Don't Look Back (Warders of Earth) by S E Gilchrist Page B

more when I realised I was also staring after him. I still didn’t get it though.
    Why come here? Over all the places to pick and most had a far better economy, why had his father decided on our town? Why not the coast? Close to large shopping centres, malls, tourists. I sighed at the wonderful images springing to life inside my mind, then squashed them.
    Then there were Alex’s questions about my life, about my family. Why should they bother me? Everyone asked questions, especially when meeting for the first time.
    Why am I analysing everything these days?
    But shit yeah, the way he’d so smoothly rolled out that info on his past, it had sounded rehearsed and somehow evasive. As if he were holding something back. As if none of it was real. But why would Alex lie?
    I rubbed a hand over my nape where my hairs stood as stiff and straight as a brand new toothbrush. Come on girlfriend, get a grip . I was not the one with the out-of-control imagination. I usually left that up to Mum.
    Or Em.
    I smiled as I looked at my friend. With her blue eyes and curly white-blonde hair, she always reminded me of a china doll I’d had when I was small.
    True to form, Em flapped a hand in front of her face and cooed, “He is soooo hot. What was he saying to you, Tara?”
    “Oh, nothing much but I did ask if he was going to hear the band.”
    “Awesome.” Em fluttered her lashes and heaved another dramatic sigh.
    “You’re wasting your time there, Emma,” said Marnie smoothing her long hair over her shoulder. “If you ask me, Alex has his eye on Tara.”
    “Me?” I snorted, truly astonished. Damn though if my tummy didn’t quiver at the thought. “Try Crystal and she’s welcome to him. Have you heard the latest crazy development in the Ferguson household?” I quickly changed the subject.
    Em and Marnie exchanged glances, then laughed.
    “Yes, your Mum told us when she greeted us at the front door. She showed us the plans. At least the bomb shelter looks big enough for all of us. Have you spoken to your Dad today?”
    I shook my head. “Why do you want to know, Marnie?”
    “Em and I were wondering whether there was any further update on the meteor shower. Emma told her parents and guess what?” Marnie pulled a handful of her hair in front of her face and critically examined it for split ends. “It’s seems they already knew about it. Apparently there’s been rumours flying about this town for ages. So much for secrecy.”
    “How come we haven’t heard about this before?”
    Em shrugged her shoulders. “Well, this is the first time I’ve been home since January. And Marnie was only here for Christmas Day before heading back to her glam life in Sydney.”
    Marnie playfully swotted Em’s shoulder. “Glamorous, is not the word. I spend ten hours a day holding impossible poses for incredible lengths of time while some stupid photographer takes four million shots. I’m so stiff at the end of a photo shoot, I can barely move.”
    “It has to beat uni.” Like a dog hounding a rabbit, Em turned her big eyes in my direction. “Dad didn’t even tell Mum until yesterday. He’d been told to keep it quiet for as long as possible. He’s even had a direct fax from the Prime Minister’s office telling him to keep the story under wraps.”  
    I said, “Wow. That sounds serious.”
    “Maybe,” murmured Em wrinkling her forehead.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Oh, I got the impression that Dad knew something else that he was keeping from us. Something very newsworthy. He’s been so preoccupied lately.” She flicked me a quick glance as if gauging my reaction then looked down at the ground.
    “What could be bigger than this?” I exclaimed, refusing to share the doubts niggling away in my mind. I don’t want to sound like an idiot. Best if I keep my mouth shut. It’s all nothing anyway.
    Em jutted her chin and turned away.
    “I’ve got more news, unfortunately, Tara. Crystal’s been posting snide comments on Facebook