Tilly looked a little hurt. ‘They’re practically my first action shots. I’ll get better.’
‘Don’t get me wrong, the shots are great, you can see what a fantastic time they’re all having,’ Fran added, passing the camera to Kyle. ‘Maybe you should put some on the School website and see if the parents want to buy them.’
‘What a great idea! I might just do that. Some of the parents were asking me to email them copies, but selling them makes more sense. I don’t know what you guys did, but all the parents rebooked. With a return rate like that we’ll be running all summer.’
Marlee nodded towards Kyle. ‘It was Super Kid here.’
‘Mr Super Kid to you,’ Kyle said, feigning indignation. He glanced at Tilly. ‘Great pics.’ He held the camera out to Marlee. ‘Wanna look?’
Marlee had pulled the brim of her hat down low and was watching Kyle. It was like he was two people. The one she’d seen on the bus and today, and then Kyle with his angry head on, the one who pushed her around at the School and bullied other surfers. Which one’s going to jump out of the box next, she wondered, still a little peeved that he’d ended up taking over her class.
‘Hoooo, wake up,’ Kyle pushed the camera into Marlee’s arm, startling her. ‘Good shot of you sprawled in the wet sand.’
Marlee pressed the quick view on the camera, but was still watching Kyle.
He stood, arching his back, arms stretched above his head. ‘I’m going for a surf.’
Tilly collected the sandwich wrappers. ‘Hey, Kyle, I was wondering if you’d like to help out some more.’
Kyle nodded. ‘Yeah, love to. I need all the money I can get before I go to Hawaii.’
Tilly clapped her hands together. ‘Great. Next class starts in an hour. Don’t be late.’
Marlee watched Kyle run down to the surf, heart pounding as though she was running too. ‘Do you think you’ve made the right decision, Til?’
‘Yeah, he’s good for business, I’d be crazy not to have him on board.’ Tilly laughed uneasily. ‘Why? I thought you’d agree.’
‘I do,’ Marlee said quickly. ‘It’s just that he’s … he’s so unpredictable.’
Pink threw herself down on the sand next to Marlee, biting into the last sandwich. ‘I’m stuffed, I’ve just slicked up fifty little wrigglers with sunscreen. Do you have any idea how hard that is?’
No one spoke.
‘Whaaaat?’ Pink mumbled, mouth full. ‘Have I missed something?’
‘Kyle,’ Fran said. ‘Tilly just hired him for the summer.’
Pink pointed her sandwich at Kyle paddling out through the waves. ‘Mr Grumpy?’ She chuckled. ‘What if he beats up a student because they’ve taken his wave?’
Fran laughed and Marlee hid her face under her hat.
Tilly flushed red. ‘He can be like that but mostly he’s a nice guy. Anyway it was my call,’ she said defensively, plucking the camera out of Marlee’s hands. ‘Stop making such a big deal out of it.’
CHAPTER FIVE
It was early evening. The girls sat in a row at a picnic table facing the surf. The water was streaked with silver in the fading light, gulls hovered in holding patterns above the waves, swooping to catch fish. Tilly passed the hot chips and mango smoothie along.
‘Dinner,’ she grinned. ‘Can’t face another pizza. Thanks for helping today everyone, the classes are going well.’
‘I’m not cut out for all this work,’ Pink grumbled. ‘I practically fall asleep before Dad, and he’s usually in bed with his hot milk about now.’
Fran and Tilly laughed.
‘As if, Pink. Anyway,’ Fran said, ‘it isn’t like you’re ever going to have to work unless you want to.’
Pink’s neck flushed red. She covered it with her hand. ‘How’s the training going?’ she called to Marlee, who was stretching on the grass, flexing her back first one way and then the other.
‘Fantastic. I’ve got two pamphlet runs now.’ Marlee winced, easing off the stretch.
‘Two! How’d you get the time to do all this stuff?’ Pink asked.
‘I squeeze them in. It’s not forever, just so I can have a bit of money in the bank,’ Marlee said. ‘I’m so psyched to win that board. That’ll be the start. The beginning of my luck turning round, the start of my campaign for more contests – the beginning of winning. Hey, I like that, it sounds good.’
‘You’ll be able to buy ten boards with all the money you’re making,’ Fran added.
