Free The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil Page B

would’ve really cut it on live TV. I think this whole thing is pretty stupid, but it’s a weird business. Any publicity is good, right?’
    The six of us nod sagely, like we know exactly what he’s talking about.
    Daniel flicks his sunglasses out of the pocket of his jeans and pushes them onto his head in one smooth move. I’m sort of distracted by pondering whether those cheekbones were always hiding under his pumpkin cheeks, or if they’re those implants I’ve heard celebs like to stick in their faces, so it takes me a few seconds to process that my friends are awkward and silent, and Daniel is still talking.
    ‘God, you guys – it’s so awesome to see you,’ he says, his eyes darting between me and Grady. ‘I didn’t think I’d ever set foot in this arse-end-of-nowhere place again, but –’ He smiles at me. ‘This might turn out to be a fun few weeks after all. Assuming the planet doesn’t explode and all.’
    I glance over my shoulder. From up here, the crowds look almost motionless, like weird multi-coloured livestock milling in the russet fields. ‘Daniel, we’re still not exactly sure what’s happening. But no-one seriously believes any of this … right?’
    Daniel shrugs. ‘Most people seem to think this Ned guy is taking the piss, but, you know – it’s an excuse for a party. Guess Judgement Day is as good an excuse as any, right? Though I still can’t believe that this many people have bothered. I could barely believe Eden Valley was still on a map. In my mind I always just picture a couple of tin sheds and tumbleweeds.’
    ‘Yeah, suppose the Ark might’ve been more crowded if Noah was on Twitter,’ I respond. I don’t know why, but his tumbleweeds comment makes me bristle ever so slightly.
    Daniel glances at his watch. ‘So I need to unpack, and I think I have an interview or something lined up, but – when can I see you guys again?’
    ‘Tonight,’ Pete yelps. ‘The Junction – you remember it, right? I work there. I DJ –’
    Caroline grunts. ‘Does hitting shuffle on the sound-track of Good Morning, Vietnam count as DJ-ing –’
    ‘But there’s a dance floor,’ Tia adds, giving Caroline a sharp nudge with her hip. ‘It’s fun. For the Valley …’
    Grady steps beside me. ‘You should come, Dan. Granted, you probably have more stories than we do, but we should catch up. If you’re not busy.’
    Daniel flicks his sunglasses back onto his face. ‘Not busy. And I’ve never been to a hoedown. Should I have bought a fiddle?’
    Behind me, I can practically feel the waves of disdain rolling off Caroline and Eddie. My friends may heap a lot of crap on the Valley, but it’s totally different for an outsider to chime in as well. It hits me suddenly that Daniel Gordon – with his designer jeans and great hair – is about as outsiderish as it gets.
    ‘A fiddle could probably be rustled up,’ I say lightly. ‘But mostly, we just hang out, and dance a bit. Don’t eat the peanuts, cos they’ve been sitting on the bar for the last century. You in?’
    ‘Sounds fun,’ he says with that easy laugh. ‘Can’t wait, Alba,’ he adds, and it’s so sincere that for a moment I forget about outsider-Daniel, this person who should be as unfamiliar as any of the strangers wandering around town. For a moment, the edges of Daniel seem to shimmer, till all I can see is my funny, overconfident best friend. For a moment, it’s like he never left. I grin back at him.
    As we amble home, I can’t help but think that the universe may be freaking bizarro, but Daniel’s return has to be some sort of sign. Cos it feels just right that he’s here, one of the pages ripped from my story, slotted back exactly where it’s supposed to be.
    Grady and I hang behind the others. He’s talking a thousand miles an hour about our weekend sleepovers and prepubescent Daniel’s attempts to get himself into the Guinness Book of Records , and I find myself laughing along with him, swept up in his