“So why doesn’t she have to leave?” asked Gates, in reference to Melendy.

“Has she injured someone’s hands too?” asked Jenny.

“She hurt my back!” said Gates.

“She was only protecting me,” said Lewis.

“That’s what I thought,” said Jenny, “Now don’t argue. Just go, or I’ll have to ban you forever.”

Gates sauntered off, while Melendy helped Lewis up the stairs. Jenny led them to the first aid room and found ointment, cotton strips and bandages to wrap around his hands, especially the one which had been bleeding, while Melendy turned the taps on and off for Lewis to wash his hands.

“Do you want to press charges against her?” asked Jenny.

“I guess she’s been punished enough,” said Lewis.

“I can put the things on his hands, Jenny,” said Melendy, “They probably need you to run the activities.”

“Thanks,” said Jenny, sensing that Melendy wanted to be alone with Lewis, and leaving the room.

“I would have reported her to the police,” said Melendy, gently rubbing freshly squeezed ointment onto his hands.

“She might try charging you over the fight. Besides, I can’t account for my identity on your world, and the last people I’d like to see made more aware of my size and presence are the police. In a way I’m even glad she did it. I always had a few doubts of whether you could like me as much as I like you, because to you I’m little more than half your size. When I saw you go into action tonight, I knew she’d given me the chance to find out. So in a strange way, I’m grateful to Gates Yale’s cruelty.”

In another strange way, it felt lovely to have a beautiful tall girl gently starting to apply bandages to his hands. She slowly wrapped each one around and pressed down on the back of his hands, so as not to aggravate the scratches and cuts on the palms. The bandages were secured, and she gently held each hand between finger and thumb and kissed his forehead.

“You need never doubt that again,” she said, “There isn’t a boy on this world I like more than you. There never will be. I’d never met anyone I liked in my first year of starting to think about boys. Then Jenny asked me along here and I didn’t think I’d like anyone here either. Then later this year she asked me again, and I was so lucky to find you. I can’t wait to go to your formal.”

“Me too,” said Lewis.

“Do you really want to face that lot tonight?” she asked.

He thought of the fact that he’d once been too proud to accept an ice cream from Lynda. Now he had been grateful for the way Melendy had protected him, a boy from another girl on a world where he had a significant size disadvantage.

“Torin and some of them are alright … and they all have to face us too. Thanks for taking on Gates for me. Let’s see what Jenny’s organised for tonight.

He stretched up and kissed her cheek.

“I hope Mum doesn’t find out about this. She doesn’t like me fighting. I hardly ever have before.”