Caught Inside Read online

  'Archie?'

  'Yeah?'

  'It's because of Cate, right?' She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. She wished she'd brought her sunnies but they were at home on her bedside table. Fat lot of good they'd do her there.

  'Nah,' he said, flapping his hand. 'Where'd you get that idea? I'm thrilled that Drew has morphed into a total wanker and is getting down and dirty with the girl of my dreams.'

  'Aw, Arch.'

  He stabbed a finger at her. 'And don't think I'm not pissed off with myself for being totally lame about it, because I am.'

  She leaned over and butted her head against his arm. 'You're not lame,' she said. 'When I thought Chandra liked Bria last year I was devastated. When I thought he liked Bliss I was a freakin' mess!'

  'But see,' he spread his hands. 'That's just it. I didn't think I had it so bad for Cate. Until she suddenly became attached to tosser of the year, that is. Now I'm a basket case.' He screwed up his nose. 'Who knew, huh?'

  'Oh I did,' she said. 'Always.'

  'Really?'

  'Well, duh!' She got to her feet and held out a hand to him. 'Written all over your pretty face, Archibald. Come on, let's go for a swim. It'll make you feel better.'

  'No thanks.' He pouted at the sand between his feet. 'I plan to just sit here until I melt into a miserable pile of pathetic goo.'

  'Get up!'

  'You can all mourn me after I'm gone,' he said dolefully.

  Aisley kicked sand at him making him flinch. 'On your feet, soldier,' she demanded. 'You think you're the only sad sack around here? My boyfriend's on the other side of the globe surrounded by hot Latino babes probably desperate to lay their hands on him. How do you think I feel?'

  Archie smiled grimly and took her hand. 'Well at least you don't have to watch,' he said. 'I, on the other hand, have to observe Cate and Drew swapping spit on a daily basis.'

  'Gee, thanks for that comforting thought,' she muttered following him to the water's edge.

  'You're welcome.' He grinned at her and put one hand on his chest. 'I am nothing if not benevolent,' he intoned. He waded in and Stewart came galloping back like a wild, wet dog. He grabbed Archie and wrestled him under the waves. Minutes later, the two boys' were splashing and yelling as they leaped about and Archie appeared to have forgotten Cate and Drew… for the moment at least.

  Aisley hadn't though. She stood waist deep in the sea with Freya and Willa, and recalled what Freya had said about seeing Drew with the year nine girl. Then she thought about what Drew had said to her in humanities.

  She'd mentioned the way things were to Chandra in her last letter to him …letter, because wireless communication was proving difficult. She wrote … It's like the old Drew was abducted by aliens and they left this sex maniac behind. He's supposed to be in a relationship with Cate. That's what she thinks anyway, but you should see him! He's making moves on anyone in a dress whenever her back is turned. What do I do? Tell her? Or butt out? …

  Chandra's advice, in his reply letter, was brief and to the point … Butt out. You'll end up stuck in the middle and you'll cop it from both sides. Not worth it, Ais. Plus tell him from me, if he makes any moves on you I'm punching him out the second I'm back. Nothing personal...

  So Aisley said nothing. Cate was a big girl and could take care of herself, but if it all ended in tears, Aisley wouldn't be surprised.

  An Invitation

  One month later

  March

  Willa Fry sat on the edge of her bed and folded the invitation back and forth in her hands. It was for Freya Biddy's seventeenth birthday party in the middle of next month.

  Oh god… How could she possibly face a party? A party full of happy people who were everything she was not. She certainly couldn't go to it alone. Maybe she could go with Stewart. He always gave her confidence, only … only she'd broken up with him again and they kind of weren't talking right now.

  She chewed her lip and cast a nervous glance at her mobile phone. She supposed she could ring Aisley or Cate and ask if she could go to Freya's party with their group. They'd say yes, of course. They were her friends but somehow she always felt like a fifth wheel. They didn't need her. Willa liked to think that Stewart needed her. He certainly had, back at the beginning.

  They'd been dating on and off for almost two years now. In the early days it had been beautiful…the best time of her life… but lately he'd get this look on his face. She thought he felt sorry for her. Willa hated that look with a passion, hated what she interpreted as the negative effect she was having on him. Hence the latest break-up.

