Not Another Summer Love Story

Chapter 19 - Paper Chains

It was a little strange when the least Australian of our friends offered to throw a party on the most Australian day of the year. The twenty-sixth of January marked Australia Day, a day of celebrating our Australian culture. It was also the last day before school went back, and for us it was providing the realisation that we'd never be heading back to school again. Some of us would, like Mallory and her friend Ingrid who were about to start their last year. But the rest of us still had a month or so of freedom before we went off to start our tertiary study.

Alastair and Lottie insisted that with their parents flying back to England for the long weekend due to business, their house was ideal to host a party. With the pool, huge spaces and lack of neighbours, it would be very convenient. But the idea of Logan in Alastair's house made me a little hesitant.

I hadn't gone down to the beach, and he hadn't run into me at any point since. Sometimes I wondered what he did with himself during the day. He didn't work, because really he didn't need to. His parents lived together and earned enough to support him, and there wasn't much point of him working now when he was planning to go to Melbourne. Maybe he just surfed.

Speaking of parents, Dad and I were at a stalemate and he probably didn't know it. I had come home the following morning, expecting a huge confrontation about whoever his mystery woman was, but instead he just asked me if I could defrost the chicken for dinner that night. And still, three days later, neither of us had muttered a word about it.

Maisie was good at consoling me about my troubles. We were sitting on her balcony making paper chains of Australian colours to hang by Alastair's pool, our legs rested on the railing and music playing from a little speakers set.

"I kind of knew this would happen with you guys. Dan and I always teased you about him because of the chemistry between you, but we all should have realised it wouldn't work."

"Well, we don't know that." I realised what I said and widened my eyes a little. "I mean, not that I'm still hoping for anything. But he might be sorry, we might come to some sort of understanding."

"Val, it would make sense for you to be upset about it, you know. This isn't a business deal or something professional. Aren't you at least a little emotionally invested?"

"Of course," I said without hesitation. There was definitely a physical pull between Logan and me, even if we didn't get along. "I think we need to work through all of our bullshit, though."

Maisie had a triumphant look on her face as she clasped one more paper ring onto the end of her chain. "I was thinking about that, actually. Have you considered that part of the reason you are getting with him in the first place is because you don't get along? Because it's a challenge?"

I screwed up my face. "No. I don't think so, at least. I just, I don't know. It started with the deal, and then it was the kiss... I don't know Maisie. How are you supposed to know? I feel like when I think of him I should get all giddy and lovesick. But at the moment, when I think of him I think of how angry he made me. But then again, when I think of when we kiss..."

"Giddy and lovesick?"

"I think so."

"Like I said, it's physical. Maybe you need to make a breakthrough with him on an emotional level."

"Maybe."

"Did you tell him about staying at Alastair's?"

I shook my head. "I haven't spoken to him since that morning. I don't think I'll tell him, it will only make things worse. Besides, Alastair won't mention it. And neither will you. So he might just be better off not knowing."