‘Did you bring your bikini?’ asked Libby.
‘Yes,’ I said, turning back in Greg’s direction, and he waved.
‘Why don’t you just go out with him once, and put him out of his misery?’
‘I don’t tell you who to date.’
‘True,’ she said, putting her arm through mine.
The water was warm. ‘Hey, Steph, you’re on the other team,’ instructed Alex, Willow’s younger brother. I went under the net, and on surfacing the ball bounced off my head. I swam over to it and threw it back.
‘Take that!’ I screeched, clearing the net and scoring the first point. When the ball came at me again, a hand grabbed me from below, and I let out a scream.
A girl surfaced, and we cracked up laughing.
I copped a mouthful of water that made me puke, which could have been majorly embarrassing if I had eaten. My side won, ten points to two. I was a natural at volleyball.
Seconds after exiting the pool, my stomach rumbled. I was starved. I reached for a beach towel and headed for the food table.
Libby danced over and took a ginormous bite of my barbecued sausage sandwich. ‘Change and join us,’ she chirped with her mouth full. A piece of food went flying from her lips, narrowly missing my eye.
‘I’m going to do some serious moon bathing, maybe later,’ I said and headed towards the row of sun-chairs beside the pool.
‘Suit yourself,’ she sang and danced off.
Greg came out of nowhere and sat on the chair beside me. ‘Hey, Steph –’ He hesitated. ‘Umm, a few of us are going to see a movie tomorrow night, and – ’
His words made me panic. ‘Do you think Grant’s still coming?’
Greg’s smile disappeared. ‘I guess,’ he muttered, as an attractive girl whose name escaped me, stole his attention. ‘Catch you later, Steph, good luck finding Grant.’
‘Yeah, thanks.’
Libby appeared, holding two bottles of ginger beer, and sat beside me. ‘Here,’ she said, handing one to me.
‘Do you think Greg’s adopted?’
Libby screwed up her nose. ‘You ask the weirdest questions.’
‘Italians reek of garlic.’
‘You reek of the zoo. Does that make you a monkey? You’re so fussy. Greg’s cute. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance – you might end up liking him.’
‘If you like Greg, why don’t you go out with him?’
‘He hasn’t asked me; it’s you that he likes.’
A girl came running over. She reached for Libby’s free hand and started pulling her up. ‘Quick,’ she told her,’ you gotta see this,’ and Libby was gone.
Grant strolled across the pool area. He wore his thick black hair slicked back off his tanned face. His white shirt hugged his broad frame, showing every muscle in his chest, and his black bootleg jeans hung low off his hips. He had girls running behind him like a line of freshly hatched ducklings. I couldn’t help but imagine him in a life drawing class.
I stood waiting for the bathroom door to open. Willow strolled out of her bedroom holding a boy’s hand. Her lipstick was smudged over her powdered face, her skirt was caught up in her undies and she swayed like a branch in her stilettos. She was obviously drinking something stronger than ginger beer. She reached out and pinched my cheek. ‘You don’t like parties, do you, Stephy?’ she slurred, and I smelt alcohol on her breath.
As Willow walked away, I rubbed away the pain in my cheek. She was wrong. I’d totally enjoy the party if I were here with Grant.
Chapter Two
MUM OPENED THE passenger side window. ‘The snorkels are with the flippers,’ she called to Dad.
‘So, where’s the bag with the snorkels?’
‘In the bag with the flippers,’ Mum told him, and I could have easily wet my pants laughing.
‘Mum, that’s so cruel, shouldn’t we help him?’
‘No, he’ll find them, he just has to think it through.’
‘You’re mean.’
Mum laughed.
‘Not funny,’ said Dad, opening the back of the Jeep and throwing the bag inside, missing the back of my head.
‘Dad, that just missed me.’
‘You’ll live.’
‘If this keeps up we won’t be stopping for ice cream,’ he threatened in his playful Dad voice.
‘Excuse me, you’re the one who eats ice cream 24/7, not us,’ Mum reminded him.
I handed over my Prince CD, and Dad sent it straight back.
‘Did you bring your iPad and earplugs?’ he asked, via the rear view mirror.
‘Yeah.’
‘Good, use them.’
I sat back and crossed my arms.
Just as we got to the Spit Bridge, red lights started to flash, and we had to sit and wait for the bridge to go up to let the yachts with tall masts through.
‘I spy with my little eye,’ said Mum, ‘something starting with T.’
‘Traffic,’ I said, and Dad moaned.
We arrived at Aunt Cass’s at 8.45 am. The door was open, but there was no sign of her. ‘I’ll check out the back,’ I told Dad, and bolted.
I stood on the retaining wall and spotted Aunt Cass walking along the sand towards me with her full skirt hitched up in her undies. She was carrying a yabby pump in one hand and a bucket in the other. I jumped off the seawall and ran to greet her.
Aunt Cass released the bucket and pump and squatted with her arms open like you would with a kid or a dog. I didn’t want to disappoint. Her arms wrapped around me as she kissed my cheek with her painted red lips. ‘Steph, you keep getting prettier,’ she told me. I swept up the bucket and pump, and we made our way back to the house.
‘Dad, you’ve got bait,’ I yelled, holding up the bucket.
‘Spaghetti for dinner,’ he called back.
The water lapped at the tips of our flippers, and our wetsuits glistened in the morning sun. I spat in my mask, squished it around the glass with my fingers, and rinsed it out with sea water. The thick rubber strap pulled at my hair as I wiggled the lens, sucking it to my face. It was alien against my skin.
Mum pulled her long auburn hair back into a ponytail and tied it in a knot. People say from behind they can’t tell Mum and me apart.
We made our way out into the crystal-clear water off Snappermans Beach. The roar of a seaplane flying low filled my head with a buzz of excitement that made my heart flutter. I shaded my eyes from the sun and waved to the passenger, and he waved back. I loved the energy that surrounded us.
I