Spaghetti Legs Page 11

  ‘You’ve been doing a bit of growing up while we’ve been away?’

  ‘Yes, Mum. Quite a lot actually.’

  ‘Good for you. You’ll also have a bit more growing up to do at Christmas.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘When you go over to see Iggy, you’ll be bringing your grandmother back with you. She’s coming out to get some warmth in her old bones. Do you think you can escort her back safely?’

  ‘Yes. No probs!’

  For the two-week holiday break Eric’s hair grew back under his baseball cap well out of his parents’ view and his pierced ear closed up.

  Being the home boy that he was he knew he could get away with wearing his baseball cap twenty-four hours a day, especially since Stephen wore his every time he came round too.

  He spent the holidays reading and hanging out with Stephen, more than happy with his low profile.

  Eric’s return to school was not met with any great fanfare, after the excitement created by Jean-Paul. But he was glad to be back anyway.

  At lunchtime on the first day, he sat with Stephen in the playground and gazed yearningly at Veronica Roberts.

  Surprisingly she caught his eye and waved at him, spaghetti legs and all. He knew that she was no longer going with Boyd Bannister, but it never occurred to him that she could be interested in him. On the other hand she’d cried when Nelson and Fern-tree had used his body for a trampoline. So maybe there was hope.

  Eric waved back. And even though he was back to being just plain old Eric, he didn’t feel like being sick at all.

  Sydney-based author and screenwriter, John Larkin, was born in England but grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has, at various stages of his writing career, supported his habit by working as a supermarket trolley boy, shelf-stacker, factory hand, forklift driver, professional soccer player and computer programmer. He now writes full-time. John has a BA in English Literature and a MA in Creative Writing from Macquarie University.