“Alice took it,” the young girl insisted. She practically spat the words at young Alice, who flinched away from them as though struck. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she stood trembling behind the other girl’s mother. Her small hands were balled into fists by her sides as she sniffled pitifully. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. She didn’t dare raise them, not if it meant meeting the hostile scowl of the girl before them.

“Bethany,” her mother warned her in an exasperated tone, “we’ve already talked about this. Alice does not have the necklace. Her pyjamas don’t have pockets and we’ve checked her bag together. She does not have your necklace.”

“Yes, she does! She stole it!” Bethany cried angrily as she stamped her foot.

“Bethany!” her mother hissed through gritted teeth. The anger in her tone was evident now. “I will not have you behave this way towards guests. Either you apologise, now, or I will phone the parents of all the girls upstairs and they will all go home. Is that understood?”

“But that’s not – “ Bethany started to argue but stopped as her mother’s stance changed. Alice did not see what caused Bethany to stop her argument, but she did glance up for long enough to see the girl’s petulant glower in her direction. She bit her lip nervously, clenching her fists harder as she quickly averted her gaze. She could feel her nails pressing painfully into the soft skin of her palms.

Bethany’s mother slowly crossed her arms. Her authoritative stance left no room for further arguments.

The girl deflated, shoulders dropping as quickly as her argument had. “Sorry.”

“You can do slightly better than that.”

The girl huffed an annoyed sigh. Her next response was less curt but still lacked integrity. “I’m sorry for saying you took it.”

“Good,” said her mother curtly, but Alice didn’t feel particularly comforted by the outcome. She felt even less comforted when they were both sent back upstairs with Bethany leading the way but refusing to acknowledge her presence. She had been delighted to be invited to a sleepover at Bethany’s birthday party at first, but now it was clear that this had been a mistake. She was the youngest of the girls as she was the only one who had not yet had her ninth birthday, but it felt as though there was a cavernous gulf between them and her. She had just wanted to fit in with the cool girls at school; to be recognised as more than just nice, quiet Alice who sits in the corner and reads. She hadn’t expected to be the butt of the jokes when she didn’t understand the references to films she hadn’t seen. The way that Alicia and Bethany had been telling them to dance had made her feel awkward and embarrassed too, though she didn’t understand why; like they would be caught and punished for sharing a secret that they weren’t supposed to know.

“Make sure you keep that door open!” Bethany’s mother called up the stairs sternly. No footsteps followed those words. The girls were once again unmonitored. Quiet, idle chatter could be heard from the bedroom ahead from the remaining sleepover guests. Alice expected to be left out in the hallway, perhaps even to have the door slammed on her so was surprised when her host came to an abrupt stop ahead of her. She turned to face her with a saccharine smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “After you, Alice.”

Cautiously, Alice obeyed and stepped forward through the doorway. All eyes turned to face them, and the room dropped into silence.

“Backstabber,” Bethany spat, just loud enough that Alice was sure that all the other girls must have heard her clearly. She flushed red with embarrassment before skuttling to where her blanket marked her sleeping spot in the room. There was giggling from some of the girls but the girl next to her, Jess, gave her a sympathetic smile. Alice recognised her from school but had never spoken to her before tonight.

The door clicked shut. Darkness and suffocating silence flooded the room.

Alice clutched her blanket tightly in her small hands.

Thankfully, it was one of the other girls who spoke up. “Didn’t your mum tell you to leave the door open?”

Bethany harrumphed in front of the door. “Don’t be such a loser,” she mocked. The faint shape of her crossing her arms could only just be seen in the rapidly fading light. “Maybe we should give you Alice’s blanket if you’re going to be such a baby,” she added in a scornful tone. Mean-spirited Olivia could be heard snickering in the darkness.

The girl quietened, giving no reply but another nervously spoke up on her behalf.

“You shouldn’t be so mean. Kadie is right. Your mum did say that she’d send us home if we didn’t follow the rules.”

“Blah blah blah. My big sister was right. You are all weirdo losers. She said I shouldn’t bother inviting any of you because you wouldn’t even know how to do a sleepover properly.”

Olivia snickered once more. “I bet they’ve never even played truth or dare before,” she said in a mocking tone. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned tense. Alice bit her lip nervously. She had played truth or dare with her cousins but the weighted tone that Olivia used caused her to go pale. Something about the way that the other girls stayed silent warned Alice that this wasn’t going to be an enjoyable experience. She considered speaking up, going downstairs, and asking to go home, but the idea was quashed quickly by her fear. What would the other girls think of her? What would they say at school?

“I guess we’ll have to teach them,” Bethany said as she walked over to Olivia. She stood for a moment before sighing dramatically. “See Liv, they’re so stupid. They don’t even know they’re supposed to go sit in a circle.”

It was Jess that spoke up this time, emboldened by her anger. Even in the gloom, Alice could see how Bethany’s statement had caused the girl to bristle. “We’re not stupid. You didn’t even say we were starting the game.”

“And you’re not sitting either,” added Kadie accusingly.

“And you’re not sitting either,” copied Olivia in a high-pitched mocking tone, “Everyone knows the birthday girl doesn’t have to sit in the circle, dummy.”

“Are you going to move, or what?” demanded Bethany, her questioned aimed at the group before her. The girls reluctantly shuffled their sleeping bags and blankets into a rough circle. A gap was left for Bethany, but she stood aloof and refused to join them on the floor.

“I think we should all take it in turns,” said Bethany coyly, “… but who should go first?”

“Why don’t we…” a voice began but was abruptly cut off by Olivia. “Alice should start.”

There were no words from the other girls. Singled out, Alice shifted nervously but did not dare argue. Her eyes stayed glued on the game instigators as she warily awaited some nefarious plot. The reply that Bethany gave stung more than she expected it to.

“Don’t be silly. I know what truth Alice should tell. She’ll only spoil the game by lying again.”

“Now you’re just being mean, Beth,” announced Jess angrily, “We all helped you look for the necklace and Alice emptied out all her things. She doesn’t have it.”

“What would you know?” said Bethany with a sneer, “You’re only here because my mum feels sorry for your mum. Everyone knows about your dad.”

Jess jumped to her feet, causing the gathered girls to scatter like leaves in the breeze. They hovered uncertainly around the edges of the room, unwilling to step between the two warring monoliths. All save for Alice who, despite her better judgement, had stood but stayed in place. She gripped her blanket in her hands, clutching it like a lifeline.

“You shouldn’t s-say th-that,” she stammered.

“You don’t – “ Bethany began, but Alice wasn’t ready to back down yet. Something within her was fired up, like an engine that had finally roared into life and it refused to be quietened.

“I didn’t take your necklace and you know it,” she said, her voicing rising in volume. She could feel tears starting to build once again but pressed on regardless. “It’s not my fault you lost it.”

“Lost it?!” shrieked Bethany. She took a threatening step towards Alice, but Jess put herself between them.

“You’re a bully,” Jess stated to Bethany coldly.

“Yeah? Well. You’re… you’re…” Bethany said before hesitating. She looked angry enough that she might hit Jess. “You’re a bitch,” she finished fiercely.