  She stared at the invitation without seeing it. From the garden beyond her window came the sound of childish laughter. It was her younger sisters, Rosie and Bec, screaming and giggling as they played on the Slip n' Slide. Listening to them filled her with sadness she couldn't explain. Days like today, she felt separated from them and normal life by more than just her window.

  Her chest felt tight. When she tried to take a deep breath, it seemed to stick in her throat. She was going to faint. Maybe she was having a heart attack! With clammy hands, she reached over and grabbed her phone.

  'I'm sorry,' she said the second he answered. There was silence on the other end of the line but she could hear him breathing. 'Stewart? Are you there?'

  'I'm here.'

  Willa plucked at the doona cover on her bed. 'I just called to tell you I'm sorry,' she repeated.

  'Okay.'

  'I really am.'

  'I heard you! Jeezus, Willa!'

  She started to cry. The tears came easily. 'I miss you,' she whispered. There was silence on the line again. She was just about to start begging when he finally spoke.

  'It's not fair,' he said quietly. 'You can't do that. You can't play with my head like that. What do you think I am?'

  'I'm sorry…'

  'Don't keep saying that!'

  'Okay.' She sniffed. 'But I am. I thought you were unhappy so I… '

  'So you jumped before I could push you, right?'

  'Yes.'

  'Except I wasn't gonna push you.' His tone was defensive. 'I never push you, Willa. You make me out to be a real bad ass, but I'm friggin' not!'

  She put a hand across her mouth to stifle a sob. She didn't trust her voice so she didn't speak.

  After a few moments she heard him sigh.

  'Don't cry,' he said, his tone gentle.

  She closed her eyes with relief. 'Can you come around?' she asked. 'I'm in a bit of a mess here.'

  'Alright.'

  'Stewart?'

  'What?'

  'It'll be better from now on,' she said. 'I promise.' She could feel her strength returning, because he was going to come back.

  'Things get to you,' he said. 'And you worry too much. I don't know why you just can't let life flow over you. Sometimes you've just got to roll with the punches, yeah?'

  'Yes.'

  'I mean, it's not like we can know what's going to happen tomorrow, so why waste time worrying about it, huh? Live for today. Okay?'

  'Okay.' She smoothed out the invitation as she listened. He always knew the right things to say. Relief flowed through her like a warm tide. 'Thank you.'

  'I'll be there in twenty.'

  'Alright.' Willa hung up.

  Freya Biddy was turning seventeen and she was doing it in typical Freya style … by having an extravagant costume party on a paddle-steamer at Mistmoss Heritage Village.

  Mistmoss was a tourist attraction. It had once been a real mining town, back in the Gold Rush days. The paddle steamer in question was moored on the river that ran through the town. Named for the captain's wife in days gone by when it was a working boat, the Sally May was available for hire as a party venue. It had three decks and loads of space if you had lots of guests.

  Freya was having lots of guests. She was a generous soul and kept sending out more invitations, not wanting anyone to miss out. There was going to be a DJ, a mosh pit, a dance floor, tons of food …

&nbs
p; Wear your heart's desire and be there!

  8 til late, Friday the 10th of April

  The Sally May Steamboat

  Mistmoss Heritage Village, Jarvis

  RSVP Freya and family

  ASAP!!!

  'I wonder what she means by heart's desire,' Cate Costa frowned. She turned the invitation over in her hands searching for more information on the back of the card.

  'I think she wants us to go as something we've always dreamed of being but have never managed,' said Aisley sassily. 'For example, Archie here could go as an intelligent, attractive guy.'

  'Hey!' Archie protested.

  'What about you, Lucan?' Aisley asked. 'What will you go as?'

  Lucan smiled and shifted in his chair. The four of them were sitting at an outside table at the Melba café after school. 'I'll have to give it some serious thought,' he said elusively.

  'Drew said I should go as a pole-dancer,' Cate giggled. 'I told him I would, but only if he went as a fat executive. Then he can spend the whole night stuffing money in my G-string.'

  Aisley grinned awkwardly and Archie scowled at his giant mocha chino. Lucan remained a blank canvas. Cate, seemingly unaware of their reactions, leaned forward with her elbows on the table and smirked at Aisley.

