‘Like I ever would.’ I kiss her. ‘But you’re right. I love you, my spontaneous girlfriend.’
There, I said it. Just like that. Because it’s true.
Tori smiles. ‘And I love you too,’ she whispers, kissing me back. ‘Come on, we need to find the others. Might be our last time all together before everyone goes off for the summer.’
I’d have nothing against standing here, alone with her, a bit longer, her lips on mine, but we’ve got the whole night. And the whole summer. A whole life.
Tori stops as Olive comes towards us.
‘Are you leaving already?’ she asks.
Olive nods. ‘It’s the swimming gala tomorrow,’ she says. ‘I need to get my sleep.’
‘Oh, yeah,’ Tori lets go of me and goes to give Olive a hug. ‘You’ll leave them all for dust!’
‘I’ll do my best,’ says Olive, but she sounds confident. She’s clearly relieved at having got through this year. It’s been a tough one for her, and I think she’s really going to have to work hardnext year too. Henry’s already offered his help, so I’m not too worried.
‘Message me when you get back – I want to know every detail.’
Olive smiles. ‘Will do. You can do a bit more partying for me. You two were amazing today.’ She waves and disappears into the darkness.
I love to see Tori looking so content and chilled. Not even Valentine Ward can affect how happy I’m feeling – he and a few of his pals came past just now, already steaming. Obviously, they’re way too cool for the village festival. They’re sure to be down in the Dungeon, getting absolutely wasted. Not long now and he’ll be gone. For ever. It’s almost too good to be true.
I force myself not to waste any more thought on him as we head back to our friends. They give us a cheer and budge up so that Tori and I can sit down. Henry’s got his arm around Emma – they can’t keep their hands off each other, even though they’ve got a while before Henry flies out to visit his parents in Kenya and the two of them have to spend no less than three whole weeks apart. Doesn’t bear thinking about. Mind you, I’m one to talk. I wouldn’t like the idea of being without Tori for so long either. Fortunately, we get to spend the whole summer together. Our Interrail tickets are booked and we’ve settled our route. It’s our first big adventure together, yet it can’t compare with what we’ve already been through. And that was just the beginning. I have to keep repeating it to myself, over and over again, as I look at Tori, hardly able to believe my bloody luck.
It’s like every year, just before the long holidays. A mixture of satisfaction and slight wistfulness that another year at Dunbridge Academy is behind us. But this time, it’s different. Because we’ve only got one left. The upper sixth, after which we’ll be scattered to the winds. I can’t think about it. I just can’t. And it doesn’t matter yet because we’re all here. Gideon, Grace, Omar, Henry, Emma, Tori and Olive, even if she’s asleep. I can’timagine ever being such good friends with anyone as I am with these people.
The others are talking about the play, our successful uniform rebellion, which is still making waves on social media, their plans for the holidays and the next school year. I don’t know what time it is, but the tables are gradually emptying and the sky is pitch black. Tori fights a yawn; I’m about to ask her if we should head back when Emma suddenly jumps up.
‘Em?’ Henry reaches for her hand, but she doesn’t even seem to notice. ‘What’s wrong?’
Her eyes are fixed on something beyond us. ‘Can you see that?’
I turn, but can’t see anything alarming.
‘What do you mean?’ Tori asks.
‘Shit,’ Henry mumbles. I’m standing up too now, and I can see what they mean. The dark clouds of smoke rising behind the houses of Ebrington, barely visible against the night. Beneath them, glowing flames are leaping into the sky. It’s such a surreal sight that, for a moment, I just stare in fascination. But then I realize what it means.
Every sound fades into the background, yet I can hear raised voices around us.
‘That’s Dunbridge,’ says Gideon, flatly. ‘The west wing, I think. Fuck . . .’
Tori’s standing motionless beside me. She’s pale.
‘Oh, my God.’ Grace’s voice trembles and she grabs Gideon’s wrist. There’s blind panic on her face. ‘Olive.’ That’s all she says.
Olive . . .
My blood runs cold. Fire, it’s the west wing, Olive went back ages ago to get some sleep. I have to call Mum, no, the fire brigade, first the fire brigade.
I hear sirens in the distance.
My heart stops. Tori digs her fingers into my arm.
And then we run.
