Read Online Diamonds Are a Teen's Best Friend by Allison Rushby - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Allison Rushby
Ads: Link
over.
‘Hey!’ I say, from behind. And I guess he’s not expecting anyone, because he’s startled and hits his head on a metal railing behind him. ‘Oh, sorry! Are you okay?’
‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’ He’s looking at me warily, as if I was the one who hurt him and not the railing. He rubs hishead with one hand and clutches his camera to him with the other, as if I may reach out and grab it at any moment, then run off, never to be seen again.
Calm down! I think to myself. I don’t want your camera. Better tell him why I’m here. ‘Um, those photos you took of Holly and me the other day. I meant to come and have a look at them.’
In front of me, his shaggy eyebrows raise, making him look kind of startled again. Silence. He takes a step back.
‘Um … hey, don’t hit your head again,’ I say, pointing above him. He winces and ducks a little. Weird. ‘Um …’ I start again, but don’t really know what to say. What is it with this guy? ‘So, did they turn out? Where are they? I mean, on what deck? And how much do they cost?’
Silence again. But, this time, the guy fills the pause by giving me a complete once-over. ‘Who … who are you?’ He shakes his head when he’s done.
What? This guy really is weird. For a start, he’s not making any sense. Who am I? What’s that supposed to mean? Oh … hang on. The other day. Holly and I had left before he could take our details. Of course he knows who Holly is, but me? Probably not. I don’t have a veryred-carpet life. ‘Sorry, I’m Nessa Mulholland. Cabin 252b. I guess it must be hard being the ship’s photographer. I mean, trying to remember who’s who and everything.’
‘Huh?’ The guy keeps looking at me, but then he brightens up. ‘Oh, right. Now I remember. You were the girl with Holly Isles the other day, weren’t you?’ He whips a notebook out of his back pocket and I can see other names and dates jotted down in there. ‘Sorry about the mix-up. I didn’t get your name the other day. What did you say it was again?’
This time, I spell it out for him. And when that’s done, he stops being weird altogether, loosens up, and we even chat for a bit about what I’m doing on board the ship, my dad’s study and how I got to know Holly. When he asks me about Holly’s broken engagement and cancelled wedding plans, however, I feel a bit uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about that,’ I say, my eyes not meeting his face.
He shakes his hands. ‘No, no. I shouldn’t have asked. None of my business, but everyone on staff loves Holly so much … we just want the best for her, you know.’
Now I do meet his eyes. ‘Yeah, I know. So how much are the photos?’
Strangely, he looks a bit blank again, as if he can’t remember his own prices. ‘Er, because of the mix-up, how about I slip a couple underneath your cabin door, free of charge?’
I pause. ‘Really? Are you sure?’
He nods. Hard. ‘Of course. I hate it when I don’t get people’s names right. It’d be my pleasure.’
‘Well, thanks. That’d be fantastic. It’s 252b, um …’ I realise I don’t know the guy’s name.
‘Ted. Just call me Ted. And don’t worry – I’ve got it all down here,’ he adds, patting his notebook.
‘Great. I’d better let you get back to it, I guess.’
Ted nods.
‘See ya! Watch out for those railings!’ I turn and leave him, walking around the pile of deckchairs and continuing along the edge of the deck. And I’m tripping along merrily when I stop dead in my tracks. Well, hello … look at what’s at nine o’clock. I take a few steps back now, out of their line of vision and just watch.
Watch Holly and my dad, that is.
Like last night, they seem to be having an absolute ball together. My dad says something, Holly replies, Dad says something else, and then her head tips back and she laughsand laughs and laughs. When she recovers, he says something else again and she laughs once more. I almost want
‘Hey!’ I say, from behind. And I guess he’s not expecting anyone, because he’s startled and hits his head on a metal railing behind him. ‘Oh, sorry! Are you okay?’
‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’ He’s looking at me warily, as if I was the one who hurt him and not the railing. He rubs hishead with one hand and clutches his camera to him with the other, as if I may reach out and grab it at any moment, then run off, never to be seen again.
Calm down! I think to myself. I don’t want your camera. Better tell him why I’m here. ‘Um, those photos you took of Holly and me the other day. I meant to come and have a look at them.’
In front of me, his shaggy eyebrows raise, making him look kind of startled again. Silence. He takes a step back.
‘Um … hey, don’t hit your head again,’ I say, pointing above him. He winces and ducks a little. Weird. ‘Um …’ I start again, but don’t really know what to say. What is it with this guy? ‘So, did they turn out? Where are they? I mean, on what deck? And how much do they cost?’
Silence again. But, this time, the guy fills the pause by giving me a complete once-over. ‘Who … who are you?’ He shakes his head when he’s done.
What? This guy really is weird. For a start, he’s not making any sense. Who am I? What’s that supposed to mean? Oh … hang on. The other day. Holly and I had left before he could take our details. Of course he knows who Holly is, but me? Probably not. I don’t have a veryred-carpet life. ‘Sorry, I’m Nessa Mulholland. Cabin 252b. I guess it must be hard being the ship’s photographer. I mean, trying to remember who’s who and everything.’
‘Huh?’ The guy keeps looking at me, but then he brightens up. ‘Oh, right. Now I remember. You were the girl with Holly Isles the other day, weren’t you?’ He whips a notebook out of his back pocket and I can see other names and dates jotted down in there. ‘Sorry about the mix-up. I didn’t get your name the other day. What did you say it was again?’
This time, I spell it out for him. And when that’s done, he stops being weird altogether, loosens up, and we even chat for a bit about what I’m doing on board the ship, my dad’s study and how I got to know Holly. When he asks me about Holly’s broken engagement and cancelled wedding plans, however, I feel a bit uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know if I’m supposed to talk about that,’ I say, my eyes not meeting his face.
He shakes his hands. ‘No, no. I shouldn’t have asked. None of my business, but everyone on staff loves Holly so much … we just want the best for her, you know.’
Now I do meet his eyes. ‘Yeah, I know. So how much are the photos?’
Strangely, he looks a bit blank again, as if he can’t remember his own prices. ‘Er, because of the mix-up, how about I slip a couple underneath your cabin door, free of charge?’
I pause. ‘Really? Are you sure?’
He nods. Hard. ‘Of course. I hate it when I don’t get people’s names right. It’d be my pleasure.’
‘Well, thanks. That’d be fantastic. It’s 252b, um …’ I realise I don’t know the guy’s name.
‘Ted. Just call me Ted. And don’t worry – I’ve got it all down here,’ he adds, patting his notebook.
‘Great. I’d better let you get back to it, I guess.’
Ted nods.
‘See ya! Watch out for those railings!’ I turn and leave him, walking around the pile of deckchairs and continuing along the edge of the deck. And I’m tripping along merrily when I stop dead in my tracks. Well, hello … look at what’s at nine o’clock. I take a few steps back now, out of their line of vision and just watch.
Watch Holly and my dad, that is.
Like last night, they seem to be having an absolute ball together. My dad says something, Holly replies, Dad says something else, and then her head tips back and she laughsand laughs and laughs. When she recovers, he says something else again and she laughs once more. I almost want
Similar Books
