‘Sure.’ He handed her one and lit it for her between his cupped hands, then rummaged in the cool bag and opened a can of beer for each of them.

‘Are you at college?’ Carina asked. ‘You and your sister?’

‘College!’ Joe snorted with laughter.

‘So, what do you do, then?’

‘Me and Tanya do whatever we feel like.’ He took a deep drag, blew the smoke out through his nose.

‘Where do you live?’

‘So many questions,’ he said with a grin. ‘Why, do you want us to move in together? We’ve only just met!’ He took another drag. ‘I have a kind of cabin at my stepfather’s place, but we can usually find somewhere to live. Tanya’s good at getting us invited to stay with people. There are plenty of parties in the summer.’

‘Your stepfather? Not Tanya’s?’

Joe raised the can of beer to his lips without answering, shuffled closer so that their arms were touching. Carina could feel his eyes roaming over her body.

‘So, what are you going to do when the summer’s over? Seriously.’

Joe looked as if she’d said something amusing.

‘You’re all the same,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Little kids who think you’re so fucking unique. You can’t imagine that anyone has ever felt or thought the way you do, but you’re nothing more than extras in your own self-obsessed show. Your dreams are so childish.’

He drew a circle in the air with the glowing end of his cigarette. ‘Look at you. In thirty years the five of you will be at some pathetic class reunion talking about how simple everything was when you were young, wishing you could do it all again, but really enjoy it this time round.’

One final drag, then he flicked the butt into the fire.

‘Me and Tanya, we do whatever we want. Unlike you, we’ll never get old enough to have regrets.’

He grinned, and once again Carina found it difficult to work out whether he was serious, or simply teasing her. She thought probably the latter. It was nowhere near as much fun being on this end of the joke.

The others gradually emerged from the tents. Marie’s eyes were red-rimmed, and she firmly refused when Joe offered her a beer. Alex opened a can and knocked back the entire contents in one, finishing off with a loud belch that made Carina turn her back on him in disgust.

As usual, Bruno looked vaguely unsure of himself. He put another log on the fire and sat down next to Marie, who was leaning forward with her head resting on her knees.

‘Are you OK? Can I get you anything? Some water maybe?’

Marie shook her head. Nobody spoke for a while; they stared into the flames as Madonna played in the background.