We were at Portsmouth with Old Webb—sorry, Mr Webb—and Mrs Webb. She’s from Argentina; all the boys think she’s good-looking, too. There were six of us with the Webbs: Harry Potts and his sister Sonia, Nick Atkins (he’s a good friend), Sue Bellamy (she’s clever), my brother Dave and me (we’re fourteen and we’re good friends too . . . usually). There were hundreds of people on the boat. It was hot in the sun, a lovely day. People watched the sea and the small boats. I liked being in the sun and thinking about the two weeks holiday in Spain. Old Webb started one of his stories about Argentina, but I didn’t listen. I started to look at the people. And this girl was there, near me, a really good-looking girl with nice brown eyes and black hair. I’m really shy and I’m not very good with girls. I didn’t talk to her then, but I watched her with her sister and her mother and father. Then they walked away and she smiled at me for a moment before they went. My brother Dave saw her, and he laughed quietly at my red face. I wanted to see her again, perhaps in the café at lunch-time, or perhaps in the cinema in the afternoon. But she wasn’t there and I don’t remember the film. In the evening we had a drink with Old Webb and Lovely Lucrezia (that’s our name for Mrs Webb). After that Dave and Harry went to the disco—they wanted to meet some girls. I don’t like dancing, but I went to the disco later: I wanted to see her again, the lovely girl with the dancing brown eyes and the nice smile. It was dark in the disco, and I stood near the door and watched the dancers. Then I saw her on the dance-floor . . . and she was with Dave! With my brother, Dave! She smiled at him, too, a lovely smile. I didn’t want to watch; I walked out. I went and looked at the sea and thought about things quietly. I thought about her, her and Dave. I was up early in the morning, before six o’clock. I went out again and watched the early morning sun and the sea. There was only one old man and the sea birds there with me. The old man smiled at me, but we didn’t talk. I liked being quiet.