The junior mayoral robes had obviously been designed for someone bigger. Jack felt like an impostor in fancy dress as the mayor, Councillor Neville Perry-Moore, helped Jack slip the ceremonial gold chain and medallion over his head.

Mayor Perry-Moore seemed smaller and greyer than Jack remembered him being when they’d stood side by side at the opening of the Upland South Childcare Centre. Even so, it was obvious why people had voted him in as mayor five times in a row. It wasn’t just his experience and his silver-fox good looks. It wasn’t even that he was so devoted to Upland that he’d never married. No, the real reason that Mayor Perry-Moore was so popular was that he somehow managed to make you in awe of his power while at the same time making you feel like he was your best friend.

Jack tried to remember the last time he felt like anyone’s best friend. After what he’d just done, it wasn’t a feeling he was likely to recapture anytime soon.

Mayor Perry-Moore stepped to one side and put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. ‘I hereby invest you, Jack Sprigley, with this chain of office, and pronounce you the City of Upland’s newest Mayor for a Week.’

There was a smattering of applause from the gathered witnesses in the council office. Jack’s mum sat in the front row with Reese, Darylyn and Philo. Reese huddled towards Darylyn, away from Philo’s over-enthusiastic clapping. Delilah and her crew were up the back of the room, camera rolling. The three Year 7 girls were at the back too, jumping up and down on the spot and waving ‘Jack is back’ signs. A reporter from the Upland Daily stood to the side, taking notes, while a photographer knelt in the aisle and took shots of Jack shaking Mayor Perry-Moore’s hand. The rest of the audience was made up of Mr Jacobs and Ms Liaw, and a handful of the other candidates who’d applied to be Mayor for a Week.

Not that Jack had actually applied, as such. Not technically.

Mayor Perry-Moore waited patiently for the Year 7 girls to shift gears down from wild, hysterical excitement to merely hysterical excitement.

‘Now, before we hear a few words from our new Mayor for a Week, I want to mention the special circumstances of this year’s Mayor for a Week program. This year, Jack will be serving in office for the launch of the 14th Annual Upland Hot-Air Balloon Festival. I’m entrusting our new Mayor for a Week with the responsibility of representing me in the traditional Mayor’s Balloon Race.’ Mayor Perry-Moore placed a hand lightly on Jack’s back. ‘I hope you’re not afraid of heights, Jack.’ He chuckled.

‘Heights?’ Jack glanced at the Bigwigs camera. The red light was on. He hoped he looked bigger than he felt, buried under the swathes of royal blue cotton. This was it. His audition for the Bigwigs Board had begun.

‘Heights are not a problem. Definitely no problem with heights. Reaching them, or … being at them. In fact, I look forward to reaching new heights of excellence –’ (he resisted the urge to wink at the camera) ‘– in the field of being a mayor.’

Jack could sense the groan about to escape from Vivi before it actually came. He guessed she’d been holding on to it for a while, having been standing next to Jack for so long, waiting her turn.

The mayor beckoned for Vivi to come closer. ‘There’s another reason why this is such a special year. Owing to the outstanding quality of entries, we’ve decided, for the first time ever, to appoint a Deputy Mayor for a Week. And the bearer of this inaugural office, I’m very pleased to announce, is Miss Vivi Dink-Dawson.’

There was a much healthier round of applause – and a noticeable lack of sign-waving from the Year 7 girls. Vivi stepped forward.

Mayor Perry-Moore looked apologetic as he shook Vivi’s hand. ‘I’m afraid we haven’t got any deputy mayoral robes to give you. This is a rather … unique situation.’

Vivi shook her head. ‘It’s okay. Obviously, I would have been honoured to wear the robes and chain. After all,’ she added, glancing at Jack, ‘I do love me some civic regalia. But it’s not the clothes that maketh the councillor. It’s ideas. Passion. Integrity.’

‘Well, I think everyone on council would agree that your application spoke volumes about your passion and integrity,’ said Mayor Perry-Moore.

Standing off to the side of the presentation area was the woman from the council who’d spoken at the Mayor for a Week information session at school. Jack saw her smile warmly at Vivi. Then she noticed Jack looking at her, and the smile faded.

‘Well,’ said Vivi, ‘as I put forth in my essay – because I actually did write an essay – I’m especially passionate about finding a balance between building Upland’s economy and preserving the environment. For instance, how many more riverside resorts does the Distagio family really need to build?’ She turned to Jack. ‘Hopefully the Mayor for a Week and I share some common policy ground there.’

Jack coughed nervously. He didn’t have any policies, as such. There hadn’t been time. Delilah had swung into action as soon as Jack had pitched the idea to her, pulling strings and making deals to get Jack named Mayor for a Week ahead of all the real candidates.

The camera was still rolling. He never knew a black chunk of plastic and glass could look so expectant. He was going to have to improvise – in a way he hadn’t had to do since Bigwigs. And it had to be convincing enough to show everyone he had what it took to be on the Bigwigs Board.

‘Totally,’ he said. ‘I mean … I think the environment’s super important too. I look forward to discussing the issues with Miss Dink-Dawson over the coming week.’ Jack caught Vivi’s eye and held it. He tried to convey an ‘I’m sorry, I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t have to’ look to her.

The look she gave him back was even worse than the stare of the camera lens.

A buffet had been set up in one corner of the room. Jack did his best to avoid Vivi and the others as he navigated the small crowd in search of a paper cup of weak orange cordial.

Yes, technically he’d cheated. Worse, he’d got someone else to do the actual cheating for him. But he had suggested that Vivi could be his deputy. Surely that had to count for something.

