Uh-Uh

Josh detailed 'the in-van action' at the table tennis grand final a couple of nights later.

The hot details from the beach car park reddened my face, and I was glad our next match commenced.

I recall at the beach, all I had to say was, Mate, Coral!

Or warned, Think of Coral. 

Her name alone would have stopped Josh from taking Brit to his van.

I kept it to myself, wishing Coral at my side instead.

But pangs of doubt filled me as I dug my feet into the sand. I suspected my silent inaction assisted Ruby more than myself in our chase for the golden girl's lips.

I fretted as the circling brunette now appeared to be sure to win Coral. I let sand pour through my hands as I imagined Ruby kissing Coral. I scrunched my beach towel in tight fists as I sulked, thinking their first kiss might be at the spring or, god forbid, in the boathouse!

After Josh and Brit disappeared over the dune crest, Ruby stretched her legs and half-twisted towards me.

"Want a lift home? Come now," she offered chirpy.

I mulled; you bitch, it was like her beach assignment was complete.

Besmirch Josh with Brit and steal Coral's green eyes for herself!

We stuffed our towels into our beach bags. I started towards the long track around the dunes to avoid the car park.

"Uh-uh," hassled the brunette, crooking her finger, "through the playground, follow me."

Her thongs off, she swung the pair, letting her toes enjoy the warm sand.

As we hustled over the dunes at the brunette's pace, she briefed me, "I'll ring my mum. She'll take us home."

We wended through the vacant playground, the mini carousel motionless.

My conscience wished Coral and Josh spun on it.

When we reached the inner car park, it was emptier than earlier. Josh's van stood out, parked by itself on the far side.

The van's off-gold colour made it stand out. Josh kept it polished, and the late afternoon sun made it gleam like the Golden Fleece.

I lowered my eyes, not wishing to imagine Josh and Brit in the rear of his panel van.

The brunette smugly taunted, "Want to hear the sounds of sex? Come on."

She veered a couple of steps towards the van.

I froze.

"You are easy to rib," she nudged my side deep, following a light laugh.

I hadn't shifted.

She tapped my shoulder, "Come on, I'd better get you home to your mummy, virgin boy!"

At the entrance to the car park, I glanced back. I didn't know what I expected to see. The black curtains of Josh's van were drawn.

Ruby focused straight ahead and teased, "Yeah, I must try a van myself one day!"

After meandering through the outer car park, she bent and slipped her thongs on her dainty feet to cross the road to the phone box and the bus stop.

She called for a lift.

We sat and waited at the bus stop, our bags tucked under the bench.

Time dawdled because I had nothing to say to Ruby.

After ten minutes, the brunette launched a broadside, "Sweet Jesus, I'm intimidating to you, aren't I?"

She grinned at me and raised her eyebrows frivolously. Her thongs flipped and flopped as she tapped her feet, impatient for her mum's arrival.

"I can't compete with you," I broached, scanning across the road to the low grassed dune hiding the inner car park and the distant sea.

I rarely looked directly at Ruby.

Though, she spoke at me, rather than to me, even in Coral's presence.

I preferred daydreaming; I revisited my awkward effort with Jenny on this beach and in the water.

"I win, don't I?" the minx interrupted my fantasies as her mum's car approached to pick us up.

Her mother beamed at me as she did a U-turn in a classy black sedan.

Arianna, I imagined, considered me as Ruby's chaperone or more.

I shook my head at myself; Ruby and I were strictly semi-friends. Only a cohesive Coral managed to unite us.

I sensed her mum thought Ruby was 'better' when she tagged aside me.

We grabbed our bags and walked to the car. I opened the curbside door.

I sat close to the door and let my hands fall into my lap. Ruby opened the street side door.

I thought, how strange of Ruby to share a back seat with me! 

She threw in her beach bag and slammed the door.

Then, Ruby leaned in the driver's window.

"I'll drive," insisted the brunette. "I need the practice. My licence test is soon."

Her mum opened the driver's door and stood on the road.

Immediately, Arianna's arms whooshed sky-high.

"Thongs, Ruby! You can't drive in thongs!"

She composed herself, her head pensive as she found a compromise, "Sit with Luke."

"Wait, please," the petite minx responded courteously.

I watched Ruby race between traffic across the road to the outer car park.

I sank into the tan plush suede, drew up the front of my t-shirt and balled it in my fist.

This was a beach where nothing went right for me! 

What the hell was the brunette doing?

Arianna, meantime, drummed her fingers on the dash. Ruby eventually strolled back to the car, dangling a pair of white sand shoes.

How did she get Brittany's? 

I supposed the blonde owed her for helping her tangle, Josh! 

Ruby likely snaffled them out of Brit's beach bag —even she wouldn't have opened the van door to ask!

Ruby settled on the driver's side seat, door open, putting on the sand shoes, and prepared to drive. Arianna sat next to her in the front. The brunette flung her thongs into the back seat, barely missing my swaying face.

The little minx accelerated smoothly, a confident manual driver, fluent and self-assured in traffic.

What couldn't she do or take?

This thought filled my jealous mind- until I heard Ruby's mum shout at her daughter. I had never witnessed this before!

"Ruby, stop the car. Pull over!" Arianna yelled abruptly.

Her mother's hands jerked and flapped, and she unaligned the rear-view mirror. I didn't understand; nothing untoward had happened. The brunette hadn't hit anything or driven dangerously.

Ruby parked on the side of the road.

"Those laces, tie those laces, Ruby! For goodness' sake!" her vexed mother begged.

Her arm swept up and down in frustration.

The minx gave her mum no sassy backchat.

She laced in silence, readjusted the rear-view mirror and politely asked me, winking into the mirror, "Luke, bag my thongs."

I gathered her petite black flip-flops, unzipped her beach bag and stuffed them down the side.

As Ruby negotiated heavy traffic, my thoughts drifted to the beach.

Josh and Brit. 

It should have been Josh and Coral. 

Where did that leave me with Coral?

It didn't seem right to think of myself holding Coral's hand.

I realised I played with Ruby's zip. Looking into the open black bag was like I pried into her life. I zipped the bag and eased my hands under my thighs.

To ferret into Ruby's intricacies — never in my wildest dreams. 

I preferred to daydream about the amber-eyed Jenny I met at this beach.