Caught Inside Read online

  Caught Inside

  First published in Australia in 2015 by Short Stop Press

  An imprint of A&A Book Publishing Pty Ltd.

  This EPUB edition:

  ISBN 9780992552176

  Copyright © Mandi Greenwood 2015

  Disclaimer:

  This book is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means or process whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publishers.

  E-book format by David Andor / Wave Source Design

  www.wavesourcedesign.com

  A&A Book Publishing Pty Ltd

  Leichhardt, NSW 2040

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: www.aampersanda.com

  'Caught Inside' is a dangerous circumstance in which a surfer is trapped between the shoreline and breaking waves. This usually means the surfer will have to wait for a lull between the larger breaking waves for a chance to slip in to clear water.

  This definition of 'Caught Inside' is taken from the Surfline Glossary, a website containing an A-Z appendix of surfing names and terms commonly used in Australia and other countries that have a thriving surf culture.

  www.surfline.com/surfology/surfology_glossary_index.cfm

  This book is dedicated to all teenagers, past, present and future.

  Speak up, ask for help, stay strong.

  You're never alone.

  Special thanks to my daughter, Rachael, for the creative inspiration and candid advice behind the cover art concept.

  And thanks as well to Tashya, for the down-to-earth guidance.

  Prologue

  Christmas Day

  Costa Rica

  The ocean was dead calm, reflecting the pink sky like a gigantic mirror.

  Three months shy of seventeen, Chandra Sarin sat motionless on his surfboard, hypnotized by the stillness. He didn't want to move because that would cause ripples, and ripples would break the spell.

  He loved that it was calm but the twins, Lorenzo and Mateo, had paddled for shore ages ago because there was no surf so they didn't see the point in staying out on the water. Chandra, on the other hand, was of the opinion that sometimes it was cool just to watch the sunset. Out here, he was at his best. Out here … he could sit and watch the world turn for hours and never get bored.

  To his right, the Costa Rican coast curved gently towards Santa Teresa. There wasn't much in the way of population this far from Tamarindo, just several fishing huts dotted along the beach.

  It was Christmas time, so to celebrate they'd stacked the surfboards in the back of Santiago's old truck along with everything else and bumped their way along the rutted roads to this hidden beach.

  Luciana brought loads of food to put together a feast and he could see her on the beach now, preparing dinner. She was so far away she resembled a tiny doll bustling about, always busy. The Vargas family had energy for living that made Chandra feel he'd spent most of his life half asleep.

  When he'd first arrived on the student exchange program back in September he'd felt lost and alone, like a little boy abandoned in a busy shopping centre, far from all he understood. But that feeling passed and now it was good fun staying at casa Vargas. The family were big-hearted and friendly, and they treated him like he was their third son.

  Yep. He had definitely learned to take pleasure in the simple things in life since being here. The people were brilliant and the lifestyle suited him perfectly. Costa Rica was bringing out the best in him and the adult he was becoming was all the better for it.

  That was the up-side.

  The down-side was being so far from home. It really sucked at times. During the day when he was busy everything was fine … but late at night if he couldn't sleep and had too much time to think … well then it was a different story. He was homesick. He missed his family and his friends. He missed Aisley so much it hurt.

  Just the day before, Mateo had looked at a photo of her Cate Costa had sent Chandra as a Christmas present. 'Whoa! Ella es bonita,' said Mateo, raising his eyebrows. She's pretty.

  Chandra, who had just enough Spanish to get it, smiled. 'La…no, hang on. Um … mi novia,' he said, haltingly. My girlfriend.

  Mateo nodded vigorously and gave him two thumbs up. 'Ah!' he cried. 'Querido! Your girlfriend, si.' He shrugged theatrically. 'Evidente!' He pointed adamantly at Chandra. 'Afortunado!'

  'Afortunado?' Chandra frowned, and then it came to him. 'Lucky!' he said. 'Yeah, I am…si! Big time!' Mateo handed him the photo and Chandra took it, running his thumb over the smiling Aisley standing waist-deep in the ocean of Cariad Lili Bay Beach. 'Mucho afortunado.'

