Chapter 30

‘Let’s go somewhere less crowded,’ said Fred.

Jess nodded. At present their reunion was being witnessed by about thirty living beings, if you included dogs and seagulls. Fred took her by the hand and led her firmly off towards a quieter part of town.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked. ‘And even more intriguingly, how on earth do you know where we’re going?’

‘We used to come here when I was a kid,’ said Fred. ‘I’m taking you to the Island.’

‘I don’t know if I have time for a boat trip,’ said Jess. ‘I told my dad I’d be right back.’

‘It’s not really an island,’ said Fred. ‘Wait and see.’

Jess found that the Island was a promontory, a sort of pointy green hill she had seen from the beach when she had watched the surfers with her dad. At the top of it was a tiny chapel surrounded by some low walls, with a sheltered bench up against it. A couple had already bagged this desirable spot, however, and they were snogging away like a snogging machine that had just been fitted with new batteries.

So Fred and Jess just wandered off and selected a random place on the grassy slope, far away from anybody else. It was random, but it was divine. There was a fantastic, panoramic view of the beach, the surfers and the town.

There was also the most amazing view of Fred’s face, and since Jess hadn’t had the chance of admiring it for ages, she decided the surfers could wait. Instead she gazed in rapture at his curious grey eyes and strange quirky mouth and ears that were a bit like a bushbaby’s.

‘I’d forgotten what you looked like,’ she said.

‘Sorry if it’s an awful shock,’ said Fred. ‘You look rather better than I expected. Have you had a facelift?’

Jess gave him a pummelling, and then somehow they drifted into a kind of trance of staring into each other’s eyes, and then a kiss that went on and on for approximately seven days.

‘It’s the first time we’ve kissed to the sound of the sea,’ said Jess afterwards.

‘Yes, such a cliché, isn’t it?’ said Fred. ‘I’m not sure I like kissing in the open air, though. Not in the daylight. What with all these seagulls and big dogs about. One has the feeling it could end in farce.’

‘Tell me how you got here!’ said Jess.

‘Well, I’d always planned to come down and surprise you,’ said Fred. ‘I sold the Riverdene tickets to Luke, which gave me a nice little Cornwall travel fund, and I made a bit extra from my distinguished career in the catering business – until I was sacked on day two.’

‘Amazing!’ said Jess. ‘I never suspected anything. Although I was insanely jealous. Tell me about those cheerleaders!’ she went on, pinning him to the turf. ‘Which, if any, did you fancy?’

‘I didn’t fancy any of them,’ said Fred. ‘As you know, when it comes to girls I have a savoury tooth.’

Jess demanded another kiss at this point. Fred went along with it, although he pulled his hood up halfway through.

‘Fred, you’re an idiot!’ said Jess. ‘You’re not supposed to put extra clothes on while snogging.’

‘Not right now,’ said Fred, glancing anxiously around. ‘I have this terror of your dad looming up like some kind of Cornish God of War and knocking me unconscious with one mighty blow of his beefy fist!’

‘My dad, beefy fists?’ laughed Jess. ‘He’s about as tough and beefy as a grasshopper. Anyway, he’s back home right now having a rather tragic little sleep.’

‘Are you sure your mum’s safely miles away?’ asked Fred, still looking around furtively. He knew Jess’s mum was a force to be reckoned with, and feared the deadly lash of her feminist tongue.

‘Yeah, I told you, she’s at the Eden Project! Relax, for goodness’ sake, Fred! It’s so fabulous having you here. I thought you’d gone to Riverdene with Flora.’

‘With Flora? How weird your imagination is, dear child. I had to tell my parents I was going to Riverdene with Luke because, of course, they’d have disapproved of this mad escapade. And at least it stopped you thinking I might be on my way down here.’

‘Well, Flora really is at Riverdene, apparently – unless it’s just another front and she’s going to appear any minute.’

‘I certainly hope not!’ said Fred. ‘I’ve got nothing against the girl. I just hate to share you with anybody else even for a split second.’

‘And I thought you were at Riverdene together!’ said Jess, shaking her head. ‘I was heartbroken, you moron!’

Fred administered a huge and reassuring cuddle. Then they just sat and looked down at the surfers.

‘I’m going to learn how to surf!’ said Jess. ‘I think it’s a smart career move.’

‘It looks terrifying to me,’ said Fred doubtfully. He always pretended to be useless at sports, even though Jess suspected that he secretly did press-ups and sit-ups at night on his bedroom floor. His tummy was certainly very firm whenever she punched it.

Some little kids, who had been screeching irritatingly nearby for the past five minutes, ran up and asked the time.

‘6.30,’ said Jess. She was surprised to see how late it was. The sun was still high in the summer sky, and the waves kept on coming and crashing against the rocks that skirted the island. The sea just going on and on like that had made her lose all track of time. And of course, when she was with Fred, two hours could flash past like two minutes.

‘It’s late!’ she said. ‘I must get back to my dad’s. Where are you staying?’

‘I’ve got my sleeping bag,’ said Fred. ‘I spent last night in an old shed type thing just around the coast path. I thought I’d just sleep on the beach tonight.’

‘Don’t be silly!’ said Jess. ‘You might be mugged or peed on by sea lions, or something. You must come and stay at Dad’s.’

‘There is a backpackers’ hostel but it’s full,’ said Fred. ‘I can’t afford a B&B because I used up most of my money on the way down. I tried hitching but I didn’t have much luck. My grotesque appearance must have put people off. It took me two days to get here.’

‘Two days?’ said Jess, surprised.

‘Yes. I slept in a station waiting-room on the first night, and in a barn on the next night – which was, of course, rat-infested.’

‘Oh my goodness, how horrible!’ shuddered Jess. ‘You must come and stay at Dad’s. But wait . . . I don’t think we should just turn up together, out of the blue.’

Getting Fred installed at Dad’s was a major challenge. He could easily flip, and throw a massive tantrum. However was she going to manage it?