‘Maybe, but if I can get one for free I’d rather save my money. There’s plenty of other things I’m going to need, like wetsuits, boardies, travel expenses …’
‘What if you don’t win?’ Tilly asked gently.
Marlee held her fingers up in a cross shape. ‘Negative thinking, negative thinking – stop!’
‘Sorry, Marlee. I’d hate to see you get hurt, that’s all.’
Marlee laughed. ‘Nothing you haven’t seen before.’ She rolled onto her stomach, grabbing her ankles and pulling them towards her head. ‘No plan B – but I’ve got a good chance. If you work it out, there are eighty members in the club, and not everyone will go in the competition. And there’s a board for the juniors and another for the seniors. The juniors I’ve got to worry about are Jamie, Kyle, Sam, Sienna and you guys. Some will be taken out in earlier heats, so I just need to hang in there.’ She grinned. ‘I have a good feeling about it. Once I get a good board I’ll try and win some junior contests, get a bit of sponsorship, a wildcard into the World Qualifying Series, then the World Championship Tour. That’s our plan isn’t it, Tilly?’
Tilly nodded uncertainly. ‘You make it sound so simple.’
Marlee’s smile faded. ‘I never said it would be simple.’
‘Sounds great,’ Pink punched Tilly’s arm. ‘I know you can do it. The whole Island Breeze team is right behind you.’
There was silence as three awkward moments collided: Tilly gave a fake laugh to cover her reservations about the WCT plan; Pink realised, too late, that she’d promised Marlee sponsorship too, and Marlee fought back tears, worried that maybe she was on her own.
Fran sucked up the last of the smoothie. ‘Well, you can tick me off the list. I’m over the competition thing. They’re so annoying. All that hype and hanging around, then hassling in the surf and what for? A board? No thanks.’
‘It’s not just the board,’ Marlee said quietly. ‘It’s about winning. And who knows what else might happen? I could get talent spotted. Last year Tilly picked up a sponsor.’ Marlee turned away from Pink, giving her left leg a second stretch.
‘Not for me, Marls,’ Fran said emphatically. ‘I’m a weekends, holidays, just-for-fun surfer.’
‘What about you, Tilly?’ Marlee sat up, waiting for an answer.
‘Yeah, I’m in. I love competition day, even if it is just a small club thing.’ Tilly tried to sound positive and upbeat but she wasn’t sure anymore. It was okay for Marlee she thought, annoyed, she didn’t have her father or the School to worry about. It was all so clear cut for her.
‘Yep, I’m up for it,’ she said, trying to convince herself.
13 DECEMBER 2 AM
Hey guess what? Your amazing friend has nearly set up the School’s website. When it’s finished, it’ll have an archive, class info and a database. I know, I can’t quite believe it myself. Sam helped with the geek stuff but now I’m typing everything in.
I’ll have 575 names on the database – mainly ex-students, some repeat offenders and a few high schools. Schools have got to be the way to go. And corporate – can’t forget Barb Cook. I bet Dad hasn’t even thought about schools yet. The plan is to get the newsletter happening then email it to everyone in the database.
It’s good to turn that screen off. I feel like my eyelids are fried open! I’d planned on putting some more photos on there but I’m too tired now.
You can have the book for a while. I haven’t got time to write in it.
Gtg.
Love T xx
&nb
sp; Tilly was curled up in an old armchair, covered in a beach towel, fast asleep in the deep shade of the verandah.
‘Tilly?’ Marlee placed her wet board against the wall of the house and pulled her towel off the line. ‘Tilly,’ she called again.
Tilly stirred, rubbing the stiffness out of her neck. ‘Yeah?’ She climbed out of the chair stiffly. ‘Boy, this chair is uncomfortable.’ She stretched again. ‘Is it morning?’
Marlee hosed her feet. ‘Yep. Did you sleep out here last night?’
‘Must have. I worked on the database till late then came out here for a break. Ohh, I feel like I haven’t even slept.’
‘You’ll end up getting sick if you keep working like that.’
‘It’s a surprise for Dad. I want to do something to make him happy.’
Marlee followed Tilly inside, opening the fridge for milk.
‘What about Sam? Can’t he help?’
‘Sam? He can’t type. He’s doing most of the design stuff anyway. It’ll be so great when it’s all done. We’ll save heaps of time with the bookings and accounts and we can use it to advertise like that woman who came into the School to see Dad.’
