Page 92 of Summer, in Between
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I’M on the balconyin my bikini top and shorts, legs crossed, science text spread open over my thighs, highlighter in hand.Earphones drown out the incessant noise from under the house when suddenly there’s hands over my eyes.I yank out my earphones.
‘Guess who?’
‘No way!’I jump out of my seat.‘JB!What are you doing here?’I throw my arms around his neck, and he lifts me off my feet, spinning me around while we scream, holler and whoop.
‘Miss me, did you, Trines?’
‘Put me down before I vomit, you shithead.’I push against his chest.‘I don’t believe this!’
‘Believe it, gorgeous!’He hugs me again and bends to hug Mum who has come outside at all the high-pitched screaming, mostly JB’s.‘Angela!Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, what’s for dinner?’
‘Enough!’I say.‘How are you even here?’
‘Took the thumbs-up bus.’
‘You hitchhiked?That’s so dangerous, even for a weapon like you!’
‘Who’s going to mess with this specimen?’He flexes his muscles.
‘Yeah, yeah, put it away.’I punch his arm, then tousle his blonde hair, grown long and floppy since the end of the school year.
‘JB!’Tommy races across the balcony, Matty behind him.Tommy throws his arms around JB and he mock-stumbles.
‘Woah, little mate, look at you!You been working out, dude?Hey Matty, how are you?You’ve shot up too!’
‘We got new games for Christmas,’ says Tommy.‘Come play, wait until you see how good I am.’
‘You’re shit, Tommy,’ says Matty, ‘I kick your arse.’
‘You’re shit.I kicked your arse two minutes ago.’
‘Language,’ says Mum.
‘Matty, Tommy, can you back off a bit?’I put a hand on Tommy to restrain him.
‘What, you think I can’t take on these two?’JB flips Tommy upside down with one arm and brandishes his legs at Matty like a sword.Tommy’s squeals of excitement and laughter bounce off the walls.Matty dives for JB’s waist and drops to his knees, trying to use his inconsiderable weight to drag him to the ground.
