My heart flutters with anticipation as I watch Tully's familiar form emerge through the door of the bus and come down the steps towards me.

"Kit! Let me look at you." He puts his hands on my shoulders and takes a step back to gaze at me. We stay like that for a moment drinking each other in.

"This has been the longest week of my life," he murmurs. "Every time the bell pinged at the shop door, even though I knew it was impossible, I hoped it was you."

"I missed you too."

He hitches up his backpack and takes my hand comfortably in his. Together, we leave the bus station and walk towards the city centre to meet Felice and Spike for a late lunch.

"So tell me," Tully says, "what's it like being back in school? Is it as bad as you expected without Felice?"

"No, it isn't." My answer surprises us both. "I guess it's because I'm still in my old dorm."

"That's great!" Tully squeezes my hand. "You were worried about that."

While it's sweet the way he's so interested in my week and clearly fascinated by the idea of an all-girls boarding school, I'm hoping he'll bring up Black Death's gig tonight. But he doesn't mention it. Instead he asks more questions about school.

"School's boring," I say. "Have you no news?"

"You sound like my mother," he laughs. "I can tell you this weeks latest releases if you want? And we've been rearranging all the stock because we're getting every single release in DVD now, as well as VHS."

"Is there much demand for DVDs in Drimshanra?" I'm curious because my parents only got their first ever video player last Christmas. Admittedly they are not early adopters.

"You'd be surprised! So yeah, that's my week. Told you it was long and boring!"

His words confirm my worst fears. He doesn't know anything about the gig. I hesitate, unsure how to tell him. "Felice and Len have broken up," I announce as an opener.

"Really?" But the question is forced and he doesn't sound surprised.

"You knew about it?"

"No." He flushes. "But I sort of suspected something was up."

"And you didn't say anything?"

He winces at my tone. "There are always girls hanging around the band, but the last few weeks there's been one girl in particular following Len about, and he seemed to be enjoying the attention. I wondered whether to say anything, but didn't want to start any rumours unless I was one hundred per cent sure there was something going on between them."

He has a point. Rumours start easily, especially in a band.

"If I'd known for certain," he continues, "you can bet your bottom dollar there's no way I'd have kept quiet about Len cheating on Felice."

Only Tully could use a phrase like 'you can bet your bottom dollar' without irony and I suppress a smile because he sounds so earnest.

"Don't worry, it was a tough call. Len told Felice it was time to move on."

"No way!" Tully shakes his head. "That's terrible. Poor Felice! How's she taking it?"

"Not well," I reply. "And I wouldn't bring it up if I was you. It's a sensitive subject."

"No, of course not, wouldn't dream of it," he says. "So where is this cafe? I'm starving!"

"Right here!" We turn off Grafton Street into a smaller side street. Through the window I can see Felice and Spike are already half-way through their lunch.

We each order a bowl of chilli at the counter and sit down with the others. Unlike me, Spike wastes no time telling Tully about Joe Killeen and the Black Death gig.

"Haven't you heard anything from Mac?" Spike asks when he's finished.

Tully shakes his head. "I called in to see them. Mac was busy. Told me about the move, said everything was up in the air and he'd get in touch when it was sorted out."

"Don't call us, we'll call you," Spike murmurs.

"Yeah," Tully says, "but I actually thought he meant it. Feel so stupid now. Can't believe I didn't realise it was a brush off."

"It's not your fault," I say. "None of us saw it coming."

"That's bands for you," Spike says. "So fickle!"

"Bastards." Felice frowns. "Still, you might be better off, Tully. Mac's hard to work with at the best of times. You'll find another band."

But we all know Black Death was a unique opportunity, no matter what Mac is like. It's notoriously difficult to make it in the music business but Black Death has already had an Irish Number One, the biggest single of the summer.

"So, Tully," Spike leans across the table towards him, "about tonight, are you in?"

"Yes," Tully's eyes flash and he speaks with more vehemence than I expect, "I want to see the new guitarist."

"Good for you!" Felice nods in approval.

The same expression of grim determination is mirrored on all three of their faces. Am I the only one with doubts, the only one who thinks it's a bad idea?

Len won't be happy to see Felice but, as far as Felice is concerned, that's the whole point. Mac almost certainly won't want to see Tully, and I don't know how Tully will deal with that. But if it's what he wants, if it's what he needs, of course I'm going to support him.

"It's Mac's band," Tully says to me on the way back to Felice's place to get ready. "I get that and it's not just that Joe Killeen is more experienced than me. He and Mac are old friends. That counts for something."

"Any time they were stuck over the summer, you were the one who jumped in to help them," I point out.

"I don't regret it," Tully says. "I like helping out and I learned so much. But Mac should have told me. That's the bit that really pisses me off. All I wanted was just a little bit of appreciation."

"Mac's an asshole," I reply.

Tully laughs and puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. "I'd hate not to have you on my side."

Spike and Felice tidied up the house so it looks a lot cleaner and smells a bit fresher. I join in as Felice and Spike raid each other's wardrobes, while Tully disappears into the minuscule bathroom to change.

"You guys can have the bed tonight," Felice winks at me once he's gone. "I'll sleep on the couch."

Her proposal catches me off guard. I'd assumed Tully would get the couch, but Felice thinks she's doing me a favour. I'm still standing there, gobsmacked, struggling to find a comeback that will get me out of this quandary, when Tully emerges from the bathroom in a black jeans and t-shirt.

"You know the grunge look would really suit you!" Felice eyes up his black jeans and t-shirt, and reaches for an oversized patterned shirt belonging to Spike. "Put that on over your t-shirt and try this with it!" She throws a vintage waistcoat, a charity-shop find, at him.

"I'm not going out like this," Tully says when the outfit is arranged to Felice's satisfaction.

"Yes, you are," the three of us reply in unison. Felice has a great eye and Tully looks amazing. Even though he's good-looking, he's never been the type to stand out, but tonight he does.

"Kit?" He appeals to me.

"Seriously," I say. "You look great."

"You can't refuse," Felice says.

"No," Spike agrees. "You can't!"

"You guys are too much!" Tully throws up his hands in mock surrender.