Page 18 of Afflicted

"What?" I asked with a smile as I sat back down.

"Don't trust anything that doesn't have toes. That's how I live my life and it hasn't steered me wrong yet."

"Just because they have webbed feet that doesn't mean they don't have toes does it?" Lacey asked.

"I'm not getting into toe classification. If the toes aren't individual toes then they don't count." Ella lay back and closed her eyes to end the subject.

I gave Chloe a smile as she caught my eye and mouthed 'nutter' to me.

"Heads up!" Ryan shouted as the football came hurtling towards us.

We all ducked aside and Kristen let out a squeal but it bounced past us without hitting anyone. Ryan came running after it and tossed it back to the other guys.

"Reese is on his way down," he said as he sat beside me instead of rejoining the game.

"He wasn't allowed a private lesson with Ms Seymore then?" I asked lightly.

"He seemed to think you'd gone to school this morning too and was surprised that you were here."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Dunno why he thought that, Lacey called me to let me know I didn't have to go in."

Ryan shook his head and leant against me, trailing his fingers across the back of my hand.

"Those ducks are still being weird," Demi commented.

I shifted away from Ryan so that I could look at them again. There were eleven of them now, all standing in a line on the lakeshore and staring at us.

"Someone should get them some bread," Kristen said. "Before they try to eat us."

We all laughed but I felt uneasy as I looked at the strange birds again. I got the distinct feeling that they wanted us to leave.

"I'm going to get an ice cream," Demi said as she stood up. "Anyone else?"

Most of the girls got up to follow her but I stayed where I was.

"Are your mom and dad gunna stay in the city again tonight?" Ryan asked quietly as he leant closer to me.

"I dunno, I have to speak to them later," I replied.

"I could come over?" he offered, placing his hand on my knee.

"Oh, I already invited Lacey," I said, giving him a small smile as I moved out of his grip.

"I'm sure she'd understand," he persisted.

"I'm not blowing her out," I replied, feeling a little irritated. "I'm not one of those girls who just ditches her friends as soon as she starts seeing a guy."

"Well you haven't just started seeing me," Ryan said. "And we haven't really had much time alone to get to know each other better. It seems like a shame to miss the opportunity."

"Well chances are my mom and dad will come home anyway and Reese would be there regardless. Plus like I said, Lacey's coming over," I said firmly.

Ryan let out an irritated sigh and leant back on his elbows. I resisted the urge to tell him where to shove his irritation and got to my feet instead.

"I think I will get an ice cream after all," I said as I started to head after the other girls. The ducks watched me go and I upped my pace a little as I made my way across the park.

"Get lost on your way to school did you?" Reese shouted as he spotted me. Jason was by his side as usual and I flashed the two of them a wide smile as I continued on my way to the ice cream truck. "I owe you for that one!" he called after me.

"You make it too easy for me," I said as I passed them.