"I don't think I should've got drunk before doing this" Hannah said, leafing through the census form and growing steadily bewildered.

"Hannah!" Sacha exclaimed disappointedly. "For god's sake. Can't you stay sober for just one night? This is important!" It was the first time she'd berated Hannah for her drinking for years - probably since the last census, she reflected.

"It's okay, Sacha" Shelly said. "Chill out. Here, Hannah, we'll help you with anything you're not sure about. Anyway it's all pretty straight-forward." Shelly turned the form towards herself. "Now where's the bit I have to fill out?"

"It's here" Sacha said, pointing. "See, on the same line as both of us. You can be Person Three."

"And where do I write down where I normally live? Do they want to know that?"

Sacha looked down the form, craning her neck to get a better angle on it. "Here" she said, putting her finger on the appropriate question when she found it.

"Oh yeah, cool."

"Do I need to write down our address?" Hannah asked.

"I already did that" Sacha said. "On the front page. Don't worry about it."

Shelly had picked up a pen and was writing her address in the appropriate space; she'd skipped ahead but Sacha decided not to make a big deal out of it. "Next time the census comes around," Sacha said casually, "you'll probably be living here, right?"