It was a long and slightly uncomfortable day. Kerri and I were still not on the best of terms, and Lou was even quieter than usual. Harry was normal, maybe more talkative than usual to me, but that sure didn’t help with the impression I wanted to give Lou. I never saw Rion at all. No doubt he was cleaning up the lab, or working in the library or something equally nerdy.

  Jas shot me strange looks all day that were a combination of smug and nasty. I ignored them, but I wondered what it was all about. After school, I discovered why.

  Heading out the school gates, I saw Rion ahead of me. Maybe he was over what had happened yesterday afternoon. I quickened my pace and had nearly caught up with him when Jas pulled up in her car on the street in front of us. She was older than me and had got her driver’s licence during the summer holidays, so naturally her parents had bought her a car. It was a late-model Barina, bright red. An appropriate colour choice, I thought.

  Then I saw Rion go up to the curb and hop in the front seat of her car. As they pulled away, I was almost sure I could see Jas’s triumphant smile. Why did I care? Why should I care? And yet I discovered to my surprise that I did.

  Rion was free to go anywhere with anyone he liked, even if it was Jas. Besides, she had a car. I didn’t even have a licence yet. I still needed to get my hours up. And at the rate I was going, I probably never would.

  If I had my licence I could go out with my friends in the afternoon, too.

  Except that I didn’t have a car either, let alone a red one.

  And even if I did, I wouldn’t be going anywhere with Rion because he’d be with Jas.

  And I couldn’t go anywhere with Harry because, now that Lou liked him, they’d probably go out together.

  Oh, shut up, I told myself.

  I missed the bus home and had to walk. Some days suck.

  ‘I know this awesome little coffee place in the Valley. Really good coffee, almost like you’d get in Melbourne. You ever been to Melbourne, Rion?’ Jas asked me as we sped away from school. I thought for a moment that I’d seen Zoe behind me when I got into the car. I was already starting to regret going anywhere with Jas.

  ‘Rion?’

  ‘What?’ I looked at her, trying to remember what she’d said.

  ‘I said, have you ever been to Melbourne?’

  ‘Um, no.’

  ‘Mum and I go all the time, mainly on shopping trips, especially when Dad’s away on business. I’ve got an aunt there. It’s such a cool place. Not at all like Brisbane.’

  The light ahead of us had just turned amber. She pushed her foot on the accelerator and we flew through the intersection.

  ‘Is this coffee shop far away?’ Hopefully not, I thought.

  ‘Nothing’s far away when you can drive. Have you got your licence yet?’

  ‘No,’ I said.

  ‘It’s so cool … so liberating,’ she said, and laughed.

  I said nothing, but the closer we got to the city, the heavier the traffic became and the more I noticed that Jas seemed to regard traffic rules as mere guides rather than laws to be followed.

  She turned into a parking garage and found a spot on one of the upper levels. She pulled into the parking bay with a screech of tires.

  When we got to the coffee shop, she gave me her order and headed for a seat. I ordered for both of us, paid for our drinks and headed to our table with the number thirteen in my hand. Thirteen was supposed to be unlucky; I knew that. But I was a man of science, not superstition.

  ‘So, Rion, here we are together at last, eh?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ I was at a complete loss.

  ‘Well, you know we had kind of a thing going last year.’

  ‘Did we?’

  She laughed. ‘Don’t be so shy,’ she said, ‘I know you liked me. I mean, we even kissed and everything when you were helping me with homework that time. The look on Zoe’s face when she came in with those milkshakes was priceless. But she got more than she bargained for, didn’t she?’ She gave me a wide smile that showed entirely too many teeth. It looked predatory.

  The way I remembered it, Jas had kissed me and not the other way around.

  ‘But,’ she continued, ‘Chad kind of got in the way. He was so into me, you know. I would’ve had to break his heart when he asked me out if I’d said no. I just couldn’t do it. Sorry.’ She looked at me with pensive eyes.

  ‘Where is Chad now?’ I asked, feeling again like I really shouldn’t have said yes to this coffee catch-up.

