‘Just relax, don’t force it,’ Ryan shouted from the back of the speedboat.

I sat in the water, my feet strapped to the wakeboard, clinging to the end of a towrope, getting cold and frustrated. Ryan was being really sweet (and very patient), but there was no chance I could relax.

‘Okay, I’ll try one more time,’ I called back. But I was beginning to think I would never get up on the board. All I had managed so far was three face plants into the water. How embarrassing!

If I’d known it was this hard I never would have agreed to go first. The guys said I’d be able to get up, no problem – and I’d believed them. Big mistake! Now I was just making a fool of myself in front of everyone. I wondered what Saia must be thinking.

‘You right to go?’ Ryan asked.

I gave him a wave. Ready as I’ll ever be, I thought.

I gripped the towrope and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to remember everything I’d been told. Slowly the boat took off ahead of me. I felt the rope pulling on my arms. My legs straightened, but the board stayed behind. My body pitched forward. I was heading for another face plant, but somehow I managed to lean back far enough for the board to rise to the top of the water, skim across the surface and take my weight. Finally. I was up!

I glanced at the boat to see Kimmi throw her arms in the air, cheering. It looked like Annabel was taking a photo. I smiled even wider. I was wakeboarding!

By the time I looked down again, I realised that my board wasn’t running directly behind the boat – it had drifted off to the side. I could see the rough water of the boat’s wake ahead, but I couldn’t steer myself away. I ploughed straight into it. The board flew into the air and I went head-first the other way. I did a half-somersault into the water and felt water gushing up my nose. When I finally got myself the right way up, coughing and spluttering, everyone on the boat was cheering.

‘Not bad for your first go,’ Saia called, as I swam to the back of the boat. I looked at him sheepishly. It was sweet of him to say that, but I knew I was totally useless.

‘Yeah, I’m a natural,’ I said, laughing, as I climbed the ladder. ‘Naturally terrible, that is.’

Saia smiled back at me. His smile was even lovelier in real life than it was in his profile pic. ‘No, you’re pretty good. I’ve seen people take thirty goes to get up. You were up almost straightaway.’ He put out his hand to help me back onto the boat. I felt goosebumps ripple up my arm as I took his hand. It wasn’t the chilly water that was getting to me – it was definitely Saia. He was just as cute as Annabel had promised.

‘Nice work, girlfriend,’ Kimmi called as I peeled off my wetsuit. I held it out for her to put on, but she shook her head. ‘Looks way too hard for me.’

‘Go on,’ I said. ‘If I can do it, anyone can.’

But Kimmi didn’t move. ‘I’m fine right here, thanks.’

Kimmi was sitting between Annabel and Marco, looking very comfortable. Marco had his shirt off and his shades on, leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head, checking out the world with a slight sneer. Yes, he was cool. But didn’t he know it!

‘Guess it’s your turn,’ I said, handing the wetsuit to Annabel.

She giggled and complained about how cold and clingy the wetsuit was as she wriggled into it. ‘Here goes nothing,’ she said, heading for the back of the boat.

‘You’ll kill it,’ Ryan said, giving her a wink and a fist bump. Annabel flashed him a great big flirty smile before jumping over the side.

I laughed to myself. Annabel sure knew how to get what she wanted. She and Ryan had only just met, but they sure didn’t look like strangers now.

‘All set?’ Ryan called as Annabel got into position.

She took hold of the towrope with one hand and gave Ryan the thumbs up with the other. I held my breath as the boat’s engine revved. I knew how hard this was going to be for her. But as the rope tightened, Annabel emerged from the water like some kind of sea nymph – upright, smiling and beautiful. I couldn’t believe it. She was up on her first go. Trust Annabel! She was gifted like that – just good at sporty things without even trying.

Ryan punched the air. ‘Way to go!’

Annabel cruised behind the boat like she’d been doing it all her life. Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off her as she soared across the water, her wet hair fluttering in the wind. He was still staring when she finally let go of the towrope, ending her wakeboard session gracefully, rather than spectacularly – like me. Then it was the guys’ turn. Marco was first up, handing his shades to Kimmi before getting into the water.

‘He’s so cute,’ Kimmi sighed as the boat took off.

Marco had no trouble getting up. He flew across the water, showing off with twists and turns. Kimmi didn’t miss a second of his performance. If she wasn’t hooked on Marco before, she certainly was now. But it bothered me that he was so into himself.

Saia wasn’t like that at all. He’d only been out a few times on Ryan’s boat and didn’t have Marco’s confidence. He didn’t do many tricks and he fell off a couple of times. But even when he did, he kept the same lovely grin on his face. Nothing seemed to annoy him, which made me like him even more. He was still smiling when he climbed back onto the boat. Water droplets were clinging to his lashes, bringing out the deep colour in his eyes. He looked so adorable.

