back?”?’
‘She did,’ I said.
‘She’s going to be so embarrassed when she realises how rude that was, you know, not saying “Jack and Tallulah”.’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Maybe she just forgot my name.’
I regretted adding that, because Jack said, ‘That’s it. Yeah. I didn’t introduce you two properly, did I? I guess she’s just feeling a bit out of it too.’
‘Hn.’ What I really wanted him to say was: ‘That Jazz isa despicable specimen of humankind! So repulsive! So vile! I never want to set eyes on her or her fantastic zoom lens ever again!’
Yep. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. But I wasn’t complaining because instead Jack took my hand and locked his liquefying eyes on mine.
Then he paused, and his gaze dropped from my eyes to my mouth. He took a step towards me. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he said, his voice quiet, and I would definitely have laughed out loud at this, but his lips were already brushing against mine, his arms pulling me close. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my hand as the kiss deepened, and my insides melted.
Oh. Wow.
When we got to Jack’s place, Jazz’s GTI was under cover at the side of the house. We squeezed past it to get to the back door just under the canopy.
‘You don’t go in the front?’ I asked.
‘Forest lost the key before we even moved in,’ said Jack.
‘Forest?’
‘My housemate. Big guy.’
If Jack was calling someone big, he must be huge, and
huge
just about sums up Forest Johnson. But not in a fat way. Oh no. All six foot five of his muscled frame was gracefully reclined on a saggy sofa in front of the telly.
‘Susie,’ he said as Jack walked over to him. They did a complicated handshake. Forest grinned, his teeth white against his ebony skin. His voice was low and rumbly with a lilt of West African French maybe. ‘I been watching this telly, but nothing. Where you at?’
‘Dude,’ said Jack, turning back towards me and the kitchen that opened into the living area. ‘It’s only on at seven, like I said.’
Forest heaved a deep disappointed sigh. ‘Right. I’ll stop watching, then. This is so depressing. Just a loop playing over and over about some missing schoolgirl.’ His eyes lit upon me. ‘Hey, did you know her?’
‘Do,’ I said. ‘I do know her.’ I said to Jack over my shoulder, ‘I can’t believe I forgot to say to you – a girl from Year Twelve has gone missing. Emily Saunders. Did you hear about that?’
‘Geez!’ said Jack, frozen in the act of taking out juice from the fridge. ‘Seriously? What do you know?’
I told the two of them the sketchy details, omitting the info that Alex was dating the guy who was supposed to be away on the weekend with Emily. That was for her to say. I checked my phone – still no reply from Alex – and tried to push it all to the back of my mind, telling myself that Emily was fine. She was an oddball. She probably gave Gavin the boot and took off for some remote me-time. I wouldn’t be surprised. But I kept thatto myself too. Jack was pensive, but Forest seemed to shrug it all off. He said, ‘Good thing the coppers around here are halfway decent, eh, Susie? She’ll be okay. They’ll sort it,’ and he unfolded himself from the saggy sofa. When he came to stand next to me in the kitchen, he dwarfed everyone in the room. ‘You must be Tallulah,’ he said to me. I nodded and shook hands. He grinned, then asked Jack: ‘You bring drinks?’
‘I knew there was something I forgot,’ replied Jack. ‘Arns is bringing the pizzas with Mona, isn’t he? I should have asked him to bring drinks too.’
I brightened, and dived into my schoolbag. ‘Actually,’ I said, ‘I brought two cartons of juice. It’s my favourite –’
A light tinkly laugh came from the living-room side of the kitchen counter. I looked up to see Jazz standing with her hand over her mouth, like she was trying to hide her embarrassment for me, holding up a
‘She did,’ I said.
‘She’s going to be so embarrassed when she realises how rude that was, you know, not saying “Jack and Tallulah”.’
‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Maybe she just forgot my name.’
I regretted adding that, because Jack said, ‘That’s it. Yeah. I didn’t introduce you two properly, did I? I guess she’s just feeling a bit out of it too.’
‘Hn.’ What I really wanted him to say was: ‘That Jazz isa despicable specimen of humankind! So repulsive! So vile! I never want to set eyes on her or her fantastic zoom lens ever again!’
Yep. I had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. But I wasn’t complaining because instead Jack took my hand and locked his liquefying eyes on mine.
Then he paused, and his gaze dropped from my eyes to my mouth. He took a step towards me. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he said, his voice quiet, and I would definitely have laughed out loud at this, but his lips were already brushing against mine, his arms pulling me close. I could feel his heart pounding beneath my hand as the kiss deepened, and my insides melted.
Oh. Wow.
When we got to Jack’s place, Jazz’s GTI was under cover at the side of the house. We squeezed past it to get to the back door just under the canopy.
‘You don’t go in the front?’ I asked.
‘Forest lost the key before we even moved in,’ said Jack.
‘Forest?’
‘My housemate. Big guy.’
If Jack was calling someone big, he must be huge, and
huge
just about sums up Forest Johnson. But not in a fat way. Oh no. All six foot five of his muscled frame was gracefully reclined on a saggy sofa in front of the telly.
‘Susie,’ he said as Jack walked over to him. They did a complicated handshake. Forest grinned, his teeth white against his ebony skin. His voice was low and rumbly with a lilt of West African French maybe. ‘I been watching this telly, but nothing. Where you at?’
‘Dude,’ said Jack, turning back towards me and the kitchen that opened into the living area. ‘It’s only on at seven, like I said.’
Forest heaved a deep disappointed sigh. ‘Right. I’ll stop watching, then. This is so depressing. Just a loop playing over and over about some missing schoolgirl.’ His eyes lit upon me. ‘Hey, did you know her?’
‘Do,’ I said. ‘I do know her.’ I said to Jack over my shoulder, ‘I can’t believe I forgot to say to you – a girl from Year Twelve has gone missing. Emily Saunders. Did you hear about that?’
‘Geez!’ said Jack, frozen in the act of taking out juice from the fridge. ‘Seriously? What do you know?’
I told the two of them the sketchy details, omitting the info that Alex was dating the guy who was supposed to be away on the weekend with Emily. That was for her to say. I checked my phone – still no reply from Alex – and tried to push it all to the back of my mind, telling myself that Emily was fine. She was an oddball. She probably gave Gavin the boot and took off for some remote me-time. I wouldn’t be surprised. But I kept thatto myself too. Jack was pensive, but Forest seemed to shrug it all off. He said, ‘Good thing the coppers around here are halfway decent, eh, Susie? She’ll be okay. They’ll sort it,’ and he unfolded himself from the saggy sofa. When he came to stand next to me in the kitchen, he dwarfed everyone in the room. ‘You must be Tallulah,’ he said to me. I nodded and shook hands. He grinned, then asked Jack: ‘You bring drinks?’
‘I knew there was something I forgot,’ replied Jack. ‘Arns is bringing the pizzas with Mona, isn’t he? I should have asked him to bring drinks too.’
I brightened, and dived into my schoolbag. ‘Actually,’ I said, ‘I brought two cartons of juice. It’s my favourite –’
A light tinkly laugh came from the living-room side of the kitchen counter. I looked up to see Jazz standing with her hand over her mouth, like she was trying to hide her embarrassment for me, holding up a
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