  ‘Oh, he’s away for a few days on a football camp or something like that,’ she said, and waved a hand.

  Our coffees came. That was good because the sooner we had them, the sooner we could leave.

  ‘Would he mind me having coffee with you?’ Maybe I could remind her that she did, after all, have a boyfriend.

  ‘Would he?’ she looked at me, raising an eyebrow. ‘That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Should he mind, Rion? You tell me.’ She leaned towards me and I was engulfed in a waft of perfume.

  I sat back, trying to put as much distance as I could between us. ‘No, not at all, not one little bit.’

  She gave me a look that could only be described as calculating. ‘I think that kind of depends.’

  ‘On what?’ I knew I shouldn’t have asked that question.

  ‘On what’s happening between you and Zoe. You’re not staying with her family anymore, so you’re not under any obligation to her or anything.’

  ‘Nothing’s happening between Zoe and me,’ were the unwise words I said. They were out before I knew it and it was too late to take them back.

  ‘Well, that’s good to know,’ she said. ‘Because, Rion, I’ve always liked you. And you think I’m pretty, don’t you?’ Jas put her hands under her chin and looked at me with her clear blue eyes.

  Making a strictly objective observation, I had to say she was what most people would call good-looking. She had long blonde hair, perfectly symmetrical features, and a wide smile that revealed straight white teeth. But her looks did nothing for me. Perhaps that’s because I was an alien. But that didn’t explain why I much preferred Zoe’s round face, large brown eyes and dark brown curly hair. To me, Zoe was beautiful.

  Her eyes held mine. I tried to be honest. ‘Yes, of course, everyone knows you’re attractive.’ I meant it entirely in the objective sense, but it came out all wrong.

  Another smile. ‘How sweet of you to say that. So, Rion, the question is, where do we go from here?’

  Nowhere, my mind shouted, nowhere at all. But I found myself saying, ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Oh, Rion, you’re too cute at times. You know exactly what I mean. You can have it all if you want. Good grades, popularity and me. We’re suited, you know. We’d make such an awesome couple. It’s fate. We were meant to be together. We’re both alphas.’

  I was about to protest when she said, ‘Hush. Don’t say a word or you’ll ruin it. You know, of course, that I’m just talking hypothetically. But it’s something for you to consider. When you’re alone in bed at night, think about this.’

  She leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine. Jas had kissed me once before, but this time it was different. She moved her lips against mine slowly, rhythmically, with a pressure that was not unpleasant. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to, but somehow I think I responded, a little.

  Then she moved away and gave a little laugh. ‘Wow, you’ll do. And now I think we’d better go, before we lead each other astray. Besides, I’ve got a zumba class tonight.’

  No one’s leading anyone astray was what I wanted to say to her, but the words never got out. We got up and left our barely touched coffees behind.

  The drive back was probably just as crazy as the drive there, but I didn’t notice it as much. When Jas pulled up in front of my house with a screech of tires, I felt dizzy. Whether it was from the kiss or the drive, I wasn’t quite sure.

  ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Rion. And you know what? If you play your cards right, I might just let you take me out sometime.’

  I got out of the car, feeling overwhelmed. As she took off in a cloud of exhaust, I wondered what had just happened to me. And then I realised something. Not once had she asked me about my trip to Brazil.

  ‘So, Mum and Dad, which of you guys is going to take me on a driving lesson? I’ve had my learner’s permit since before Christmas and we’ve hardly gone out at all.’ I looked at them both over my spaghetti bolognaise. The spaghetti was mushy and overcooked. Mum’s brief success in cooking had been just that—brief. It was almost comforting to know she hadn’t really changed.

  ‘We’ve been busy over the summer holidays, and you were in Sydney for a month. There hasn’t been a lot of time,’ Mum said, as she passed the salad to Dad.

  ‘According to my logbook, I’ve done ten hours. Only another ninety to go. You know I was hoping to get my licence before I got my old-age pension.’

  ‘Ha-ha, very funny,’ Dad said. ‘I’m sure Mum will take you one afternoon this week, when she isn’t busy.’

  Mum speared him with a look. ‘And how many hours have you taken Zoe out?’

