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I wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her cheek

"Thank you, Aunty Corrine"

She frowned atbehind your parents’ backs like this Just proet yourselves into trouble"

"I pro out of the roo for me in his room when I returned to the penthouse He raised his eyebrows expectantly and stood up froive them to you?"

I nodded and handed the passports over for him to inspect

"And you?" I asked "Did you do it?"

"Yes, I called the out a black mobile phone--one of the few phones on the island that Corrine had charmed to allow outside contact with the world "Jake says we’re still welco to spend the summer in their dad’s condo anyway And he says Kristal is looking forward to seeing you"

I sat down on the bed next to him

"Good So that’s accommodation sorted Now, let’s count the money… and we also need to think about plane tickets," I muttered

Ben reached under his bed He pulled out a leather pouch stuffed full of cash We both started counting up all the pocket randfather over the years that we hadn’t had an opportunity to spend It ah for twothat accooing to work," I said, once we’d tucked all the money back into Ben’s pouch and replaced it beneath his bed I rubbed h "Corrine will drop us off on the little Scottish island It will be in the evening, so we , we’ll catch a boat out of there and head toward the nearest airport The staff at the island won’t bat an eyelid on seeing us leave because we’ll have checked in as twenty-one-year-olds with these passports So, we’ll arrive at the airport We’ll pay for tickets in cash and book the first flights out of there"

Ben nodded "And we’ll take this phone with us as we usually do They’ve never tried calling the camps we’ve stayed at before--they’ve always contacted us directly on theto knoe’re not in Scotland"

Ben and I stared at each other as the scale of the trick ere about to atteht

The truth was, I didn’t enjoy lying to my parents And Ben didn’t either Yes, Ben and I threw our strops, but at the end of the day we didn’t like to see worry written all over their faces

But the invitation of our friends fro in our ears as soon as ouron this stupid adventure course That, and the fact that this really was going to be our last summer as humans