all if you come home now. I’ll talk your father into forgetting about the money. Pay him back what you have left.”
“ I don’t want things to go back to usual. All you can is about what the town thinks. I am nothing to you.”
“ Don’t be ridiculous, Brooke? Where are your brains? How could you be so stupid? You’re a stupid, stupid girl. You have everything you could possibly want here.”
“I don’t,” Brooke whispered, quietly.
Brooke could hear her mother rant about ingratitude as she hung up the phone, quietly. She looked up at Josie. “I can’t go back.”
Josie raised her eyebrows and shook her head.
“If I find my friend everything will be fine,” Brooke explained.
“And if you don’t?”
“I have to try to make it on my own.” She felt her top lip curl. “I hate everything about her.”
“Your mother?”
Brooke nodded.
“You didn’t give her a chance.”
“She didn’t deserve it.”
“This isn’t over, Brooke.”
“I need help moving forwards not backwards.”
***
Josie was Brooke’s only protection as she hid behind her and followed her down the hallway. The keys jiggled in the worker’s hand. A song played on the stereo. A ball bounced on bitumen in the backyard. Her ears were on alert, straining for hints of the strangers she had to get to know without David beside her.
Brooke was unable to look up until she found herself standing in the lounge room. A Christmas tree glittered in front of her, she’d forgotten all about it. It felt like she was alone, bigger than usual, hard not to notice, like everyone could see her staring at a stupid Christmas tree. Everyone there was close to her in age, but not like her in any other way, faces of strangers. The table had been set and two guys were carrying food out from the kitchen.
“Ah, just in time for dinner,” Josie grinned , making a beeline for the cd player. “Can I just turn this down a bit?”
No one protested.
A curse came from the kitchen, “Holy Shit!”
“ Tash, that’s not what anyone wants to hear from the chef. Ever.”
Josie disappeared, before Brooke could reach out and remind her that she was there, in a strange new place where she knew nobody. She felt the room spin. The boys were smiling as they zoomed by her. She turned the opposite way to counter the dizziness but the room began to rock. One of the boys stopped and looked into her eyes. She stared back at him. It felt weird to have him take her by the hand and lead her to the lounge.
“Sit down,” he said.
She obeyed.
“Do you want a drink?”
His face blurred.
“Tyler, get the girl a drink of water.” He turned back to her, looking her up and down. “ You taken anything?”
Brooke shook her head, dumb.
“Are you hanging out for something?”
“Huh?”
He smiled at her. “I’m Foley.”
She gave him a limp smile . “Brooke.”
“Tyler!” he shouted, not taking his eyes from her.
She had to look away.
“Coming through ,” Tyler sang, as he charged through the doorway, past a gawking Josie.
“What’s going on?” Josie asked, coming over to kneel down in front of her.
Tyler handed her a glass of water.
“Just sip it,” Foley said. “Slow.”
“I’m okay,” Brooke replied. “I don’t mean to cause all this fuss.”
“Fuss ? What’s ‘fuss’?” Tyler said, one pierced lip heading east and the other heading west. He scruffed up his thin spiky hair and snorted. “Where the hell are you from?”
Foley took the water from her shaking hands and held it for her.
Brooke became aware that someone else was there. She sat up taller, looking over the concerned faces. In the kitchen doorway, with her temple pressed against the frame, stood a girl, with creamy skin, honey blonde hair tinted with shades of pink. One foot rested insolently against the other. “I am here you know,” she announced.
Josie shook her head . “And this is Natasha.”
Foley stared across the room at the girl.
Brooke felt him
“ I don’t want things to go back to usual. All you can is about what the town thinks. I am nothing to you.”
“ Don’t be ridiculous, Brooke? Where are your brains? How could you be so stupid? You’re a stupid, stupid girl. You have everything you could possibly want here.”
“I don’t,” Brooke whispered, quietly.
Brooke could hear her mother rant about ingratitude as she hung up the phone, quietly. She looked up at Josie. “I can’t go back.”
Josie raised her eyebrows and shook her head.
“If I find my friend everything will be fine,” Brooke explained.
“And if you don’t?”
“I have to try to make it on my own.” She felt her top lip curl. “I hate everything about her.”
“Your mother?”
Brooke nodded.
“You didn’t give her a chance.”
“She didn’t deserve it.”
“This isn’t over, Brooke.”
“I need help moving forwards not backwards.”
***
Josie was Brooke’s only protection as she hid behind her and followed her down the hallway. The keys jiggled in the worker’s hand. A song played on the stereo. A ball bounced on bitumen in the backyard. Her ears were on alert, straining for hints of the strangers she had to get to know without David beside her.
Brooke was unable to look up until she found herself standing in the lounge room. A Christmas tree glittered in front of her, she’d forgotten all about it. It felt like she was alone, bigger than usual, hard not to notice, like everyone could see her staring at a stupid Christmas tree. Everyone there was close to her in age, but not like her in any other way, faces of strangers. The table had been set and two guys were carrying food out from the kitchen.
“Ah, just in time for dinner,” Josie grinned , making a beeline for the cd player. “Can I just turn this down a bit?”
No one protested.
A curse came from the kitchen, “Holy Shit!”
“ Tash, that’s not what anyone wants to hear from the chef. Ever.”
Josie disappeared, before Brooke could reach out and remind her that she was there, in a strange new place where she knew nobody. She felt the room spin. The boys were smiling as they zoomed by her. She turned the opposite way to counter the dizziness but the room began to rock. One of the boys stopped and looked into her eyes. She stared back at him. It felt weird to have him take her by the hand and lead her to the lounge.
“Sit down,” he said.
She obeyed.
“Do you want a drink?”
His face blurred.
“Tyler, get the girl a drink of water.” He turned back to her, looking her up and down. “ You taken anything?”
Brooke shook her head, dumb.
“Are you hanging out for something?”
“Huh?”
He smiled at her. “I’m Foley.”
She gave him a limp smile . “Brooke.”
“Tyler!” he shouted, not taking his eyes from her.
She had to look away.
“Coming through ,” Tyler sang, as he charged through the doorway, past a gawking Josie.
“What’s going on?” Josie asked, coming over to kneel down in front of her.
Tyler handed her a glass of water.
“Just sip it,” Foley said. “Slow.”
“I’m okay,” Brooke replied. “I don’t mean to cause all this fuss.”
“Fuss ? What’s ‘fuss’?” Tyler said, one pierced lip heading east and the other heading west. He scruffed up his thin spiky hair and snorted. “Where the hell are you from?”
Foley took the water from her shaking hands and held it for her.
Brooke became aware that someone else was there. She sat up taller, looking over the concerned faces. In the kitchen doorway, with her temple pressed against the frame, stood a girl, with creamy skin, honey blonde hair tinted with shades of pink. One foot rested insolently against the other. “I am here you know,” she announced.
Josie shook her head . “And this is Natasha.”
Foley stared across the room at the girl.
Brooke felt him
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