A Door To Nowhere

Days left: 36 ½

'So is she dead yet?'

Saffron winds down the car window, and lights a cigarette. Will gives her a disapproving look, but doesn't say anything.

'Clearly she isn't dead,' I say, leaning forward between their two seats. 'Don't you think I'd be a bit more upset if she was?'

'I dunno, man,' Saffron says, shrugging. 'You'd be let off that permanent waitress duty she always seems to have you on. And she's probably left you a ton of money in her will.'

'Saff,' Will says, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. 'You can't say things like that.'

Saffron grins at me in the wing mirror, and I know she's just teasing. Will has made it his personal responsibility to follow her around and apologize profusely to anyone she comes into contact with.

'Where are we going?' I ask, glancing out of the window as Dewington speeds past. The three of us have lived here since we were born, and it's one of those small seaside towns that tries to ensnare you here for your entire life. The Venus flytrap of England.

'To my house,' Saffron says, flicking her bright hair across one shoulder. 'My parents are at some convention in Brighton. Reuben's got a few friends round, but they won't bother us. They're too busy arguing over band names again.'

Reuben is Saffron's older brother, but he's only a year ahead of us in school. This year will be the first time we'll all have to share a common room – St Jude's just bundles the entire sixth form in together.

'I don't mind hanging out with Reuben,' Will says mildly. We pull by a set of traffic lights, and he rubs a hand quickly through his buzzed brown hair.

'That's because you think he's hot,' Saffron says. Will glares at her, and I snort in the back.

'If we're going to have this conversation, wind the window back up,' he says, shaking his head. 'I'm sure the very tolerant and unprejudiced people of Dewington would love to hear this.'

Saffron rolls her eyes, but doesn't say anything else. We drive past the promenade, and along the strip of crumbling little shops on the seafront. They would have looked cute thirty years ago; all pastel colours, vintage decor and tea rooms. But now they just look outdated, ageing gracelessly in their uniformed rows. The more modern nightlife of Dewington is slowly spilling out behind them, gaudy neon signs and dirty fast food outlets.

'I heard Natalie Hart got into Basement on Friday,' Saffron says, fishing around in her bag. 'Lauren and Becca got turned away, but apparently her brother knows the bouncers.'

I laugh. 'Lauren and Becca both look about twelve. Natalie only got in because she's got tits.'

Saffron pulls out a tub of lip balm and begins applying it vigorously. 'I heard she flashed the guys on the door at Pinner's to get in the other week.'

'Oh, come on,' Will says, frowning. 'I know she likes putting it out there, but really? And for Pinner's? Anyone can get in there.'

'I can't believe she got into Basement,' I say, leaning back in my seat. 'Don't they ask for ID?'

'Apparently cleavage now counts as ID,' Saffron says contemptuously. 'I can't wait for the Queen Bitch to return after this summer.'

'You never know,' Will says, making a careful turn into Saffron's road. 'She might have mellowed a bit. Decided that choosing her friends by their shoe choices isn't the way to go.'

I laugh loudly, unbuckling my seatbelt. Will pulls into Saff's driveway, and we throw open the car doors.

'Take your rubbish with you,' he instructs us, nodding at the mountain of litter that Saffron's created in the footwell. 'My car isn't a bin.'