Meet Me in Hawaii by Georgia Toffolo (novels for beginners txt) 📕

‘Yeah, you’re like a jelly,’ blurted Tara, shaking her head, her eyes tearing up with her laughter.

‘And I can’t believe you’re all laughing at me.’

‘Hey, it’s not just us!’ piped up Louis as he acted out a perfect pop on his board. ‘Sky and Jonny were laughing when they ran off.’

‘They were?’ He dropped onto his board and gave Louis a deep-seated scowl. ‘Just wait until I speak to chef about the dinner menu tonight, none of you will be laughing then. Can you get sprouts in Hawaii, Malie?’

‘Eugh.’ Both Tara and Louis grimaced.

She played along, loving the interplay between the three of them. ‘I’m sure something suitable can be sourced.’

‘Hey, did someone mention sprouts?’

It was Jonny coming back in from the sea, his board hooked under his arm and Sky not far behind, their faces flushed from exertion and the unmistakable joy of catching waves.

‘Mr Masters reckons he’s gonna poison us at dinner for laughing at his board skills.’

‘What skills?’ Jonny said it so seriously and everyone cracked up, even Todd who shot to his feet, notably solid, not a wobble in sight. How interesting…

‘Someone’s in need of a dunking,’ Todd lunged forward and Jonny dropped his board, legging it to the water, Todd hot on his tail, their laughter pealing after them. Water flew through the air as they each tried to outdo the other. Todd’s hair took a thrashing, its perfect, swept-back curve falling forward over his face, his grin wide and flashing dimples in his cheeks that Malie hadn’t noticed before.

‘I’m not sure who’s the biggest kid,’ Sky said, smiling at their antics.

Malie pulled her attention off them to look at the fourteen-year-old girl. She was mature for her age, quiet and sensible, a good companion to her single mother Malie was sure. She had no siblings. It was just the two of them, and it was obvious she was close to Jonny. Malie couldn’t help wondering whether there was something more developing between the pair. Sky was certainly pretty, in a porcelain doll kind of a way, in fact she reminded her a lot of Zoe. Especially with her pale blonde hair, long and fine, her pale skin, even paler with the sunblock Malie had insisted she layer up with.

‘It’s nice seeing Jonny like this.’

Malie wondered at the quiet sincerity in Sky’s remark. ‘Like what?’

‘Relaxed, happy, laughing even.’ Sky looked to her and gave a shrug. ‘You know he’s the eldest of four, right?’

Malie nodded, it had all been in his file.

‘What with his dad running out when he was a baby, and his mum having so many children, Jonny sees himself as the provider.’

‘It’s a big responsibility for someone so young.’

Sky gave a shrug. ‘It’s not that uncommon where we live. I think it’s why we get along so well, we get what it’s like growing up without a dad, but I don’t have all the pressures he does. It’s just Mum and me.’

‘And your mum is lucky to have a daughter like you.’

Her smile was small. ‘I’ve had my moments, getting into trouble, not coming home, bunking off school…’

Malie thought about her own antics, of lying to her parents and sneaking off to Zoe’s to grab her board and hit the waves, of staying out late because she couldn’t face the pain at home. ‘We all deal with the rough in different ways.’

‘I’m not so bad now, the counsellors at Fun For All really help… you know, just having someone to talk to, to help you realize you’re not alone, even when you think you are. I mean I had Mum, I’ve always had Mum, but sometimes it’s not enough, is it?’

It was a rhetorical question, Malie knew, but she found herself murmuring her agreement anyway. ‘My brother died when I was sixteen,’ Sky turned to look at her but Malie’s eyes were fixed unseeing on the ocean now, ‘I felt invisible to my parents – even though they were around and I knew in my heart they loved me, their presence wasn’t enough. If it hadn’t been for my friends, I don’t know how I would have got through it.’

‘I’m sorry about your brother but I’m glad you had friends around you. I met Jonny at Fun For All…’

The rest went unsaid. She didn’t need to say it. The affection she felt for Jonny, whether it was platonic or something more was written in her face.

‘Oh no…’ Sky shook her head as she looked to the guys in the water and started backing up.

‘What are—?’ Malie didn’t bother finishing the question as she registered what had set her off. Todd and Jonny were heading for them with a look in their eye that spelled trouble.

‘Behave,’ Malie warned them, backing up too.

‘What?’ they both said in wide-eyed innocence, their slow stride unhalting.

‘You know what…’

Both Malie and Sky turned to flee, Louis and Tara backed out of the way laughing, but it was no use, Todd’s arm snaked around Malie’s waist as Jonny’s did the same with Sky and they were both being taken back to the water. They squealed, trying to wriggle free.

‘Don’t you dare, Todd Masters.’ Malie pulled at the arm around her but it was locked tight, his strength surrounding her and sending a surprising surge of warmth through her lower belly.

She sucked in a breath but it was filled with his cologne, spice and sea, and it only made the tingling heat spread. This was crazy. She was about to get a dunking; she shouldn’t be enjoying the threat.

‘Todd!’

The male call came from up the beach and Todd stilled. She looked up to see a couple approaching from the surf school and recognized them immediately: Tara’s parents. Oh God.

‘Anne-Marie, Charles! Great to see you!’ Todd quickly straightened, propping Malie up before she fell and giving her an apologetic look. ‘These are Tara’s parents.’

‘Yes, I met them briefly this afternoon,’ she mumbled, brushing her hair out of her face and cursing the burn in her cheeks. She