be such a worrywart!’
I shook my head. ‘But I’m not like you. I can’t just talk to guys. My tongue will stop working or something. I’m just not cool like you are.’
‘Well, you look pretty cool to me,’ Persephone said smiling. ‘And you act it, too.’
I smiled, coyly. ‘Really? You think so?’
Persephone nodded. ‘Totes. You rock. You’re just a bit shy, that’s all.’
Was it really possible that I was cool? I looked down at my new bikini. It was definitely cool! Maybe with my new bikini, and Persephone with me, I could face Rio.
‘All right, let’s meet them. But maybe not right now,’ I said. ‘Can we meet them later?’
Persephone smiled. ‘Of course, silly.’ She texted Jordan back with a time and a place to meet later that afternoon.
‘So what’s the story with you and Jordan?’ I asked.
‘No story yet,’ Persephone said, giving me a cheeky grin. ‘But I’m pretty sure there’ll be one by the end of the holidays.’
‘How long have you known him?’
‘I met him about five minutes before you did.’
‘What?’ I said. ‘You met him at the bridge-building session?’
‘Uh-huh,’ she said, lying back on her towel.
I found that hard to believe. She and Jordan had seemed so comfortable working together in class that I assumed they’d known each other forever.
‘How do you do that?’ I asked. ‘Talk to cute guys without getting nervous?’
Persephone felt around for her sunglasses and put them on. ‘I’ve got an older brother. That probably makes it easier for me to talk to guys. Practise on George if you like.’
I laughed. ‘I’d prefer to start practising on a teddy bear. No offence, but George is kind of arrogant,’ I said before I could stop myself.
Persephone just laughed. ‘Kind of! His head’s so big he has to duck to get through doorways.’
‘I guess it’s all part of the territory when you’re a chick magnet.’
Persephone lifted her sunglasses and eyed me suspiciously.
‘I don’t mean that I think he’s a chick magnet,’ I said quickly. ‘I mean he obviously thinks he is. You know what I mean.’
Persephone nodded, but I could feel a bit of tension in the air.
‘Anyway, enough about George,’ I said. ‘I want to talk about Rio. Do you think he likes me?’
Persephone’s face relaxed again. ‘Of course! Who wouldn’t?’
I shrugged.
‘Hey, stop over-thinking everything. You look super cute in your new bikini,’ Persephone said, poking me with her toe. ‘Don’t look now, but there are a couple of guys over there who can’t take their eyes off you.’
She sat up and pointed down the beach at a couple of boys kicking a ball to each other.
‘But they’re about ten years old,’ I complained.
Persephone cracked up laughing. ‘So fussy!’ she said. ‘But seriously, just be yourself and Rio will definitely like you.’
‘Sure,’ I said. But that was easier to say than do.
‘So what do you …’ Persephone trailed off.
I followed her gaze to two guys near the headland, coming out of the surf. Not the ten-year-olds. These guys were definitely older. Rio and Jordan? I suddenly felt butterflies in my tummy.
‘Is that who I think it is?’ she asked. ‘C’mon, let’s get a closer look.’
‘Really? Do we have to?’ I asked, but Persephone pulled me to my feet.
‘I think it is. I think it is,’ she muttered as we got closer.
But I was more convinced that it wasn’t. ‘It’s not Rio and Jordan. Unless they’ve grown their hair.’
‘No,’ said Persephone, ‘not them . It’s …’ She glanced around to make sure no-one was listening. ‘The Lads.’
‘No way!’ I squealed.
Persephone put her finger to her lips. ‘Shh! You’ll let the whole beach know. If we’re quiet we can keep them all to ourselves.’
‘What? We’re going to talk to them?’
Persephone smiled. ‘No. Grab your phone. I have a plan.’
I shook my head in disbelief. No way.
My heart was pounding like crazy as we walked
I shook my head. ‘But I’m not like you. I can’t just talk to guys. My tongue will stop working or something. I’m just not cool like you are.’
‘Well, you look pretty cool to me,’ Persephone said smiling. ‘And you act it, too.’
I smiled, coyly. ‘Really? You think so?’
Persephone nodded. ‘Totes. You rock. You’re just a bit shy, that’s all.’
Was it really possible that I was cool? I looked down at my new bikini. It was definitely cool! Maybe with my new bikini, and Persephone with me, I could face Rio.
‘All right, let’s meet them. But maybe not right now,’ I said. ‘Can we meet them later?’
Persephone smiled. ‘Of course, silly.’ She texted Jordan back with a time and a place to meet later that afternoon.
‘So what’s the story with you and Jordan?’ I asked.
‘No story yet,’ Persephone said, giving me a cheeky grin. ‘But I’m pretty sure there’ll be one by the end of the holidays.’
‘How long have you known him?’
‘I met him about five minutes before you did.’
‘What?’ I said. ‘You met him at the bridge-building session?’
‘Uh-huh,’ she said, lying back on her towel.
I found that hard to believe. She and Jordan had seemed so comfortable working together in class that I assumed they’d known each other forever.
‘How do you do that?’ I asked. ‘Talk to cute guys without getting nervous?’
Persephone felt around for her sunglasses and put them on. ‘I’ve got an older brother. That probably makes it easier for me to talk to guys. Practise on George if you like.’
I laughed. ‘I’d prefer to start practising on a teddy bear. No offence, but George is kind of arrogant,’ I said before I could stop myself.
Persephone just laughed. ‘Kind of! His head’s so big he has to duck to get through doorways.’
‘I guess it’s all part of the territory when you’re a chick magnet.’
Persephone lifted her sunglasses and eyed me suspiciously.
‘I don’t mean that I think he’s a chick magnet,’ I said quickly. ‘I mean he obviously thinks he is. You know what I mean.’
Persephone nodded, but I could feel a bit of tension in the air.
‘Anyway, enough about George,’ I said. ‘I want to talk about Rio. Do you think he likes me?’
Persephone’s face relaxed again. ‘Of course! Who wouldn’t?’
I shrugged.
‘Hey, stop over-thinking everything. You look super cute in your new bikini,’ Persephone said, poking me with her toe. ‘Don’t look now, but there are a couple of guys over there who can’t take their eyes off you.’
She sat up and pointed down the beach at a couple of boys kicking a ball to each other.
‘But they’re about ten years old,’ I complained.
Persephone cracked up laughing. ‘So fussy!’ she said. ‘But seriously, just be yourself and Rio will definitely like you.’
‘Sure,’ I said. But that was easier to say than do.
‘So what do you …’ Persephone trailed off.
I followed her gaze to two guys near the headland, coming out of the surf. Not the ten-year-olds. These guys were definitely older. Rio and Jordan? I suddenly felt butterflies in my tummy.
‘Is that who I think it is?’ she asked. ‘C’mon, let’s get a closer look.’
‘Really? Do we have to?’ I asked, but Persephone pulled me to my feet.
‘I think it is. I think it is,’ she muttered as we got closer.
But I was more convinced that it wasn’t. ‘It’s not Rio and Jordan. Unless they’ve grown their hair.’
‘No,’ said Persephone, ‘not them . It’s …’ She glanced around to make sure no-one was listening. ‘The Lads.’
‘No way!’ I squealed.
Persephone put her finger to her lips. ‘Shh! You’ll let the whole beach know. If we’re quiet we can keep them all to ourselves.’
‘What? We’re going to talk to them?’
Persephone smiled. ‘No. Grab your phone. I have a plan.’
I shook my head in disbelief. No way.
My heart was pounding like crazy as we walked
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