  He looked uncomfortable. ‘I’m not sure, but I do get home late.’

  ‘Zero hours, that’s how many,’ Mum said. ‘And you could take her at night. She does need to get some night driving in.’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘we could go tonight, Dad.’

  ‘Don’t you have studying or something to do?’

  ‘Did it this afternoon after school,’ I said, shooting him a smug smile. I was prepared and determined. I was really over the fact that everyone else seemed to have their licence and I didn’t. Well, Jas anyway.

  ‘Tonight sounds like a great idea. I’ll clear up,’ Mum said, ‘so you can go as soon as we finish dinner.’

  Dad was cornered and he knew it. ‘Okay. But we’re only going locally, not into the city. After all, it is night time and you haven’t had a lot of experience driving in the dark.’

  Whatever, I thought. I just wanted to get my hours up and I didn’t much care where we went.

  Once we were in the car, Dad started to give me about a million instructions.

  ‘Slow down, Dad, I can only do one thing at a time. And besides, I do know how to drive. I just need the experience.’

  ‘Experience is everything. Put your indicator on and don’t go too fast,’ Dad said as I started the engine. ‘And check your mirrors!’

  I slid into the dark, quiet street where traffic, this time of night, was practically non-existent.

  I was actually not a bad driver. Gran had been showing me how to drive since I was fifteen, before I had my learner’s permit. When I visited her in Sydney we would sometimes go on drives to the country, and last year she decided she’d show me how to drive. We just didn’t mention it to Mum and Dad, who would have freaked if they’d known. Gran was cool like that. She said she’d learned to drive on the farm when she was twelve, and the earlier you learned the better as far as she was concerned.

  Dad, unlike Gran, was anything but cool. ‘Careful, you’re too close to the white line.’

  ‘I’m going to turn here at the next left,’ I said.

  ‘Put your indicator on. Slow down, slow down, SLOW DOWN!’ His eyes were riveted on the street we were turning into. Not a car was in sight.

  ‘Chill, I know how to turn a corner.’ I expertly changed gears and swung into the street. I noticed he was pressing an imaginary brake with his left foot.

  ‘You’re overconfident, Zoe, and that causes accidents. Okay, at the end of this street turn left, and this time try not to jerk me out of my seat as we turn.’ Dad was not a patient person at the best of times, but usually he was pretty easy to get on with. I say usually, because as a driving instructor he was like a weightlifter on steroids.

  ‘Zoe, did you see that red light? Seriously, did you see it? Because you could’ve fooled me.’ He turned to face me, his forehead all wrinkled with worry and his brown eyes piercing mine.

  ‘I stopped in time. I didn’t go through it or anything.’

  ‘No, you stopped at the last moment and we just about flew through the windscreen. Pull over, pull over, pull over.’

  I put on the indicator, moved smoothly to the curb and put the car in park. Turning to face Dad, I said, trying to be calm, ‘Now what?’

  ‘Maybe I should drive home,’ he said, unclenching his hand from the grip he’d had on the armrest.

  ‘We’ve hardly been out half an hour. That’s not much help.’

  ‘We can say it was an hour.’

  ‘That would be lying, and as you know, totally wrong.’ It was so good when you could use your parents’ arguments against them.

  He gave a heavy sigh and lifted a hand to his head, brushing back his short brown hair. I wondered if it would have a few more greys after tonight. ‘All right, just give me a moment to calm my nerves.’

  I looked at the street sign, lit up by the streetlight next to it. ‘Hey, this is where Rion and his uncle live,’ I said. Actually, I knew that. I had, sort of, headed in this direction deliberately. I was just curious, that was all. And part of me wondered if I would see a red Barina outside his place. Not that I cared or anything.

  ‘Oh yes, well, we wouldn’t want to drop in on them unannounced or anything,’ Dad said.

  As I looked over at the row of townhouses, I remembered the run I’d taken here, just before Rion came back to school. And then it hit me. That figure I’d seen in the window, it must have been him. I remembered feeling … something. Bizarre. I wished I could figure it out.

