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The feeling of his lips against mine.

‘I think it’s Josh,’ Chase says.

‘It’s gotta be, right?

Ever since you two –’

He’s cut off by the sound of the huge double doors opening as Miss Madzikanda strides into the room.

I watch her taking each predetermined step, like she has no free will.

‘For what reason is it this hot?’ she demands.

I look for any clues that things might be different today, but everything’s the same.

Not a single hair out of place.

‘All right, you lot,’ she says, clapping her hands together and commanding everyone’s attention.

‘I want volunteers for team captains.’

Tiffany’s hand shoots in the air before she can even finish the sentence.

She elbows Ethan and his hand shoots up too.

‘Why am I not surprised?’ Madzikanda says, taking out a couple of red bandanas and tossing them over.

I think back to yesterday.

How Ethan cheated to win the game for Hawthorn.

I can’t bear the thought of them winning again.

Maybe this is something I can change as well?

If I can prevent Chase from being drenched with fake blood, maybe I can stop Hawthorn from stealing the game too?

I already know the outcome of the coin toss.

Chase and Bec will think I’ve lost it if I volunteer for team captain, but if I put myself forward I can get us the hill …

‘And Sycamore?’ Madzikanda says, turning to our side of the room.

Bec puts her hand up, like before.

I just have to get in before Cameron does.

I go to raise my hand and –

‘I volunteer!’ Kellen yells with the intensity of Katniss Everdeen.

The whole room turns to look at him.

What the hell is going on?

‘I volunteer,’ he says again, going completely off script.

This doesn’t make any sense.

Did I do something to knock him off course, or does he actually know what’s going on here?

He can’t know, surely?

He would have said something.

I watch him closely as he takes his blue bandana from Madzikanda and ties it, and just when I’m convinced he’s not in on it he looks directly at me and smirks.

Oh my God. He knows .

‘Kellen, what the hell?’

It’s taken me half an hour to get him alone.

He called heads at the coin toss, meaning we lost and Hawthorn took the hill again.

Now we’re walking back through the woodland, the rest of our team up ahead of us, oblivious to the insanity that’s going on around them.

Cameron is leading the charge, bouncing along as he waves our flag.

If only he knew that we’ve already lost this game once, and we’re about to do the same all over again.

‘Surprised?’ Kellen says.

‘Thought you were the only one?’

‘Well, yeah, kinda …’

Kellen huffs.

‘Of course, the world always revolves around you, Zach.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

Why is he immediately on the attack?

‘I’m just saying, you find yourself caught in …

whatever the hell this is, and you assume it can only be happening to you.’

He does make a good point.

I realize now how self-centred that seems. But what was I supposed to think given the circumstances?

‘So you really think there’s more of us?’

‘Why wouldn’t there be?’

Kellen shrugs. ‘What makes us so special?’

‘I don’t know,’ I say.

‘But was anyone else acting any different?’

‘Well, not as obviously as you, that’s for sure.

Yelling about a time machine?’

‘It was them that brought up the time machine!’

‘Well, whatever, you sounded completely insane.’

‘That’s because this is insane.’

‘And what’s the first rule of a crisis?’

Kellen asks.

I look at him blankly.

I’m not sure if that was rhetorical.

‘Don’t panic. Stay calm.’

‘That’s easier said than done!’

‘Is it?’ he says.

‘Because I was kinda thinking that this whole thing might be a great big blessing in disguise. What if we’re just being given a second chance?’

‘Well, actually,’ I say, ‘I was sort of thinking that too. Yesterday was such a disaster …’

He groans.

‘You can say that again.’

I think about his proposal.

At least Rhys said yes.

‘So now we can set everything right,’ I say.

‘Exactly. Starting with winning this stupid game.’

‘So then why did you mess up the coin toss?’

‘I didn’t.

You underestimate me, Zach.’

‘You knew it would be heads. If you’d called it, we could have had the hill.’

‘Too many variables,’ Kellen says with a shrug.

‘It would have changed the whole game. This way, we know exactly what’s going to happen.

