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One Monday morning Marcus is alarmed because his mother starts crying before breakfast. He goes to school, where he now has two friends, Nicky and Mark, who also hide in the form room before school begins, and who also go to the computer club to avoid being bullied. Marcus has even been to Nick’s house once after school. But one day they tell him that they do not want to be friends with him any more, as he attracts bullies.

Meanwhile, Will decides to pose as a single father and go to a local single parents’ group. He invents a two-year-old son called Ned, and arrives early at the meeting of SPAT (Single Parents Alone Together). He feels depressed as he goes into the building because he had been expecting a happy group of people laughing and getting drunk, but there is nobody about. As he enters the room he sees one woman, who introduces herself as Frances, unloading bottles of wine, beer and soft drinks onto a table. As the other single parents start to arrive, Frances introduces Will. Most ignore him, and he is not very interested in them either, but one woman, Suzie, is very attractive and friendly, so Will sticks by her all evening. She tells him her history – her husband, Dan, left her the day before she had her daughter, Megan. She also tells him the histories of most of the other women in the room. Will feels that he is making progress.

Marcus goes to stay with his dad for the weekend in Cambridge. His dad’s girlfriend, Lindsey, is also there. Marcus watches a lot of television and on the Sunday they go to visit Lindsey’s mother in Norfolk. Marcus has a nice time, and Lindsey’s mum, whom he likes, gives him £5 for no reason. When he goes back to school he goes into his favourite newsagent’s on the way home, and the newsagent, Mr Patel, asks how his mother is. Suddenly the bullies are in the shop, laughing and pushing Marcus. After the bullies leave, Marcus finds that his pockets are stuffed with chocolate and chewing gum. Mr Patel tells him not to worry as he was watching the whole time. He asks whether the bullies are at the same school as Marcus and advises him to keep out of their way. Marcus wishes that life was that simple.

When he gets home, Marcus finds his mother lying on the floor watching cartoons. She tells him she took the afternoon off sick. He asks her what is wrong and tells her not to treat him like an idiot. She announces that Marcus is going to a picnic in Regent’s Park the following Saturday, which is being organised by SPAT. Marcus replies that he hates the SPAT people, and has done since his mother took him to one of their summer parties when they first moved to London. Will is also going to the picnic with Suzie, and they go in Suzie’s car. Megan, her baby, has to be in the front in her car seat, so Will travels in the back with Marcus, whom he has never met before. Will feels uncomfortable among all the single parents as he has no child with him, so he takes part in all the activities enthusiastically so that he does not have to talk with them. He sees Marcus wandering about on his own, and just then Suzie approaches him and they begin to talk about relationships. Will thinks that he and Suzie are about to move to the next stage in their relationship when Marcus suddenly appears in front of them and tells them that he thinks he has killed a duck.