corner to help. Like Frankie’s mum, he met someone special at the Lonely Hearts Club, and he’s been floating around, all starry-eyed, ever since. He’s singing – Beatles songs, of course – as he wipes the tabletops and stacks the dishwasher.

Me, I fill out the orders and make the drinks and try hard to keep the fear and guilt about Dan from swamping me.

The sweet, spicy smell of Christmas fills the cafe as Mum bakes batches of honey cakes and spiced gingerbread, with Kazia as her assistant. The CD plays carols on a loop and every customer seems happy. It’d almost be fun, if it weren’t for the worry gnawing away at my heart. I try not to think about Lily or the kiss or Dan’s angel wings lying trampled on the frosty ground.

It’s safer not to.

‘What happened to you at the dance last night, anyway?’ Frankie asks, slapping down one scribbled order for cake and coffee on to the counter. ‘You disappeared, left me on my lonesome with Kurt… and now Dan’s done a runner.’ Frankie’s face clouds. ‘Hang on, have I missed something here?’

I sigh. ‘I had a big row with Dan,’ I admit. ‘I thought we were getting on OK… getting closer, maybe. And then I saw him kissing Lily Caldwell.’

‘You saw her kissing him, you mean,’ Kurt scoffs, dumping a tray of piled-up plates and mugs on the counter. ‘Lily was threatening everyone with that sprig of mistletoe. I bet she couldn’t wait to corner him!’

I frown. ‘What do you mean?’

‘If someone asks you for a kiss and there’s mistletoe around, you can’t say no,’ he explains. ‘It’s an old Christmas tradition. Don’t you have that one in Poland?’

I blink. ‘I’m not sure… Maybe…’ I whisper.

Kurt shrugs. ‘Dan probably didn’t stand a chance.’ He takes a freshly loaded tray from me and heads back out into the crowd.

I think back to the dance, to the moment I saw Dan and Lily, her arms locked round his neck. Could Dan have been backing away slightly? Maybe it wasn’t quite what it seemed?

I frown. ‘But… but… he didn’t exactly struggle.’

Frankie raises an eyebrow. ‘Anya,’ she says patiently. ‘He’s a boy. When a girl comes at them with mistletoe, they kiss first and think later. There were a lot of mistletoe kisses last night. You can’t take them too seriously. You know I’ve had my doubts about you and Dan,’ Frankie says. ‘But… well, you can’t really blame him for this. Lily’s always fancied him, and whatever you saw, I bet it was pretty one-sided. It’s not like they got together or anything – at the end of the night, Lily was in the girls’ loos, crying. Her mascara was all down her cheeks, and she said she was through with boys. They were all rats, she said.’

Relief floods through me, followed by a dawning dismay. It looks like I jumped to the wrong conclusion – and that makes the things I said to Dan even worse. I lashed out, wanting to hurt him. And I guess I succeeded.

Guilt churns in my stomach, mixed up with fear. Where is Dan? If he was headed for his dad’s place, wouldn’t he be there by now? I glance at the clock. It’s just past one. Dan has been missing too long. It’s fifteen hours since I last saw him – since anyone last saw him.

‘Hey,’ Frankie says softly, sliding an arm round my shoulders. ‘Chin up, honey. Dan’s a big boy. He can look after himself. Things will work out.’

‘I hope so.’

‘I bet he goes to his dad’s,’ she says. ‘Try not to worry, Anya.’

Kurt hurries up to the counter again, balancing a fresh tray of piled-up crockery while delivering yet another order for cakes and coffee. Frankie winks at me. ‘Face it,’ she grins. ‘Whatever Lily reckons, I’d say rats are smarter than boys. Possibly better looking, too…’

‘Watch it,’ Kurt laughs, flicking her with a dishcloth. ‘Did she tell you, Anya? About us?’

‘Hang on!’ Frankie says. ‘I’m getting to it. Thing is, last night… after you vanished, we were stuck with each other. We got talking, and then we danced, and then…’

‘She asked me out,’ Kurt says.

‘You asked me!’ Frankie insists.

‘She did,’ Kurt repeats. ‘And I said maybe, but she’s kind of determined, so I guess there’s no escape…’

I dredge up a grin. ‘Finally!’ I tell them. ‘It’s about time! I am glad for you, really. You make a great couple.’

‘Sorry to interrupt, kids,’ Ringo says, looming up to clear