My Private Pectus by Shane Thamm

her.
    â€˜Not much,’ she says. ‘I usually download, but I like to look.’
    â€˜Me too,’ Ryan says.
    Sam goes back to searching for something nearby and tucks her black hair behind her ears. I try to see what she's looking at, but she keeps catching my gaze, or do I catch hers? Sometimes it's hard to tell. Ryan heads her way and before long they're talking about their favourite bands and get into an argument over their best festival experience. Ryan tells her how he, Gez and I got sunburnt and lost each other in the mosh pit at the Big Day Out.
    â€˜You should've seen Sticks afterwards,’ he says. ‘His skin peeled for weeks. Didn't it, Sticks?’
    I nod, but Sam only glances at me before giving her attention back to Ryan.
    â€˜I peeled too,’ he says. ‘I even got a scar to show.’
    She tilts her head in disbelief. ‘You don't scar from sunburn.’
    â€˜Want to bet?’ He squats down in front of her and shows her a pale patch of skin on the back of his neck. ‘Here,’ he says, rubbing a finger over it. He looks over his shoulder at her. ‘Do you believe me now?’
    She laughs. ‘Thanks, I really wanted to see that.’
    â€˜It's just as I told you,’ he says.
    â€˜I got one too,’ I say. Sam looks at me and laughs into her hand. She turns back to Ryan. ‘Is that where the story ends?’
    â€˜Nah, heaps more,’ he says, then begins to recount the whole day.
    I wander off as they talk. ‘I've got one too?’ I say to myself. Then I say it out louder, mocking myself.
    â€˜Got what?’ I spin around. It's Gez.
    â€˜Nothing.’
    He looks at me weird then says, ‘Lisa wants to see Ryan's joint. You wanna come?’
    I can't believe it. Imagine Lisa in the unit. What about the bongs, the mouldy loaves of bread, the wetsuits on the floor, and Mike, who's probably comatose on the couch.
    â€˜Gez,’ I say.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜You sure?’
    â€˜C'mon, man, it'll be all right. I want to show her the car.’ He goes off to join Lisa who's now outside the store, waving to us to hurry up. Ryan's still talking to Sam, so I go over to let him know what's going on.
    â€˜You want to come too?’ he says to her.
    The unit has lost its free and casual feel with the girls in it. Ryan ducked in first and cleared his bong from the coffee table, but the place still smells of beer and boys. To make matters worse, Mike's home. He's sitting on the couch, watching a kid's afternoon TV show. Gez introduces the girls.
    Mike looks lustily at Lisa, starts asking her questions about school as if Sam doesn't exist.
    â€˜C'mon,’ Gez says to the girls, ‘I'll show you around.’
    Lisa doesn't seem to mind being taken away from Mike, whose eyes follow her to the hallway.
    â€˜Hey, Mike, can I show ‘em your room, too?’ Gez yells.
    â€˜Yeah, whatever,’ Mike says.
    Mike sits up and says a bit too loud, ‘That fat one. Is she the footy chick?’
    I nod.
    He lets out a breath. ‘You can do better,’ he says. I nod in agreement, but then he says, ‘Still, I'd do her.’
    When Gez comes back with the girls, he says, ‘I reckon me and Sticks will rent a unit next year.’
    The girls look at me.
    â€˜Eh, Sticks?’ he says.
    â€˜You bet.’ I really like the idea even though we've never talked about it before.
    â€˜I thought you were going to join the army,’ Mike says.
    â€˜Yeah, maybe,’ I say trying to avoid the conversation.
    â€˜What do you want to do that for?’ Lisa asks.
    I've rehearsed this. I have to say it to relatives when Dad's nearby. ‘Heaps of reasons,’ I say. ‘You can get a degree or a trade, go overseas, see things no one else gets to see. You can make a real difference, like in Timor or something. And if you stay long enough, you get a pension for life.’ Even to me that sounds good.
    â€˜Yeah,