  Luciana was waving to him. Dinner was ready. He waved back.

  A school of tiny silver fish slipped through the ocean below his dangling feet, closely pursued by larger fish intent on making a meal out of them. Chandra leaned forward on his board to watch them just as a balmy breeze picked up. It disturbed the surface of the water and touched his skin softly. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, smelling salt and sea air.

  Opening his eyes again, he looked at the sunset. Three months since he'd arrived in Costa Rica, and three months until he was going home to Australia. Halfway there.

  'Merry Christmas, Ais,' he murmured. 'I love you.'

  January …

  Somewhere in England

  It was snowing steadily outside but seventeen year old Neve Hobson hardly felt it as she pushed blindly out the back door of The Mermaid Tavern. She slammed it shut behind her and wrapped her thin arms around her body. As she slipped and slid away through the icy slush of the alleyway, she could already feel her tears freezing on her cheeks.

  There was the creak of hinges and a yellow rectangle of light fell across her as the Mermaid's rear door opened again. Neve flung a look back over her shoulder.

  There was the silhouette of a man standing there, looking after her. It was Max, and up until ten minutes ago he'd been her boss. 'You'll never get work!' he yelled. 'Not with a piss-weak attitude like that!'

  Neve stopped. A rage built of frustration and despair gathered in her chest as she spun about. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. 'I'm a bloody good worker!' she cried. 'You're the one with the problem! You need to keep your mind on your job instead of molesting children!'

  'Children!' Max growled. 'What are you on about? You told me you were eighteen when I hired you, and darlin', that's legal.'

  Despite her desire to get home and out of the cold, Neve trudged a couple of steps back towards the door. 'It's not legal to sexually harass your employees,' she said. 'I know my rights.'

  Max laughed and opened the door wider. 'Get your arse back in here,' he said good-naturedly. 'Be a good girl, play nice, and maybe I'll reconsider sacking you. Then we'll talk about your rights, Miss under-age.'

  'I'd rather die,' Neve muttered.

  'So die then.' His shoulders shrugged. 'Nuthin' to me, sweetheart.' He pulled the door shut and left Neve alone in the cold and the dark.

  She stared at the dark pub for a minute longer before walking away. She wouldn't die. She would go home and have a hot bath. A year ago she would surely have died, curled up in the gutter somewhere like a little matchstick girl from another century, or in some doss house with a needle hanging out of her arm … but not now.

  Now, well … life still sucked, but at least she'd live. Darling Sammy had seen to that.

  Heatwave

  February in Seamere

  Summertime on the Gippsland coast

  Sixteen year old Aisley Brannon pushed her hair off her hot brow and blew out her breath in frustration. 'Cate!' she called. 'Are you coming or not?'

  Cate Cost
a glanced around briefly. 'Not,' was her reply before going back to listening to whatever corny terms of endearment Drew King was showering on her.

  Aisley shifted from one foot to the other and pulled a face at Freya Biddy. 'Honestly! Does she not see him for what he is?' she asked. 'Or does she just not care?'

  Freya was busy tying her frizzy curls into something that resembled a ponytail. She shrugged. 'Either way, love is blind,' she said as if that explained everything.

  Aisley shook her head. 'I dunno,' she muttered doubtfully.

  Cate was leaning against the wall in the shade of the science wing and Drew had one hand on the bricks above her head, his other hand on her waist and as Aisley watched, he planted an enthusiastic kiss on her mouth.

  'We're leaving,' Aisley sang in a last ditch effort.

  Cate waved her hand dismissively over Drew's shoulder.

  'Okay then,' Aisley muttered. 'Fine. Whatever.' She shouldered her backpack and headed for the school gate, feeling a little miffed.

  Freya fell into step beside her. 'Ah, don't let it get to you,' she said. 'She'll figure it out, so she will.'

  'Y'think?' Aisley barked abruptly. She immediately felt contrite and hugged Freya's arm. 'Sorry Freya, I didn't mean to snap.'

