How to Get to Rio (13 page)

It was almost dark by the time we finally made it back to The Lost World. We were exhausted from our epic volleyball session. As it turned out, my thoughts about a promising career on the national volleyball team had been premature. My star had burned brightly for just a few minutes and then crashed – along with all the balls that I’d spiked straight into the net. Still, I was hooked. I’d definitely be signing up for volleyball when I got back to school. Mia and Izzy agreed that I totally had potential.

When we reached our tent, Mia’s and Izzy’s families had already started dinner. The boys were sitting at a camp table, their faces covered in tomato sauce and bits of burnt barbequed food. Usually, that sight would have put me off eating altogether, but I was starving. At that moment, a blackened sausage looked gourmet and it tasted even better. After stuffing ourselves, Izzy, Mia and I staggered off to our tent.

I collapsed onto my sleeping bag, moaning, ‘I can’t move. My arms, my legs!’

‘My butt,’ Izzy whined. ‘How does sand do that?’

That’s when I noticed how scratchy my sleeping bag felt. It was full of sand.

‘What the –?’ Mia began, shaking out her sleeping bag. ‘There’s sand everywhere. How could it get so sandy? We haven’t even been in here.’

Izzy reached under her pillow and pulled out a lolly snake. ‘I think I know who’s been in here.’

‘The boys!’ we all shouted.

‘How come they get lollies and we don’t?’ Mia grumbled.

‘How about we fix that, right now?’ Izzy grabbed her torch and shone it under her face. It made her face creepy, dangerous even. ‘I think it’s time for a raid.’

We slipped quietly out of our tent and crept on our hands and knees across the grass. From the amount of noise coming from the big tent, it sounded like the Rodent Tribe were in that one. And by the smell of it, they were having a farting competition. We sneaked past, holding our noses, and slipped into the boys’ smaller tent. Izzy flashed the torch inside. It was a total pigsty, but there was no sign of boys or lollies.

‘We need a diversion,’ Mia whispered as we crawled out of the tent.

I knew exactly what to do. ‘I’ll get them out, you two get the loot and we’ll meet at the girls’ toilets.’

The girls hovered behind the noisy tent while I went into action.

‘I’m up for catch and kiss!’ I shouted.

Seven boys all screamed at once. They tumbled out of their tent, arms and legs going everywhere. Then they scattered into the darkness squealing ‘Girls’ germs!’

I ran after them. ‘Oh, come back,’ I wailed. ‘I want to kiss you!’

I gave chase for several minutes – long enough for Mia and Izzy to accomplish their mission. Then I tiptoed off to the shower block.

Mia and Izzy were waiting there with huge smiles and two big bags full of lollies. They waved their loot at me. ‘We got everything,’ Mia said.

‘And nearly died of suffocation in that stink fog,’ Izzy said, coughing. She opened her bag and peered inside. ‘I can’t believe how many lollies are in here. I wasn’t allowed to have
any
lollies when I was their age.’

‘I’m still not allowed,’ Mia frowned, ‘because I’m in training.’ She pulled out a set of pink and white lolly teeth and wore them in her mouth like false teeth. Then she quickly stuffed a pineapple and teddy bear in, too. ‘These are so good!’ she garbled around a mouthful of lollies. ‘Oo on, ’ave some,’ she said, offering me the bag.

I grabbed a handful and looked around. The shower block wasn’t the nicest place for a late-night lolly feast. ‘Should we go back to the tent to eat these?’

‘No way,’ Izzy said, shaking her head. ‘That’s the first place they’ll look for us.’

We finally decided the safest place would be the camp kitchen. We scurried across the camping ground with our stash, like the sneaky little thieves that we were. We fumbled our way into the kitchen, which was in complete darkness, except for the blue glow of a mosquito zapper.

‘Don’t turn on the light,’ hissed Izzy. ‘You’ll give us away.’

Izzy and Mia found a bench and sat at one end. I was just about to sit down when I noticed something.

