home.”
Ellie opened her mouth to argue. She met his determined stare. “Fine! You can push the trolley.” She left her schoolbag in the car and only took her handbag. It was about a quarter of the size of the one she’d used on the weekend. Heading for the supermarket, she stopped near the trolleys and looked pointedly at Tom.
Chapter Nine
Tom grinned as he pulled a trolley out of the bay and followed her into the supermarket. Sam trailed quietly behind his brother throughout most of the expedition. He didn’t remain quiet when they reached the frozen department and Ellie placed a selection of pre-cooked meals in the trolley.
“They aren’t very healthy.”
“I don’t cook. Besides, I put fruit in there.” Ellie pointed to the five apples.
When Sam opened his mouth to speak again, Tom interrupted him. “Forget it, Sam. It’s her health. Or lack of.”
“Not everyone has someone to teach them to cook. And the Home Ec teacher strongly advised me not to take the subject again after I managed to cause seven fires in grade eight.” Ellie glared at Tom.
Tom looked at her in disbelief before he burst out laughing. “Seven?”
“Yes. I refuse to take credit for the eighth one. I wasn’t at fault that time.”
“Seven?”
Ellie’s hands went to her hips as she continued to glare at Tom. “What are you? Deaf?”
“I’ll teach you,” Sam said.
“Maybe you better teach her at her house. Mum and Dad wouldn’t be too happy if she burnt the house down,” Tom said.
Ellie ignored Tom and turned to Sam. She shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem much point. I’d only be cooking for myself.”
“Don’t you live with your mum?” Sam asked.
Ellie nodded. “Yeah, but she works long hours during the week. I barely get to see her let alone eat a meal with her.”
“Oh.” Sam fell silent again.
Ellie headed for the checkout and waited in line. She was glad it didn’t take long. The packet of chips she’d thrown into the trolley was starting to look really good. She opened them up as soon as she’d paid for the groceries with her mum’s keycard and they were headed back to the car.
“Who’d you steal the card off? Or isn’t your name Elizabeth? Are you really Sharon Malloy?” Tom loaded the bags of groceries into the boot of his car.
“It’s my mum’s. She doesn’t have time to go shopping. She works twelve hours a day Monday to Thursday and half a day on Friday. By the weekend she’s ready to relax, not go shopping.”
Tom hopped in the car and started it as soon as everyone was in. “So where do you live?”
Ellie hesitated before she told him. At least getting a lift home with the groceries would be a lot easier than buying them two shopping bags at a time and walking back and forth to the shop until it was done. Her mum might not notice the odd twenty or thirty dollars cash withdrawn when she payed for groceries but she complained if too much money was taken out. That meant a taxi was out of the question if she wanted to have any money to spend on herself.
“Anyone’d think it was a national secret.” Tom glanced over his shoulder before he reversed out of the car park.
“I just don’t want people thinking they can drop in whenever they feel like it.” Especially not on a weekend. “Turn right.”
“Why would we drop in unannounced?”
Ellie shrugged. “People do.” They fell silent except for the handful of directions Ellie gave. She watched Tom carefully when he pulled up in front of her house. His expression remained neutral and he said nothing.
Between the three of them they carried all the groceries inside. Ellie quickly put everything away while Tom and Sam prowled around the small house. Ellie closed the fridge, turned to move away and nearly stumbled over Tom.
“I thought you said there was a six-pack in there. I only saw two beers.” Tom gestured towards the fridge.
Ellie wasn’t about to say her mum had probably had them for breakfast. She
Ellie opened her mouth to argue. She met his determined stare. “Fine! You can push the trolley.” She left her schoolbag in the car and only took her handbag. It was about a quarter of the size of the one she’d used on the weekend. Heading for the supermarket, she stopped near the trolleys and looked pointedly at Tom.
Chapter Nine
Tom grinned as he pulled a trolley out of the bay and followed her into the supermarket. Sam trailed quietly behind his brother throughout most of the expedition. He didn’t remain quiet when they reached the frozen department and Ellie placed a selection of pre-cooked meals in the trolley.
“They aren’t very healthy.”
“I don’t cook. Besides, I put fruit in there.” Ellie pointed to the five apples.
When Sam opened his mouth to speak again, Tom interrupted him. “Forget it, Sam. It’s her health. Or lack of.”
“Not everyone has someone to teach them to cook. And the Home Ec teacher strongly advised me not to take the subject again after I managed to cause seven fires in grade eight.” Ellie glared at Tom.
Tom looked at her in disbelief before he burst out laughing. “Seven?”
“Yes. I refuse to take credit for the eighth one. I wasn’t at fault that time.”
“Seven?”
Ellie’s hands went to her hips as she continued to glare at Tom. “What are you? Deaf?”
“I’ll teach you,” Sam said.
“Maybe you better teach her at her house. Mum and Dad wouldn’t be too happy if she burnt the house down,” Tom said.
Ellie ignored Tom and turned to Sam. She shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem much point. I’d only be cooking for myself.”
“Don’t you live with your mum?” Sam asked.
Ellie nodded. “Yeah, but she works long hours during the week. I barely get to see her let alone eat a meal with her.”
“Oh.” Sam fell silent again.
Ellie headed for the checkout and waited in line. She was glad it didn’t take long. The packet of chips she’d thrown into the trolley was starting to look really good. She opened them up as soon as she’d paid for the groceries with her mum’s keycard and they were headed back to the car.
“Who’d you steal the card off? Or isn’t your name Elizabeth? Are you really Sharon Malloy?” Tom loaded the bags of groceries into the boot of his car.
“It’s my mum’s. She doesn’t have time to go shopping. She works twelve hours a day Monday to Thursday and half a day on Friday. By the weekend she’s ready to relax, not go shopping.”
Tom hopped in the car and started it as soon as everyone was in. “So where do you live?”
Ellie hesitated before she told him. At least getting a lift home with the groceries would be a lot easier than buying them two shopping bags at a time and walking back and forth to the shop until it was done. Her mum might not notice the odd twenty or thirty dollars cash withdrawn when she payed for groceries but she complained if too much money was taken out. That meant a taxi was out of the question if she wanted to have any money to spend on herself.
“Anyone’d think it was a national secret.” Tom glanced over his shoulder before he reversed out of the car park.
“I just don’t want people thinking they can drop in whenever they feel like it.” Especially not on a weekend. “Turn right.”
“Why would we drop in unannounced?”
Ellie shrugged. “People do.” They fell silent except for the handful of directions Ellie gave. She watched Tom carefully when he pulled up in front of her house. His expression remained neutral and he said nothing.
Between the three of them they carried all the groceries inside. Ellie quickly put everything away while Tom and Sam prowled around the small house. Ellie closed the fridge, turned to move away and nearly stumbled over Tom.
“I thought you said there was a six-pack in there. I only saw two beers.” Tom gestured towards the fridge.
Ellie wasn’t about to say her mum had probably had them for breakfast. She
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