shouted several times, the tallest one picked Zed up and threw him in. He went under—but it was a calm backwater so he merely bobbed up to the surface. He grabbed his brother and pulled him over. From the easy way the boy fell, I guessed that this was not unexpected. That left Yves on the bank but he was getting royally splashed before lending a hand to haul his brothers out. They collapsed on the bank, laughing, until they got their breath back. It was odd to see Zed happy; I’d come to expect nothing but dark looks from him.
‘My younger sons,’ said Mr Benedict with a shrug.
As if hearing a whistle out of the hearing of the rest of us, the Benedict boys looked up.
‘Get the raft launched, Dad, and I’ll be right with you when I get changed,’ shouted the tallest one. ‘Zed’ll take the kayaker.’
‘That’s Xav,’ said Tina. ‘He only left school this year.’
‘Is he like Zed or Yves?’
‘How do you mean?’
We tagged along after the rafting party as it headed to the landing stage.
‘Hostile or friendly. I think Zed’s got it in for me.’
Tina frowned. ‘Zed’s got it in for a lot of people, but not usually girls. What’s he done?’
‘He … it’s kinda hard to explain. When he notices me—which isn’t often—he seems really irritated. Look, Tina, is it me? Have I done something wrong? Is it because I don’t understand how things are done here?’
‘Well, there are these vicious rumours that you prefer drinking tea to coffee.’
‘Tina, I’m being serious!’
She put her hand on my forearm. ‘No, Sky, you’re doing fine. If he’s got a problem with you, that’s what it is exactly: his problem, not yours. I wouldn’t worry. Zed’s been acting kinda strange for a few weeks now—more of everything, more angry, more arrogant—everyone’s noticed.’
Our discussion ended as we had to pay attention to Mr Benedict’s instructions as to where we were going to sit. ‘River’s running high since the rain over the weekend. We need the smallest and lightest in the centre of this seat so you don’t get flipped out.’
‘That’d be you, Sky baby,’ said Nelson, nudging me forward.
‘One of my sons will take the paddle at the front, and you,’ he pointed to Nelson, ‘take the other side. That leaves you two girls to sit behind them near me.’ He beckoned Tina and another girl from high school forward. They both were issued with paddles; I was the only one without as I had to be in the middle.
Zed approached, having dumped his wetsuit and put on shorts and a life jacket.
‘Xav and Yves are taking the kayaker,’ Zed announced.
His father frowned. ‘I thought that was your job.’
‘Yeah, well, I saw that he was going to be a jerk. Yves’s better at handling that.’
I decided there and then that Wolfman had missed out on the devilish charm-school part in his anti-hero training.
Mr Benedict looked as if he wanted to say something—a lot of somethings—but was prevented by us listening in.
We took our places in the inflatable raft. This arrangement had the unfortunate consequence that I was next to Zed with Nelson on the other side. Zed appeared to be studiously avoiding looking at me—I’d become Miss Invisible Sky.
‘Girl in the middle at the front—Sky, isn’t it?’
I turned round to see Mr Benedict was speaking to me.
‘Yes, sir?’
‘If it gets rough, link arms with your neighbours. Girls up my end, make sure your feet stay in the toeholds on the bottom of the raft when it starts to buck. They’ll keep you from falling in.’
Nelson grunted with disgust. ‘Not worried about the boys then, is he?’
Zed overheard him. ‘He thinks men should be able to look after themselves. Got a problem with that?’
Nelson shook his head, feeling the dig. ‘Nope.’
Sally would just love this, I thought. As a card-carrying feminist, she would think Mr Benedict a complete dinosaur. She wouldn’t be too impressed by Zed either.
Mr Benedict pushed the
‘My younger sons,’ said Mr Benedict with a shrug.
As if hearing a whistle out of the hearing of the rest of us, the Benedict boys looked up.
‘Get the raft launched, Dad, and I’ll be right with you when I get changed,’ shouted the tallest one. ‘Zed’ll take the kayaker.’
‘That’s Xav,’ said Tina. ‘He only left school this year.’
‘Is he like Zed or Yves?’
‘How do you mean?’
We tagged along after the rafting party as it headed to the landing stage.
‘Hostile or friendly. I think Zed’s got it in for me.’
Tina frowned. ‘Zed’s got it in for a lot of people, but not usually girls. What’s he done?’
‘He … it’s kinda hard to explain. When he notices me—which isn’t often—he seems really irritated. Look, Tina, is it me? Have I done something wrong? Is it because I don’t understand how things are done here?’
‘Well, there are these vicious rumours that you prefer drinking tea to coffee.’
‘Tina, I’m being serious!’
She put her hand on my forearm. ‘No, Sky, you’re doing fine. If he’s got a problem with you, that’s what it is exactly: his problem, not yours. I wouldn’t worry. Zed’s been acting kinda strange for a few weeks now—more of everything, more angry, more arrogant—everyone’s noticed.’
Our discussion ended as we had to pay attention to Mr Benedict’s instructions as to where we were going to sit. ‘River’s running high since the rain over the weekend. We need the smallest and lightest in the centre of this seat so you don’t get flipped out.’
‘That’d be you, Sky baby,’ said Nelson, nudging me forward.
‘One of my sons will take the paddle at the front, and you,’ he pointed to Nelson, ‘take the other side. That leaves you two girls to sit behind them near me.’ He beckoned Tina and another girl from high school forward. They both were issued with paddles; I was the only one without as I had to be in the middle.
Zed approached, having dumped his wetsuit and put on shorts and a life jacket.
‘Xav and Yves are taking the kayaker,’ Zed announced.
His father frowned. ‘I thought that was your job.’
‘Yeah, well, I saw that he was going to be a jerk. Yves’s better at handling that.’
I decided there and then that Wolfman had missed out on the devilish charm-school part in his anti-hero training.
Mr Benedict looked as if he wanted to say something—a lot of somethings—but was prevented by us listening in.
We took our places in the inflatable raft. This arrangement had the unfortunate consequence that I was next to Zed with Nelson on the other side. Zed appeared to be studiously avoiding looking at me—I’d become Miss Invisible Sky.
‘Girl in the middle at the front—Sky, isn’t it?’
I turned round to see Mr Benedict was speaking to me.
‘Yes, sir?’
‘If it gets rough, link arms with your neighbours. Girls up my end, make sure your feet stay in the toeholds on the bottom of the raft when it starts to buck. They’ll keep you from falling in.’
Nelson grunted with disgust. ‘Not worried about the boys then, is he?’
Zed overheard him. ‘He thinks men should be able to look after themselves. Got a problem with that?’
Nelson shook his head, feeling the dig. ‘Nope.’
Sally would just love this, I thought. As a card-carrying feminist, she would think Mr Benedict a complete dinosaur. She wouldn’t be too impressed by Zed either.
Mr Benedict pushed the
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