maybe not. Sometimes he goes off to grab something to eat. I think he might even be part of some underground poker game.’
‘What if he needs to go to the bathroom while he’s waiting for you?’
‘Actually, I asked him once and he showed me this website that lists all the nearby public toilets.’
‘He doesn’t ever ask to use the one at the houses you visit?’
‘No. That would be weird.’
‘Why? It’s weird having a driver in the first place.’
‘Do you think I should take the bus instead?’
‘No, it’s just…’
‘It’s OK. It is a little weird. But if you knew my parents, you’d understand.’
‘Will you introduce me sometime?’
‘Only if absolutely necessary. And I’m saying that for your benefit.’
‘Okaaay.’
‘Trust me on this one. But one family member I would like you to meet one day is my Aunt Gayle. She’s awesome. She’s the only adult who gets me.’
‘Aw, that’s sweet. I hope I do get to meet her down the track.’
Jacques materialised out of nowhere and they jumped in the back of the car. Gabe leaned forward to whisper something to his driver. Lizzie couldn’t quite hear what he was saying.
‘No problem,’ Jacques said.
‘We’re just going to make a quick detour,’ Gabe explained.
‘To?’
‘You’ll see.’
It turned out that Gabe wanted to stop at Southbank so he could run into Max Brenner and order a peanut butter iced chocolate for Lizzie’s dessert.
She almost cried when he handed it to her.
‘This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,’ she said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
‘Oh Lizzie. If this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for you, then you can’t have been hanging around the right people.’
‘I guess my dad does nice stuff for me, but no one my own age does.’
‘Not even Taylor?’
‘Her idea of being thoughtful is letting me drive her around,’ Lizzie said sarcastically. She immediately regretted it. ‘Sorry, I didn’t really mean that.’
He laughed. ‘It’s OK. You’re not telling me anything I didn’t already suspect. You’re too nice to her.’
‘Actually, she can be really cool, but in a way I can’t quite explain. Like she includes you in her enthusiasm somehow, and you can’t help but get swept up in it. She makes me think that anything is possible.’
‘I like that. OK, I promise not to be too hard on her from now on.’
‘Lizzie sipped on her drink as they drove to Indooroopilly.
‘Do you have a curfew?’ she asked Gabe.
‘Not really. Not on Fridays anyway. You?’
‘Midnight on Friday and Saturday. Nine on school nights. Unless I’m working a late shift.’
‘I’ll bet you’re looking forward to next year so you can do what you like.’
‘Yes and no. I’m kind of freaked out by the unknown.’
‘From what I know of you so far babe, you’re going to be just fine. Probably more fine than anyone else I know.’
‘Thank you. I don’t agree, but I appreciate the sentiment.’
They arrived at Lizzie’s place, which was right at the back of Indooroopilly, bordering on Fig Tree Pocket. The house sat halfway down a gently sloping street.
Lizzie unlocked the front door and led Gabe up a short flight of stairs to the main living area.
‘This is nice,’ he said appreciatively.
‘Not as nice as your place,’ she countered.
‘Yeah, but my house isn’t as cosy.’
Lizzie did actually really like where she lived. It was a four bedroom house with three bedrooms on the main floor. Lizzie had one room, her dad had another, and they shared a study in the third. The last room was downstairs, and it was reserved for the occasional guest or extended family member who visited.
The whole interior was painted white, and there were polished floorboards beneath their feet. Bright artwork adorned the walls.
‘Take a seat,’ she said, gesturing to a beige couch in the corner.
‘Do you mind if I quickly use the bathroom?’ he asked.
‘Oh yes, of
‘What if he needs to go to the bathroom while he’s waiting for you?’
‘Actually, I asked him once and he showed me this website that lists all the nearby public toilets.’
‘He doesn’t ever ask to use the one at the houses you visit?’
‘No. That would be weird.’
‘Why? It’s weird having a driver in the first place.’
‘Do you think I should take the bus instead?’
‘No, it’s just…’
‘It’s OK. It is a little weird. But if you knew my parents, you’d understand.’
‘Will you introduce me sometime?’
‘Only if absolutely necessary. And I’m saying that for your benefit.’
‘Okaaay.’
‘Trust me on this one. But one family member I would like you to meet one day is my Aunt Gayle. She’s awesome. She’s the only adult who gets me.’
‘Aw, that’s sweet. I hope I do get to meet her down the track.’
Jacques materialised out of nowhere and they jumped in the back of the car. Gabe leaned forward to whisper something to his driver. Lizzie couldn’t quite hear what he was saying.
‘No problem,’ Jacques said.
‘We’re just going to make a quick detour,’ Gabe explained.
‘To?’
‘You’ll see.’
It turned out that Gabe wanted to stop at Southbank so he could run into Max Brenner and order a peanut butter iced chocolate for Lizzie’s dessert.
She almost cried when he handed it to her.
‘This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,’ she said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
‘Oh Lizzie. If this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for you, then you can’t have been hanging around the right people.’
‘I guess my dad does nice stuff for me, but no one my own age does.’
‘Not even Taylor?’
‘Her idea of being thoughtful is letting me drive her around,’ Lizzie said sarcastically. She immediately regretted it. ‘Sorry, I didn’t really mean that.’
He laughed. ‘It’s OK. You’re not telling me anything I didn’t already suspect. You’re too nice to her.’
‘Actually, she can be really cool, but in a way I can’t quite explain. Like she includes you in her enthusiasm somehow, and you can’t help but get swept up in it. She makes me think that anything is possible.’
‘I like that. OK, I promise not to be too hard on her from now on.’
‘Lizzie sipped on her drink as they drove to Indooroopilly.
‘Do you have a curfew?’ she asked Gabe.
‘Not really. Not on Fridays anyway. You?’
‘Midnight on Friday and Saturday. Nine on school nights. Unless I’m working a late shift.’
‘I’ll bet you’re looking forward to next year so you can do what you like.’
‘Yes and no. I’m kind of freaked out by the unknown.’
‘From what I know of you so far babe, you’re going to be just fine. Probably more fine than anyone else I know.’
‘Thank you. I don’t agree, but I appreciate the sentiment.’
They arrived at Lizzie’s place, which was right at the back of Indooroopilly, bordering on Fig Tree Pocket. The house sat halfway down a gently sloping street.
Lizzie unlocked the front door and led Gabe up a short flight of stairs to the main living area.
‘This is nice,’ he said appreciatively.
‘Not as nice as your place,’ she countered.
‘Yeah, but my house isn’t as cosy.’
Lizzie did actually really like where she lived. It was a four bedroom house with three bedrooms on the main floor. Lizzie had one room, her dad had another, and they shared a study in the third. The last room was downstairs, and it was reserved for the occasional guest or extended family member who visited.
The whole interior was painted white, and there were polished floorboards beneath their feet. Bright artwork adorned the walls.
‘Take a seat,’ she said, gesturing to a beige couch in the corner.
‘Do you mind if I quickly use the bathroom?’ he asked.
‘Oh yes, of
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