giant cave, with strobe lights flashing in time to a throbbing beat. About a hundred guys and girls milled around in the flickering light, but it was hard to tell who was in there. The light distorted everyone’s faces, and anyone at the far end of the room was almost completely hidden by a screen of smoke. A DJ seemed to be hovering in thin air above the crowd. I’d never seen anything like it. There was no chance I’d trip over an antique in here, but I might never find Saia, either.
‘This is amazing,’ I yelled in Annabel’s ear, so she could hear me above the music.
‘Told you it would be!’ She grinned and squeezed my hand. ‘Let’s find the guys.’
I grabbed Kimmi’s hand and we pressed our way through the crowd. A few girls were swaying to the music, but most people were just hanging out, surveying the scene.
‘Can you see them?’ Kimmi shouted when we got to the far end of the room.
I shook my head, peering through the smoke to see if I could recognise anyone. I couldn’t see Marco, Ryan or Saia, but I did notice a guy staring at Kimmi.
‘There’s a guy over there,’ I said, nudging Kimmi. ‘He’s looking at you like he knows you.’
‘Where?’ Kimmi said, blatantly turning around.
‘Black shirt, blonde hair, ten o’clock,’ I said.
‘Never seen him before,’ Kimmi said, just as he looked her way again. Kimmi quickly turned away. ‘Awkward!’
‘He’s actually pretty cute,’ Annabel said, staring right at him. ‘If things don’t work out with Marco –’
‘What do you mean? They’re totes going to work out with Marco,’ Kimmi interrupted. ‘Let’s see if the guys are outside.’
Kimmi marched off into the crowd with Annabel and I right behind her. But we hadn’t gone far when a bunch of girls bounced out of nowhere and smacked right into us, sending us tumbling into a huddle of guys. Kimmi seemed to lose her footing, and reached out for the nearest stable object, which happened to be the guy in the black shirt.
‘Oops, sorry, my bad!’ she apologised. Blushing, she quickly righted herself, then let go of the guy’s arm and stepped back.
The guy spun round to face her, looking confused at first. Then he smiled, realising who had bumped into him. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah, thanks. Just tripped, sorry.’ Kimmi’s eyes darted from the guy to us. ‘Anyway, better go.’
‘Yeah, see you round,’ he called. ‘I’m James, by the way.’
‘I’m Kimmi. Hey, nice to meet you. Bye.’ Kimmi rushed off, grabbing my hand on the way past. ‘How embarrassing!’
‘Chill out,’ Annabel laughed. ‘He was sweet.’
Kimmi shook her head. ‘Oh god, that was awkward. Let’s just find the guys.’
We shuffled our way across the room and then outside onto the terrace, breathing in the cool night air and taking in the view. I’d been in such a hurry to get inside when we arrived, I hadn’t even noticed it. The terrace looked right across the harbour to the city.
‘Not a bad place to live,’ I said, watching a ferry make its way across the river. I could definitely handle waking up to this view every day.
‘Hey, you made it!’ came a voice from behind us.
I turned around to see Saia. He had a gash above his right eye – from the rugby game, I guessed. It just made him look even cuter than ever. And his shirt was almost the same colour as my dress. I felt my legs quiver when he smiled at me and said hello to the others.
‘Have you just arrived?’ he asked.
‘Pretty much,’ I said.
‘Any idea where Ryan is?’ Annabel asked.
‘And Marco?’ Kimmi added.
Saia looked around. ‘They were right behind me. Must have gone inside.’
Annabel and Kimmi looked at each other, and before I had a chance to decide if I wanted to hang out with Saia on my own, they had disappeared, to look for the guys.
I smiled at Saia shyly, silently cursing Annabel and Kimmi. I would have liked a bit of notice before being abandoned. What was I going to talk to him about? I
‘This is amazing,’ I yelled in Annabel’s ear, so she could hear me above the music.
‘Told you it would be!’ She grinned and squeezed my hand. ‘Let’s find the guys.’
I grabbed Kimmi’s hand and we pressed our way through the crowd. A few girls were swaying to the music, but most people were just hanging out, surveying the scene.
‘Can you see them?’ Kimmi shouted when we got to the far end of the room.
I shook my head, peering through the smoke to see if I could recognise anyone. I couldn’t see Marco, Ryan or Saia, but I did notice a guy staring at Kimmi.
‘There’s a guy over there,’ I said, nudging Kimmi. ‘He’s looking at you like he knows you.’
‘Where?’ Kimmi said, blatantly turning around.
‘Black shirt, blonde hair, ten o’clock,’ I said.
‘Never seen him before,’ Kimmi said, just as he looked her way again. Kimmi quickly turned away. ‘Awkward!’
‘He’s actually pretty cute,’ Annabel said, staring right at him. ‘If things don’t work out with Marco –’
‘What do you mean? They’re totes going to work out with Marco,’ Kimmi interrupted. ‘Let’s see if the guys are outside.’
Kimmi marched off into the crowd with Annabel and I right behind her. But we hadn’t gone far when a bunch of girls bounced out of nowhere and smacked right into us, sending us tumbling into a huddle of guys. Kimmi seemed to lose her footing, and reached out for the nearest stable object, which happened to be the guy in the black shirt.
‘Oops, sorry, my bad!’ she apologised. Blushing, she quickly righted herself, then let go of the guy’s arm and stepped back.
The guy spun round to face her, looking confused at first. Then he smiled, realising who had bumped into him. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah, thanks. Just tripped, sorry.’ Kimmi’s eyes darted from the guy to us. ‘Anyway, better go.’
‘Yeah, see you round,’ he called. ‘I’m James, by the way.’
‘I’m Kimmi. Hey, nice to meet you. Bye.’ Kimmi rushed off, grabbing my hand on the way past. ‘How embarrassing!’
‘Chill out,’ Annabel laughed. ‘He was sweet.’
Kimmi shook her head. ‘Oh god, that was awkward. Let’s just find the guys.’
We shuffled our way across the room and then outside onto the terrace, breathing in the cool night air and taking in the view. I’d been in such a hurry to get inside when we arrived, I hadn’t even noticed it. The terrace looked right across the harbour to the city.
‘Not a bad place to live,’ I said, watching a ferry make its way across the river. I could definitely handle waking up to this view every day.
‘Hey, you made it!’ came a voice from behind us.
I turned around to see Saia. He had a gash above his right eye – from the rugby game, I guessed. It just made him look even cuter than ever. And his shirt was almost the same colour as my dress. I felt my legs quiver when he smiled at me and said hello to the others.
‘Have you just arrived?’ he asked.
‘Pretty much,’ I said.
‘Any idea where Ryan is?’ Annabel asked.
‘And Marco?’ Kimmi added.
Saia looked around. ‘They were right behind me. Must have gone inside.’
Annabel and Kimmi looked at each other, and before I had a chance to decide if I wanted to hang out with Saia on my own, they had disappeared, to look for the guys.
I smiled at Saia shyly, silently cursing Annabel and Kimmi. I would have liked a bit of notice before being abandoned. What was I going to talk to him about? I
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