‘No, Mr Meredith,’ I said.

He smiled. ‘I thought not. I’m a good judge of character.’

We’d returned to the dining area by this time and other kids were coming out to take their places. The assistant who’d smoked on the walk back was getting the barbecue ready, checking the gas bottle and scraping stuff off the grills. He smiled as one of the kids asked him something.

Mr Meredith squatted down in front of me.

‘That’s Mr Dyson,’ he said. ‘Do you remember the Sydney bushfires about ten years ago?’ He shook his head and laughed. ‘Of course you don’t remember. You’d only be two years old. I’m an idiot. Well, there were hundreds and hundreds of deaths. It was a huge tragedy, one of the worst in a couple of decades. Mr Dyson lost his wife to those fires. Now he’s bringing up their son by himself. He’s being looked after by a neighbour while Mr Dyson is here with us. I know he misses his son, but what can you do? A man has to earn a living.’

He straightened and clapped his hands.

‘Well, off with you, child. Shower and then out here for dinner.’ I turned to go. ‘Oh, and Ashleigh?’ he added. I turned back. ‘It’s great to see you and Charlotte becoming friends. She needs someone to talk to about important things.’

I smiled, nodded and went into the dormitory. I was excited and not just by the prospect of the barbecue. Mr Meredith and I shared a secret, one I could reveal only to Aiden. He was going to be so excited when I showed him. He loves everything to do with animals and nature.

6

I had the weirdest dream.

Mum and Dad were trying to tell me something, but they were talking to me behind a huge glass wall. I could see their lips moving, but no sound came through. And then I realised why. I was inside a massive aquarium. I glanced down and saw that my feet were dangling and my arms were making small circular motions to help me tread water. My face was pressed up against the glass. It felt good to be weightless. And then I noticed air bubbles fizzing against my cheeks and climbing upwards. They were coming from the corner of my mouth and when I tilted my head back and looked up, I couldn’t see the water’s surface. The trail of bubbles rose and disappeared into a grey murk above me.

Mum and Dad were signalling, their faces twisted in worry, but I wasn’t sure why. I felt good. I felt happy. And then I saw Aiden on the other side of the glass with my parents and all of my good mood escaped, streamed away like bubbles of air. He should be with me. How could he look after me if he was on the other side? I opened my mouth to tell him and the water slammed down my throat. I inhaled it and it felt like stones churning and tumbling in my lungs …