Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
T he ride back on the car ferry was rough. A vigorous wind blew in from the north, creating short, sharp waves that chopped up the ocean. Grey skies hung overhead with ominous, darker clouds gathering on the horizon. The colour of the sky matched Evie’s mood, and she was thankful her mum also seemed gloomy and didn’t want to talk. They sat in the front of the car, her mum resting her head on a pillow. Evie stared at her, looking at the shorts and T-shirt she had bought from the shop at Point Lookout. It had a saying on the front. ‘Today is the first day of the rest of your life.’ She caught Evie staring at the words.
Her mum’s voice had lost its tone of excitement. ‘Your friends don’t seem to be on the ferry.’
‘They caught the earlier one back this morning.’
She nestled into the pillow again and pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes. Slipping off her sandals, she tucked her legs underneath her body, curling up like a child on the front seat .
Evie wound the car window down and put her hands on the opening, resting her chin on them. Why did holidays have to end? Why did Chris wait until the last night to kiss her? What would’ve happened if he’d done that earlier? Did that kiss make them boyfriend and girlfriend? So many questions with no answers and, at the moment, no one to talk to about what had happened. Where was Layla when she needed her?
She spotted some of the boys who had been camped further up the beach. They sat in a Kombi van a few spaces in front of her mum’s Datsun, their feet hanging out the windows, music blasting and smoke billowing out of the open door at the back of the van. Their flared, ragged jeans were the only clothing on their bodies, and a lady who walked past frowned at them and shook her head.
She strained to hear what the song was. It was her song. Evie. Closing her eyes, she let the lyrics wash over her, the words echoing in her mind. ‘Oh Evie, so much in love with you.’