Page 18 of That Island Feeling

A strange expression flits across Andie’s face.

I frown. What has she heard?

‘Shit! Tay, are you okay?!’ she exclaims, suddenly pitching forward.

I hurry after her and spot Taylor wedged in a bush off the side of the road, swallowed by branches and leaves. The rest of the group has carried on without her.

Instinctively, I reach down to pull Taylor free, and as I lift her up, Andie bumps into her, pressing her firmly against my chest.

At first, I assume it’s an accident, but when I look up, Andie has dashed off ahead.

Bewildered, I’m left holding Taylor close, watching the back of Andie’s head bobbing away in the distance.

Chapter Ten

ANDIE

Another primal screech rings through the air as I sit at the end of the jetty outside the bucks’ house. Of course, when we arrived, no one moved to pull any noodle packets from the cupboard. Instead, Taylor, Lizzie and Grace wasted no time in stripping down to their underwear and plunging into the water. With everyone fairly drunk, I figured it was wise to keep an eye on things from shore.

My sandals are off, the tips of my yellow-painted toes grazing the water. It’s hard to tell which animal belongs to which deeply unsettling noise. It could be another bat? It’s like a game of memory I play with my kindy class, except at school it’s all bright letters and colourful pictures of cute cartoon animals.

I took the game home for Dad a few years after his dementia diagnosis, and he ended up knocking it off the table in a temper. I can still picture Mum on all fours, scooping up the scattered pieces, whispering at me to fetch the TV remote and directing Toby to put the kettle on.

I hate that I still haven’t heard anything from Toby.

I reach for the phone resting in my lap and type out another text:

Hey! Are you there? Give me an update on Dad when you can.

I glance back out at the river. They’ve been in the water with the boys for around an hour now, laughing as they take turns to balance on each other’s shoulders.

Backlit by an almost full moon, they cut tall, shadowy figures like creatures from the deep. The full moon is tomorrow; a rare supermoon, in fact. I only know that because day three’s evening activity is a moon circle.

I’m trying to work out who is on whose shoulders when I see Jack stroking towards the dock, arms slicing the water confidently like the blades in a Nutribullet. Hopefully he enjoyed the rest of his walk with Taylor and I’ve snuffed out this Ben complication.

A few strokes later, Jack’s reached me, coming to a stop by my feet. For a moment I think he’s going to grab hold of my legs, but he anchors himself to the edge of the jetty instead.

‘Everything okay?’ he asks, resting his dripping chin on the dock next to my thighs.

‘Yeah, thanks. Just having a moment.’

Jack grins up at me. ‘Perfect night for it. Isn’t she glorious?’ he asks, tilting his head towards the moon.

‘Do you often go for a midnight swim?’ I ask.

‘When in doubt, get in the water. That’s my motto. Well, one of them.’

‘You should get that printed on a tea towel and stocked at Charlie Farleys.’

‘Who says I haven’t done that already?’ He dunks his head under. When he emerges, his hair is drenched and disheveled, and droplets cling to his square jaw. ‘Anyway, I thought I’d warn you that the gang are hungry and making their way in now. And they’re pretty rowdy.’

A few minutes later the group swarms the dock, sending a small tidal wave my way. I spring to my feet to avoid getting wet.

‘Noodles then stag-dares,’ Richie cries, pulling himself up onto the jetty. ‘You’ve gotten off far too easily so far, Benny-boy. It’s time for the gimp suit!’

I look at the girls. Surely we don’t have to stick around for this? But they’re still blissfully lounging in the water, their arms gliding through the surface like pond frogs.

‘Are you sure you’re okay, Andie?’ Jack asks. ‘You haven’t loosened your grip on that thing since you arrived.’

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