I knew it wasn’t personal, but I still felt slighted. It was ridiculous how being in love exposed every nerve ending — any tiny knock felt like a major wound.
I was also bummed because Hayden was probably the only person capable of distracting me from scrutinising my dad’s every move for the next two hours.
‘You should have asked Hayden to supervise your dad,’ Jelena said, following my gaze up the aisle.
‘He’s always told me I need to butt out when it comes to Dad’s dating life,’ I said.
‘He needs to get real and help you nip it in the bud.’
Jelena raised an eyebrow as Ms DeForest ‘accidentally’ brushed her hand along the NAD’s upper arm while reaching up to grab her handbag from the rack above the seats. The NAD’s face lit up. He was going to get incinerated. It was just like Hunter’s Icarus metaphor: the NAD desperately wanted to fly, and right now the sun (i.e. reconciliation with Ms DeForest) felt good to him. He couldn’t see it would burn his wings and send him plunging into despair again.
‘This trip is going to be a disaster,’ I moaned.
‘Tell me about it,’ Lindsay muttered. She violently stabbed out a text on her phone, then turned it off. ‘There. Tyler wanted to go into hiding. He’s fooling himself if he thinks I’m going to come find him.’
‘Let’s lose the negativity, please,’ Jelena said. ‘I organised this trip and it’s an impossibility for it to be a disaster, cowardly boyfriend, flaky Ms DeForest and all.’
She got out her iPod, selected one of her motivational podcasts, stuck the headphones into her ears and pressed play.
CHAPTER 18
‘This is a disaster!’ Jelena wailed less than four hours later.
We’d reached the campsite safely, after two hours of my eyes burning into the back of the NAD’s head. Mr Quinten had instructed us to leave all mobile phones and wallets on the locked bus, and we’d unloaded our packs from the baggage compartment. Rudy, the owner of the camp, who had a beaming smile and a boomingly enthusiastic voice, had told us that the campsite was an hour and a half’s walk away.
As the bus pulled away in a cloud of red dust, I’d seen from my classmates’ faces that they felt like they’d been left in the middle of nowhere, metaphorically naked without their iPhones and tablets. Rocky ground, dry grass and tall gums had stretched as far as the eye could see. As we heaved our packs onto our backs and headed down the trail, Rudy had explained that the area had been suffering from a bad drought for the past ten months.
He’d kept up a steady stream of information as we trudged along the track. By the time we were an hour in, most of us had been too red-faced and busy huffing our way up the slight incline to reply. It had been clear we’d all overpacked. Rudy, with his light rucksack and compact sleeping bag clipped to one side, had bounded up the track in front of us, often walking backwards so he could face the group while pointing out flora and fauna.
When we’d finally reached the campsite, there had been a collective sigh of relief as people dumped their burdensome packs onto the ground. Ten or so cabins circled the camp area, which consisted of a firepit, a few wooden picnic tables, an undercover kitchen area and a barbecue area.
‘I have a feeling our accommodation won’t make glamping standards,’ Sara had said, taking off her sunglasses and surveying the cabins. To describe them as ‘weather-beaten’ would have been generous.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ Jelena had replied, looking unconcerned. ‘I’m sure it’s just some stylised rustification.’
She’d marched over to our designated cabin and thrown open the wooden door. Her face had fallen immediately, and continued to fall further with each and every discovery of the cabin’s minimalism.
‘There’s no full-length mirror. There’s not even a shelf for me to use my make-up mirror.’
‘There’s no glass in the window either,’ Lindsay said, pointing at the makeshift square cut into the wall. Some nasty-looking splinters poked out around its edges.
Jelena stared at the weatherworn and uneven floor, the cracks in the walls. ‘I was promised first-class accommodation.’
‘I guess this is first-class out here,’ I said. ‘Seeing as there’s no electricity.’
Jelena didn’t hear me. She was staring at the sagging canvas stretched over the rickety bunk beds. ‘This isn’t a bed. This is barely even a hammock!’
‘Um, Jelena, hate to break it to you, but there’s no proper toilet,’ Sara said as she came into the cabin.
Jelena froze in shock. ‘What do you mean?’
‘They’re pit toilets,’ Sara said.
