The Other Side of Summer by Emily Gale Page B

Finally she put her head down on my lap again and both of her big brown eyes flicked up to meet mine. Then I saw the wisest, most wonderful creature in the world. Bee. How had I ignored her for so long? I felt like the worst human being ever. I’d barely looked at her in three months and yet here she was offering me love. This beautiful dog that I’d wanted so much.
    Maybe it would be okay to let myself love her back a little bit. I bent over and pushed my nose into the warm fur on the back of her neck.
    ‘Bee,’ I whispered. ‘Hello.’

    Later, I was in the front garden teaching Bee tricks. She was a fast learner if I showed her first, which is why we were both lying on our backs in the sunshine when the van finally arrived. I sat up and crossed my legs, too nervous to face this moment: would the Ibanez Artwood be missing, or damaged, or could I dare to hope? Bee sat right behind me and my head rested against the warm fur on her chest. We watched Dad direct the boxes inside.
    The last object the delivery man carried out of the van was fat with bubble wrap. I got up and a second later so did Bee.
    ‘That one’s for me,’ I said to the man.
    ‘Can you manage it?’ he said, handing it over.
    ‘Of course I can,’ I snapped. ‘Sorry, I mean, thank you.’
    It took ages to unwrap because I couldn’t use scissors or a knife just in case. When Wren held up two chipped mugs she’d unpacked, I got even more worried. But finally it was out, and it was as perfect as the last timeI saw it. I suppose that if you can survive a bomb, you can survive anything. A tiny part of me softened towards Gran for making sure it got here.
    Wren and Dad stayed inside the house sorting through the boxes. They were getting excited about where to put everything. I didn’t want to watch them try to slot our old life into our new one. I had what I needed.
    The porch bench was my new favourite spot and Bee agreed. She sat right beside me, which was just as well because the guitar was still too big for me and I needed to rest my arm on her back to hold it comfortably.
    I hope you’re going to play this time, Summer.
    Floyd was back. I felt scared and excited, and some how shy. I’ve been waiting and waiting, Floyd. I missed you so much.
    I’m here now. Come on, play.
    But Milo was in his front yard shooting hoops. I wasn’t ready to play my brother’s guitar in front of other people. For now I was happy getting used to the feel of it again. So I sat on the bench with Bee and the guitar, watching Milo. In between missing his shots, Milo started to shoot me a question or a comment over the low fence.
    ‘Must be good to have your stuff back.’
    ‘It’s the best.’
    Milo bounced the ball and tried to run but tripped over and landed heavily on his side.
    ‘Ouch. Are you okay, Milo?’
    ‘No damage.’ He got up, laughed goofily and started bouncing and shooting again. Or trying to. He had the right clothes for basketball – bright blue and shiny – and I could tell he was concentrating to get his moves right because when he’d go to take a shot his tongue would poke out and he’d frown. But his arms and legs were long and loose like a little kid’s drawing and his feet moved as if his shoes were filled with sand. Out of the last ten balls he’d only got one in.
    Who’s he?
    Just one of Wren’s friends.
    Wren and this guy? Wow, I’d never have guessed.
    Not like that.
    You sure?
    Milo’s next shot hit the roof of his house. He flinched and shook his head.
    ‘Do you even like basketball?’ I said.
    ‘I hate it, but I hate Dad going off at me even more.’ He sent a worried glance towards his house.
    ‘You should just tell him.’
    ‘Yeah? Maybe. It’s easier to go along with a few things. I have my own stuff.’
    ‘Like what?’ I pictured him in a dark room playing a complex strategy game on his computer. He had that look about him.
    ‘I draw.’
    Oh. I’d read him the wrong way. Drawing was the thing he and Wren had in