Chapter 19
The following Thursday, Annie met the boys by the lake in town after school. She sat down next to Harry on the park bench and dumped her Santa sack of a school bag on the ground. A couple of text books threatened to fall out, but Harry caught them with his foot.
‘What’s Lucas doing?’ Annie asked, watching him chase a ball around the dry section of the lake bed.
‘Teaching the swans to play soccer,’ Harry replied. ‘Being the start of May, this is the only mud we could find, and apparently playing where there’s mud is important. Makes it more authentic. Or something.’
‘Right. Whatever.’
‘Mostly I think he started playing so we could talk alone. He wouldn’t let me leave when we felt you heading this way. He asked me outright if I was avoiding you.’
‘And what did you tell him?’
