Liam pulled away for a final time. “Shall we go outside? It’s too hot in here.”

I let him lead me out, twisting around to wave to Jade and Sally, who were screaming and clapping this development. Liam tugged me past the bouncer and around the side to a dank car park, and the cool air hit my skin.

“That’s better,” he said. His arms were around my waist, this time his mouth on my neck. “Shall we sit?” He took me to a romantic lump of concrete and we perched next to each other.

“You guys were really good,” I told him. “In fact, my mate Mike wants to poach you for his own band.”

“Really? I mean, those guys rock...maybe I should?”

I was dredging up advice from all the teen mags I’d read—deliberately copying his body language and asking him lots of questions. “Have you always played guitar?”

“Yeah. Since I was twelve. Writing songs is how I make sense of the world, you know?”

I nodded earnestly. I couldn’t stop looking at his hair. It was so perfect. Dark curls tumbling over his eyes.

“How do you make sense of the world?” he asked, cupping my face.

“I mean, often, I don’t,” I said, and we both laughed. “But, er... I like reading and writing, I guess. I write about things I’m angry about in all these notebooks.”

“Oh yeah?” He tucked a lock of my hair back behind my ear. “And what makes you angry?”

I searched my mind for the answers I’d been practicing for such questions—answers that I hoped would make him fall for me. “Umm...like our obsession with capitalism?”

He nodded profusely, proving I’d got it right.

“Yeah, like, we just buy and buy stuff to fill the void, you know?” I said. “And I hate shallow things too.”

“Yeah, me too. Shallowness is just the worst.”

“Yeah. Deepness is so much better.”

“God, you’re so smart.” He pulled me to him and rewarded me with a kiss, and I couldn’t believe we’d made such a spiritual connection. We eventually broke away, staring at one another. His eyes were so green, so pretty, I sort of wanted to poke one with my finger.

“Do you want to come back to mine?” he asked, as casually as you’d ask someone if they wanted one of your fruit pastilles. “My parents aren’t home. And I’ll walk you home after.”

After WHAT? I panicked, but said, “Oh, yeah, sure.”

“There’s space for you in the van.”

“Wow. Great.”