I was pleased that Snook’s mind was on something other than exploding asteroids. I was still worried about him though; I strongly suspected that he was feeling a bit like me … confused and still wondering about the strange images we’d both experienced. I continued to gaze at the poster and after reading it about a dozen times, I said, ‘I didn’t know you liked photography?’

      Tearing his eyes away from the notice board, he told me in a matter-of- fact way, ‘As of today I do. I’ve just decided that I’m gonna be like one of them paparazzos.’

      I couldn’t help grinning. ‘A paparazzo?’ I said, trying to keep the scepticism out of my voice. ‘You mean like those photographers that go stalking famous people like film stars and royalty just to get their photos. You’re not going to do that, are you? A lot of people think they’re kind of nasty ’cause they invade people’s privacy.’

      ‘Whatever. Anyway, I wouldn’t take photos of famous people; I dunno any for a start. I’ve got a better idea.’

      ‘Oh, what’s that? And why the sudden interest in …’ I didn’t wait for an answer. I knew before I’d finished the sentence. ‘Gloria!’ I said. ‘You want to win the photography prize so that you can ask her out for a classy dinner. You devil! You’d be in Gloria’s good books then, wouldn’t you?’

      ‘Well, it’s worth a try. The $250 wouldn’t hurt either. I could buy her a bunch of flowers, maybe even a friendship ring. Girls like that sort of stuff, don’t they? Whatcha think?’

      I couldn’t help laughing. ‘Oh, girls like that sort of stuff all right but I think you’d better think about winning the competition first, don’t you?’

      Although teasing Snook a little was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and good natured, he did look a bit put out. Thinking he was being a bit precious, I was about to say something when he beat me to it. ‘I have thought about winning it, Miss Know-it-all, and don’t be surprised if I do win it. I’ve got plans.’

      I smiled and said, ‘You’re full of surprises, Snook Kelly. I won’t bother to ask what’s on your mind. It’s bound to be something out of this world anyway, so c’mon, let’s go and do something useful like ask Sam for one of those entry forms. I’ll help you fill it in.’

      Walking home and licking the chocolate ice-creams that Sam had recommended earlier, we looked over Snook’s entry form. Pointing to a section near the bottom, he read out aloud, ‘It says here that the photos are to be about the West Coast. It said that on the poster too. That’s where my plan comes in. I’m gonna take photos of the wild animals that live around here.’

      ‘Yes, you could,’ I said, surprised that Snook’s idea was a sensible one. ‘And you wouldn’t have to go very far, either.’

      ‘No, I wouldn’t. There’re lots of wild animals out there. The gorge would be a good spot and it’s only a couple of kilometres out of town. So would Snaky Creek and Mucky Lagoon. There’re wallabies, wombats, quolls, devils and lots of other animals out there; there’d be different types of birds too. I might even get a photo of one of those rare ones like the orange-bellied parrot. Whatcha think?’

      ‘You never know what you’ll see out there, day or night. You could come across anything. Has your camera got a flash by the way; you’ll need it for the nocturnal animals? There are lots of those.’

      ‘No problem. The digital Mum and Dad gave me for my birthday has one. But I do have one major hurdle to get over … the $10 competition fee.’

      ‘Don’t worry. We’ll come up with that somehow,’ I said, not really knowing how we were going to do that. ‘But right now you could have a more urgent worry.’

      ‘Oh?’

      ‘Yes, I think so. Just as we were leaving Sam’s, I saw Quenton Quigley and he was making a beeline for the shop clutching a $10 note. I’ll bet you anything you like that he’s going to enter the competition too. I wonder if that was what he was talking to Gloria about earlier today, and I wonder if he’s got the same idea as you – about winning it and then asking her out to dinner.’

      ‘He’d better not have. Gloria’s my girlfriend, not his.’

      ‘You know what, I think you should talk to Gloria. Let her know how you feel. From what you’ve told me, she might just be wondering where she stands, especially after today and last night.’

      As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted saying them. Bringing up last night was the last thing I wanted to do. I was about to apologise when Snook, looking a little sheepish, said, ‘Yeah, okay, I know what you mean. I’ve been an idiot. The next time I see her I’ll apologise. I’ll tell Gloria that I’m her boyfriend, not Quigley. I’ll tell her that I’m heaps better than him.’

      I smiled to myself. Snook was going to need some coaching lessons before talking to Gloria about boy-girl matters. I could see that.

      For the second time that day, Snook and I were sitting in the lounge room. It was nearly six o’clock. The television had been switched off and for the past thirty minutes I’d been drilling Snook on the dos and don’ts of boy-girl etiquette. I was no expert, but I figured I knew more about the subject than Snook. It was proving to be hard work, like wading through mud. ‘Stop squirming and looking at the ceiling, Snook,’ I said for the umpteenth time. ‘It’s not easy trying to turn you into a gentleman.’ I was only joking of course, but all the same I think I was getting a tiny bit exasperated with the whole exercise.

      ‘What are you on about? I am a perfect gentleman.’ Snook pointed to Shadow who was curled at my feet as usual. ‘Ask that dog of yours; he knows I’m a good guy. He’s always trying to lick me.’

      Ignoring his remarks about Shadow, I said, ‘I should ask Gloria whether she thinks you’re a gentleman,’ I said. ‘It might be a different story then. But all jokes aside, try to remember what your mum keeps telling you.’

      ‘What’s that?’

      ‘Before your mouth goes walkabout with your brain, think before you say anything.’

      ‘Whatever. I suppose she does say that a bit,’ he mumbled as he reached for the remote. Then, more to himself than me, he added, ‘We might as well watch television for a while. There’s nothin’ better to do.’

      Oh, well, I told myself, looking at the forlorn figure of my cousin. You tried to help him but I guess it just didn’t work. Wondering whether I’d been even remotely successful, I asked, ‘Did you understand anything I said to you?’

      ‘Yeah,’ he replied, as he flicked through the stations. ‘You said somethin’ about me talkin’ to Gloria more proper, and you said I should mind my etiquette. But that’s not what worries me the most.’

      ‘Oh? What does, then?’

      ‘Gloria’s dad. If I go around to her place and talk to her, her dad’ll be there and he’ll wanna talk to me. That’ll be heaps more scary than sayin’ sorry to Gloria. Whenever he sees me he keeps askin’ me things. Like how I feel and whether I’m eatin’ the right stuff. Just ’cause he’s a doctor, he thinks it’s okay to go around askin’ things like that. And then, when you say you’re okay, he shakes his head and gives you the once over with his eyes anyway.’

      ‘It’s Gloria you’re going to see, not her dad,’ I pointed out, not showing any sympathy. I thought Snook was probably exag-gerating anyway. ‘Besides, who’s to say he’ll even be there when you talk to her?’

      ‘Oh, he’ll be there, all right. He’s always there. He hovers around like a hawk that’s after a sparrow. He watches every move I make and then he talks to me using all these big words that I can’t understand. It’s always the same.’

      I had to ask. ‘Don’t you like Gloria’s dad?’