Free Nowhere Boys by Elise Mccredie Page B

new game started up on the Xbox. ‘Hey, unfair advantage, loser!’ Vince called, walking back into the lounge room.
    Sam made a dash for the door, grabbing a bunch of bananas from the fruit bowl as he went. He hurtled down the steps to the garage.

    Sam left the others at the shack ‘making house’ and headed back to the boat, eating a banana. He walked upstream to where the water was shallow, then took off his shoes and socks, and waded across. Even to his nose, his socks stank. He gave them a quick rinse and slung them over his shoulders to dry. No point approaching Mia if he smelt like a derro.
    He clambered barefoot onto the opposite bank and made his way back downstream towards the boat. God, he hoped he hadn’t imagined it. But no. There it was – as clear as day: MG 4 SC .
    He pulled out the camera and lined up the shot.
    Snap.
    Perfect.
    He took a few more, just to be sure. He let the camera fall to his side.
    Okay, he’d done it. He had proof.
    The wind picked up and trees by the river swayed. Sam turned around quickly. He had the unmistakable feeling that someone was watching him.
    ‘Hello?’
    Maybe one of the others had followed him.
    But there was no answer. Just the quiet creak of branches moving with the wind.
    Sam shivered; this place totally gave him the creeps. Grabbing his shoes, he hightailed it out of there.

    Mia was at the skate park with Ellen. Damn. Ellen’s looks had totally improved, but her personality was exactly the same: annoying as hell.
    As Sam approached, Mia looked up. Then she turned quickly to Ellen and whispered something.
    ‘We’re in the middle of a meeting,’ Ellen said officiously.
    ‘I just need to show Mia something.’
    ‘Well, we’re busy, okay?’ Ellen snapped.
    Ignoring her, Sam sat down next to Mia and pulled out the camera. He put the picture of the carving in front of her.
    ‘There, see. The blue boat. Last summer. Remember?’
    Mia looked at him. ‘Of course I remember.’
    Sam grinned. ‘You do? That’s great!’
    ‘I did that carving with my boyfriend.’
    Sam thumped the bench. ‘Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.’
    Ellen stifled a laugh with her hand.
    Mia spoke slowly and carefully. ‘But you’re not my boyfriend.’ She gestured to a scowling dark-haired guy who had suddenly appeared at her side. ‘ This is my boyfriend. Sammy.’
    Sam stared at the boy. This was Mia’s boyfriend? This wet-looking gimp?
    ‘What’s your deal, dude?’ snarled Sammy.
    ‘What’s my deal?’
    Sammy was staring at his board. ‘Hey, that’s my board. It got stolen from my house yesterday.’
    ‘ Your house?’
    ‘Yeah.’ Sammy reached out to grab the board and Sam saw a friendship bracelet, identical to his, on his wrist.
    Sam flinched. A horrible thought had hit him. He quickly flipped his board and skated away.
    ‘Hey, give me my board back, hack!’
    Sam kept going. That kid. Sammy . What was he talking about? His house? His girlfriend? It wasn’t possible.
    Sam skated as fast as he could back to his house. He bounded up the steps to the porch. This time he didn’t care who saw him. It didn’t matter anymore. The screen door was locked. Sam pulled out his key, shoved it in the lock, and slid open the door.
    Dumping his skateboard, he ran to the bookshelves. He ripped out a photo album and opened it. A photograph of Sammy smiled out at him from behind his tenth-birthday cake, his mum and dad in the background. Sam’s mum and dad.
    Sam felt sick. He didn’t want to turn the page, but his fingers did it anyway. There was Sammy in his skate gear, holding a trophy after winning a skate comp, flanked by his proud older brothers – Pete and Vince. Sam ’s brothers. He flicked again. Sammy as a toddler, Sammy’s first day at school, Sammy at Little Athletics, Sammy learning to surf.
    Sam couldn’t look anymore. He slammed the album shut. He couldn’t breathe. It was like being underwater but with no possibility of hitting the