‘Can you see what I see?’ I said.

‘Doubt it. I can’t see a thing,’ Izzy said, rummaging through her bag. ‘Including what’s in here. I’m not even sure they’re lollies.’

‘Over there on the wall,’ I said. ‘It’s a kettle.’

‘Oh, hurrah!’ Mia said in a posh voice. ‘Anyone for a nice cup of tea?’

Without explaining, I dashed out of the kitchen. I was super excited about my discovery. A power point! Now I could charge my phone! Then I’d be able to text Persephone and, with any luck, see Rio.

I was fumbling with the zip on our tent when a bat flapped overhead. I watched it pass and was suddenly struck by the night sky. The stars were so bright it was like the whole solar system had been amped up.

Then, out of nowhere, a star shot across the sky. A shooting star!
How lucky is that?
I thought. I closed my eyes and wished. I wished for a kiss with Rio. I opened my eyes, hoping Rio would wander out of the darkness and whisper my name. But there was nothing.

I sighed, a little disappointed that the shooting star hadn’t worked, and clambered into the tent to find my phone. While I rummaged through my bag, I imagined Rio peering over my shoulder watching me.

‘So, what do you think of The Lost World?’ I asked him.

Then I did his voice. ‘Pretty cool. And I especially liked seeing you play volleyball on the beach before. You were smashing it!’

I smiled coyly as I pulled out my charger. ‘Oh, you are too kind.’

The imaginary Rio touched my shoulder. ‘Really, you totally rock! You’re great at everything. And pretty, too. Babe, you’ve got it all.’

‘Oh, Rio. I’m blushing!’ I replied.

That was when I caught myself. I put my hand over my mouth to prevent any more instalments of the fantasy love scene.

What if Mia’s and Izzy’s brothers are outside the tent listening?
I thought, feeling my cheeks get hot. I would die of embarrassment.

I poked my nose out of the tent to make sure there was no-one there. When I was sure I was alone, I flopped back onto my air mattress and stared at my dead mobile. Now I had a way to charge it, I could get Rio’s number and speak to him for real. But was I ready for that?

The imaginary Rio was very easy to talk to, but how would it be if I were actually with him? What would I say? I didn’t even know if he liked me. In fact, it was very likely that he didn’t, especially after not meeting up with him today.

I was having second thoughts about charging my phone. If I left it in my bag, Rio would remain in my imagination as the perfect boyfriend. If I charged my phone, something might happen with Rio. It might be good or it might be bad – there was just no way to tell. I felt sure that the shooting star had been a sign: a clue to what I should do. But what had it meant?

Was I supposed to charge my phone or leave it in my bag?

‘What are you doing here?’ I said to Izzy to Mia, ‘I thought you were camping in the middle of nowhere.’

Izzy just stared at me. ‘And I thought you’d done your ankle,’ she said flatly.

Persephone glanced at me sideways and I shuffled uncomfortably. It was bad enough being caught out by Izzy and Mia, but it was total torture facing my friends in front of Persephone. When I told her I’d got out of going camping, I hadn’t told her that I’d
lied
to get out of it.

‘Well,’ I paused, not exactly sure where to start my explanation. ‘I don’t actually have a sprained ankle.’

Mia studied my foot. ‘But I distinctly remember you telling me you did, and that’s why you couldn’t come camping.’

I took a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, and then everything tumbled out of my mouth in a rush. ‘I really wanted to go on holidays with you two. You’re my best friends in the world. But I made up the stuff about my ankle because I didn’t want to dig my own toilet or get attacked by leeches or worry about snakes in my sleeping bag. You know I’d be scared senseless on a camping trip like that. And then Persephone asked me to come to Paradise Point, and she said we could meet Rio, and you know I’ve had a thing for him, like, forever, and I didn’t want to upset you guys so I made an excuse not to go camping.’ I stopped for a breath. ‘I’m sorry. Really sorry.’ I looked up at Izzy, Mia and Persephone. ‘I really am sorry.’