1 - Quality Time

'The independence of the adult world had come so close within reach we could almost taste it. Life had become colourful again for everyone.
Everyone, it seemed, except me.'

Rather than a vibrant parade of parties and rebellion, the start of the summer following year 11 exams is a calamity for Laurie. Just when every facet of her life starts collapsing into chaos, she is swept away to live with relatives in their mysterious but beautiful countryside house, Moonford Manor. The shift brings not only an escape, but a new life for Laurie as a companionship blossoms with the impossibly cool Vinny, the Lamarche family's eldest child. The summer becomes an unforgettable one, in which the doors to a new world are opened.