‘Cameron?’ I call, watching the ripples get smaller and smaller until the lake falls completely still. ‘Cameron?’ I yell again, my voice growing panicked now.

‘Help!’ I shout, hoping someone will hear me, but it’s hopeless. Everyone’s inside, the squealing sound of each firework drowning out my voice. ‘Somebody help!’

But nobody hears me. Nobody comes. I’m all alone on the jetty.

‘Fuck,’ I say, tearing off my jacket and kicking off my shoes. I brace myself for the cold of the lake and leap in after them. I dive beneath the surface and reach around for them. But the water is far deeper than I could have imagined. It goes down and down, until I feel the pressure pushing on my eardrums. Since when has the lake been this deep?

The fireworks continue to explode above us, the muffled sound rippling through the water. I dive deeper and deeper, reaching for them in the darkness, until finally I feel something grip my arm. It happens so suddenly that it startles me, and I almost choke.

It’s a hand, and it’s pulling on me. I pull back, but it’s like whoever it belongs to is stuck on something, unable to move. Their fingers squeeze, more and more frantic, and now I’m almost out of air too. I try to break free and go for the surface, but the hand grips me tighter and tighter. A silent pleading in the pitch-black of the lake.

I don’t want to let go, but I have to. I can’t hold it any longer. I feel water in my lungs and the blackness consumes me.

3

‘Prom night, baby!’

I gasp for air, coughing and spluttering as I wake. Chase is standing over me, holding the pillow he just hit me with. ‘Fuck, are you OK?’ He’s wearing the same blue baseball cap. The same Miami Dolphins shirt.

‘Again?!’ I gulp. ‘You can’t be serious!’

I get out of bed and hurry over to the window. The rugby team are throwing the ball around as always, completely oblivious to the fact this is the third time we’ve all been here.

‘No, I’m not doing it,’ I say, grabbing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. ‘Not again.’

‘Doing what?’ Chase says, looking at me in confusion.

‘There’s no point explaining because you’ll just forget again tomorrow!’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ He looks offended.

‘It’s nothing,’ I say. ‘Everything’s fine, OK? I just need some air.’

‘OK …’ he says, sounding completely baffled. ‘Here if you need me!’ he shouts as I charge out of the room and go straight up to Kellen’s. There’s a dirty sock on the door handle for some reason. I knock twice and open the door, to see Kellen straddling Rhys, both of them naked.

‘Zach!’ Kellen squeaks. Rhys just seems to find it funny.