the ones in the Centre Arcade had that cheap, dodgy look. Ryan had always steered clear of sampling their wares.
After travelling up Cavill Mall, he crossed The Esplanade, glanced all about, spotted Chelsea nowhere, then walked down onto the beach.
Shoes were cumbersome in sand, the fine grains tending to slip beneath the flat soles. He walked rather awkwardly down to the water’s edge and onto the firm, damp sand, where he went north and out of the floodlit area of beach.
In a way Chelsea had been right with what she’d said earlier. He was partly responsible for the death of their parents, and he felt it. If he hadn’t pressured Dad into coming down that day to sign the documents, they would never have been out driving in that storm, and the fatal collision with the truck would never have happened. He knew it was an accident, but he shouldered some of the blame nonetheless. There was nothing he could do to change things now. He just had to try and get on with life, and so did Chelsea.
Now she wanted to quit school, with only one month to go. That would be such a waste and a huge mistake. Education was so important in the job market in the modern world. The bare minimum now was completing your HSC to get a look-in for employment in most industries. Many required tertiary qualifications as well. He had to find a way to convince her to finish her studies. If she refused to listen to him, then he’d have to find someone she would take notice of. One of her friends maybe .
Ryan walked and thought for fifteen minutes, then he diverted left and headed back up to the footpath. He turned south and strolled down toward the mall. As he walked he placed his hands in his pockets. That was when he found it.
He withdrew the lone cigarette from his right pocket and studied it, then sniffed it. It was a little wrinkled and squashed, and probably a bit stale - it had been ages since he’d worn that jacket - but certainly worth smoking.
His mouth started to salivate for a nicotine fix as he continued to examine the cigarette.
“What the hell,” he said and stuffed it between his lips. Now all he needed was a light. Rather fortuitously a gent walking towards him was smoking a cigarette and Ryan hit him up. “Thanks,” he said, touching the smoke to the flame that was offered him.
The smoke was heavenly. Ryan took long puffs and drew the smog deep into his lungs, holding it there before exhaling as if he’d just had a toke on a bong. He couldn’t remember ever enjoying a cigarette so much. It was burning far too quickly, though. He willed it to go on and on, but eventually he had to take the final puff before stabbing it out on the side of a rubbish bin.
Now his mouth tasted a bit like charcoal and his lungs, which had been feeling very clear after two weeks of abstinence, felt congested and contaminated. He was disappointed with himself. He’d been doing so darn well. Why did that cigarette have to be in his pocket?
“Lead us not into temptation,” he softly quoted a line from the Lord’s Prayer.
Oh well, it wasn’t the end of the world. So he’d stuffed up and succumbed. From now on he’d just have to try harder. Ryan was determined not to be a slave to the habit any longer. He was going to quit and stay quit.
He passed McDonald’s and once again checked around for any sign of Chelsea. Across the mall his eyes came to rest on the pulsing pink and blue neon sign of Bliss Night Club . He paused in the centre of the mall, contemplating whether he should duck into the club and see Selena Thorne.
No, he decided. He didn’t want to be a pest or look desperate. If she had some work for him she would call him.
Instead, he decided to head for home.
* * *
It was now after nine PM and there was still no sign of Amanda. Her mother had tried calling her phone several times, but she just kept getting her message bank. Twice she left a message demanding Amanda call her back. The third time she didn’t
After travelling up Cavill Mall, he crossed The Esplanade, glanced all about, spotted Chelsea nowhere, then walked down onto the beach.
Shoes were cumbersome in sand, the fine grains tending to slip beneath the flat soles. He walked rather awkwardly down to the water’s edge and onto the firm, damp sand, where he went north and out of the floodlit area of beach.
In a way Chelsea had been right with what she’d said earlier. He was partly responsible for the death of their parents, and he felt it. If he hadn’t pressured Dad into coming down that day to sign the documents, they would never have been out driving in that storm, and the fatal collision with the truck would never have happened. He knew it was an accident, but he shouldered some of the blame nonetheless. There was nothing he could do to change things now. He just had to try and get on with life, and so did Chelsea.
Now she wanted to quit school, with only one month to go. That would be such a waste and a huge mistake. Education was so important in the job market in the modern world. The bare minimum now was completing your HSC to get a look-in for employment in most industries. Many required tertiary qualifications as well. He had to find a way to convince her to finish her studies. If she refused to listen to him, then he’d have to find someone she would take notice of. One of her friends maybe .
Ryan walked and thought for fifteen minutes, then he diverted left and headed back up to the footpath. He turned south and strolled down toward the mall. As he walked he placed his hands in his pockets. That was when he found it.
He withdrew the lone cigarette from his right pocket and studied it, then sniffed it. It was a little wrinkled and squashed, and probably a bit stale - it had been ages since he’d worn that jacket - but certainly worth smoking.
His mouth started to salivate for a nicotine fix as he continued to examine the cigarette.
“What the hell,” he said and stuffed it between his lips. Now all he needed was a light. Rather fortuitously a gent walking towards him was smoking a cigarette and Ryan hit him up. “Thanks,” he said, touching the smoke to the flame that was offered him.
The smoke was heavenly. Ryan took long puffs and drew the smog deep into his lungs, holding it there before exhaling as if he’d just had a toke on a bong. He couldn’t remember ever enjoying a cigarette so much. It was burning far too quickly, though. He willed it to go on and on, but eventually he had to take the final puff before stabbing it out on the side of a rubbish bin.
Now his mouth tasted a bit like charcoal and his lungs, which had been feeling very clear after two weeks of abstinence, felt congested and contaminated. He was disappointed with himself. He’d been doing so darn well. Why did that cigarette have to be in his pocket?
“Lead us not into temptation,” he softly quoted a line from the Lord’s Prayer.
Oh well, it wasn’t the end of the world. So he’d stuffed up and succumbed. From now on he’d just have to try harder. Ryan was determined not to be a slave to the habit any longer. He was going to quit and stay quit.
He passed McDonald’s and once again checked around for any sign of Chelsea. Across the mall his eyes came to rest on the pulsing pink and blue neon sign of Bliss Night Club . He paused in the centre of the mall, contemplating whether he should duck into the club and see Selena Thorne.
No, he decided. He didn’t want to be a pest or look desperate. If she had some work for him she would call him.
Instead, he decided to head for home.
* * *
It was now after nine PM and there was still no sign of Amanda. Her mother had tried calling her phone several times, but she just kept getting her message bank. Twice she left a message demanding Amanda call her back. The third time she didn’t
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