When I wake up it’s light and Zack’s gone. I leap out of bed, run to the window and look down. Ok good. There are no bloody splats, nor any ambulances down below on the road. Zack made it home safely. If he had any sense he would have tiptoed through our flat and out the front door. 

My eyelids may look like purple slugs after crying myself to sleep last night, but I’m feeling a whole lot better. Still not like a million dollars, but much better.

Nomusa and Deevya are waiting anxiously outside the school gate when I arrive. I don’t say a word. I just raise my eyebrows. This draws attention to my sluggy eyelids and I can see it makes Nomusa feel about 423 million times worse than she already is.

“Hope, I can explain…” says Nomusa.

“You don’t have to,” I reply “Zack already has”.

“Ok then, well I’d still like to explain. And I’m so sorry!!!! I don’t know what came over me!”

Deevya looks sheepish.

“No, it’s me that should be saying sorry,” Deevya says. “I was the one that put Nomusa up to it. I saw Lindi there and knowing how shut down she’s been about her feelings I thought that maybe if Nomusa flirted with Zack it might break through Lindi’s defences. So I told Nomusa to persuade Zack it was a good idea.”

I sigh. My heavens. Us Awesomes do certainly know how to make our lives complicated sometimes, don’t we?

“Dudes. You are just too much,” I sigh, shaking my head. 

“I’m so sorry,” they both say at the same time, their faces all puckered up with worry.

“It was a B.A.D. idea. And we had a B.A.D night after we saw you run out the door,” says Nomusa.

“I didn’t RUN,” I say, “I just LEFT…fast.”

Deevya smiles at me. 

So does Nomusa. “Ok,’ she says, “well after you left…um…really fast, we knew we’d messed up. Big time.”

I nod. They had messed up. But they’re sorry, and it’s over.

“Ok guys, it’s cool. Just don’t do this kind of crazy thing again without running the plan by me first. Somebody’s got to keep you two out of trouble,” I say.

Now that the drama clouds have left the sky and the sun is shining again I’m quite curious about whether their plan actually worked.

Nomu reads my mind.

“In case you’re wondering – the plan might have worked. But we blew our cover once we spotted you…er…leaving fast. We were having a full on discussion about it amongst ourselves and then we realised that Lindi had come over to say hello and had heard the whole thing,” Nomu says with a little cringe of embarrassment.

It’s not funny really, but I have to laugh.

“Awesomes, I don’t think we’re really cut out for a life of subterfuge, espionage and crazy plans to try and change people’s minds.”

Nomusa and Deevya still look really remorseful. I link my arms through both of theirs and we walk through the gates and into school.

“So did Zack come and visit you at your flat last night then?” asks Deevya.

“Oh yes he did,” I say with a smile. “He climbed up the gutter outside the building and through my bedroom window. And then he spent the night.”

I leave it at that. I know nothing happened between Zack and I, but the shocked expressions on Deevya and Nomusa’s faces make my cryptic little statement well worth it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Life is moving fast for The Awesomes. Do you think they’ve learned their lesson? Will this be the last of their crazy plans or do you think they just can’t help getting themselves into trouble?