‘Huh?’ Jelena looked like she’d never heard of the concept.
Lindsay’s face fell. I guessed she’d had experience with them on family camping trips.
‘Long drops,’ Sara explained. ‘You remember, like in medieval castles?’
Jelena’s mouth was frozen in an ‘O’ of shock. ‘Rudy!’ she yelled, leaning out the door.
Rudy came dashing over.
‘Listen, I know you guys have to simulate a rustic experience, but just between us, I’m assuming there are proper facilities for the camp leaders and organisers?’ Jelena said. ‘You know, a shower block with proper pipes and such?’
Rudy laughed. ‘Oh sure, there’s actually a tub too. You can have a nice long soak.’
Jelena looked overjoyed.
Rudy looked apologetic. ‘Oh dear. Sorry, I was sure you’d get the joke. No, the camp facilities are as you see them, same for staff and students. There’s no hierarchy here.’
‘But I like hierarchy,’ Jelena whispered.
Sara’s mouth was twitching with amusement. ‘Any second now she’s going to run into the bush screaming and we’ll never hear from her again.’
I shot her a look. I’d never seen Jelena like this.
‘So you’re saying we ignore basic hygiene for three days?’ Jelena’s voice had become harsh.
‘No!’ Rudy laughed again. ‘You’ve obviously packed wet wipes, as they were on your camp checklist. We encourage everyone to do a full wipe-down twice a day. But I can show you how to draw up a really great birdie bath with a big metal bowl and some water from the tank if you want something a bit more thorough.’
Jelena had pulled herself together by lunchtime. We’d all been rostered onto one of seven meal crews, each of which would be responsible for cooking a meal and clean-up. Jelena had quickly ensured she was made ‘supervisor’ of the lunch and dinner crews. This basically meant she positioned herself in a camp chair and watched the lunch crew’s knife skills while filing her nails. Wilderness or not, there was no way she was going to ruin a manicure.
While lunch was being prepared, the rest of us stayed out of the scorching midday sun in our cabins. What with the sling bunks, it was a bit like being in a wooden prison cell.
‘Spam?’ Lindsay’s nose crinkled with disgust as we lined up to make sandwiches from the assorted canned and long-life ingredients assembled in the undercover area of the campsite. It was clear that there’d be no gourmet meals served on this trip.
‘The creature is alive!’ Travis shook a piece of Spam on the end of his fork at the girls behind him in line. They shrieked and Travis dropped the meat.
‘Back of the queue,’ Mr Quinten instructed Travis sternly. ‘In the army, we were grateful for what we got. We didn’t throw food away.’
‘But is Spam a food?’ Travis protested as Mr Quinten marched him to the end of the line.
As Lindsay and I sat down at one of the long tables positioned in the shade, I saw that Jeffrey and Ruby had taken seats across from each other. Jeffrey gallantly brushed down Ruby’s side of the table before she put her plastic plate down. Talk about a great sign — they’d been hanging out for half a day now.
‘Set-up number one is on track,’ I said to Lindsay. ‘As is number two.’
Chloe and Benjamin were sitting side by side just a few students down from us. I could see they were reading aloud
from a play. Chloe looked up and smiled at me.
‘Benjamin’s convinced me to do a scene with him tonight,’ she called over. ‘He was going to do the opening scene of Richard III, but he wants me to play Lady Anne so we’ll do the scene where she’s on the way to the funeral of her husband.’
‘It’s a masterful scene and Chloe’s more than capable of pulling it off,’ Benjamin said, smiling at her. I could tell he loved playing mentor to such a pretty girl. ‘I really think she should consider doing drama for Year Twelve. There’s still time to switch a subject.’
‘Maybe,’ Chloe said.
‘I wouldn’t risk my thespian reputation on just anyone, you know.’
Benjamin gave her a meaningful look, his eyes holding hers for what was unquestionably longer than a friendly glance. Chloe lowered her gaze shyly and turned her attention back to the play. Benjamin gave me a thumbs-up and a grin. I’d never seen him so happy.
I gripped Lindsay’s arm. ‘Did you see the look he gave her? I have to admit, I wasn’t completely convinced they’d be a good match when his name came up, but I’m happy to have Cupid prove me wrong.’