‘You’re pretty good,’ I said, as he grabbed a towel and dried off.

‘Not really,’ Saia grinned. ‘Wait till you see this guy.’

Ryan got in and showed us what wakeboarding was really about. He did jumps and turns and all sorts of tricks that I wouldn’t be able to do on land, let alone on the water. It was totally impressive.

‘He’s even hotter than I thought,’ Annabel whispered to me. ‘I am so going to kiss him next Saturday.’

The sun was sinking and the whole harbour was bathed in a glorious golden light as we cruised back towards the marina. On the seat opposite me, Saia had his eyes closed, enjoying the last rays of the late afternoon sun. His skin seemed to be glowing, and I felt a tingle run down my spine just looking at him. Beside me, Kimmi seemed to be in a trance, her eyes on Marco, while Annabel was playing footsies with Ryan.

‘Can’t wait for the party,’ said Annabel. ‘It’ll be epic. Shame it’s a whole week away.’

I smiled to myself. It sounded like Annabel was fishing for an invitation to see Ryan before the party.

‘Yeah, it’d be cool to do something before then,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got stuff on tomorrow and then we have training basically every afternoon next week. We’ve got a big rugby game next weekend, which we might win, if our coach doesn’t kill us first.’

Saia groaned. ‘Oh, man. He’s crazy.’

‘He’s like some rabid dog when anyone does anything wrong,’ said Marco.

Kimmi laughed, way too loudly, and smiled at Marco. ‘So, does his rabid-dog style get results?’

Marco shrugged. ‘Well, we’ve won every game so far this year. So … I guess.’

‘Maybe we should come to watch you play next week, then,’ Kimmi said.

Marco smiled. ‘Cool. It’ll be a close game. Might be a bit ugly, though. Can’t promise there won’t be any blood.’

The guys all nodded.

‘What do you like about that game?’ Annabel asked. ‘Seems all you do is smash each other to bits.’

‘That’s why it’s fun,’ said Marco.

The guys all laughed. I guess they had a different idea of fun from us. But I’d noticed they had a different idea about a lot of things. Holidays, for one. Ryan had said his family was going snowboarding in Colorado over the Christmas break. Saia was off to a Pacific island and Marco was visiting family in Italy, and planning to do some skiing while he was there. Annabel joined in the ski talk. She’d been to Japan and thought it was totally amazing.

‘The snow’s unreal, and I love the steam baths,’ she enthused.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Ryan agreed. ‘Japan rocks.’

‘Totes,’ Kimmi nodded, even though she’d never actually been to Japan.

I stared at my feet, hoping no-one would ask what I was doing for the holidays. My family was just heading to my grandma’s beach house.

It was okay for Annabel. She fitted right in with the Highgrove guys. She lived in a beautiful house right next door to Marco. Her place wasn’t as big as his, but it was much, much better than mine. Her family went on cool holidays and she always had gorgeous clothes. She was basically like a private-school girl who happened to go to Westway. Kimmi was doing a good job of fitting in too, but I felt like a total fraud. I was worried that at any moment, someone was going to realise who I was and throw me overboard.

I looked at Saia as he laughed with his friends about some beach resort I’d never even heard of. I definitely wanted to see him again, and it had been an epic day, but I wondered if Saia and I had enough in common for things to go anywhere.

‘Kinda fun hanging out with Highgrove boys, eh?’ Annabel said as we left the marina to find Kimmi’s dad, who was giving us a ride home. ‘Ryan is so cool.’

‘Yeah, I can’t wait for the party,’ said Kimmi. ‘You know what Marco said?’ She paused, twirling her hair in her fingers. ‘He said I’m too pretty to be at Westway.’

‘I’m not sure that’s a compliment,’ I scoffed. ‘He’s basically saying that all girls who go to Westway are ugly.’

‘But he’s also saying that Kimmi’s pretty – which is true,’ Annabel said, smiling.

I put my arm around Kimmi. ‘Well, I guess I can’t argue with that.’

Kimmi giggled. ‘Marco is gorgeous. I’m so in lurve!’

‘So, you don’t think it’s all a bit weird, us hanging out with Highgrove guys?’ I asked,

‘No,’ Annabel said firmly. ‘Why?’

I shrugged. ‘Well, what’s going to happen at the party? We won’t know anyone.’

‘We’ll know the guys. I’m going to be with Ryan, Kimmi’s going to be with Marco. And you’ll be with Saia.’

‘Oh, really?’ I said, pretending to be surprised.

Kimmi laughed. ‘Come on. I can tell you like him.’

‘Well … he does have a pretty cute smile,’ I said. ‘But we’re so different. I don’t know anything about rugby, or skiing or wakeboarding or …’

‘No-one’s going to test you,’ Annabel interrupted. ‘Stop panicking for five seconds and chill out. You like Saia and, from the way he’s been smiling at you, I can tell he’s into you too.’