The only reason we lost was because of Ethan’s trick.

He’s not gonna fool us twice, Zach.’

I think on that for a moment.

‘That’s actually not a bad idea,’ I admit.

‘We just play it exactly like we did yesterday. Stop Ethan. Score the final point.’

‘Exactly,’ he says with a smile.

‘Simple.’

‘Why do I feel like it’s not going to be that easy?’

‘Because you struggle with chronic pessimism,’ Kellen fires back.

‘You have to be more positive! What else went wrong yesterday? What else can we fix for you, Zach?’

‘Where do I even start?’ I say.

‘Chase getting pranked. The yearbook getting soaked. Me getting expelled.’

‘What?’ he says.

‘I wasn’t there for any of that.’

‘You weren’t?’ I say, taking a few moments to fill him in.

I give him the summarized version, but even that has him stunned as I explain exactly how much went wrong.

‘OK, you win,’ he says as I round out the story.

‘I step away for two minutes …’

‘Where were you anyway?’ I ask.

I can’t believe he missed all of that.

‘I was … busy ,’ he says, and I know exactly what that means.

Him and Rhys consummating their engagement no doubt.

Which reminds me …

‘There was one more thing,’ I say, realizing I left out the most important part.

‘Oh yeah?’

‘There was … a kiss .’

‘Say what now?’ His ears prick up.

‘You kissed someone?’

‘Well, more like someone kissed me.’

‘Now that is extraordinary,’ he teases.

‘Have you told Tiffany? She could stop the presses! Get her dad to run a story about it in the Herald .’

‘Hilarious,’ I say, throwing him side-eye.

‘So who was it then? Josh again?’ I can see his mind going back to our conversation of yesterday.

‘Or Cameron …?’

‘I don’t know,’ I say.

‘Maybe. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.

I’m kinda hoping it was Cameron, but it was dark and I was …

distracted.’

‘So you have no idea who kissed you? You can’t be serious, Zach!

You’re just randomly snogging strangers now?

You heard “masquerade ball” and thought, Wahey, this is my time for anonymous hook-ups!

? If you were that desperate, why didn’t you just use the glory hole in the third-floor bathroom?’

‘There is not a glory hole in the third-floor bathroom.’

‘Course there is,’ he says.

‘Between the last two stalls. Ask Rhys.’

‘You two are actually disgusting.’

‘What? It’s not like we drilled it ourselves.’

‘Well, who did then?’

‘You really think I know? Zach, you don’t even know the identity of the guys you’re kissing!’

‘First of all, it’s one guy, singular.

Second of all, it wasn’t like that.

It just happened so quickly.

And it wasn’t just some ordinary kiss.

It felt … different.’

‘Different?’ Kellen raises an eyebrow.

‘Different how?’

‘Just different,’ I say.

‘I felt something weird. Like a tingle.’

‘It’s called a boner, Zach.

Grow up.’

‘Oh my God, can you just stop and listen to me for one second?’

‘I am listening,’ he says.

‘Someone kissed you. You don’t know who it was.

You felt a “ tingle ”.’

He does air quotes as he says it.

‘Anything else?’

‘Well … no. That just about covers it.’

‘Interesting,’ he says, glancing around at the other students.

He looks like he wants to say something more, then stops himself.

‘Well, what were they wearing?’

‘This gold suit,’ I say.

‘Matching mask. All sparkly.’

‘I don’t remember seeing anyone in a gold suit,’ Kellen says slowly.

‘Exactly. Me neither. That’s why it’s weird.

Surely one of us would have seen him?

There’s not even that many students in our year.’

‘What if it wasn’t a student then?’

‘You think it was a teacher?!’

‘No, you idiot!’ He looks at me with absolute horror.

‘I meant it could be someone from outside! Someone our age! From another school!’

‘Oh,’ I say.

‘Oh, indeed.’ The disturbed look is still frozen on his face.

I wonder if it could be someone from another school.

It’s not a bad theory.

But why would they be here?

Kissing random boys in the dark.

That doesn’t make any sense.

‘No,’ I finally say.

