They continue to murmur to each other — all couples are gross, but seeing Kennedy and Curtis is worse than usual — so I distract myself by looking at the rest of the bus. Unfortunately, I see another couple. Across the aisle, a blonde girl from Year 11 holds hands with a boy. They talk to two dark-haired boys, also from Year 11, who are sitting close together.
In the end, I spend the rest of the bus trip with my eyes looking through the window. Small businesses transform into cute tiny houses and then homes with larger and larger blocks until we're out on the outskirts of Easton. The bus arrives at our school, the manicured lawns and modern buildings of the campus a stark contrast to the farms and abandoned buildings that surround it.
Though I'm not excited to spend almost two weeks at Lonsdale Bay with Curtis in close proximity, I still can't wait to replace the sight of Easton with a turquoise ocean, yellow sand and rustic beach houses.
*
That evening, my parents and I wait at the Harding family's front door, which is just as large and fancy as the rest of the Harding house. Like most families with children who attend Easton Grammar, the Hardings are wealthy. But unlike some families where the wealth comes from parents having high-paying jobs, the Hardings have a state-wide textiles business that's been in their family for ages.
While the memory of Kennedy's beach house is blurry in my mind, I'm sure it was big and expensive like all Harding properties.
Kennedy opens the door and smiles. "Hello! Come on in, everyone's in the dining room,"
"Hello Kennedy," Mum says. "You look beautiful."
"The food smells delicious," Dad says, handing her a bottle of wine.
"Oh, you didn't have to bring this," Kennedy says, looking at the bottle. "Thank you."
"Thank me too," I say, following my parents into the house. "I gave some helpful wine recommendations."
"Which we promptly ignored," Mum says.
Kennedy laughs. "They're experts in tuning you out by now. I know I am."
My parents disappear into the dining room, but I linger as Kennedy closes the door. When she turns to me, I raise my brows. "You didn't tell Curtis?"
She groans. "Let's not talk about that now."
"Why not? You know Curtis is my favourite topic of conversation," I drawl.
Kennedy gives me a death stare before we enter the dining room, which is bathed in golden light. Rustic copper lights hang from the high ceiling and the hardwood floor shines.
Kennedy's parents stand up from their seats at the dining table and greet me. I say hello to them, and Kennedy takes me over to her cousins.
"Erin, Bonnie," Kennedy says. "Remember Liam?"
"Hello!" I grin.
They respond with "hello" and "it's been so long" and we exchange hugs before sitting down at the end of the table, Kennedy and I on one side, the cousins on the other.
"You're so tall now, Liam," Bonnie says. She has curly brown hair and round hazel eyes.
I laugh. "That's what five years will do to you. But I'm still hot, right?"
Bonnie stares at me, and Erin, who was spreading pale pink pate on bread, pauses. Kennedy groans.
"W—what?" says Bonnie.
"Ignore him," Kennedy says. "He's still hanging onto that time you complimented him, five years ago. Which proves just how often he's complimented on his appearance."
Erin laughs. "I don't think you've changed at all, Liam," she says.
"Hey, is that an insult?" I ask.
"You're lucky you missed out on Liam in his awkward stage," Kennedy tells Bonnie.
"Oh god, don't remind me," I say. "I had braces, bad skin, my proportions were all out of whack."
