Tommy's standing next to the gate, his T-shirt almost completely ripped off, his fists up. Megan is behind him wearing a tartan mini-skirt over purple leggings and just a black bra. Her hair's a mess.

"Get off me!" Simeon's voice is slurred. "I'll kill him!"

Jono doesn't let him go. I get in between them.

"What's going on?"

"Ask this prick," says Tommy, pointing at Simeon. "We were just having a bit of fun and then he's kicking my car, giving it the big un."

"Get away from my sister! Get off me, Jono!"

Jono holds firm, nodding at me.

"You OK, Max?" I say. "Why'd you hit him, Tom?"

"He asked for it," says Tommy, staring at Simeon. "That one went to hit her, Lukey. Like, actually hit her. Then this one got involved." He points down at Max.

"She's my sister!" Simeon's voice cracks. "You're dead!"

"Shut up, posh boy!" Tommy spits.

"He hit me," says Max from the floor, still processing whatever happened.

"That's what you get!" Megan says, jabbing her finger from behind Tommy. Her eyes are wide. She's enjoying this.

"Shut your mouth, you slut!" Simeon shouts. At his own sister.

Hit him.

"Yo, we're leaving," I say. I gesture to Zia. "Come on."

Zia nods and exchanges a look with Michelle. She can't make herself smile.

"Why we gotta leave? It's his fault." Tommy's still charged. "You want more, you dickhead?"

Simeon breaks free from Jono and rushes Tommy. I stop him with my right arm. He's got some strength, but I've got him. Hit him.

"Just me and you!" shouts Simeon. There's drool on his chin as he reaches for Tommy. Then Tommy's flashing something. Tommy's flashing the knife.

"Yeah? You want some of this, big man? Come on then! Let him go, Lukey, I'll have him!" He holds it out in front of him like a torch.

"What you doing, you idiot! Put it away!" I put my hand on Tommy's chest, so I'm holding them both with one arm each. "What's wrong with you?" I push Simeon back towards Jono, who catches him, then turn back to Tommy. "Tom! Look at me! Put the fucking knife away!"

I push him out of the gate. His eyes are glazed and I see how wrong this could all go. Megan pulls on Tommy's arm. "Stay! It's their fault."

I cut her a look. She tries to deflect it, but when I step towards her, she lets go of Tommy and steps back. Zia follows us. "Jesus, Tom." Tommy folds the knife back up and puts it into his pocket. We're on the pavement.

"Yeah, take your scabby friend and fuck off!" shouts Simeon.

I turn back to him. He's puffing his chest up, but Jono's still holding him. My arms are tight. Do it.

I shake my head. "Just go back inside and do some more balloons, yeah?"

"Fuck you, Scarface!"

And the word goes through my chest like a metal spike. Do it. You have to. And I want to. I feel it. For everything. For me. For his own good. For things that have absolutely nothing to do with him. For things not being fair.

But I close my eyes and turn away. "We're going."

Then I hear him break free of Jono. I feel him move towards me. I feel him mean it. My eyes open and he's standing there, in my face, jaw clenched, pupils wide as fifty pees. Hit him. I don't blink. Leia.

Hit him! I could kill you, Simeon. I could end you right here. Do it. Leia. I don't move. I don't want her to see this. To see me. Leia. Do it! For what? What will it prove? You have to do it!

She steps out on to the path and moves in between Simeon and me.

"Move, Leia," Simeon spits, and the blood in me rises.

Leia holds her hand up. "Please, Luke. Don't." And her face. Her eyes.

Simeon jabs his hand past her. "Should've told you, Waterboy, it's a Chav-free party." What?

Leia turns to him. "Enough, Simeon, go inside."

Simeon leans into her. "Shut up, bitch. Another charity case for you to look after." And he pushes her, hard.

She falls to my left, hitting the floor, and something inside me snaps.

Black.

Shouts. A punch connects. Scream. Then another. A grunt.

I'm on top of him, the collar of his jumpsuit twisted in my left fist. Again. My right swings and I feel his head rock to the side. Pain shoots through my knuckles up my arm. Good pain. Again.

Jono tries to pull me off, but only manages to block my next punch. I can't see. But I can feel. They can't stop me. Nobody can.

Somebody screams again. Blood. A voice. Luke. Her voice.

"Luke!"

I fall back. What are you doing?

Jono's cradling Simeon in his arms. Blood on his face and chest.

Simeon coughs.

Leia's trying to reach past Michelle, who's holding her back, in front of a crowd of everyone else, scared to step outside. Staring.

I look at Leia, my chest heaving. She's looking at me, into me and I know the look. It's fear.