‘I guess sometimes these things are instantaneous,’ Lindsay said, eyeing Benjamin as he moved ever so slightly closer to Chloe on the bench. ‘I feel bad for Hunter though. He looks really at odds with the whole camping thing.’
Instead of sitting at the long tables with everyone else, Hunter was under a tree on his own. He had a book in one hand and was studiously ignoring the laughter around him. Although he was wearing sunglasses, you could see by the expression of his thin mouth that he was equally uncomfortable and unimpressed.
‘He has a bit of a James Dean thing going on, doesn’t he?’ Lindsay said. ‘I mean, not in terms of looks — he hasn’t got picture-perfect features — but the whole loner vibe. There’s a lot going on under the surface there.’
‘Can you watch out for him today?’ I asked, worrying that one of our candidates was so obviously ill at ease. ‘I thought I’d focus on Jeffrey in these initial stages, as I think he’s our greatest challenge. Plus, I want to let the Chloe and Benjamin thing develop a little further before I bring Hunter into play tomorrow.’
‘No worries.’ Lindsay wrapped up her half-eaten sandwich and stood. ‘I’ll go over and talk to him.’
I watched as she went over and handed Hunter her untouched plastic cup of juice. He looked surprised at the thoughtful gesture. Lindsay sat down next to him and pointed at the book. Hunter handed it over and Lindsay asked him a question. His face, previously tense, visibly relaxed. That was a relief. I wanted Hunter to be the best version of himself tomorrow. If Lindsay could keep him talking and in good spirits, that would hugely benefit the program.
I was startled when Hayden sat down next to me, in Lindsay’s empty seat. Finally! He’d been so busy dealing with broken water flasks, forgotten sunscreen, temporarily misplaced sneakers and the removal of a giant spider from someone’s cabin that we hadn’t had time to exchange more than a few words since we’d left the car park hours ago.
‘How goes the matchmaking?’ he asked. ‘It’s a bit of a challenging environment for romance, isn’t it? What with the heat.’ He wiped his forehead.
‘Actually, I’m hoping that’ll work in our favour,’ I replied, thinking of the creaky bridge theory. ‘The matches seem to be pulling together to make the most of the situation. Well, except for Sara, who’s avoiding Johannes like anything.’
Johannes had shadowed Sara for the entire trek to the campsite. He hadn’t said much, but he’d kept darting glances at her. Sara had kept her focus entirely on Rudy and his monologue. I got the impression that Johannes was highly attracted to Sara, but seriously intimidated by her stand-offish attitude.
‘Can you give me an update on my favourite two candidates?’ Hayden asked.
I looked at him, confused. ‘Jeffrey and Ruby? Or Chloe and Benjamin?’
‘You and me, of course.’ He laughed. ‘Is it looking promising?’
‘I think you should tell me,’ I replied in all seriousness. Several days of minimal contact did make a girl doubt.
‘Okay, people!’ Mr Quinten shouted. ‘Time to wash up your own cups, plates and utensils. We’re heading over to the high-ropes course in fifteen minutes, so please ensure you’ve got your proper shoes on, water bottles filled and sunscreen applied before we head off. We won’t be returning to the campsite for around four hours, so make sure you have everything you need. Hayden, can I talk to you for a moment?’
Hayden gave me an apologetic look and walked over to Mr Quinten. It was like our relationship had been stuck on pause. Was I expecting too much to wish for a little progress? Or a conversation that lasted more than two minutes?
‘So, if you look up at the ropes, you’ll notice that they’re divided into coloured sections. Green denotes beginner, orange is moderate difficulty and the black is our highest and most challenging course. The height of the ropes off the ground ranges from two metres to around twenty-two metres, which is the equivalent of a seven-storey building.’
Lindsay, standing next to me, whimpered softly.
‘I’m sure you can stick to the two-metre parts,’ I whispered to her. ‘No-one’s going to make you do anything you’re uncomfortable with.’
‘This sounds scary, but I can’t stress enough just how safe these courses are,’ Rudy said over the group’s uneasy murmurs. ‘Routine checks are carried out by health and safety professionals, as well as arborists.’
I’d considered the possibility of a harness failing, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that a tree could fall down or a branch snap off. Suddenly every creak of the gums towering above us seemed magnified a million times.