  'That's okay,' Freya replied serenely. 'I understand where you're coming from.'

  The two girls walked slowly through the shimmering heat of the summer afternoon, down Main Street and towards the beach. They both had their bathers on under their uniforms and beach towels in their bags. They couldn't wait to hit the water. It was ten days into the new school year and it had been over forty degrees for three days in a row.

  Aisley lifted her arms and let them flop heavily to her sides again. 'It just pisses me off,' she said. 'It's not that I don't like Drew either. I do. He always seemed like a nice guy but he's just become a …'

  'He's a player,' Freya finished for her. 'I know.'

  'Yes,' Aisley frowned. 'He wasn't like that last year, was he?

  'Not at all.'

  'I mean, he was a bit of a flirt but he was always harmless.'

  Freya nodded.

  'But now he's so crass sometimes,' Aisley said. 'Especially when he's got his loser brother Troy with him.'

  Out of work more often than not, nineteen year old Troy King could be seen around the Duke of York hotel after closing most nights of the week. He hung with a group of like-minded misfits and they were habitually drunk, generally stoned, and always loud.

  'Brice Daly told me Troy has already done jail time,' Aisley continued mysteriously.

  'What for?' Freya was curious.

  'Dealing drugs.'

  'Nice.'

  'Yep.'

  'What did happen to the Drew we used to know?' Freya wondered. 'You're right. He has changed.'

  'Definitely.' Aisley shielded her eyes from the sun and checked for traffic, and then they crossed Main Street. The lifesaving club loomed up before them and they stepped gratefully into the shade the building cast and dropped their bags to the ground.

  'Do you think he could be using some of those drugs Troy was dealing?' Freya wondered.

  It was like Freya had plucked the thought straight from her mind and Aisley nodded. There'd been several occasions lately when she'd put money on the fact that Drew was using something.

  'But Cate doesn't see that, does she?' she said. 'And she doesn't hear the things he says when her back is turned either. That's what really drives me nuts. That she could be that dumb.' She chewed her lip. 'Can I tell you what Drew said to me yesterday, in humanities?'

  'Of course you can.'

  'Only, don't tell anyone else, alright?'

  'Alright.'

  'It's a bit gross.'

  'I can take it.'

  'Well, I had to sit next to him because we're in the same group,' Aisley said. 'I stood up to lean across the table for the stapler. When I sat back down he gave me this look…'

  'What kind of look?'

  'A creepy look,' Aisley replied. 'Then he asked me if I waxed my bikini line.'

  'What the hell!'

  'I know, right?'

  'What did you say?'

  'I told him to mind his own business.' Aisley moved from one foot to the other. Her feet were baking inside her hot school shoes. 'Then I asked him if he made a habit out of looking up girls dresses. To which he smiled and told me I have great legs.'

  'Oh well,' Freya grinned. 'You do have great legs.'

  'Thank you,' said Aisley sarcastically. 'But I don't want to hear it from him, especially when he's got that look on his face.'

  Freya nodded sympathetically and flapped the collar of her school dress in a vain attempt to fan some air down her front. 'It's not just what Drew says, you know,' she said. 'It's what he does as well. I saw him with his hand on some girl's butt the other day and she sure as hell wasn't Cate.'

  'Serious?'

  'Would I lie?'

  'Who was the girl?'

  'She's in year nine I think. I dunno.' Freya shrugged. 'I mean, it was probably harmless. I reckon they were just mucking around because Brice was there and a few others too. But still.'

  Aisley was worried. 'How do we tell Cate that her boyfriend is hitting on other girls behind her back?'

  'I don't know,' Freya admitted. 'She's not stupid. She must see it going on.'

  Now it was Aisley's turn to shrug.

  Freya squinted at her. 'What exactly happened over the Christmas holidays to start this romance anyway? Cate's told me zilch and I feel like I missed a memo or something.'

