New Camping Friends

I stood still outside our tent and gaped at a tall girl on the campsite next to ours. Even through the green foliage between us I couldn’t miss her red curly hair. It blazed like a ripe tangerine and her perfect freckles beamed through a thick layer of sunscreen.

“Hi. My name’s Abby,” she said. “What’s yours?”

I wanted to say “That’s the reddest hair I’ve ever seen!” but I knew that was rude. My mouth opened and closed but nothing came out.

“Cat got your tongue?’ she asked with a smile.

“Abby, come help unpack,” called a voice from the newly erected tent.

I ran off down the track to the creek to get some peace and quiet. For a long time I launched sticks into the flowing water and watched ducks waddling like chubby toddlers.

Back at the tent Mum bailed me up: “Where have you been Daniel? Dinner’s ready and we’ve just met the family next door. They have three kids about the same age as Sophie, Jake and you ...”

Sophie piped up: “Lara’s five like me. And guess what – she’s got red hair.”

“Ben’s really great – his surfboard’s cool like mine,” boasted Jake.

“They’ve all got red hair,” said Sophie.

“Red hair is beautiful,” said Mum. “And Abby is eight, the same as you. Isn’t that sweet?”

That tall girl was my age! I didn’t think it was sweet. Now Jake and Sophie had new camping friends, who was I supposed to play with?

The next morning I packed my bag to take to the beach, trying to ignore the whoops of laughter coming from the next tent.

Jake called out: “Hey Ben, are you going down the beach?”

A spiky red-haired fellow, who must have been Ben, poked his head through the bushes and shouted: “We’re nearly ready, so wait up.”

Both our families trotted off together to the beach: our Mum and the next-door Mum; our Dad and the ...

... middle of paper ...

...d Ben and Jake weren’t far behind us. I turned over the card and moaned. When the timer started, I hastily drew a cute little animal with big eyes.

“Dog ... fox ... puppy...”

Then I sat there thinking. Finally I drew two people holding hands.

“Daniel, this is hard – friends ... couple ... family ...”

Time was running out and she wasn’t going to get it. Right in the top corner of the paper I drew two lips kissing.

“Love ...” shouted Abby. “Puppy Love!”

I whooped with delight.

“We won, Daniel, we won!”

“That was a good game, Abby.” I didn’t say ‘for a girl’. In fact, it was the first time I had used her name.

“Do you want to go snorkelling tomorrow, Abby?” There, I said it again.

“Mmm. Let me think,” said Abby, with a grin on her face. “Yes! And Daniel, will you teach me how to draw?”

“I think I can do that. As long as you show me how to use the flippers.”