  ‘Dad,’ I said, ‘what do you think of Rion?’

  He looked at me in surprise. ‘You know Mum and I both like him. I have to admit I had my reservations when he first came to stay. But he proved me wrong. He was polite, helpful and very thoughtful at times. It would be hard not to like him. He was really good for you, too.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He encouraged you to study more, got you away from some of those unsuitable friends you had last year … Why are you asking me this? You know what he’s like. You spent enough time together.’

  ‘Did we?’

  ‘What’s wrong with you, Zoe? Of course you did. And he even planned that birthday surprise for you in the hot-air balloon.’

  ‘So that was his idea?’

  ‘Yes, and that was the last day he was with us, remember? His uncle came for him that evening and whisked him away. But the less I say about that Archimedes fellow the better. Honestly, this driving lesson must have rattled your brains or something. I know it has mine.’

  He looked at his watch. ‘Come on, let’s get going again. And for goodness’ sake, Zoe, look where you’re going and obey the road signs, especially the speed limit.’

  After another agonising half hour, we went home. When I pulled into the driveway I think we were both relieved.

  ‘Dad, I think you’re probably too tired to take me on driving lessons at night.’ I was trying to be diplomatic.

  ‘Yes, dear,’ he said, quick to agree with me. ‘And let’s be honest, your mum is more patient than me.’

  ‘Just a little.’ I smiled. ‘But you know Mum’s busy, too, and I’d really like to get my driver’s licence this year. Maybe I could take lessons from a driving school.’

  ‘They’re pretty expensive.’ As an accountant, Dad was always careful with money, not that he was tight or anything.

  ‘Well, if I had a job I could pay for them myself.’

  ‘You know how we feel about that. It’s really important that you concentrate on your studies. Especially this year. ‘

  ‘But I haven’t had any babysitting jobs for ages.’

  Dad thought for a moment. ‘Well, I’ll ask around at work and see if anyone needs a good babysitter. And maybe I could pay for half of your lessons and you could pay for the other half, or something like that.’

  I sighed. It was better than nothing. ‘Okay. I just hope you have a lot of friends with babies.’

  When we went inside, Mum looked up from the papers she was correcting. ‘Well, how did it go?’

  I could finally say what I’d been holding in the last hour. ‘Dad is a terrible driving instructor. I’m only going out with you in the future, Mum, or someone who’s qualified.’

  Dad only said, ‘I think I need a drink.’

  Chapter Eleven

  Harry Crosby had always been in my life, and most of the time I’d taken him for granted. When we were little we’d played in backyard wading pools and the sandpit at kindy. We’d gone to each other’s birthday parties over the years. Sometimes, because our mums were friends, our families went camping together.

  Harry was a pal. He’d always been there for me and I’d tried to be there for him—most of the time. Neither of us had been what you’d call cool. I’d been skinny and a bit of a tomboy. Harry had been about half a centimetre shorter than me, and while not exactly fat, he could’ve been called comfortably plump. We joked around, hung out sometimes and were totally comfortable around each other.

  Until last year.

  Last year I’d become a ‘cool’ kid, and hung out with Jas and her group. I went to parties (even some that Mum and Dad didn’t know about), wore heavy makeup, pretended to drink a lot (which I hardly ever did), and started to take boys seriously (my experiences in that area were highly exaggerated).

  My social life went up, but my marks went down. I wasn’t always the nicest or easiest person to get along with. But Harry had stuck by me through all of that and I wouldn’t let anyone put him down, not even the kids in Jas’s group. I even got him invited to a party or two. But then Harry had got serious and I didn’t. We’d been awkward with each other ever since he’d tried to kiss me at the family barbecue last year.

  Now, with Harry’s transformation, things between us had changed again. It wasn’t just that Harry looked good; he’d changed inside, too. He was more confident and more assertive, and I didn’t think of him as just someone I’d played with in the sandpit anymore.

  Sometimes when he looked at me, I wondered what I’d do if he tried to kiss me again. Would I turn my head away this time? But we were just friends. That’s what he wanted. That’s what I wanted.

 

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