  Aisley lifted her ponytail off her sweaty neck. 'She says she met up with Drew at the caravan park in Torquay. Pure coincidence, their two families being there at the same time. She says they hooked up on New Year's Eve and she also says she can't believe she hasn't noticed how wonderful he is before now.'

  'Maybe it's a summer romance,' Freya suggested. She grinned broadly. 'When the weather cools, so will they.' She lifted her hand to wave at Archie Evans, who was approaching with Stewart Thomas and Willa Fry. 'Have you noticed?' she asked Aisley quietly. 'Archie doesn't bounce when he walks lately, does he?'

  Aisley shook her head. 'He's pissed off about Cate and Drew,' she said. 'Archie never bounces when he's cranky.'

  'Do you really think he likes Cate that much though?' Freya was dubious. 'They've been bitching the entire time I've known them.'

  'Oh, believe me,' Aisley said. 'Archie is crazy about Cate. It just took her getting a serious boyfriend for him to realise it.'

  Freya had to whisper because the others were almost upon them. 'Do you think she's crazy about him too?'

  'Well, she certainly isn't at the moment.'

  'Shame.'

  'Isn't it just.'

  Stewart Thomas hit the sand running. He kicked off his shoes as he went and just before he plunged into the shallows he got the last button of his shirt undone. He ripped it off, and chucked it behind him onto the sand, bellowed a war-cry and threw himself into the waist-deep water in his school shorts and socks.

  Aisley and Freya cracked up laughing as Stewart's sock-clad feet appeared above the waves. Willa rolled her eyes as she followed Stewart's trail, gathering up his discarded bits of uniform.

  'Honestly,' she said, returning to the group with an armful of clothes. 'He's such a little kid.' She dumped his stuff on the sand and as she straightened up she rubbed a hand across her eyes.

  'Are you okay, Willa?' Freya asked, looking at her pale face.

  'What?'

  'Are you feeling okay? I thought you were going to pass out for a second there.'

  'No, I'm alright.' Willa sighed. 'I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping very well. It's been so hot.' She slowly unbuttoned her school dress and stripped down to her bathers.

  'I hear you,' said Aisley ruefully. 'We've got no air-conditioning upstairs yet. Wade and I tried to sleep out on the patio the other night. A hundred mozzie bites later and I decided it sucked big time and went inside.'

&
nbsp; 'It was the mozzies that sucked,' Archie told her with a crooked smile.

  'Oh. Sorry. Was that a joke?' Aisley unbuckled her shoes and kicked them off.

  'Yep.'

  'Well, that sucked too.' She took off her dress and sat on the sand in her bikini to pull off her socks.

  Archie dropped his school shorts to reveal board-shorts beneath, rolled up above his knees so they puffed up like old-fashioned bloomers. Aisley chuckled.

  'You know,' she told him as he sat down beside her. 'You have a way of making even the coolest clothes look unorthodox.'

  He frowned at her as he unrolled the board-shorts to their proper length. 'I think you're offending me,' he said suspiciously. 'But I'm not sure about it so I'll let it go.' He held up a finger. 'This time.'

  Aisley grinned, and together they watched Freya and Willa head for the inviting ocean. The sun twinkled off the top of the water like a million gems. Aisley groaned with relief once her toes were bare and she could dig them into the soft sand. 'Ah, that's better!'

  Archie grunted.

  'We should get fish and chips later,' Aisley said. 'I love fish and chips on the beach on summer nights.'

  'Mm hm.'

  'Especially if the cool change comes through,' she enthused. 'Don't you love that? Fish and chips on a summer night watching the cool change come across the ocean.'

  'I miss Chandra,' said Archie suddenly.

  Aisley pulled a face at him. 'Oh hey, me too!' she said sarcastically. 'But not much … only like … you know, every single second of every single day.'

  Her humour was lost on Archie. He stared out to sea. 'Maybe when he comes home everything will get back to normal,' he said glancing at her. 'I sincerely hope so, Ais, because otherwise I dunno what I'll do. I might have to go and join a cult or something.'

  'Arch…'

  'I miss last year.' He shuffled his bare feet on the sand. 'This year sucks.'