‘Did you contact her?’
‘No, but she left a message saying she’d get back to us. Blew that one I guess.’
‘Can I help?’ Marlee offered.
Tilly sliced the plump cheeks off a mango, leaving plenty of flesh on the seed, the way Marlee liked it. ‘You’re already doing heaps at the School.’ Then, without thinking, added, ‘Especially when Kyle’s around …’
‘You’re imagining things,’ Marlee stuck the whole seed in her mouth, smiling a sticky orange smile at Tilly. ‘As usual,’ she mumbled.
‘Maybe,’ Tilly pushed the mango cheek inside out, biting into the soft flesh. ‘Maybe not.’
‘One minute you’re saying I’m mean to him and now I’m spending too much time with him. I can’t win.’
Tilly disappeared into her room and returned waving the Blood Book. ‘Well if you can’t fess up to me, tell the Book.’ She shoved it into Marlee’s hand. ‘Don’t look so panicked, I’m only joking. Besides, I haven’t got time to write in it now so it’s all yours. You can tell me all about the training I’m missing.’
‘Hey Pink! Wait up.’
Pink only had to be near the beach for five minutes and Jamie would zoom in from somewhere, Marnie trotting behind. Today he was at the boys’ seat watching the surf. He jumped lightly onto his skateboard, his long, lanky body weaving backwards and forwards as he skated towards her, deftly spinning the board around to head in her direction. Pink patted Marnie’s head but kept walking. Jamie cruised slowly beside her.
‘What’s in the bag?’ he asked finally.
‘T-shirts.’
‘Freebies?’
Pink nodded.
‘Can I have one?’
Pink opened the bag wide so Jamie could see the pink Island Breeze T-shirts.
‘Er, well, maybe not. Are you going to wear those?’
‘Not all of them, stupid. They’re for a conference my mum’s organising. Hey, why don’t you come?’ Pink tipped her face to one side, finger on her lips, giving Jamie a flirtatious look.
‘What happens at a conference?’
‘We get to eat nice food and sneak drinks from the tray while my mum isn’t looking.’
‘Sounds okay. Is this like a date?’ Jamie asked hopefully.
‘Um, maybe.’ Pink gave him an impish grin.
Jamie looked like a man who’d just won the weekly Lotto draw. He beamed with good luck and good fortune. ‘Great. Tell me where and when. I’ll be there.’
‘Next Thursday at 7 pm.’ Pink rummaged through her bag and pulled out a T-shirt. ‘Here, this is the biggest one I’ve got. You have to wear it.’
Jamie stopped skating, stretching the pink T-shirt tightly across his chest. The hem shrivelled above his navel. He looked at Pink to see if this was some kind of joke, holding it out to read the white lettering: ISLAND BREEZE SUMMER.
‘If anyone sees me in this I’ll never live it down.’
‘Can’t come unless you have it on,’ Pink teased. ‘Gotta go.’ She waved and ran across the road.
Jamie looked at the shirt in disgust then held it up to his nose. It smelt of Pink’s perfume. ‘Okay,’ he called after her. ‘For you, I’ll do it.’ He flung the T-shirt over his shoulder and watched Pink walk away.
Tilly’s head nodded forwards, sliding off her hand, and her body lurched onto Phil’s bed, jerking her awake, and startling Phil. He gasped in pain and annoyance, gingerly moving his leg away from her. Tilly pulled herself upright in the chair, shaking her head back, trying to wake herself up. ‘Sorry, Dad.’
‘Matilda, you look exhausted,’ Phil said curtly, tapping at the drip, hoping for more pain relief. ‘I really appreciate what you’re doing, but Shane’s got it under control. He’s worked for me for years. Let him run things. Go home and get some rest.’
Tilly ran her hand over the soft cotton cover on her dad’s bed, her fingers absorbing the bump of the weave. Not really, she thought. If I wasn’t there, there’d be no bookings, no-one to set classes up, no-one to do the banking or get change or pack up.
She tried again. ‘But, Dad, I’ve nearly got the website happening. I was going to do that anyway. And the girls are all help —’
‘I don’t have the money to pay all these people.’ Phil cut her off sharply. ‘I run it as tight as I can and now there’s all the new equipment to pay for. Who knows how long I’m going to be stuck in here. We’ll be lucky to make the end of summer.’
