Page 62 of Summer, in Between
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‘HOW cool is this?’Paul leans forward to look through Mum’s telescope.
‘Yeah, very cool for a decorative item, fairy lights and all.Kinda like you.’
‘Well, that’s not a very nice thing to say.But I’m glad you think I’m cool.’
‘And decorative.Don’t forget decorative.You’re not completely terrible to look at.’
‘Stop, you’re making me blush.It looks brand new.Doesn’t it work?’
‘It did, originally.’We gave it to Mum one Christmas.It cost Dad a bomb and was so powerful that we could see people picnicking on a beach hundreds of kilometres away.‘We could literally see people’s food spread out on a rug, if you could lip read, we would have known what they were saying, it was that clear.And it had this super-cool night sky feature.’
‘What happened?’Paul frowns.
‘Tommy happened.He messed up the settings and no one’s been able to figure it out since.’
‘I did not.’Tommy flops onto the sofa.
‘Let me have a crack; I love this stuff.’Paul uses his pinky to lift a hideous pair of boy jocks off the telescope.‘These probably aren’t doing it any favours.They yours, Cat?’He flings them at me.
I scream and duck and they land on the floor at my feet.
‘Hey, Matty!’Tommy calls, ‘Cat and Paul are playing with your undies.’
‘I’m not playing with anything,’ I say.‘Ugh, so disgusting!Matty, pick them up.’
My phone rings and I scoop it up.
‘Sal!’I run upstairs to my bedroom, phone clutched to my ear.‘Tell me everything!’
‘Everything?Everything is as boring as ever,’ she says.‘I miss you so much!’
‘Ugh, same here.I miss you too, you have no idea.’I quickly yank up my doona and sit on my bed.
‘I don’t believe that for a second!Em tells me you’re seeing someone.’Sal’s panting, and I know that she’s either on a run or simply pacing up and down as she chats to me.‘You’re not just seeing someone – you have a boyfriend!Oh my God, Cat!And not only do you have a boyfriend, you have the ultimate boyfriend!A walking surfer god!I nearly died when she told me.Your texts are so shit!Em had to tell me everything but I want to hear it from you.All of it.Don’t hold back.Tell me everything.Everything!’She squeals and her excitement for me makes me miss her even more.
‘Look, just picture every summer rom com you’ve ever seen, and that’s basically it.There’s even the evil villain.’
‘Miss Scuzzbucket, your arch nemesis, I presume?I hope you’re not letting her get to you.Anyway, forget her.What’s he like?What about his friends?Are they your friends?’