He could hear Delilah giving a spiel to the newspaper reporter. ‘Yes, we’ve had a very warm welcome from everyone in Upland, and we’re really looking forward to filming Jack’s big moment as stand-in mayor at the balloon festival. It will show our viewers what a Bigwig can become. And it will show off Upland to the rest of the country. Everyone tuning in for the season-opening reunion special – airing on Network Twelve in two weeks, write that down – will see first-hand what a remarkable place Upland really is.’

The reporter thanked Delilah and went off in search of sustenance at the buffet, where her photographer was already munching on his fourth sushi roll.

‘You’re pretty good at all this PR stuff,’ said Jack.

‘That’s five years at the country’s top drama school for you,’ muttered Delilah. ‘Listen, do you think you can round up your friends for me? We need to get some vision of Jack Sprigley’s new crew.’

It was Delilah’s idea to get Jack’s friends to design the hot-air balloon Jack was going to fly in for the opening night race. Delilah had found a manufacturer who could sew and deliver a balloon at short notice. They’d sent her a template, and Delilah had paid for a 3D-modelling program for Darylyn’s laptop.

Jack had recommended bringing Philo on board for his design skills, though Jack didn’t elaborate on how he’d discovered them. He figured it would be a good way to keep Philo occupied for the next week, so he didn’t come up with any more surprise ‘gifts’ for Jack. Plus, it made the team just big enough that there was no room for Oliver Sampson to shoulder his way in.

Jack sidled over to the buffet, where Reese, Darylyn and Philo were comparing notes on the platter of cupcakes. Vivi was at the other end of the buffet, deep in conversation with the mayor.

‘Um, guys? Delilah wants the gang together for the cameras.’

Reese and Darylyn exchanged glances. ‘The gang,’ Reese silently mouthed. Still, they filed over obediently to where Delilah and her crew were standing. Jack grabbed Philo’s elbow as he followed after them.

‘Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask. What was this thing you left in my bachelor pad?’ he whispered.

Philo looked blankly back at him. ‘I didn’t leave anything in your bachelor pad.’

‘Are you sure? Mum said you came over and left something in the bungalow.’

Philo shook his head. ‘I … definitely did not leave anything in the bungalow …’

Jack was relieved. He figured his first instinct was right: Philo had spaced out and completely forgotten to leave behind whatever it was he’d brought over.

Delilah hustled Philo, Darylyn and Reese in front of the camera. ‘Okay, so imagine we have a voice over here saying something about – Philo, was it? – Philo being Mr Designer Guy, and Darylyn being the 3D whizz, and Reese –’ She paused. ‘What’s Reese’s job?’

Reese scowled. ‘Moral support.’

Delilah nodded. ‘Great. Let’s get some vision of you three singing the praises of your glorious leader.’

Reese and Darylyn stared at each other. ‘Jack’s not our leader,’ said Darylyn, direct to camera.

Reese shot Jack a look. ‘We just hang out.’

Yeah, thought Jack. When you remember to. When you’re not too busy having girlfriends and getting pimples and pubes.

Philo’s face lit up. ‘I can tell you something about Jack! Something very few people know!’

Jack’s blood froze. He tried to get Philo’s attention, but it was too late.

‘Jack was once a contestant on a reality show! On TV! It was called Bigwigs.’

Delilah looked alarmed. ‘You do know that we’re from Bigwigs?’ She gestured back at the cameraman and sound guy. ‘You do realise we’re filming for Bigwigs right now?’

‘I don’t think it’s a very good idea calling your show Bigwigs, just quietly.’ Philo mimed holding a phone to his ear. ‘Hello, is this the copycat police? I want to report a copycat.’ He paused. ‘Yes, I’ll hold.’

Delilah went from looking alarmed to looking dumb-founded. Jack was beginning to question his judgement in putting Philo on the team.

‘O-okay …’ said Delilah. ‘I better get these guys working on their masterpiece. But first –’ She touched Jack’s shoulder and leant in close. ‘Can I have a word? I just remembered something.’

Todd and Brett started packing up their equipment, leaving Darylyn, Philo and Reese standing around looking slightly lost. Jack let himself be led away by Delilah.

‘What is it?’ he asked.

Delilah crossed her arms. ‘This girlfriend of yours, the one you mentioned the first day of filming. Nats. We haven’t seen her. We haven’t got any vision of her. She should really be with you when you open the balloon festival.’

‘Oh,’ said Jack. ‘Um. Well –’

‘Be straight with me, Jack. She doesn’t exist, does she?’

‘Of course she exists!’ said Jack.

This, at least, was technically true. Nats did exist. Just not in a being-the-girlfriend-of-Jack-Sprigley sense.

Delilah stared at him for a moment. ‘I’m not judging you. I just want to know: is this is another thing I need to “make happen”? Because I’m going to be flat out between now and the weekend, getting the plans for these two balloons to the seamstresses –’

‘Two balloons?’

Delilah looked temporarily lost for words. ‘It’s just … insurance. In case the first one doesn’t work out.’ She looked Jack in the eye. ‘So we’re solid on the Nats thing? There’s nothing I need to do?’

Jack wondered if Delilah really could find a way to fix him up with Nats. She’d already proved she had the power to change reality. Jack clicked his fingers, Delilah transported him to a firing range, summoned up a fishing boat, pulled the strings to make him Mayor for a Week. It just fell into his lap, without him even having to do anything. He was starting to wonder if that was a good thing.

‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s all good. It’s all sorted.’

From the way Delilah was looking at him, Jack got the feeling she didn’t totally buy it.

‘Okay,’ she said reluctantly. ‘I just don’t want any nasty surprises on the night.’

‘There won’t be any surprises,’ promised Jack.

He glanced across the room at Vivi.

There’d been enough of those already.