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The path began tilting steeply and soon narrowed to the point where we had to walk single file to fit – Miranda in the front. When did I get so unfit? Invisible creatures
whirred past my ears and I felt – even if I couldn’t actually see – nocturnal eyes watching us.
Leave,
I told myself, my pulse quickening.
Get away from here
. But I
wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my way back in the dark. And there was no way I wanted to be stuck out here alone.

Finally we came to a fence made of thick iron posts. Oona’s fence.

‘Climb through,’ said Miranda.

‘Where?’

She pointed to a gap where some posts had been pushed apart. Miranda waited for me to go first, then slipped through herself. ‘If you follow me, the security lights won’t
activate.’

Up ahead was the house, hunched into the hill. But we didn’t head towards it. Instead, Miranda led the way through Oona’s yard, sticking as close to the fence as possible, until we
came to the carport.

‘How did she get permission to build this thing?’ I said, trying to sound jokey. The carport had been constructed at the end of the very steep driveway and looked like it could
tumble over at any minute. Oona’s car was parked beneath it, its front bumper touching the fence. Beyond the railings the ground dropped away steeply.

‘She didn’t get permission,’ Miranda said.

I stepped back and of course Miranda noticed. ‘You’re not scared of heights, are you?’

‘No,’ I said.
Just depths.

‘Oh good.’ Miranda was much more cheerful now. Chatty and excited like she used to be. ‘You’ll love this game then.’ She went over to the fence and used it for a
lift up one of the poles. Once she was on the roof, she leant over the edge, her hand stretched down to me. ‘I’ll help you up.’

‘No, thanks. It’s easier if I do it myself.’ I felt the pole wobble as I began climbing. But I knew there was no backing out. I scrambled onto the roof and sat very still as if
that might stop the whole structure from collapsing. Miranda didn’t seem worried. She sprang up and sauntered over to the very edge and I noticed something then that I hadn’t seen from
the ground. The carport roof actually stuck out
over
the fence. Sharp rocks jutted up where the ground dropped away below. I drew in my breath sharply as Miranda took a step forward. Her
toes were over the edge.

‘Miranda! Stop!’

Miranda laughed. ‘You big baby,’ she said scornfully. ‘This is the whole point. It’s a nerve test. We stand here with our eyes closed until one of us chickens out and
steps back. Or falls off.’

‘I’m not playing that. It’s stupid. And dangerous.’

‘Aw, sweetie. Don’t be scared,’ crooned Miranda. ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen?’

I gritted my teeth. ‘We could die?’

Miranda sighed and stepped away from the edge. I felt relieved, until she came over to where I was standing and put an arm around my neck. It was too tight to be called a hug. It was more of a
tackle. ‘It’s just a
game,
Olive,’ she said. ‘Please show me you’re not a coward. I can’t stand cowards.’

I found myself being led forward, step by step, until we were both standing balanced on the edge of the carport. I kept my eyes straight ahead, my body stiff.

Miranda stood beside me, her arm still wrapped around my neck. ‘Imagine how incredible it’d feel if we jumped,’ she said. ‘Flying through the air.’

‘Imagine how incredible it would feel being smashed to bits on the rocks.’ I spoke loudly, cynically. Trying to mask my fear.

But it was like Miranda had heard me say something completely different. ‘Shall we do it then?’ she said, like she was inviting me to another gig. Another party.
‘Together?’

I prised her fingers from my arm. ‘
No
.’

Miranda didn’t even look around as I backed away from the edge and climbed down, my arms and legs trembling. I looked up to see that she remained exactly where she was, silhouetted against
the blackness, her arms stretched out to the sides.

‘It would be amazing,’ she sighed. ‘Just imagine – no more being held back by your past. No more guilt about what you did to your family. No more aching for dead best
friends.’ Miranda sounded blissful. ‘Don’t tell me that you’re not tempted, Olive.’

‘Jumping off won’t fix anything,’ I said stonily.

‘Yes, it will. Of course it will.’

I watched her, feeling useless. If I’d had my phone I could’ve called someone. The police. Maybe if I yelled loud enough Oona would hear us – but that seemed unlikely. I
considered climbing up again and pulling her back to safety. But what if she threw her weight forward and we spilled like a waterfall over the edge? The thought made me prickle all over.

‘Come on, Miranda,’ I pleaded. ‘Come down from there. You win, OK? You’ve got the most nerve.’

I didn’t really think she would listen, so it was a shock when she sprang back, ran lightly across the roof and swung herself over the edge. The
safe
edge.

‘How great was that?’ said Miranda, all twinkly-eyed with excitement.

I couldn’t look at her. Now that we were both on the ground again, the panic was being rapidly replaced by fury. ‘No, it wasn’t
great.
’

Miranda rolled her eyes. ‘God, Olive,’ she said. ‘I never meant for us to actually
do
it.’ She shook her head, pouting at me. ‘You used to have a sense of
humour. I don’t know what’s happened to it recently.’

‘I’m going home,’ I said, not even bothering to disguise my revulsion and anger. Walking back alone in the dark was pretty unappealing, but staying was worse. I headed off, and
was a few metres away when Miranda came running up behind me.

