Alex had helped Joe move his motorbike right by the shore so that the front headlamp shone out across the water, its beam creating ghostly shadows on the rocks as he and Bruno ran down the track in their swimming trunks, towels over their shoulders. Carina was following them, looking distinctly pissed off. Alex knew why, of course. She was no longer the only pretty girl in the group, and she didn’t like it.

The night air was cold; it even made Alex shiver. Joe, who had suggested the late swim, was still fully dressed. He was standing at the edge of the water on the flat rock they always called the bathing stone, a joint dangling from the corner of his mouth as he moved his torch around, allowing the light to linger on Carina. Alex still hadn’t made up his mind about Joe. Admittedly he’d provided weed and rode a motorbike, which was cool, but Alex couldn’t shake off the feeling that the guy was somehow making fun of them. Plus, he didn’t like the way Joe looked at Carina. However, at last he had a chance to impress Joe’s attractive sister. He’d had his eye on Tanya from the minute she turned up; she reminded him of one of the girls in a Whitesnake video. He ran towards the edge of the rock and somersaulted into the dark water, with Bruno right behind him.

‘Come on in, Joe!’ Alex shouted. Joe crouched down and put his hand in the water.

‘Jesus, that’s cold,’ he said. He looked up at Marie, who was weaving her way down the track. ‘Are you going in?’

Marie nodded, took off her top and jeans and kicked off her shoes, then jumped in wearing only her bra and pants. Carina joined her.

‘Give me some light, Joe!’ Alex called out as he scrambled out and began to scale the rock face. Joe obliged.

‘Come down, Alex! It’s too dangerous in the dark!’ Carina shouted as she and the other two clambered out and grabbed their towels. Alex continued to climb. He stopped about halfway from the highest point, the spot he’d jumped from earlier in the day.

‘Too scared to go any higher?’ Joe said, but Alex pretended not to hear. He wanted to impress Tanya, but he wasn’t stupid.

‘Drum roll!’

He stepped out onto the outcrop and looked over towards the group; as he’d hoped, Tanya had moved to the edge. He waited for a few seconds until he was sure she was watching him.

‘Geronimo!’ he yelled. He jumped, executing the same dive as before, folding his body in half like a pocketknife. This time he misjudged his entry. The cold took his breath away; it was considerably more painful than in the afternoon.

He surfaced, pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked up expectantly. Tanya had disappeared, and the boombox wasn’t playing anymore.