‘I am, but there’s stuff I need to do. Just give me a bit more time and I’ll come do whatever lame family stuff you want.’

He put the earbud back in his ear, dismissing me.

‘Saxon isn’t coming,’ I told the others as I entered the kitchen. ‘He’s on his computer, studying.’

Payton laughed through her mouthful of caramel slice.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

‘You guys think he’s so perfect, but you’re just blind. He’s not doing homework on his computer. He only brought it for The Tournament.’

‘What tournament?’ It took a few minutes for my brain to click and when it did, I frowned. ‘You mean that video game?’

She nodded. ‘He’s obsessed with it. Plays it night and day—I reckon he’d play in the shower if he could.’

‘But he hasn’t got internet here?’ Payton had a tendency to over-dramatise things, not to mention the fact her brother’s never been that kind of kid. Sure he played a bit of Xbox with his friends, but he’d always been more interested in his music.

She rolled her eyes. ‘He’ll be using his phone internet. Once he’s used up all his data, he’ll ask for yours. Anyway, can we please go swimming?’

‘I …’ I was torn between putting on my bathers and telling her to wait while I confronted her brother.

Hayley clearly read my mind. ‘How about Wei and I take Payton to the water and you can join us soon?’

‘Thank you,’ I mouthed.

Saxon scowled as I entered his bedroom again, not even bothering to remove his earbuds this time. ‘What do you want now?’

I went over to the bed and peered down at the laptop screen. Sure enough, my eyes were met with a gruesome image of blood and gore, little characters with massive guns shooting at other little characters.

‘Since when do you play games like that?’ I asked, my stomach turning over at such graphic violence.

Sax exhaled loudly, pressed a button on the screen and finally took out his earbuds. ‘A while now. I know how much you hate violence, but it’s not as bad as it looks. There’s a real strategy to winning and I’m pretty good at it.’

‘I see.’ My jaw clenched. ‘And what about your schoolwork?’

‘Mum,’ he groaned, ‘it’s the holidays. Most of the time you’re telling me I study too much and that I need to take a break, now that I’ve taken your advice, you want me to study instead?’ He slammed the lid of the laptop down and hurled it across the bed. ‘I can’t win with you!’

I caught the computer before it fell onto the floor. ‘That’s not true. Of course I want you to relax and have fun, but I have concerns about this type of game.’