‘Is this yours?’ she said. ‘I found it in the taxi the other night.’ She was holding out my phone. When I took it from her I did something I hadn’t done for a long
time. I avoided touching her skin.

I shoved the phone in my pocket and walked away without a word.

I couldn’t bring myself to take the shortcut through the forest. Once I was through the hole in Oona’s fence I followed it around to the main road and walked along
that instead. By the time I arrived home it was past midnight – early by my recent standards – but my evening didn’t usually involve late-night hikes or near-death experiences on
shaky carports. I was ready to drop. Perhaps this was why I didn’t notice the kitchen light was on. So I almost had a heart attack when the back door swung open and I saw Mum standing there,
her arms folded.

‘Get inside,’ she said. ‘We need to talk.’

I walked past her, through to the kitchen, then over to the sink where I poured myself some water and drank it very slowly. ‘I’m stuffed,’ I said, putting the glass down.
‘Let’s talk tomorrow.’

‘No,’ said Mum. She sat at the kitchen table and pushed out one of the other chairs with her foot. I was used to her looking worried, but the anger was new. ‘I want to know
what you’ve been up to.’

‘Well, during the day I’m at school,’ I said. ‘You know – the one you made me go back to even though I’m a total outcast there? And then some nights I’m
here, looking after Toby because you’re
working
. And on the other nights I’m slaving away at the Mercury, which I have to do because it’s not like I get any pocket money
and –’

‘Don’t be smart, Olive,’ said Mum tightly. ‘You know what I’m talking about.’ Her fingers thunked on the tabletop. ‘Sneaking out in the middle of the
night is unacceptable, as is lying about it. So let me ask you again. What have you been up to
tonight
?’

Crumbs were spread across the tablecloth like a toast-coloured rash. I pressed hard on one with my thumb, feeling it dig in and then crumble. ‘I’ve been hanging out with
Miranda.’

‘You were at her house?’ said Mum, looking relieved. Like somehow this was good news.

‘Yes.’

‘Was Oona there?’

I nodded. Oona probably had been there, somewhere. My chair scraped across the tiles. ‘Is that it? Can I go to bed now?’

‘No,’ said Mum. ‘I’m glad you’ve made a new friend, Olive. Truly I am. And I’m happy for you to spend time with Miranda. But I want you to promise me
there’ll be no more sneaking out.’

To be honest it was kind of a relief to be ordered to take a break from the craziness of the last few months. Especially after what I’d been through that night. But I wasn’t about to
let Mum know that.

‘OK,’ I said, sighing deeply. ‘I promise. No more sneaking out.’

‘I also want to have a family day,’ added Mum. ‘You, me and Tobes.’

I knew exactly what that
family day
would involve. Mum would make one of the same horrible cakes she always made and we would watch the same selection of boring movies we’d been
watching for years.

‘That sounds great,’ I said.

‘Really?’ Mum looked like she wanted to believe me so much that it hurt my heart.

I nodded. ‘Really.’ And as I said it I found myself thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. Slothing around with Mum and Toby was pretty appealing just then.

‘Sure. I’m working Friday night – tonight – but I’ll stay home the rest of the weekend. I promise.’

Mum hugged me then – so tightly that it was actually kind of hard to inhale. ‘I’m so pleased,’ she said. ‘What type of cake should I make? Zucchini and
poppyseed?’

‘Mmm,’ I said. ‘I can taste it already.’

I’d only just walked through the school gates on Friday morning when Miranda bounded up, acting like everything was fine. Like she hadn’t recently tried to convince
me to jump off a roof. ‘I’ve got the
best
news,’ she said.

‘What?’ The sensation of her fingers on my arm was giving me the creeps.

‘Oona’s going away!’ gloated Miranda. ‘Some
friend
is going to pick her up this afternoon and whisk her off for the whole weekend. Can you imagine Oona having
friends?’

I couldn’t.

‘Here’s the best bit,’ Miranda continued. ‘I’m going to have a party. A super-exclusive one – starting straight after school. Oona will be gone by
then.’

‘I’m working tonight,’ I said coolly.

Miranda’s face pinched the way it always did when someone was irritating her. ‘So call in sick,’ she said. ‘Seriously. You can’t miss this. It’s going to be
incroyable
.’

‘I’ve called in sick a lot recently,’ I said. ‘Noah won’t be happy.’

Miranda’s forehead creased. ‘Are you being deliberately stupid?’ she said. ‘I mean, more than usual? Come
after
work then. The party will be going all night.
Probably all Saturday too.’

‘No.’ I’d been so petrified of saying this to Miranda. But now that I was doing it, I was almost enjoying it. ‘I promised my mum I’d spend Saturday at home,’
I said. ‘We’re making a cake and watching movies.’

Miranda sniggered. ‘You’re
not
serious.’

‘Actually yeah, I am,’ I said.

‘You’re really not coming?’

I shook my head. ‘Sorry.’ Although I wasn’t.

Miranda’s fingers curled up. So did her face. ‘You
bitch
.’

The word flew at me like a fist and I knew it was meant to knock me out, or at least wind me. But I didn’t feel a thing.

‘You can’t just ditch me like this,’ she said. ‘I won’t let you.’ Then she turned and stalked off.