‘They had to be a student here. They knew my name!’

‘And you’re sure you didn’t imagine it?’

‘I’m not hallucinating, Kellen!’

‘I’m not saying you are,’ he says, but he totally looks like he thinks I am.

‘Did you get anything else at least? Was he Black? White? Hair colour? Weight?’

‘Yes, he was a size eleven shoe,’ I say sarcastically.

‘I checked just before he kissed me, and then after I got his blood type.’

‘Well, I don’t know,’ he says.

‘That’s how the prince found Cinderella!’

‘By checking her blood type?’

‘You’re not funny,’ Kellen says dryly.

‘He was taller than me,’ I add.

‘At least I think he was.’

‘But everyone’s taller than you, Zach.

You’re our little pint-sized prince.’

‘I’m five foot ten,’ I protest.

‘Exactly.’ Kellen smirks.

‘You can borrow a pair of my heels if you like. Save you going on your tiptoes to make out with strangers?’

‘You’re insufferable, you know that?’

‘Oh, I’m fully aware.’

He beams. ‘Come on, let’s win this stupid game.’

The game goes exactly as it did yesterday.

We end up tied two–all, and Cameron once again suggests putting me and Kellen on defence.

I thought about challenging that idea this time, keeping more people back, but Kellen’s probably right about not changing too much.

If we start pulling on every little thread, then the whole day will unravel.

Madzikanda’s whistle blows, and our team scatters back into the woodland.

Kellen and I stay behind to guard the flag.

With much more determination than yesterday.

Everything is now riding on what happens next.

All we have to do is lull Ethan into a false sense of security and stop him taking our flag.

If we can do that, we just might win this.

‘So let’s say we do beat them,’ I say, leaning against the flagpole.

‘Then what?’

‘Then we enjoy prom,’ Kellen says.

‘In Sycamore colours for once.’

‘Yeah, but what else are you gonna do differently?’

‘I can’t tell you everything , Zach!

Where’s the mystery in that!’

I look at him blankly.

The last thing we need is more mystery .

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ He sighs.

‘That proposal. I’m dying just thinking about it.’

I try not to wince.

‘I mean. It was … sweet.’

‘It’s fine, Zach.

You don’t need to tell lies.’

‘OK,’ I say. ‘It was a bit cringe … I mean, who gets engaged at prom? You’re barely eighteen, Kellen.

This isn’t the Middle Ages.’

‘I know,’ he says.

‘But I’ve heard what everyone’s been saying about me and Rhys.

How we’ll never survive long distance.

How we’ll never make it through the summer.’

Words straight out of Tiffany’s mouth.

Is that who he’s talking about?

‘I just thought if I could make it official … then we’d have to make it work.’

‘Trapping him by putting a ring on his finger isn’t going to make the difference,’ I say.

‘If you wanna try long distance, then go for it. You don’t need a forced engagement.’

‘So you don’t think I should propose again then?

Tonight, I mean?’

‘Honestly?’ I say.

‘Please, for the love of God, don’t do that.’

I feel the second-hand embarrassment all over again.

‘How did you even afford a ring anyway?’

‘It was my grandfather’s.’

‘Oh, Kellen …’

‘I thought it would be romantic!’

‘It is romantic,’ I say.

‘But this early in a relationship? When you’re both still so young?

It’s just maybe a bit …

full on? It doesn’t mean you can’t do something , though.

A gesture maybe? To tell him how much he means to you?’

‘Like, maybe I could get onstage and –’

‘No getting onstage!’

I hear a branch snap in the distance.

‘They’re coming!’ Ethan yells.

He’s wearing the blue bandana, once again pretending to be his brother.

‘They’re coming!’ he repeats, looking back in the direction he appeared from.

‘Their whole team.’

I don’t react.

We can’t let him know we’re on to him.

This needs to be handled with surgical precision.

‘Get him!’ Kellen screams, completely not sticking to the plan at all.

‘Huh?’ Ethan looks surprised, darting out of the way.

‘Wow,’ he says, bouncing from side to side, easily evading us.

‘I honestly thought you’d fall for that.’