Someone, probably Travis, snapped a stick and let out a long ‘noooooooo!’
Nervous snickers broke out across the group. Lindsay clutched my arm; her fingers were wet with sweat.
‘We are also fastidious about equipment,’ Rudy continued, unfazed. He was obviously used to high-school students. ‘A team member will check each and every harness and helmet before you begin any part of the course. I’m now going to put you into groups so we can go through safety training. Everyone will be assigned a ropes buddy, and you’ll monitor each other’s safety practices and progress throughout the afternoon. So choose your buddy, collect a helmet and we’ll fit you with a harness.’
Rudy headed over to the equipment boxes and most of the students followed him. Lindsay still hadn’t let go of my arm. She was like a koala clinging to its mother’s back.
Hunter wandered over. ‘I’m not entirely sure about this twenty-two-metre thing,’ he said. ‘Lack of bravery is generally condemned in a man, but I’m self-confident enough to ask if either of you is willing to take on a buddy you’ll have to baby?’
Lindsay’s fingers relaxed. ‘I’m kind of hoping the two-metre-high parts make up most of the course.’
‘Our objective is to aim low then. Rather ironic. I like it.’ Hunter looked pleased. ‘So you’re mine for the afternoon?’
Lindsay nodded, blushing slightly.
Hunter laughed. ‘Sorry, that sounded like Casanova inviting himself into a ladies’ lounging room. Didn’t mean to put it that way. I’ll grab our helmets.’ He headed off to the boxes of equipment.
‘He sounds like he’s from another century sometimes,’ Lindsay said, still a bit pink. ‘Like he should be wearing a tail coat and top hat.’
‘That’s why I’m keen to see what happens when I put him and Chloe together,’ I replied. ‘They’re both a little not of this time.’
‘That’s if Benjamin and Chloe don’t become a sure thing first,’ Lindsay said.
We both looked over at Benjamin, who was helping to fit Chloe’s harness and helmet. He brushed a lock of hair from her cheek as he fastened the strap under her chin. Her smile seemed to be etched onto her face — it had been a permanent fixture since lunch. I wondered if her cheeks were aching.
‘It’s looking promising,
I know,’ I said, ‘but we still need a backup. Try to find out as much as you can about Hunter. He’s not exactly the talkative type, but the more information we have, the more we can emphasise Chloe’s complementary traits when we set them up tomorrow. We’re working within a small window on this trip so we want to maximise the opportunities.’
Jelena came up to us. ‘Aurora, Ruby’s been nabbed by one of her female friends. Can you make sure Jeffrey’s partnered with Jemima? Otherwise it’s several hours of lost opportunity.’
‘Will do.’
I looked around for Jemima, who was standing alone. She looked way too nice to be camping, wearing a baby-pink singlet with lace ruffles on the shoulders and pink shorts scattered with a tiny rose print. Her make-up was immaculate, despite the heat and the strenuous walk to the ropes course. She stood with her helmet in her hand, not making any move to put it on or select a partner. I sensed that, like Lindsay, high ropes weren’t her thing.
I walked up to her. ‘Jemima, perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but there’s someone here who’s really hoping to be paired up with you. He told me he thought your exercise outfit was miles ahead of the other girls in terms of this season’s trends.’
Okay, I was stretching the truth, but Jeffrey did like bright clothes, so he’d probably go for Jemima’s outfit. I quickly waved him over while I had Jemima’s attention.
‘Jeffrey?’ Jemima sounded unsure. ‘Isn’t he the one who’s always talking about getting naked?’
I brushed off the question. ‘He’s a really funny guy. I think he’d be a great partner for this exercise if you’re feeling a little nervous. Good distraction.’
Jeffrey arrived at our side. ‘Mr Quinten’s partnering with Travis. He thinks it’ll keep him under control, but I think it’ll be Mr Quinten’s undoing. Travis told me he’s planning to let Mr Quinten hang from his harness any chance he gets.’
Jemima giggled. Jeffrey looked chuffed.
‘I won’t let that happen to you, don’t worry,’ he assured her. ‘And I’ll go up the ladders first, so you don’t need to stress about me checking out those cute shorts. You can eye me up anytime you like though.’
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You Page 23