Cruel Summer Read Online Free PDF Page A

him.
    Ryan raised a perfect eyebrow. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I’m better at secrets than you might think.’
    Alisha scoffed at that. Ryan had a notoriously big mouth. It was hard to imagine him keeping anything to himself.
    ‘I’ll have a taste,’ Greg said. Katie gave him a beaker and, in typical team-sports fashion, he downed it in one mouthful. ‘Hot damn, Kate, that stuff is
lethal.’
    ‘They make it strong out here. Like it?’
    ‘Yeah! It’s freaking awesome. Give us a refill.’
    ‘Hang on a sec,’ Katie said. ‘Lish? You want some?’
    Alisha thought about it for a moment. She was aware her reputation as a hot mess preceded her. ‘No, I’m OK for now. I’ll have some later . . . I’m feeling too
dehydrated.’ She waggled her bottle of water at Katie and took a sip of that instead. Then she fanned the back of her neck with her magazine. She loved her Beyoncé ’fro, but it
was a blessing and curse in equal measure. ‘Greg can have mine.’
    ‘Good lord, that’s an actual first.’ Ryan grinned from his lilo in the centre of the pool. ‘Alisha Cole refusing alcohol. Hold the front page! Hell has officially frozen
over!’
    ‘You little bitch!’ Alisha laughed.
    He blew her a kiss.
    Ben changed the song on the iPod and light, summery R ’n’ B floated over the pool. Alisha recognised the songs. These were the tunes that reminded her of the summer before Janey.
Before everything had gone wrong.
    ‘Can you do my shoulders again?’ Katie asked as she returned to her spot in the shade.
    ‘Sure thing.’ Alisha put down her magazine and grabbed the bottle of sun cream. As she massaged the lotion into her friend’s shoulders, Katie picked up the camera resting by
Alisha’s feet. She took it with her wherever she went. Who knew when inspiration might strike? Frankly, if inspiration didn’t strike soon, she faced the very real prospect of not having
a portfolio ready for September: a prospect that kept her awake at night.
    ‘Is this for school?’ Katie asked, reminding her that, in theory, this was a working holiday.
    ‘Afraid so. It’s that time again.’
    ‘Portfolio?’
    ‘Yep. Assuming I get the grades—’
    ‘This time!’ Greg hollered from the other side of the pool. Erin sat between his open legs as he gave her a shoulder rub.
    ‘Oh, shut up, Greg. I’m not talking to you.’
    ‘You know I’m only messing. Don’t be hating.’ He smiled broadly and she smiled back, unable to stay mad at her twin for long. That’s the thing with twins.
You’re always connected, whether you want to be or not. He could be such a tool, but she actually cherished the weird psychic bond they shared.
    She turned back to Katie. ‘Assuming I get the grades this time, I’ll be starting the art foundation course in September, so I need some stuff in place before I start.’
    ‘How’s it been this year?’
    ‘Repeating Year Thirteen? How do you think? It blew. All those little bitches in Year Twelve . . . well, guess who had to have classes with them.’ It had been a
tough
year.
One by one the gang had left her behind to fester in Telscombe Cliffs while they went on to bigger, better things. The abandonment, however, had brought out the fighter in her. She was getting
out.
    ‘I’m sorry.’ Katie rolled onto her side to face Alisha properly.
    ‘It’s not your fault I messed up first time round, is it? Man, I better get the grades this time. I’m properly freaking out.’ She attached a lens to her camera and
pointed the thing in Katie’s face to take a test shot.
    ‘Don’t! I look like a hag!’ Katie held a hand over the device like a papped celebrity. ‘You’ll be fine. How did the exams go? Better this time?’
    Alisha exhaled, expelling the toxic nerves in her belly. ‘I think so, but I don’t wanna jinx results day.’
    ‘At least she turned up to sit them this year.’ Greg threw a grape at her head. Cackling, she picked up the grape and hurled it back.
    ‘True. I