Free Love-shy by Lili Wilkinson

you,’ I said. ‘I’m researching . I want to write a piece on love-shyness. I want to help PEZZ imist and document the whole process. It’ll be huge! It’ll bring the whole condition out into the open, get love-shys the support you need.’
    â€˜ They need,’ said Hamish. ‘I’m not one of them.’
    â€˜Then why did you go to the website?’
    â€˜I told you, I want to meet girls. I thought someone on there might have some advice.’
    â€˜And did they?’
    â€˜No. They’re all a bunch of self-obsessed psychos. It makes me feel better though, knowing I’m not as crazy as them. I’m just ordinary shy.’
    He didn’t seem shy to me. I was finding him quite rude and obstructive.
    â€˜Tell me who PEZZ imist is,’ I said.
    â€˜Why did you think he was me?’ asked Hamish, ignoring my question.
    I told him about the yearbook and the coloured highlighters, and how I’d run out of Year Tens. He started to laugh again. I noticed he still hadn’t managed to look me in the eye. He might not think he had a problem, but he clearly needed help.
    â€˜How do you know who he is?’ I asked.
    Hamish shrugged. ‘When you’re as much of a loser as I am, you spend a lot of time watching other guys for clues on how to be less lame. It wasn’t that hard to figure it out.’
    â€˜Tell me who he is !’ I said. ‘Or else I’ll never leave you alone.’
    Hamish seemed genuinely frightened by that, but he shook his head. ‘Look,’ he said. ‘All I can tell you is . . . the yearbook was a good idea, but it’s a bit out of date.’
    Out of date? What did that even mean ? While I was puzzling over it, Hamish’s train pulled up and he took his opportunity to escape.
    My train arrived on the opposite platform, and I got on, still confused.
    The yearbook was a good idea, but it’s a bit out of date .
    It was last year’s yearbook. There wasn’t a more recent one. This year’s wouldn’t come out until December.
    Hamish had said something else, too, when I’d said he was PEZZ imist.
    No way. I wish.
    But he’d spent the rest of our conversation (interrogation, I suppose I should call it) saying how much he despised the love-shys, because they were all freaks and psychos. So why would he wish he were PEZZ imist?
    Something was niggling at the back of my brain, but I couldn’t quite snag it.
    It’s a bit out of date .
    Maybe I’d give up on PEZZ imist. Hamish clearly had plenty of problems. I could focus on him.
    But it was PEZZ imist who’d got me into this whole thing, and I wouldn’t be satisfied until I’d solved the mystery.

    When I arrived home, I threw my swimming towel into the washing machine and rinsed out my bathers.
    I heard Dad’s key in the front door. ‘Penny? Are you home? Josh found us the best jigsaw ever. It’s a chimpanzee. Wearing a baseball cap. Riding a bicycle. Can you imagine anything more perfect?’
    Josh followed him into the living room. ‘Only if there’d been a cricket sitting on the baseball cap, waving a tiny flag. Are you going to help, Penny? Your dad ordered quesadillas.’
    I shook my head. ‘I’ve got homework.’
    I went to my room, but could still hear Josh and Dad talking as they clicked puzzle pieces into place. Dad was in a good mood, which meant an airing of his seemingly endless collection of dreadful plumber jokes.
    â€˜Did you hear,’ I heard him say, ‘that someone broke into the local police station and stole all the toilets? Now the cops have nothing to go on.’
    â€˜That’s terrible.’ Josh’s voice was muffled, as if he had his head in his hands.
    â€˜You know a good flush beats a full house every time.’
    â€˜Stop!’ groaned Josh. ‘Please! I’m dying. My brains are leaking out my ears. Quick, pass me a napkin so I can catch