Connor shook his head. ‘I don’t think he’s interested in boys or girls. He’s a science geek.’
Megan snorted. ‘He doesn’t
Connor pulled himself back up into a sitting position. ‘And what exactly does a science geek look like?’
‘It’s just that he’s pretty muscly,’ she said. ‘He looks as though he belongs on the rugby team, not in the astronomy club.’
‘So you can’t be muscular and into science? The two are mutually exclusive?’
‘Of course not,’ Megan sighed, rolling her eyes.
Ryan was making his way across the sand to us, swinging a full bottle of beer in one hand.
‘Hey, Ryan,’ said Connor. ‘Did you enjoy astronomy club last night?’
Ryan sat on the blanket next to me. He pushed the bottle of beer into the sand so that it stood upright. ‘Yeah. It was good.’
I nudged Ryan with my elbow. ‘According to Connor, the membership tripled yesterday.’
Ryan grinned and nudged me back. ‘
‘I don’t know anything about astronomy. The only object I can identify in the night sky is the moon.’
‘Maybe you should join then. You might learn something.’
Connor scowled. ‘Don’t waste your breath. Eden will never join. She thinks science is for geeks.’
‘I didn’t say that!’
‘It’s true though, isn’t it?’ said Connor.
‘Not at all,’ I said, beginning to get annoyed.
Megan stood up. ‘Come on, Connor. Let’s go and get a drink.’ She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to Matt and the cooler full of bottles. Ryan and I watched in silence.
‘So you and Connor have been friends for a long time,’ he said eventually.
I nodded. ‘I sat next to him in reception class. I’ve actually known him longer than anyone. Even longer than I’ve known Megan.’
‘He really likes you.’
It was a statement, not a question.
‘We’re close,’ I said, sifting the cold sand through my fingers. ‘We’re like brother and sister.’
Ryan smiled. ‘I’m not sure Connor thinks of you as a sister.’
‘Oh, he does,’ I said. ‘We know each other much too well for anything else.’
Ryan raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re very unperceptive.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘He has a huge crush on you. It’s so obvious. Just the way he looks at you.’
I shuddered involuntarily. ‘Eugh! Don’t say that. Connor is really great, but he’s like a brother to me. Anything more would be . . .’ I paused, trying to find a word that explained how I felt. ‘It would feel disgusting.’
Ryan laughed a short, strange laugh. ‘Poor guy. No wonder . . .’
‘What?’
Ryan was gazing out to sea, his eyes glazed, as if he were miles away. He spoke softly. ‘You are going to break his heart.’
‘Actually, I think Connor and Megan would be good together.’
He gave me the flicker of a smile. ‘If you say so.’
Matt came running over, kicking up sand in his wake. ‘Frisbee. Girls versus boys. No excuses, Eden.’
Ryan leapt to his feet and offered me a hand up.
‘You go ahead. I’ll just enjoy the view,’ I said.
I lay back on the blanket and shut my eyes. Although it was only the beginning of March, there was enough strength in the sun to warm me through my jeans and sweater. After a few minutes a shadow fell across my face and I heard someone sit down next to me.
‘Well, well,’ said a voice. I didn’t have to open my eyes to tell it was Connor. ‘It’s always the quiet ones.’
‘Get lost,’ I said, shoving him playfully.
He didn’t move. ‘Aren’t you going to sit up and watch your boyfriend showing off?’
‘I don’t have a boyfriend.’
‘You could have fooled me.’ Connor and I teased each other all the time, but this seemed different. He seemed really annoyed by all the attention Ryan was getting.
I sat up. ‘I hardly know him. We couldn’t even be described as friends.’
‘But you like him, don’t you?’
I could feel myself blushing. Even if I hadn’t, Connor knew me well enough that I wouldn’t attempt a lie. I shrugged. ‘Too much competition. I wouldn’t want to have to try that hard to get a boy to notice me. I’ll leave him to the sharks.’
‘Oh, I think he’s noticed you,’ Connor said. ‘He came to this party with you.’
‘That doesn’t mean anything. We live near each other. Anyway, he’s way out of my league. I haven’t even thought about him that way.’
Connor smiled and leant towards me. ‘He’s not out of your league. You’re beautiful.’
I couldn’t speak. I thought back to what Ryan had said just a few minutes earlier.
‘Well, thanks, Connor,’ I said, in the end.
I stood up to put some space between us and Connor stood up too.
‘I’m going to go and start the barbeques,’ he said. ‘You want to help?’
When the frisbee game ended, Ryan walked up to the barbeques and stood next to me. ‘Thanks for the invite,’ he said. ‘I’m having a good time.’
‘I can see,’ I said, pushing veggie burgers around the grill and deliberately not looking at him.
‘What are you cooking?’
I was reminded of the first day I spoke to him, at lunchtime when he had seen the pizza. ‘Veggie kebabs and veggie burgers.’
‘What are veggie burgers?’
I smiled. ‘You don’t know what veggie burgers are? Are they all hunting, shooting, fishing types in New Hampshire then?’
Ryan looked at me as though he didn’t know what to say.
‘They’re made from soya beans,’ I said. ‘You should try one.’
‘OK. Is Connor cooking the same?’
I shook my head. ‘No, he’s grilling beefburgers.’
‘As in cow?’
I laughed. ‘What planet are you from?’ And then I noticed his expression. He looked sickened. ‘Are you a vegetarian?’ I asked.
‘Yes.’
I couldn’t work him out. He seemed so normal and yet at times, so strange. How could he not know what burgers were? He was American. Burgers were like their national dish or something. And Matt had said something about Ryan not knowing who Hitler was. Maybe he was a member of a strict sect like the Amish who didn’t allow any connection with the modern world. But that didn’t make sense. He didn’t look Amish and he drove a car. Or maybe he was part of a religious group that forbade the eating of all animals? Animal rights campaigner? Child of commune-living hippies? Member of a cult? I checked out his shoes, which were on the sand by his backpack. They looked like they were made of tough leather, like his jacket.
‘How long have you been vegetarian?’ I asked.
‘Always.’ He breathed in deeply and looked me straight in the eye. ‘What will you be eating?’
‘The veggie stuff like you – I’m a vegetarian too.’
He breathed out. ‘Good.’
‘Does it matter that much?’ I asked.
He was still looking at me intensely. ‘It matters to me.’
The afternoon passed quickly. We ate and then Matt and Amy lit the bonfire and everyone drank bottled
