“I wasn’t hiding,” I tell him.
El gives me a wink. “I believe you.”
He hands back my book, and immediately I drop it. Course I do. Shooting to my feet just as he’s bending down to help, I smash my head into his and all at once seven kinds of crap fall out of my pockets and scatter across the floor of the Hug-A-Book bookshop. El snorts with laughter and scoots down onto his haunches. We squat there like little kids fishing in a rock pool, and he’s talking but all I can do is look at his thighs. I thought they were impressive at the bonfire, but tensed up like this? Sheesh.
“What? Pardon?” I fluster.
He grins and hands me a well-gnawed biro.
“I said, frecklesanda complete klutz. Is this an act, Dylan?”
“Dylan? I thought my name was Frecks?”
“Frecks so soon after ‘freckles’ in that sentence would’ve sounded weird, no? Hey, maybe I should call you Prof! Your hand is never down in history and your hair’s always a bit Einsteiny. Yeeeeee…” He seesaws his hand. “It’s all right, but I prefer Frecks. And anyway, you’ve not answered my question. Have you worked out this entire routine?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Freckles meets klutz? It’s an irresistible combo.” His eyes suddenly light up and he snatches a packet from the floor. “Hey, Starburst!”
Does he know his fingers smell of Starburst? Will he deduce that this is why I’ve been carrying around multipacks of them ever since the bonfire? He pops an orange one into his mouth and rolls it around. His tongue is very red and wet, I notice. Oh God, I’m such a perv.
“Did you know these are my absolute favourite sweets of all time?”
“No,” I say quickly, “I had no idea.”
He gives me a hooded look. I feel like a convict under a floodlight.
“Um, I think your friend needs you,” I tell him.
Gemma Argyle is throwing us both the stink-eye and beckoning to Ellis like he’s a primary-school kid who’s lost his buddy on an outing.
“The only thing that young lady needs is a sense of perspective, and perhaps a more stereotypical gay BFF. I think I’ve been a disappointment to her. I tend to disappoint people, Frecks, this is something you will learn in time. To be fair, I was kind of lonely when I first got here and walked right into the GBFF role without understanding what I was getting myself into. She adores my wardrobe but hates that I play footie and that I’ve been known to crack a sly beer with the boys after a match. I also hate her little dog. It craps in her handbag and she calls the turds ‘chocolate treasure drops’.”
“Okay.” I nod. “So can I ask? Why are you even friends with her?”
El’s grin falters and he looks away. “I think because she doesn’t have any.”
“What?” I almost laugh. “But Gemma Argyle’s the most popular girl in school.”
“Being popular and having friends aren’t always the same thing.” He shakes his head and his smile returns. “But I’ve done my duty for today. Rescue me, Frecks!”
“Oh, I…no,” I say, edging around him. “I have to be somewhere.”
He falls to one knee, hands clasped together. “Somewhere sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah. Okay, but… Sorry, I, uh, really can’t. I… You see, it’s this restricted, um, place and I just couldn’t…”
DYLAN!my brain screams.HE WANTS TO BE WITH YOU! SAY YES! GRAB HIS HAND AND JUST GO!
Yeah, but what if he doesn’t? What if I’m misreading this?
HE’S ON HIS KNEES, NUMBNUTS!
“Right,” I fumble. “So, I’m sorry about the head-bump thing… Okay. Bye.”
Still kneeling, he gives me this stunned sort of wave as I crash out of the shop.
Crap crap crap. I try to keep my brain out of my head as I walk. I know that sounds mad, but you get what I mean. I walk fast, thumbs pulling at my backpack straps until they cut into my armpits. I haven’t been this bad since puberty, but hey, it seems that old anxieties never die.
