Page 40 of The Big Dip in Crumbleton
Pete sniggered.
‘You know what they say,’ said Kathleen, joining the other two. ‘Couples who crustacean together, stay together.”
‘There’s no way that’s a thing people say!’ hooted Scarlett.
‘You know,’ said Pete, shaking his head. ‘Maybe we should go back inside and change. You can have another go at squeezing into the tail, and I’ll take the inflatable flamingo.’
‘Don’t be so shellfish,’ said Scarlett, earning herself an appreciative round of applause from the others.
Pete grinned and rolled his eyes. ‘You really are one of them, aren’t you?!’
‘One of us! One of us!’ chanted Lou, throwing an arm around Scarlett’s lobster shell as the others joined in.
‘Definitely a cult,’ he laughed.
Lou shrugged, unrepentant. ‘By the way, Scarlett – I checked with Brian, and he says he’s happy to drop you at the train station on our way back. There’s room in the minibus, but we’ll be leaving straight after the swim…’
‘Oh!’ said Scarlett, with a little frown. ‘Right. Well, that’s really kind of him…’
Pete shivered as a cloud passed in front of the sun, and he suddenly wished he wasn’t standing on the beach in a stupid lobster costume.
CHAPTER14
SCARLETT
‘Erm… will you excuse us for a sec?’ said Scarlett.
‘Sure, of course!’ said Lou, looking surprised.
‘Won’t be a minute.’
Giving Pete a nudge with one of her foam claws, she managed to get him to follow her a few paces away from the rest of the chattering group.
‘I was going to talk to you after the swim,’ said Scarlett, keeping her voice low. ‘But looks like there isn’t going to be time…’
She trailed off and turned to face Pete. He suddenly looked sad, and she hesitated.
Was this a really bad idea? After all, The Big Dip was a really difficult weekend for him. She’d witnessed that first-hand the previous evening. Just because she’d kissed him… just because they’d snuck out of the Dolphin and Anchor and spent hours exploring Crumbleton’s cobbled streets together, stopping to kiss every couple of minutes under the starlight… it didn’t mean he was ready for more, did it? It didn’t mean she’d miraculously managed to make everything right in his world.
Even if that was exactly how he made her feel.
‘You need to talk to me?’ Pete prompted when she just stood there for several long seconds, tying herself up in her thoughts instead of actually saying anything. ‘Sounds ominous.’
‘It’s not, I promise,’ she said, going to run her fingers through her hair and promptly dislodging her headband with her foam claw.
Stupid lobster suit!
‘Look…’ she said, watching his face closely for any reaction, ‘Iwasgoing to get a lift to the train station with Brian. But…’
‘But?’ echoed Pete.
There was enough hope behind that one word to give Scarlett the confidence to carry on.
‘But… I was wondering what you’d say about me hanging around here a bit longer?’ she said in a rush.
‘Here?’ said Pete.
Scarlett nodded. ‘In the hut. I’ve already asked your dad, and he said it would be okay. I was hoping you might be up for giving me some surfing lessons.’
