I managed to sneak in a quick conversation with Lachlan before a very high Rubi took hold of my arm and guided me away. I could tell she was having fun, which was a good alternative from her usual bland self.
“Sorry,” I mouthed to him, “I’ll come back soon.” But, I didn’t get the chance. At exactly 11 minutes past 11 o’clock, Becker Lane and some older boys that I didn’t recognise grouped together the partygoers and ran them down the street towards the harbour.
Being with Rubi, I was urged along in all the excitement. But it wasn’t exciting for me. A gut feeling told me that I should have gone back to the house and called Rosa to pick me up.
I should have listened to that feeling.
When we reached the harbour, a shifty-looking man beckoned us onto his creaky, rust covered boathouse. I followed reluctantly behind Rubi and searched the dozen people pouring into the boat for Lachlan.
“Isn’t this fun, Meg?” Rubi asked, shouting over the noisy crowd of teens. Her bright green eyes glinted in the full moon’s light.
“Fun?!?” I yell, “This is anything but fun! What are we even doing? Do we know this guy?” I was stressing out, which I normally did, that we were going to be hurt or killed before we returned home tonight.
“Chill, Meggie! Relax and you might actually…” Her words from then faded out as the boat lurched forward and swam away from the bay. I scanned the crowd nervously and spotted the back of a person who looked a lot like me. Indi! God, I was furious! I stormed over to her and pulled her around to face me.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know. A look of surprise crossed her face then she smiled warmly.
“What are you doing here, silly?” She laughed gaily. I glared at her.
“You are not supposed to be here! Val and Rosa will be worried sick about you!!” I shouted crossly over the rumble of the boat’s engine. She smirked and shook her hands madly about.
“Oh, Mrs Worrywarts! Calm those titties of yours!” She tutted, waggling her finger at me, “I wrote Valentina a note saying I was going to have some fun and that I would be back as soon as possible.” I frowned.
“Well, we are obviously not going to be back in time for Rosa to pick me up so I have every reason in the world to worry!” I screeched, frustrated at her obliviousness.
“Of course we’ll be back! We are only going for a quick little sail.” She laughed, starting to remind me of the symptoms of being drunk.
“Are you drunk?” I asked cautiously. She giggled, girlishly.
“Do I sound it?” She slapped her hand over her mouth and that’s when I noticed a glass of off coloured fluid in her hand.
“You are drunk, Indi!” I slapped her face, annoyed, “Wake up to your –’’
A large flicker of orange behind her head caught my eye and I stepped around her to get a closer look at it. I looked in horror for in front of me meant my almost certain death and the deaths of those all around me.
A fire had ignited in the engine room and was blazing wildly out-of-control. Thinking quickly, I did the only thing I could do, and I jumped overboard.
