The Icarus Girl

Jess and Siobhan become good friends and talk on the phone frequently. One Saturday morning, Jess and TillyTilly are drawing pictures in Jess’s room when TillyTilly accuses Jess of liking Siobhan more than her. TillyTilly says that Siobhan is not a good friend. Jess insists that Siobhan is a good friend, but that she doesn’t want to stop being TillyTilly’s friend either. TillyTilly tells Jess that Siobhan will think she’s crazy if she tells her about TillyTilly. TillyTilly eventually disappears.

That evening, Siobhan and Dulcie come for a sleepover. Jess is worried that Siobhan and Dulcie will like each other more than her. When Dulcie and Siobhan arrive, Jess tells them that they’re going to make puff-puff, a Nigerian dough-based snack. Siobhan doesn’t want to help and instead plays marbles with Jess’s father. After Jess and Dulcie make their puff-puff, Jess’s parents and her mother’s friend compliment Dulcie’s puff-puff on being fluffier than Jess’s. Siobhan, however, selects one from Jess’s plate. Later that night, after the girls have gone to bed in Jess’s room, Dulcie sits up suddenly and screams. Dulcie demands to know who touched her foot. Jess is terrified that it was TillyTilly playing a trick on Dulcie, but Siobhan admits that she pinched Dulcie’s foot.