How to Get to Rio Read Online Free PDF Page B

a beautiful villa? Have you got a pool?
    I shot back: Of course!
    I knew that was at least half a lie, but before I had time to worry about it my phone beeped again.
    So jealous :)
    At least my next text was totally true: It’s amazing here! Wish you could see it for yourself.
    The reply that came back made my heart jump.
    You should be here. Just saw Rio at the beach. He looked sad when I said you weren’t coming to PP.
    Really? I texted back.
    Really!
    Even though I was having fun with Izzy and Mia, my heart sank a little. While we were scurrying around a camping ground after some random boys, Persephone was hanging out with Rio. I didn’t care about some guy in red shorts or any of the camping guys. They were nothing compared to Rio.
    I looked up to see if I could send another text without Mia and Izzy seeing. They were a safe distance ahead.
    Now I’m sad I’m here and not there.
    Persephone replied: Don’t be! Enjoy the villa. You can see Rio another time.
    It was easy for Persephone to say. She was the kind of girl who could just stroll up to any guy she wanted and talk to him. It wasn’t that easy for me. But I wasn’t going to mention that.
    Sure, I’ll see him when I get back. Loving the villa life!
    My phone beeped again.
    Where’s this amazing rural retreat? I’ll have to go there sometime.
    I could answer that question truthfully. I figured Persephone would have no idea where this place was.
    It’s called The Lost World.
    Then came an unexpected reply.
    OMG! That’s right near here. I can probably wave to you from our apartment! But I thought The Lost World was just a camping ground.
    I felt sick in the stomach. Straining my eyes to see in the light of sunset, I looked at my surroundings. The beach, the mountains, the rocky headland. No wonder it all looked so familiar, because it was! My phone beeped again.
    What’s the address of your villa? I’ll come visit!
    I stared at the message and wished that I had never started texting Persephone. Now she was going to find out that I was a liar and staying at a camping ground. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
    ‘Kitty,’ Mia called down from the top of the sand dune, ‘do you have a boyfriend?’
    I jumped at the sound of her voice. ‘No. Of course not.’ I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket and raced up the dune.
    ‘Let’s see your phone, then,’ Izzy said, sticking her hand out.
    I shook my head. ‘Just needed to get a few things sorted out. Just boring stuff.’
    ‘ Sure ,’ Mia said with a sly smile. ‘Is that “boring stuff ” related to Rio, by any chance?’
    ‘I wish.’
    Izzy and Mia were looking at me suspiciously, but they didn’t ask any more questions. I was grateful for that because I had enough problems to deal with. What was I going to do about Persephone? I couldn’t let her come to The Lost World. There was no poolside villa to see here.
    Maybe I could organise to meet her at Paradise Point , I thought. But that meant explaining the whole story about Persephone’s invitation to Izzy and Mia, which I didn’t really want to do.
    ‘How far is it to Paradise Point?’ I asked when we were almost back at the tent.
    ‘It’s on the far side of the bay,’ Izzy said, pointing. ‘You can’t see it from here, but it’s just around the headland. Why?’
    ‘Just wondering.’
    ‘Wondering why?’ asked Mia.
    ‘Just wondering why you didn’t tell me that before,’ I said, grumpily.
    Izzy stared at me hard. ‘Well, because you didn’t ask,’ she said.
    I supposed that was true. I hadn’t asked. But now I knew that Rio was staying on the other side of the bay, I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I had to see him. I just needed a bit of time to work out a plan.

‘Guess what?’ Izzy whispered, crawling into the tent. ‘I saw the guys!’
    ‘Did you talk to them?’ Mia asked eagerly, propping herself up on her elbows.
    Izzy looked down at her clothes. ‘Yeah, I really had a great conversation while I was in my