  'He's crazy about me,' she enthused.

  Aisley tried to smile back but felt more like she was grimacing in pain. Yep. Drew was a real sweetheart alright. Only the previous afternoon he'd approached her on the hard-court after sport. The rest of the class had gone to the change rooms but she'd volunteered to gather up the cones they'd used to mark out an obstacle course.

  'How are you going these days, Ais?' he'd asked, helping her collect the cones and stack them in a basket.

  'Fine thanks.'

  'Do you ever hear from Chandra?'

  'Duh! Of course. All the time.'

  That wasn't technically true. Chandra's access to any wireless communication was severely limited and the Vargas's had no Internet connection. That was why he and Aisley had resorted to writing to one another in the old-fashioned way. The up-side of this was that they'd rediscovered the lost art of the traditional love letter. They read each other's words over and over, hanging on every phrase and reading between the lines… but Aisley wasn't about to tell Drew King any of that.

  'He's mad, leaving a honey like you all alone for so long,' Drew had remarked casually, putting more cones in the basket.

  Aisley had kept quiet, unsure how to respond to a comment as gag-worthy as that one. Drew had kept talking.

  'For real,' he'd said. 'I wouldn't dare do that if I was dating you, count on it.'

  'Um ...' she'd pulled a face. 'I think you're complimenting me in a weird sort of way, so … er, thanks.'

  'Sure, it's a compliment.' Then he'd adopted a sincere look as he put a hand on his heart. 'If you ever want someone to talk to, Ais, I'm right here.'

  'Do I look that pathetic?

  'Of course you don't.' He'd grabbed her hand at that point. 'But if you're lonely, just give me a call. Don't be shy, okay?'

  She'd glanced down at their joined hands and then she'd looked up at his face. Was he for real? What was it that Chandra had said in his last letter?

  Plus tell him from me, if he makes any moves on you I'm punching him out the second I'm back. Nothing personal...

  Was this Drew making a move? He was good-looking in a boy-band sort of way with longish brown hair that had that careless bed-head look. Aisley could see where the appeal lay for Cate, but he left her cold. From his perfect smile to his wandering eyes, he was just too smooth.

  'Yeah, thanks for that,' she'd told him drily, pulling her hand from his grip. 'But I'm all good.'

  'Oh, you sure are.' He'd brushed a stray curl from her cheek.

  He'd been in her personal space by then so she'd stepped back. 'Excuse me,' she had demanded. 'But did you and Cate break up when I wasn't looking?'

  'No, but we're cool with seeing other people.'

  'Oh, is that right?'

  'Yep.'

  'And Cate knows about this?'

  He'd shrugged again, smiling charmingly. 'Well, we've never discussed it, but yeah. I think she's down with it.'

  Aisley had turned her back on him and resumed collecting cones while she tried to think of a good comeback. Her mind was a blank. All she could think was that when he hurt Cate, which he undoubtedly would, she was going to cheerfully break his legs.

  'Has anybody ever told you that you have a great butt?' he'd inquired conversationally.

  She had whirled to face him. 'What the hell, Drew!'

  'Just saying.'

  'Well don't!'

  'Why not? It's true.'

  'Why not!' she'd spluttered. 'Bloody hell! Because I'm with Chandra, that's why not.'

  'So?' he'd asked cheerfully. 'He wouldn't care.'

  'Yes. He would.'

  'Are you sure?'

  'I'm damn sure,' she'd grumbled. 'And I care too. Being committed suits us.'

  Drew didn't miss a beat. 'What? You think he's being committed over there in Puerto Rico with all those hot girls around?'

  'Costa Rica.'

  'Costa Rica then,' he'd laughed. 'Whatever. You seriously think he's not cheating?'

  She was taken aback. How did you deal with someone like this? Drew was incorrigible.

  'I know he's not,' she'd said firmly. 'I trust him and he trusts me.'

  'That's very sweet,' he'd said. 'Naïve, but sweet. Ah well, we all believe what we want to believe. You're just not like me.'

  'No,' said Aisley. Thank god, she thought.

  Now, sitting at Melba, she peered at Cate across the table. Her best friend had let her bobbed hair grow out longer than usual and it hung around her shoulders like a brunette curtain. When she spoke about Drew, her dark blue eyes sparkled and she certainly seemed happy enough.

