Spiralling Out of the Shadow (The Spiralling Trilogy) by Michelle Dennis Evans Page A

he didn’t have to wake up extra early. But I had a feeling something had happened between Phoebe and him.
    ‘Is that all you’ re taking?’ Mum glared at my small roller bag.
    ‘ Sure, three swimsuits, towel, pyjamas, strapping tape and a novel. What else do I need? I’m chillaxing this holiday.’
    ‘ Guess you deserve to relax. You did work hard this semester.’
    ‘ Tabbie.’ Dad shuffled on the spot. ‘Can you go wake up Peter? It’s a long drive. We really should get going early.’
    I rumble knocked with both hands a s hard as I could on his door. ‘Up, up, up. We’re off on our family journey. Come on. Up, up, up!’ Dr Seuss, eat your heart out.
    ‘ Seriously, Tabbie.’ He pulled the door open, rubbing his eyes, squinting. ‘Way too perky for this time of day.’
    It took him another half an hour to pack before we piled into the family car to head to Terrigal, on the Central Coast. When we entered the apartment a few hours later, I flung open the balcony doors to see the ocean. We were close enough to check out all the hot boys. The only annoying part—I had to share a bedroom with Peter—a serious snorer!
    ‘ Are you really going to have a sleep?’ I asked as Peter fell onto the bed. ‘We just got here. It’s beach time.’
    ‘ Sleep,’ Peter mumbled. ‘More sleep.’
    Leaving him o n the bed, I found my cutest red bikini and slipped into the bathroom to change. Then I strapped my ankle to keep it from further damage while walking on the sand.
    ‘ Do you have a beach cover or something, love?’ Dad looked up from the paper as I walked through the unit.
    ‘ Yeah, this.’ I wrapped my towel around my waist. He had a point. I didn’t need to show off my thighs. ‘Need to get a tan. I’m so anaemically powdery white.’
    ‘ Do it gradually love.’ Mum stood in the doorway. ‘How about I rub some sunscreen in before you head out?’ 
    I had no choice but to accept the sunscreen application before leaving for the beach.
    Day one : expectation of meeting Mr Dream-Boy—high.
    But t he beach was bare. Everyone must have stayed home out of the wind. The sand kicked up, stinging my legs as I searched for a spot to lie. Just when I found the perfect position, my towel wouldn’t stay flat until I lay on it. Within minutes another gust came and the sting of sand pitted into my skin, gluing itself to the sunscreen. Not comfortable at all. A sand-coated Tabbie was definitely not the look I was hoping to achieve.
    I stretched my ankle backward and forward a couple of times before I jumped up. My towel blew over and over, rolling down the beach until I caught it and pushed half of it under the sand. I jogged towards the surf, jumping over the small curls of water until it was deep enough to swim past the wave break.
    I bobbed up and down on the ocean side of the crashing waves, watching for any interesting people to arrive on the beach. No hot boys, but plenty of interesting people. A large man with an overhanging stomach stood knee-deep watching kids in full sunsuits splash in the shallows. Over-weathered women power walked on the hard wet sand. They must have spent every hour of their lives on the beach.
    Perhaps tomorrow would bring some hot boys.
    We ate dinner together then Mum pulled out Trivial Pursuit. Peter, the brother of all trivial knowledge, blitzed it and won the game before I had a chance to get any questions right.
    I was over it and pushed my chair out. ‘I’ve had enough family fun. I’m off to read a book in bed.’
    ‘ Or look out the window and perv,’ Peter called after me.
    ‘ As if!’ I called back without looking. My face glowed. How did he know?
    But that ’s exactly what I’d planned to do. I took in the fantastic view from our window. With my novel open on my lap, I sat on my bed, leaning against the window, watching everything that happened on the street. Not much. And again, no hot boys.
    ‘See, I knew you’d be perving on someone.’ Peter sprung me with