“Good point.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to help you clean your room this arve. He’s expecting me to meet him after school and explain everything.”
“Aww Ellie! Come on. I’m desperate.”
“So am I.”
Lauren sighed. “Okay. How about Tuesday? We’ll only have until five though.”
“Yeah. Tuesday’s free.”
“Great! Now tell me every detail. Even the boring stuff.”
Ellie grinned and the rest of the lunch hour was spent discussing the weekend in depth. When the bell rang, Ellie reluctantly dragged herself to her next class. She knew the rest of the day would crawl by. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to stash some food. In each classroom she kept watch on the hands of the clock, her stomach feeling hollow. A few minutes before the last bell rang, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as a text came through. While the teacher was busy, she pulled it out and held it under the desk. She glanced down. It was from Tom. He’d sent directions of where to meet. Frowning, she returned the phone to her pocket, hoping he didn’t want to grill her too long. She was desperate to get something to eat.
Tom was leaning against the bonnet of his car when she reached him. She frowned when she saw a couple of his friends standing nearby. He better not expect her to tell him in front of them. Although the story she’d come up with wasn’t too bad. Unless of course you knew how laidback Sharon was. Ellie began to worry. What if he’d asked around about her and learned her mum let her do pretty much anything. It was too late now. She didn’t have another story to tell him. As she reached the car, she saw Sam in the backseat.
Tom pushed away from the car. “Well, hop in the front. I don’t have all day.” He turned to his friends. “See ya tomorrow.” He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Ellie hurried around and hopped in. She barely had time to buckle up before he was reversing out of the car park. She turned towards the back of the car. “Hi, Sam.”
Sam nodded solemnly.
Ellie sat forward again. “Think you could drop me at the same shopping centre?”
“What’s wrong with letting me drop you at home?”
“I’ve got to get some groceries. The place is Mother Hubbard bare.” Her stomach grumbled as if to underline the statement.
Tom looked sceptical. “There’s nothing at all in your fridge?”
“Butter, half a jar of jam and a six-pack. I don’t think school would’ve been happy if I’d brought beer for lunch.” She turned when Sam tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at the clear plastic container he held out, her gaze drawn to the slice of cake inside. Maybe he used the right name on his messenger after all. He was a magician. “Thanks.” Taking the container, she opened it, biting into the cake. Apple and cinnamon exploded in her mouth. “Mmm, heavenly. Who made this?”
“I did,” Sam said softly.
“You’re a magician in the kitchen.” Ellie reluctantly popped the last piece of cake in her mouth, handing the container back to him.
Sam shoved the container in his schoolbag. “Are you coming for dinner Wednesday night?”
“Ahh…”
“What’s the issue now?” Tom demanded. “We know who you are and before the day ends I’ll know where you live. Whether or not you give me your address.”
“How?”
Tom smiled cryptically. “You have secrets…”
“You look beautiful without that other makeup,” Sam said.
Ellie looked back to see him watching her again. “Ahh… thanks.”
“So why did you crash at our place on the weekend?”
Ellie faced forward so she could answer Tom’s question. She took a deep breath and told the story her and Lauren had cooked up. She waited for Tom’s comment. Instead he said nothing. He turned into the car park of the shopping centre and found an empty spot. When he opened his door, Ellie blurted out, “What are you doing?”
Tom smiled. “Going shopping with you, then dropping you
“I don’t think I’ll be able to help you clean your room this arve. He’s expecting me to meet him after school and explain everything.”
“Aww Ellie! Come on. I’m desperate.”
“So am I.”
Lauren sighed. “Okay. How about Tuesday? We’ll only have until five though.”
“Yeah. Tuesday’s free.”
“Great! Now tell me every detail. Even the boring stuff.”
Ellie grinned and the rest of the lunch hour was spent discussing the weekend in depth. When the bell rang, Ellie reluctantly dragged herself to her next class. She knew the rest of the day would crawl by. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to stash some food. In each classroom she kept watch on the hands of the clock, her stomach feeling hollow. A few minutes before the last bell rang, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as a text came through. While the teacher was busy, she pulled it out and held it under the desk. She glanced down. It was from Tom. He’d sent directions of where to meet. Frowning, she returned the phone to her pocket, hoping he didn’t want to grill her too long. She was desperate to get something to eat.
Tom was leaning against the bonnet of his car when she reached him. She frowned when she saw a couple of his friends standing nearby. He better not expect her to tell him in front of them. Although the story she’d come up with wasn’t too bad. Unless of course you knew how laidback Sharon was. Ellie began to worry. What if he’d asked around about her and learned her mum let her do pretty much anything. It was too late now. She didn’t have another story to tell him. As she reached the car, she saw Sam in the backseat.
Tom pushed away from the car. “Well, hop in the front. I don’t have all day.” He turned to his friends. “See ya tomorrow.” He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Ellie hurried around and hopped in. She barely had time to buckle up before he was reversing out of the car park. She turned towards the back of the car. “Hi, Sam.”
Sam nodded solemnly.
Ellie sat forward again. “Think you could drop me at the same shopping centre?”
“What’s wrong with letting me drop you at home?”
“I’ve got to get some groceries. The place is Mother Hubbard bare.” Her stomach grumbled as if to underline the statement.
Tom looked sceptical. “There’s nothing at all in your fridge?”
“Butter, half a jar of jam and a six-pack. I don’t think school would’ve been happy if I’d brought beer for lunch.” She turned when Sam tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at the clear plastic container he held out, her gaze drawn to the slice of cake inside. Maybe he used the right name on his messenger after all. He was a magician. “Thanks.” Taking the container, she opened it, biting into the cake. Apple and cinnamon exploded in her mouth. “Mmm, heavenly. Who made this?”
“I did,” Sam said softly.
“You’re a magician in the kitchen.” Ellie reluctantly popped the last piece of cake in her mouth, handing the container back to him.
Sam shoved the container in his schoolbag. “Are you coming for dinner Wednesday night?”
“Ahh…”
“What’s the issue now?” Tom demanded. “We know who you are and before the day ends I’ll know where you live. Whether or not you give me your address.”
“How?”
Tom smiled cryptically. “You have secrets…”
“You look beautiful without that other makeup,” Sam said.
Ellie looked back to see him watching her again. “Ahh… thanks.”
“So why did you crash at our place on the weekend?”
Ellie faced forward so she could answer Tom’s question. She took a deep breath and told the story her and Lauren had cooked up. She waited for Tom’s comment. Instead he said nothing. He turned into the car park of the shopping centre and found an empty spot. When he opened his door, Ellie blurted out, “What are you doing?”
Tom smiled. “Going shopping with you, then dropping you
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