I have a plan for getting the message across when the time comes. Everything is in place. As soon as I discover what I need to know, I’ll get the information to you.

You’ll see.

Be waiting for me.

On a Promise

‘You got this, Will,’ April says, standing in front of the stage holding two ice-cream cones.

Will lays a hand on one of the turntables. ‘Sure. Cometh the hour, as they say.’

‘That’s the spirit.’ She bounds up the wooden steps. ‘Pistachio or honeycomb?’

‘You choose.’

April offers him the pistachio but not before she’s gouged out a chunk with the tip of her tongue. Will has no appetite but gets stuck in anyway. You know it’s gone on too long, he muses to himself, when sharing an ice cream is a turn-on.

‘Cool idea, the stall.’ Will gives a thumbs up to the guy manning the timber pop-up in the far corner with Gelato across the top in pink and blue letters. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and discreetly looks at the screen.

Danny.

It’s the third call he’s ignored in the last hour. Not a word has been said between them since the Temple Arms. Will’s not about to distract himself from this big day by having another row with him now.

‘I’ve gone too far, haven’t I?’ April says. ‘I think I’ve been enjoying the distraction a bit too much, and totally fucking overdone it. Is everyone just gonna laugh at me?’

‘It’s incredible,’ Will says. ‘You’re incredible.’

She reddens and sticks out a honeycomby tongue at him. ‘Are the decks OK?’

Will looks over the pair of Technics turntables, the CDJs, the Pioneer mixer, the pair of Sennheisers.

‘Literally never used equipment this good before.’ He wiggles the fader from side to side. ‘Shit, I’ve never touched equipment this good before.’

‘Glad I got that right, at least,’ April says, looking pleased.

It’s gone four now and it’s nearly dark outside. The event’s due to start at seven but right now the school is almost empty. April’s team of helpers have gone home, just a handful of sixth-formers here now. Outside in the quad there’s a barbecue being set up, a smoothie factory, the multi-room bouncy castle, a chill-out room of al-fresco sofas. The temperature is dropping ever closer to zero; there are space heaters dotted every few metres and a wall of spare gas cylinders just outside the hall doors. There’s a howling noise from beneath the stage and a cloud of smoke jets into the open space, dissipating and fogging the entire room.