The Finnish girl is straightening her hair. She is watching 'Hollyoaks' with the subtitles on, and listening to a Will Smith album. She is carrying an image of her self at her best in her mind, and she is focusing on this. As if it were a shopping list that she hasn't written down. She is almost there; she's almost got it. She is imagining it with long, straight, dark hair. She is imagining it getting a text message from someone, with a thrill. She is imagining it saying something odd and beautiful. Electricity moves from the corner of the room, towards her. Her hair starts to smoke.
       Billy is standing by the cupboard under the sink, staring at her. He feels like a ransom letter in the wrong order, made out of words from another, much more threatening ransom letter, itself downloaded from an internet template. He puts two paws against the door. Stands like this until it hurts a bit. Sits down.
       Thousands of cats starve to death needlessly every year, because their owners fall in love. She could end this cruelty now, but she won't. Not for another two years.

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