Hide & Seek - Alyssa Brugman [13]
Besides, the last two times Chad had seen her she'd been dirty, and rained on, and crying, so obviously he didn't really care what she looked like. Yesterday Chad had said 'that day', so he probably didn't even remember that he had met her twice in the Gully.
Maybe he didn't even like her? Perhaps he'd only made the invitation out of politeness? She ran over the conversation they'd had the day before in her mind, looking for a different meaning that she might have missed.
There was a couple walking along the beach holding hands. Laughing, the girl broke away, running along the waterline. The boy chased after her and grabbed her around the waist. Shelby looked away as they kissed.
Above the beach there was a small grassy park. An older lady sat on a rug and fed a toddler from a baby food jar while another child, about Blake's age, played on the slippery dip.
Where was Chad anyway? It was 'afternoon' and she must have been waiting for half an hour already. Knowing her luck he'd seen her and was hiding around the corner waiting till she was gone.
Shelby stood up and brushed the sand from the back of her legs. She'd brought a book to Aunty Jenny's that Erin had lent her. She hadn't started it yet. Erin wasn't much of a reader, so it must be good if she liked it.
Shelby decided to buy some chips and a drink to take back with her to the house. Aunty Jenny had a hammock hanging from the back veranda. She'd spend the afternoon there with the book, but first she would change into some track pants. Skirts definitely weren't her style.
When she turned Chad was there, right behind her, grinning. He had gummy stuff in his hair to make it stand up, only he had missed a bit, which lay fluffy and flat on the side of his head.
'I thought it was you, but I couldn't tell with the hat. And your hair's a different colour, isn't it? I've been standing up there for ages trying to decide whether to come down and check.' He pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
Shelby put her hand on her beanie. 'Oh.'
'So do you want some chips or something?' He smiled at her again.
'OK.'
They walked up the beach towards the car park. 'Have you been here for a long time?'
'Nope.' Shelby hoped she would be able to start speaking full sentences soon. She was nervous, and it was so dumb because the first time she met Chad she had yelled at him. She took a deep breath. 'I got my hair done. It was Mum's idea. I was going to grow it out, but . . . How was fishing? What do you catch around here at this time of year?'
'A cold,' he answered.
Shelby raised an eyebrow.
'Sorry. Really bad, really old joke. We caught some nice snapper. My bro eats a lot of fish. Good brain food. Do you like fish?'
Shelby shrugged. 'It's OK, I suppose.'
They stopped at the kerb and waited for a few cars to pass before crossing. She could feel Chad standing right next to her even when she wasn't looking at him, as though he was letting off some kind of electronic waves. She couldn't think of anything to say so she watched the traffic intently. She snuck a peek at him. He was looking so seriously at the truck that passed that she wondered if he was doing the same thing.
'What's your favourite food?' Chad asked.
She thought about it for a while – food being a very important business. 'Pasta.'
'Italian heritage?' he asked.
'No,' she frowned. She didn't look Italian. 'My family is Aussie.'
'Yeah, me too,' he said.
Shelby gave him a sideways glance as they passed through the door into the chip shop. With his skin colour and dark eyes she had assumed that his family was from somewhere overseas.
Chad ordered some chips and then they stepped outside to wait. Neither of them said anything for a while. Shelby folded her arms and looked at the signs that were taped to the inside of the window. There was an ad for guitar lessons and a sign for a missing cat.
'If you go to the Catholic College you must know some of my friends. Do you know Hayley Crook or Lindsey Edel?'
'Do you hang out with those girls?' he asked.
'Yeah,