My father’s not a bad listener, stopping me occasionally to ask a question, make an empathetic grunt, or voice his approval.

I explain how I called Marissa’s father cruel, and she was so furious she ended our friendship. And along with Marissa, I lost my entire friend group. Social Siberia is as lonely as advertised. But it all worked out in the end, mostly. And the most important thing was, I found my way to Paula and Dave, discovered a more genuine friend in Lucy, and green-eyed Oliver, the nicest, cutest boy in my year, liked me back, miracle of miracles.

It’s a long story, all set to Jaxon’s live guitar soundtrack. I check if he’s listening but he has a faraway expression, clearly too involved in his music. Or maybe he’s just giving us some space.

When I finally finish talking, we stand up and my father hugs me. I feel a million kilos lighter having told him so much. We put out the fire and pack up.

‘I’ll come soon,’ Jaxon says. ‘Just want to try calling him again.’

After I go to the snow-toilet again, my father demonstrates how to wrap and hang our food on a tree branch a few metres away so if any animal comes visiting, they won’t associate us with food.

We open the tent door. Inside, it’s surprisingly warm and I fall down on my sleeping-bag, exhausted.

‘You were saying before,’ I say, hoping to hear more about him since we’ve only talked about me, ‘about what you do for work?’

Silence.

‘Adam?’

His soft snores fill the tent.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I hear a rustling of the tent flap.

‘Everyone asleep?’ Jaxon whispers.

‘I’m awake,’ I whisper back. Despite my bonetiredness, my head’s buzzing. ‘But Adam’s asleep already.’

Jaxon’s sleeping-bag is on the other side of my father and I hear him shuffling around, scraping, a clanging on the fire-heater door, then finally a zip and silence.

‘Still awake?’ he asks after a few minutes.

‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘Guess it’s the jet lag. Any luck with your dad?’

‘No.’

Another pause. I’m curious to know what’s happening with his parents, but don’t want to ask anything too personal.

I hear him say something, but it’s soft and mumbled.

‘What?’ I whisper. ‘Sorry, I can’t hear you.’

Jaxon manoeuvres around Adam, bringing his bag closer to mine.

I hold my breath, hoping this isn’t going to be weird. He’s nice and all, but I like Oliver. I should really mention I have a boyfriend, but then again, if he’s not planning to make a move I don’t want to come across as arrogant or vain. ‘Um,’ I start.

‘What?’ he asks.

‘It’s just, I wanted to say—’

He wiggles even nearer. ‘I can’t hear you. Anyway, I think I owe you an explanation.’

‘About what?’