  Archie was the contrary. Jealousy made his usually placid face grumpy and he tilted his chair so abruptly he almost fell over backwards. Just managing to keep his balance he scowled viciously at the clouds above.

  Aisley stirred her tea. Butt out, she told herself firmly.

  'What are you going as?' Cate was asking her.

  'Huh?'

  'To Freya's party.'

  'Oh. I've got a few ideas I'm tossing around,' she said vaguely.

  'How about you, Arch?' Cate reached over and slapped his arm.

  He shrugged. 'Something sinister,' he mumbled gloomily.

  'Oh.' Cate nodded slowly. 'I get it. Like an evil overlord, you mean?'

  'I dunno.' He shrugged again. 'Just something really … dark.'

  'Well you're no fun,' Cate told him. Archie glared balefully at her.

  'Have you heard from Chandra lately?' Lucan asked Aisley.

  She nodded. 'I got a letter yesterday,' she said. 'He's good. He said he got the gift I sent for his seventeenth on his actual birthday, so that was lucky.'

  'What did you send him?'

  'Ah, it's a bit corny but I found a little silver pendant of a surfboard.' She smiled shyly. 'I wasn't sure he'd wear a chain so I put it on a black leather choker instead.'

  'Ooh, very surfer boy!' Cate grinned. 'He'd love that.'

  'He says he does.' Aisley studied her tea cup. 'I was worried that he'd think it was a bit … I dunno. I've never seen him wear any jewellery before. Anyway, he says he never takes it off. He says it reminds him …' She stopped and sighed. Chandra's absence nagged at her like a toothache. 'Only another three weeks and he'll be home,' she said. Just the thought of it made butterflies dance in the pit of her stomach.

  'It'll be good to see him,' Lucan remarked.

  'Now that,' said Aisley pointing at him with her teaspoon. 'Is the understatement of the year.'

  Like Coming Home

  April

  Three weeks later

  It was a few days into the term holidays and Aisley sat cross-legged in her window seat. There was a book in her lap but she couldn't read it. She was listening to
music and watching the view. The day was almost done.

  When the song ended she paused her iPod and pulled the buds from her ears. She glanced at the time on the screen. It was seven thirty. Was seven thirty too early for bed? Probably. She returned her attention to the sinking sun.

  She'd heard marathon runners describe the last kilometre as the hardest, and that was sort of how she was feeling right now. The good news … Chandra was due home tomorrow evening. The bad news … just like the marathon runner's last kilometre the last day was the hardest.

  She put the book and iPod aside and got up to wander restlessly around the room. On her bedside table was a photo that Cate had taken at Cariad Lily Bay Beach during the September school holidays the previous year. She'd given it to Aisley for Christmas and she'd sent Chandra a copy as well.

  Aisley picked up the photo and studied it fondly. She and Chandra, cheek-to-cheek and smiling at the camera. They'd been together for three months. Three days after the picture was taken, he was in Costa Rica. She gave the Chandra in the photo a kiss and put it down.

  She couldn't be bothered reading, the Internet held no appeal, and her music wasn't weaving its normal magic. She didn't want to go downstairs and watch Mythbusters with her parents and her brother Wade. Nothing held her interest, not even for a second. How on earth was she going to make the time go past?

  Impulsively, she picked up her phone and texted Cate — Do you have any sleeping tablets?

  A few minutes later Cate replied with a predictable — What the hell?

  Aisley smiled and typed — Just joking. Tearing my hair out here.

  Cate responded as Aisley expected she would — He'll be back before you know it. Have some chamomile tea. Cate was so bloody practical sometimes.

  Aisley tossed her phone onto the table without replying and returned to the window. She stared unseeingly at the sky and remembered the evening before he left.

  His parents had been very sweet. 'Come with us to the airport,' said his mother, Ela. 'So you can say goodbye.' Aisley declined. She had visions of bawling her eyes out all the way home in the car. Ela would be patting her arm and hugging her. 'There, there,' she'd say, and she'd give her a tissue and make her blow her nose. Oh god! That would be awkward, to say the least. No. One hundred times, no.