.

reckon I’ll be able to eat chicken for a week after all that.”

      “Told you,” said James, grinning at me. I grinned back, knowing that he had no idea what I’d just done.

      There was a bit of a pause as the girls packed their work away. Then Nicole said, as though the heavens were awake to what James and I wanted them to talk about, “Do you reckon, with this party on the weekend, that we’re supposed to take dates?”

      James and I looked at each other, grinning. “Here we go,” he said eagerly.

      “No idea,” said Felicity. “Hardly matters, does it?”

      “If there’s dancing, it might,” said Jessica.

      “But you can just pick up someone on the night,” Felicity answered.

      “Oh yeah, fantastic,” said Lisa sarcastically. “Tell me, who’s likely to be the better mover, Hignat or Wilwog?”

      A few of them laughed, and Felicity said, “Not those two; only go with the ones you know. There’ll be a few guys there you know, from the Young Army. A bit of a dance with them wouldn’t hurt.”

      “You could bring Michael, Jess,” said Natalie, and they all giggled, bar Jessica.

      “Who the hell is Michael?” hissed James, and I could tell he was furious at the idea that some guy was feeling up his sister.

      “Give it a rest,” Jessica said bemusedly. “He won’t be there; he’s not part of what we’re doing. And besides, we’re long finished.”

      “But he was okay, wasn’t he?” asked Nicole.

      “He wasn’t bad,” said Jessica. “But sex was all he cared about, and that was about as far as his talents stretched.”

      Now James looked mutinous. This was the first I’d ever heard about Jessica’s relationship with some guy called Michael, and it looked like it was his first time as well. She had done a very good job keeping it quiet. Judging by his look, that had been smart.

      “What’s up with you, Nicole?” asked Lisa a moment later.

      “Nothing,” she said in a tone that clearly said otherwise. “It’s just … I know who I’d like to dance with, but I don’t want to have to compete with Amelia on the night. She’s so much prettier than me.”

      “Cheer up,” said Jessica. “He might stick with you if you get in quick enough.”

      “That’s what I mean,” said Nicole. “You reckon I should ask him out before we get there?”

      “Blimey, don’t let him think you’re desperate,” said Natalie, and my stomach churned. Anything Natalie had to say on this subject made me very nervous indeed.

      “Maybe I am, though,” said Nicole, and for a moment I actually felt a bit sorry for her. “I mean, I’ve done my best to be suggestive, but either he’s not getting the hint or he’s not interested. How do I know which it is if I don’t do something about it?”

      “Don’t go down that path, Nicole,” said Lisa. “Nothing less attractive, at least to guys who’re actually worth something. Just do your stuff on the night and I’m sure he’ll see how sincere you are.”

      Nicole groaned, and even I could see, from a guy’s point of view, how difficult it would be for her to have to compete against the likes of Amelia—partially because Amelia really was better looking, but more so because Nicole’s lack of confidence would immediately put her on the back-foot.

      “You’ll do better than me anyway,” said Natalie, and my blood went even colder. “Look who I’ve got to compete with.”

      “Not again,” groaned Felicity. “Haven’t we all agreed that he doesn’t want Lena?” That was all the confirmation I needed—it was me they were talking about now. I swallowed and leaned closer to the computer.

      “Yeah, but you never know what’ll happen after a few drinks,” said Natalie, sounding more resigned than anything else. It made my blood go even colder and I wished I had the guts to just run through the tunnel and set things to rights myself. James was smirking at me—he knew what was going on too.

      “That’s kind of true,” said Jessica. “I mean, look at James and Erica … she persisted with him and it paid off in the end. Lena’s probably going to do the same thing, and someone as hot as her…”

      “Give it a rest, Jess,” said Lisa reprovingly.

      “I have no idea how far she’ll go either,” said Nicole. “I’ve never seen her like this before. I would have said it was impossible for her to be so forward.”

      Suddenly I was reminded of what George had said, and now my insides were writhing. I wished more than anything that we had followed Harry and Simon’s joking suggestion weeks ago and put cameras in there instead of just microphones. Seeing Natalie’s face would have told more than anything else could have.

      “Stop being so pessimistic and give yourself a chance,” said Nicole after a few more seconds, and that was extremely rich of her, after the way she’d been talking about her chances with Marc.

      “You think I’ve got a chance?” asked Natalie, clearly looking for encouragement.

      “As much of a chance as you want,” said Jessica. “We’ve told you that loads of times. You’re as sexy as anyone when you swing it, plus you’re a virgin—”

      “Oi, come on,” Natalie said resentfully.

      “Guys like that clean idea, a fresh chick,” Jessica went on. “I don’t know about Stella or Lena, but it puts you in a good position. You can do it, Nat.”

      “I should have done it ages ago,” she said sadly. “If I’d just flirted more when I had the chance—”

      “That’s not your style, Nat,” said Lisa, grinning. “You’re no ho. Your way is better; I know how it feels now, but it’ll be worth it when he finally comes to you.”

      “It just feels like there’s a new chick after him every couple of weeks,” Natalie said, and I had to admit that was how it was feeling for me too.

      I looked across at James, who was leaning back with his hands behind his head, loving the show. It couldn’t have been more obvious that James was glad to have a girlfriend, and no longer had to worry about all this crap.

      “I tell you what, Nat,” said Felicity. “If you find he’s paying more attention to Stella or Lena, you do the same; find some other guys to dance with. There’ll be plenty of options. It’ll make you feel better, and it might get his attention back on you.”

      “That’s a good idea,” said Nicole. “Plus it’ll help your confidence, which should attract him more.”

      “Right,” said Natalie, and she sounded like she just wanted to get it all over with.

      “Look,” said Nicole, “if you want to head the others off, why not just go across now and tell him how you feel?”

      My stomach lurched. As much as I wanted to hear that very thing, I wasn’t ready for it. James sat bolt upright, staring at me in horror.

      Natalie gasped. “I can’t—I can’t—”

      “Sure you can,” said Lisa. “I think once you start telling him, it’ll be much easier to keep going, and then it’s all out of the way, and he knows, and you can get on with your life. All you have to do is come across as interested, not desperate; he’ll probably go for that.”

      “I’m pretty sure he’s on his own in there,” said Jessica, and I thought I heard her stand up. “Peter’s not back for ages, though I don’t know about James. Now’s the perfect chance; you’ll probably have a hard time getting a better one, with the