Tilly felt her insides crack and fall into a hole somewhere deep inside her body. ‘These people,’ she said, struggling to hold it together, ‘these people aren’t just any people, they’re my friends. And,’ she choked back tears, ‘they offered to help, not for money but because they care about me and they care about you. They’ve been a part of our life since I was little. You, Dad, you’ve been their second home. And now they want to help you.’
When she looked back up her dad had nodded off, pain screwed into the lines across his face. He re-opened his eyes and smiled wearily, reaching for her hand.
‘Still here, kiddo? Thought you’d have left your grumpy old man by now.’
Tilly smiled sadly, wishing for things to be as they were before, and for the drugs to be switched off so her dad would stop being so mean. ‘Yeah, you’re grumpy all right,’ she said wearily.
Phil squeezed her hand gently. ‘Til, I know this is a hard time for you, for all of us, but we’ll get through it. I just don’t want you to take on all my worries. You’re just a kid, it’s holidays. Go surfing. Have fun.’
Tilly gently threaded her arms around his neck. ‘I just want to help, Dad. I want you home soon.’
But Phil was asleep again so this time she kissed him and left, promising herself she’d work really hard and make him proud.
15 DECEMBER
I decided tonight that if you can’t get to the surf, I’ll bring the surf to you. Here’s your wave of the day from the Surf Gods.
The wave is your favourite blue, icy and sharp. It curls over like a knife scraping across firm butter. Your board’s locked into the barrel and you’re crouched low, tucked right in, a look of fierce concentration on your face, hand grabbing the rail, left foot forward and toes spread wide across the deck like suckers. Your left arm is so far back it looks dislocated and your left hand’s catching the wall so the spray arcs overhead.
But the best part is your face. You’re staring down that wave so intently that nothing is going to stop you.
Sorry, I lie.
It’s really Sofia Mulanovich and the photo is mesmerising. (Like that? Didn’t even have to look up how to spell it.) I’ve put it on the Marlee Wall of Fame with your face stuck over hers. I’m sure she won’t care, she probably gets waves like that ALL THE TIME, whereas your need is greater.
Watch this space, dear surfer, the next set is due to roll
in.
Mxx
P.S. If you’ve found this book, I have been kidnapped by dust mites. In fact, if you find this, you’ll know it’s time to get out the vacuum cleaner …
CHAPTER SIX
The king tides that come with every full moon had been and gone before Pink saw Kim again. Though not from lack of effort on her part: Pink stood on her deck, night after night scanning the cars parked along the beach, looking for his rainbow-coloured kombi.
When she did see the van again, she didn’t recognise it at first and would probably have walked straight past if she hadn’t smelt the distinct clove aroma of Kim’s Indonesian cigarettes. She glanced over to see him sitting in the open doorway of his van, a black trilby low on his forehead. As he strummed his guitar, his eyes never stopped moving, assessing the view, and he was watching Pink before she’d even noticed him. She quickly took in his tanned chest, black waistcoat and white yoga pants, his contrast to the locals adding to his exotic appeal. A nervous fizz set off in her stomach and Pink hesitated, not sure if he remembered her.
‘Hey there,’ she called unsurely.
He lifted his fingers in a small wave, the leather bands on his wrist sliding up his arm.
‘Well, well, well, look who it is,’ he said finally, resting his arms over his guitar. ‘Didn’t recognise you in those big glasses. How’s the leg?’
‘Okay.’ Pink blushed, tapping her leg to hide her face. ‘You painted the van,’ she said, disappointed.
‘Yeah.’
Kim said no more and Pink’s confidence vanished. She was about to say goodbye when two policemen appeared. Kim uncoiled his body and grabbed Pink’s hand in one quick movement, holding it behind his back as though she had her arm around him.
‘Don’t go,’ he murmured.
Her heart pounded and even though she’d done nothing wrong, she felt like she had.
‘Hi,’ she said to the policemen, forcing a smile.
The policemen nodded, then turned to Kim. Pink tried to slow her breathing. Kim’s hand held firmly onto hers. She dared to give it a quick squeeze, a thrill running through her when he responded, realising that he was interested in her after all. She beamed at the police.
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