Page 12 of Nothing Without You

Her mother watched as Chris walked up the street, disappearing into a yard further up. ‘Is his family staying in that house?’ she asked.

‘Yes. They’re here for two weeks too. His sisters are really nice, and they want me to play cards with them and go for walks.’

‘Perfect,’ her mother said, clapping her hands together. ‘You need some company your own age.’ Evie knew this suited her mother, because she wouldn’t have to entertain Evie, or talk to her when she didn’t feel like it.

When Chris brought a plate over that was filled with fish fillets, her mum made a huge fuss over him. ‘Please thank your father for me. Fresh fish. Well done you two for catching them. Evie tells me you’re going to fish together on the beach tomorrow.’

He nodded.

‘No swimming though. Her father only lets her paddle in the shallows. There are too many rips and sharks.’

‘Mum,’ she intervened. ‘I won’t swim out very far.’

‘No, Evie. You can paddle on the edge, but you aren’t to swim.’

‘Fair enough, Mrs Romano. I go out on my board with Dad, but I’ll make sure Evie doesn’t go swimming.’

She glared at her mother and then Chris. ‘Excuse me. I’m standing here, so don’t talk as though I’m not. I can look after myself.’

Her mother put her arm around her shoulder. ‘I know you can. You’re lucky your dad isn’t here, because he’d make sure you were supervised by an adult, even when you’re fishing.’

As Chris waved goodbye and started jogging up the street, she gave silent thanks that her father wasn’t with them. As much as she wanted him to join them, if her father knew she was going to be hanging out with a boy, who was a bit older, he would probably insist that he come along, or that her mother was there. It had happened before, when she went to the local show at Beaudesert. Just because some boys were going from school in the same group, he insisted he chaperone. ‘That’s so old school, Dad.’ She’d tried to convince him that didn’t happen in other families.

‘I either come with you, or you don’t go at all,’ he’d said, his moustache moving up and down with his eyebrows.

‘I’m nearly thirteen.’

‘Exactly. I don’t trust any boys.’

Thankfully, that night it had poured rain, and the show and the fireworks were cancelled. Knowing how her father felt about her going out with boys came in handy. The next time a group was going to the movies, she lied and said it was only girls going. Perhaps her father had some inside knowledge though, because one of the boys who she thought was nice, tried to kiss her when the lights went off. It had been an ungainly attempt, and his tongue ended up on her cheek. She pulled quickly away from him, grabbing his hand that rested clumsily on her leg. ‘What are you doing, Henry?’ she whispered, trying not to draw attention.

Henry slouched back in his seat. ‘I wanted to kiss you, but you turned your head.’

‘Don’t kiss me, please. You’re just my friend.’

Henry was more embarrassed than she was, and when he hopped up to go to the toilet, he didn’t return. At least she could watch the rest of the movie in peace. Layla, sitting on the other side of her, had not been so resistant. Another boy in their grade spent half the movie with his hand up Layla’s blouse and his lips all over her face. Evie tried to keep her eyes straight ahead and focus on the movie, but it was hard when there was so much going on next to her.

‘What happened?’ Layla asked when the movie was finished and they came out into the light.

‘Nothing. That idiot Henry tried to kiss me.’

‘They’ll say you’re frigid if you don’t let him,’ Layla said.

‘I don’t care. I don’t like Henry.’

Chapter Ten

By the time Evie came out of the shower, the fish was sizzling in the pan. A T-shirt with Mick Jagger lips on the front and a flowery mini-skirt, made her feel summery. She ran her hands over her shaved legs, grateful she was on holiday and didn’t have to wear a school uniform.

Her mother’s eyes looked her up and down. ‘We’ll have to go bra shopping when we get back. Your breasts are getting bigger.’

Evie could feel the heat in her cheeks and knew they would be bright red. ‘There were some bras in that bag of hand-me-downs from Layla’s family. I brought them with me.’

‘Well, make sure you put one on tomorrow. You’re at that stage where you need to start wearing one.’

Disappearing quickly into her bedroom, Evie rustled through her clothes, finally holding up a white bra, its edges trimmed with pretty lace. It looked like it was new, and when she checked the size on the tag, she didn’t doubt why. No one in Layla’s family would fit a bra of that size. They would all need bigger ones!

They were finishing their dinner when there was a knock at the door. It was Lily and Rose. Chris also stood on the front lawn, a torch in his hand.

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