Love Notes from Vinegar House by Karen Tayleur

from Rumer.
    “Isabella should go up to the house and tell them I’ve twisted my ankle,” she declared.
    Somehow she’d managed to get the attention back onto her again.
    “Then they’ll know we’ve been down here,” Lee argued.
    “We’ll go to the tree house,” said Rumer. “The swimmers can go through the kitchen to the back stairs and dry off in the downstairs bathroom.”
    “But what if they ask about the others?” asked Julia.
    “We’ll say they’ve gone for a walk,” said Rumer.
    By now my teeth were chattering like a pair of castanets. It was a natty little beat that matched the knocking of my knees. Isabella looked at me and said, “All right.”
    I could feel Luke’s eyes on me, but he didn’t say anything. I wanted him to apologise to me, but I didn’t know what for.
    Isabella helped me into my windcheater, which stuck to my wet skin. Then Luke and Angus half-carried, half-dragged me back up the bluff path. We skirted around the back of the house, then the swimmers group broke off and headed to the kitchen door, while the others made their way to the tree house. I heard a single fake scream from Rumer before we entered the kitchen, and a minute later a babble of voices as people exited the front door. Angus grabbed a towel and headed for the Green Room to get dressed. Luke stood uneasily in the bathroom, and I shoved a towel into his hands.
    “I’ll use the bedroom,” I said, gruffly.
    “Hey, Shrimp, are you okay?”
    His voice brought tears to my eyes, and they ran in two scalding rivers down my cheeks. He stepped towards me.
    “I mean, that was just a crazy thing to do. You could’ve drowned or something–”
    Crazy! Whatever I wanted to hear from him, it wasn’t that.
    “Shut up!” I hissed and I headed for the yellow bedroom.
    I changed into some dry clothes and hoped no one would notice my change of outfit. Then I rubbed and rubbed at my hair until not a drop of water remained. Angus poked his head through the doorway to see how I was going.
    “All done?” he asked.
    I nodded.
    “Let’s keep this one quiet, Freya.”
    I nodded again. “Cross my throat and hope to choke,” I said with the smallest of smiles. “Sorry–”
    “Just save your next swim for summer. And not that beach.”
    Later that night, as we hung out in the Blue Room, I wondered how we’d gotten away with it. Everyone had been impressed with Rumer’s skills as an actress. Except me, of course. She’d managed to cry on cue and had put up with a lot of fussing from the adults and an ugly bandage from Uncle Stephen (who may have been a doctor but whose triage skills were lacking). When she complained about her bandage, Luke fetched a tapestry cushion to elevate her foot. He had clearly forgotten there was nothing wrong with her. It made me want to scream.
    Isabella had already thanked Rumer for saving the day. But I blamed Rumer. Somehow she’d forced me into the water. She’d nearly killed me and was now expecting my eternal thanks.
    I played our favourite card game, Motors, but my heart wasn’t in it. I flipped out the wrong cards or played out of turn and snapped at Lee when he nudged me with his foot. When Rumer asked me how I was feeling, I looked up to find Luke’s eyes staring into mine. In the dim light, they were the slate grey of the sea, and I felt myself tumble and twist in their depths. I could feel the others judging me. I closed my eyes and felt the tumble once again as the waves crashed over me.
    I heard the creak of a loose floorboard in the hallway, and we turned to the half-opened door to see Mrs Skelton walking past with our pile of wet towels.
    For the rest of the night we waited to be summoned to the drawing room.
    But nothing was ever said.

    I’d tried to block that day from my mind, although whenever I looked under the Things I Hate About Rumer file I’d see it there. Rumer spent the next half an hour walking slowly up and down the hard sand talking to someone on her mobile. I