At a chirping call she glanced up and saw a dusky woodswallow, perched on the edge of a branch up ahead, out near the cliff edge, returned from the mainland for the spring.

It was weird. They usually flew away at the approach of humans. But this one watched her, and so she watched it back. Her breath grew heavier until it was the only sound in her ears. The pine smell was thick in her lungs, it was choking her . . .

‘Jasmine!’ yelled Jack, grabbing her pack and pulling her backwards. ‘What are you doing?’

She shook her head, dizzy. The woodswallow was gone, and she realised she was several paces off the track. ‘What . . .?’

‘Didn’t you hear me calling? You’re about to go off the cliff!’

Her friends had gathered behind, along with some other curious girls, while the rest took the opportunity to walk ahead.

Jasmine felt uneasy. ‘I’m fine,’ she said, pulling away from Jack.

‘Calm down, Mr Michaels,’ said Madison wryly.

‘I reckon she’s just hungry,’ said Georgia, concerned behind her glasses, pushing a muesli bar into Jasmine’s hand.

‘You really didn’t hear us, Jaz?’ said Cierra quietly.

‘Everything alright back there?’ called Mr North from up ahead.

‘Yeah, Northo, we’re good,’ said Jasmine. She began walking and the others followed behind, Jack muttering under his breath.

Jasmine did her best to hide her trembling hands as she unwrapped the muesli bar. She picked up her pace.

I’m just stressed, she thought. I’m just very fucking stressed. What the hell are we doing?

She thought of her dad. She straightened her back.

I will not back out.

Standing up ahead was Mr North, at the side of the path with his arms folded across his chest, his mouth moving as he counted the girls going past.

‘How much further?’ moaned Cierra.

‘We’re over halfway, girls,’ said Mr North.

As they continued, they heard someone yelling for Mr North from further up the track. A moment later Carmen, the fittest girl in class, came jogging back down the trail. ‘Mr North,’ she said, barely out of breath. ‘We think Missy has broken her ankle.’

Mr North cursed, and together they went running up the track.

A few minutes later Jasmine and the rest of the group caught up. Missy Carswell was on the ground, sitting up against a fallen tree, crying while Mr North tested her ankle’s movement.

‘It’s not broken, just twisted,’ whispered Carmen to Jasmine and the others. ‘She just doesn’t want to walk anymore. Plus she landed right in a jack jumper nest.’

‘Ouch,’ winced Jasmine.

‘Yes, how Hunger Games,’ said Madison, rolling her eyes.