‘You really think we can’t tell you and your brother apart?’

I say.

‘Most people can’t,’ he says with a grin, dashing to the right.

Kellen almost grabs him, but Ethan slips through his fingers, ripping off his stolen bandana and beelining for the flag.

I try to catch him, but I trip over my own feet, and fall forward as he snatches our flag and sprints away from us.

I get up and try to go after him, but it’s hopeless: he’s ten metres ahead of us by the time we break the treeline.

We call for help, and our teammates do their best to stop him, but – just like yesterday – he passes the flag to Tiffany and she carries it all the way back to home base.

They make it look effortless.

‘Jeez,’ I say, out of breath.

‘How did we manage to screw this up twice?’

Kellen sighs.

‘Because we’re terrible at sport, Zach!

We could repeat this day a hundred times and probably still mess it up.

Maybe Hawthorn are meant to win this …’

‘Oh, fuck that,’ I say, frustrated.

‘Don’t give me any of that everything happens for a reason nonsense.

They still cheated, Kellen.

I’m going to Madzikanda.’

‘What?’ he says.

‘Zach, don’t. We talked about that yesterday.’

‘Yeah, and I shouldn’t have let you talk me out of it.’

‘Zach, please …’ he pleads.

I really don’t understand why this is so important to him.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, walking towards Madzikanda.

She’s about to raise the loudspeaker to her lips when I interrupt her.

‘Miss, wait.’

‘Zach?’ she says, lowering it again.

‘They cheated,’ I say.

‘Ethan stole a blue bandana and pretended to be his brother.’

‘What?’ Ethan says, overhearing this.

He clearly wasn’t expecting to be called out.

‘You little liar!’

‘I’m not lying, and you know it.’

‘He’s making it up,’ he says, turning out his pockets.

‘See, no bandana.’

‘That’s because he tossed it!’

‘All right, settle down,’ Miss Madzikanda says.

‘Did anyone else see this, Zach?’

‘Of course they didn’t,’ Tiffany interrupts.

Why does she have to insert herself into everything?

‘He’s just making it up.

Attention-seeking as always.’

‘Fuck you,’ I bite back.

‘Language!’ Madzikanda snaps.

‘Was anyone else there, Zach?’

‘Kellen was.’

I don’t even look at him as I say it.

I know he really doesn’t want to get caught up in this, but I need him to back me up.

Hawthorn can’t get away with this twice.

‘Kellen?’ Madzikanda asks.

He’s skulking off to the side, pretending he’s not listening.

Ethan and Tiffany glare at him.

Rhys gives him a look that screams, Don’t you dare.

‘I didn’t see anything, miss,’ he lies.

‘Zach must be … mistaken .’

‘Kellen, what the fuck …’ I say.

I honestly don’t know what I was expecting, but seriously?

This shows where his true allegiance lies.

Madzikanda sighs, almost like she believes me, but can’t do anything about it.

‘I’m sorry, Zach, but if you two can’t get your story straight, the result will have to stand.’

A huge smirk rolls across Ethan’s face.

Tiffany pouts as if to say poor you .

‘Come on, miss,’ I say.

‘You know I’m telling the truth.’

‘Sorry, Zach.’ She raises the loudspeaker to her lips.

‘Three–two to Hawthorn!’ she booms, her voice carrying over the treetops.

‘Congratulations to this year’s winners!’

‘Thanks a lot,’ I mutter to Kellen.

‘What did you expect me to do?’

‘Tell the truth, maybe?’

‘I told you,’ he says.

‘Tonight has to go perfectly. I’m not about to mess that up.’

‘Why does it matter?’ I say.

‘We’re leaving this place tomorrow!

If you hate Hawthorn so much, why do you keep buddying up to them?’

‘Because I want to be with Rhys !’ he says.

‘He’s not like the rest of them.’

I snort.

‘Don’t be like that.’

‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘But if he wasn’t, then he wouldn’t put up with their shit either.’

‘He’s just being loyal to his friends.’

‘But not to his boyfriend .’

‘Zach.’

