‘Well, this makes up for it.’ Jaddi jumped up and down, twisting the screen of her phone to face them. ‘VIP tickets means front-row seats.’
Lizzie opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as her eyes scanned the screen of Jaddi’s mobile. ‘What’s that comment next to it?’ She grabbed Jaddi’s arm and pulled it towards her, bringing the mobile with it. ‘Does that say Harrison?’
‘I don’t know.’ Jaddi shrugged. ‘I’ve not had a chance to read through them all.’
‘It does.’ Lizzie’s forehead furrowed. ‘It’s from Harrison.’
Ben adjusted the lens and stepped closer. ‘Who’s Harrison?’
After a pause, Jaddi spoke. ‘Harrison is a guy Lizzie dated for a few weeks in London last year.’
‘Not just dated.’ Samantha grinned, swept along in the excitement of Guy Rawson’s message. ‘He was Lizzie’s one that got away.’
Jaddi nodded, flashing a smile into the camera lens. ‘Harrison moved back home to Australia before anything could get going between them and—’
‘I thought he was from America,’ Samantha said.
‘Anyway,’ Jaddi said, ‘he’s put a message on the comment board, which says: Can’t wait to show you around Sydney. Message me when you get here.’
‘Can you message back through that page?’ Lizzie asked.
‘To Guy Rawson?’ Jaddi asked. ‘I definitely want those VIP tickets.’
‘No –’ Lizzie shook her head ‘– to Harrison.’
Samantha snorted. ‘A world-famous, incredibly gorgeous and talented singer invites you to front row seats at his concert, and you’re asking about a boy you went out with a few times?’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘Well, can you?’
Jaddi tapped a button on her screen before handing her phone to Lizzie. ‘Just type what you want to say there.’
‘What do I say?’ A spark of excitement lit Lizzie’s face as she looked between Jaddi and Samantha.
Samantha leant forward, peering over Lizzie’s shoulder. ‘Say: That would be lovely, kiss kiss.’
Jaddi laughed. ‘No, that’s too mushy. She hasn’t spoken to him since last summer. He could be seeing someone. Just put, great, see you in a few weeks, then put a smiley face.’
Lizzie tapped at the screen for a minute before handing the phone back to Jaddi.
‘We’d better go,’ Samantha said. ‘Long day tomorrow.’ Samantha closed her eyes for a moment as a yawn overtook her body. Tomorrow they would leave the city and spend eleven hours on a bus to Cambodia.
At least it would be more relaxing than climbing a hundred steps in a million-degree heat, Samantha thought.
Day 5
Lizzie
‘I can’t hear myself think,’ Jaddi shouted over the thumping beat of a Gloria Estefan song carrying from one of the bars at the edge of the market.
‘I know,’ Lizzie said, glancing at the three Thai women in bright-pink bikinis and high heels dancing and swaying, beckoning passing men to join them inside the bar. It wasn’t even midday yet.
‘We really need to get to the bus station now, Lizzie.’ Jaddi wiped away beads of moisture on her watch. ‘The bus for Cambodia leaves in an hour.’
Lizzie ran her hand over the row of sunglasses, plucked out a pair with white rims and slid them onto her face. She turned to Jaddi and pointed at her face. ‘I thought you said buses never leave on time here. What do you think of these? Too retro?’
‘They’re nice,’ Jaddi replied. ‘And I did say that, but we should be there waiting just in case. They’ll have markets in Phnom Penh too, you know. Where’s Samantha?’
Lizzie pulled the sunglasses away and turned them over in her hands as someone elbowed her in the ribs. She didn’t bother turning in search of the culprit. Everywhere in Bangkok had been the same – jostling crowds all looking for or at the same thing. She’d loved every moment of their time in the city, but four days of relentless humidity, people, dance music, and noise was enough. She’d begun to crave fresh air and silence.
‘I think she went to get some water and snacks for the bus journey,’ Lizzie replied. ‘She said she’d see us on the street in five. Which ones –’ Lizzie turned to Jaddi ‘– the white or the diamanté?’
‘The white ones.’
‘Good choice.’ Lizzie reached into her pocket for the money.
‘Woah woah woah, Liz.’ Jaddi leant closer and stopped Lizzie before she could hand over the money. Ben stepped closer too, pointing the lens at the sunglasses before focusing on their faces. ‘What are you doing?’ Jaddi asked.
‘Paying for these.’ Lizzie laughed and shrugged at the same time.
‘You don’t pay the price on the ticket.’ Jaddi rolled her eyes and winked at Ben and the camera. ‘This isn’t H&M; it’s Bangkok. That’s the starting price. Here, let me show you.’ She took the sunglasses from Lizzie and spun towards the man behind the stall.
Lizzie watched in awe as Jaddi dipped her head and pulled back her shoulders. A half-smile lit her face as she giggled and chatted with the man on the other side of the stall. Every movement part of a perfected routine Lizzie had seen many times before. It reminded Lizzie of Aaron’s twists and spins on the vault and the way he transferred his weight from one hand to the other as if it was as effortless as walking. They made it look so easy, but Jaddi and Aaron’s skills, however different, were both worlds away from Lizzie’s.
With a twinge of guilt she realised it was the first time she’d thought of her brother in days. It seemed the more time that passed, the more immersed she felt in their journey, and the less she thought about home or her future. Live in the here and now, Jaddi had said at the start of all this. And that’s exactly what she was doing.
Two minutes later Jaddi turned away from the stall and handed the sunglasses to Lizzie.
‘Thanks. How much did you pay?’ Lizzie asked, slipping them onto her face as they weaved through the market.
Jaddi grinned. ‘Less than half.’
‘Your talents are wasted in PR.’ Lizzie laughed.
‘Tell me about it. Now, can we please find Samantha and get to the bus station?’
‘Look there she is.’ Lizzie pointed across the road to Samantha, leaning against a dark-red car with a small Thai man in faded, blue jeans and a loose, blue shirt.
Samantha waved and motioned them over.
‘I got us a ride to Cambodia,’ she called as they darted between the traffic.
‘What ride?’ Jaddi shook her head. ‘I told you, we’re getting the bus. It’s leaving in an hour.’
‘I know that was the plan –’ Samantha smiled ‘– but this is Tic. He’s a taxi driver. He can drive us in his air-conditioned car to Phnom Penh for the same price as our bus tickets. I’ve already paid.’
Lizzie watched Jaddi’s face as she processed Samantha’s change of plans. It always amazed Lizzie how two people so different could live so harmoniously together. It wasn’t often that Jaddi’s need to be the driving force of their plans, or her daredevil side, clashed with Samantha’s common sense organisation, but when it did an argument was sure to follow. That was unless