‘What do you want me to say?’

‘I just want you to be supportive,’ he snaps back.

‘You dropped me the second me and Rhys started dating. You pushed me out of my own friendship group!’

‘No, I didn’t!’

I say, outraged. How dare he suggest such a thing?

‘You were the one who stopped spending time with us!’

‘Because you made me feel like I wasn’t welcome.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘All the snide jokes. Constantly belittling our relationship.’

‘That’s because you don’t belong with him!

You don’t belong with Hawthorn!’

‘You can’t be serious,’ Kellen says, shaking his head.

‘It’s all made-up nonsense, Zach!

Sycamore. Hawthorn. Who the fuck cares!’

He takes off his bandana and storms away from me.

I watch as he goes to congratulate Rhys, kissing him on the cheek as he’s lifted into the air.

Ethan gives him a fist bump and he exchanges air kisses with Tiffany.

And, just like that, everything snaps back into place.

Today is once again no different to yesterday.

I thought Kellen and I could be a team, present a unified front, work together to find out what’s really going on here.

But we obviously want completely different things.

His priorities are not the same as mine, so from here on I’m only looking out for myself.

If I’m going to put this day right, I can’t do it with him messing everything up.

The masked stranger comes back to the forefront of my mind, and I can’t help but glance across at Cameron.

He and Bec are chatting at the edge of the playing field.

They’re both laughing.

They seem happy. Maybe the game really wasn’t that important after all.

I think about heading to the showers, but decide to hang back a little.

As much as I want my chance with Cameron, if I learned anything from yesterday, it’s that there’s truly nothing worse than fumbling your way through a naked conversation with your crush.

‘Hey, good-lookin’!’

You have to be fucking kidding me.

I gave the boys a good half an hour before venturing into the showers.

I thought that would be plenty of time, but here’s Josh, just as I’m getting all soapy.

‘What are you doing here?’ I say, wanting to cover up.

‘Um, taking a shower?’ He laughs.

‘What do you think? This isn’t your own private bathroom, you know.

Or did you think you were back at the mansion?’

‘The mansion? What mansion? I grew up in a two-bedroom house.’

‘You did? Huh. I always imagined you with butlers and silver service.’

‘I don’t know what gave you that idea,’ I say.

Surely that’s not the vibe I give off?

‘How come you’re so late anyway?’

I ask. ‘I thought you’d be getting ready by now.’

‘I’m running a bit behind,’ he says.

‘Owen had a bottle of champagne, and …’

‘You’ve been drinking?

It’s, like, four p.m!’

‘It’s the last day of school!’

Josh starts peeling his shirt off.

Drops of sweat bead on his skin, and the afternoon light accentuates his slender figure.

‘Time doesn’t exist here.’

‘You can say that again,’ I reply.

If only he knew how right he was.

He looks directly at me then.

‘You know it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, right?’

‘That was a whole year ago,’ I say.

Why am I blushing now?

!

‘Yeah, I noticed things have grown a little since then.’

‘Oh my God,’ I say.

‘You’re not supposed to look.’

‘I was talking about your biceps!’ He ditches his shorts.

‘Even so!’ I say. ‘Avert your eyes! Locker-room etiquette, Josh!’

‘Never heard of her,’ he says with a shrug, taking his underwear off and twirling it on his finger.

‘It’s just nice to see you so excited.’

‘Huh?’ I croak, looking down.

‘For prom. Biggest night of our lives, right?’

‘Oh, er … right,’ I say, feeling increasingly flustered.

‘I’m just fucking with you.’

He comes over to take the shower right next to me.

What is it with these boys and their complete disregard for personal space?

‘But you can relax, Zach. That’s the joy of being friends who’ve bumped uglies!

Though I kinda hate that phrase.

Mine definitely isn’t ugly.’

I can’t help but glance down.

‘Made you look,’ he says with the most infuriating grin.

‘What were we even thinking back then?’

‘What do you mean?’ I say.

I can’t help but be offended by the statement.

‘Well, I’m me and you’re …

well … Zach . It’s such a mismatch.’