“What do ya think?”
“Bloody hell, that’s bright,” Ari said.
“Sweet aye?”
“Very nice.”
“Nice if there was more of it,” Mrs van Houten chipped in.
“Mum.” It was more of a whine than a name.
“Okay, I’m leaving. Lovely to see you Ari.”
“You too,” Ari called back.
“This is way too exciting. Only a few days to go and we'll be outta here.” Nevaeh rubbed her hands together.
“I know. I dragged my suitcase out yesterday.”
Nevaeh seemed visibly shocked.
“Is that it? I've had mine out for, like, two weeks. There's so much stuff in my bag I'm going to have to repack it all over again to get it to fit. I haven't checked the weight yet though. I don't know what I'll do if it's over.”
An hour later, Ari emerged from Nevaeh’s house. As she moved towards the front gate, something shifted at the corner of her eye. Ari only caught a glimpse, enough to know it was a person, who had stepped back out of her line of sight when her head whipped round. She edged forward and peered down the street. A couple of parked cars on either side but otherwise the street was empty.
Ari’s first thoughts went to the man at the church. She let the feelings she had hidden away resurface, expecting to be confronted by the full force of his anger. It wasn’t him, not even close, but whoever it was she could sense their contempt. Ari’s heart pounded furiously as she inched out further. Small, slow steps. More movement, further away. This time, there was nothing obscuring her view of Michelle sliding into a white sedan, ten metres up the road. Ari sprinted up to the car and slammed the palm of her hand into the driver’s side window. Michelle kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead and narrowed her eyes, but gave no other response. Ari repeatedly pounded her fist on the window. Eventually, it slid down, stopping half way; merely enough to ensure Ari couldn’t do anything rash. Only then did Michelle turn her head. Sullen eyes stared back at Ari.
“Are you trying to break my window or something? Back off,” she shouted.
“What are you doing here?” Ari growled in reply.
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Little miss prissy thinks she owns the roads now.”
“Oh, suck it, Michelle. What were you doing checking out Nevaeh’s house?”
“I ditched that idiot Matt. He was way too clingy. He said he was going to try his luck with Nevaeh, and I wanted the pleasure of watching him crawl back to her. Now get those filthy, little knuckles off my window.” The serrated edge in Michelle’s voice took Ari by surprise.
She took a step back and gasped, “You are the most callous person I’ve ever met.”
The car lurched forward before speeding off, leaving Ari standing in the middle of the road feeling confused. The sting in Michelle’s voice echoed on, and Ari felt like she’d had a set-to with a banshee.
nine
It was only a twenty-minute drive to Forest Park and, in that short space of time, the landscape changed drastically from residential suburbia to a rural vista with wide open fields complete with grazing stock. As she neared the park, Ari wound down the window, letting in the fresh air to rid herself of the pent up animosity Michelle had left behind. The scent of pine nipped at her nostrils, forcing her to take a deep breath to get the full effect.
She negotiated the speed humps at the entrance to the car park. Towering over her, a plantation of tall pine trees stood like soldiers. Among the dense foliage numerous trails braided the ground; some heading to the beach that lay on the far side of the park and some looping through the flat terrain to end up back at the start.
Ari was a creature of habit. She’d been running the same route for the past couple of years. It was the perfect length, usually taking her just under an hour. Long enough that she would feel tired but not so much as to feel desperate to be home.
Ari wedged a well-worn Yankees cap onto her head, threading her ponytail
“Bloody hell, that’s bright,” Ari said.
“Sweet aye?”
“Very nice.”
“Nice if there was more of it,” Mrs van Houten chipped in.
“Mum.” It was more of a whine than a name.
“Okay, I’m leaving. Lovely to see you Ari.”
“You too,” Ari called back.
“This is way too exciting. Only a few days to go and we'll be outta here.” Nevaeh rubbed her hands together.
“I know. I dragged my suitcase out yesterday.”
Nevaeh seemed visibly shocked.
“Is that it? I've had mine out for, like, two weeks. There's so much stuff in my bag I'm going to have to repack it all over again to get it to fit. I haven't checked the weight yet though. I don't know what I'll do if it's over.”
An hour later, Ari emerged from Nevaeh’s house. As she moved towards the front gate, something shifted at the corner of her eye. Ari only caught a glimpse, enough to know it was a person, who had stepped back out of her line of sight when her head whipped round. She edged forward and peered down the street. A couple of parked cars on either side but otherwise the street was empty.
Ari’s first thoughts went to the man at the church. She let the feelings she had hidden away resurface, expecting to be confronted by the full force of his anger. It wasn’t him, not even close, but whoever it was she could sense their contempt. Ari’s heart pounded furiously as she inched out further. Small, slow steps. More movement, further away. This time, there was nothing obscuring her view of Michelle sliding into a white sedan, ten metres up the road. Ari sprinted up to the car and slammed the palm of her hand into the driver’s side window. Michelle kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead and narrowed her eyes, but gave no other response. Ari repeatedly pounded her fist on the window. Eventually, it slid down, stopping half way; merely enough to ensure Ari couldn’t do anything rash. Only then did Michelle turn her head. Sullen eyes stared back at Ari.
“Are you trying to break my window or something? Back off,” she shouted.
“What are you doing here?” Ari growled in reply.
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Little miss prissy thinks she owns the roads now.”
“Oh, suck it, Michelle. What were you doing checking out Nevaeh’s house?”
“I ditched that idiot Matt. He was way too clingy. He said he was going to try his luck with Nevaeh, and I wanted the pleasure of watching him crawl back to her. Now get those filthy, little knuckles off my window.” The serrated edge in Michelle’s voice took Ari by surprise.
She took a step back and gasped, “You are the most callous person I’ve ever met.”
The car lurched forward before speeding off, leaving Ari standing in the middle of the road feeling confused. The sting in Michelle’s voice echoed on, and Ari felt like she’d had a set-to with a banshee.
nine
It was only a twenty-minute drive to Forest Park and, in that short space of time, the landscape changed drastically from residential suburbia to a rural vista with wide open fields complete with grazing stock. As she neared the park, Ari wound down the window, letting in the fresh air to rid herself of the pent up animosity Michelle had left behind. The scent of pine nipped at her nostrils, forcing her to take a deep breath to get the full effect.
She negotiated the speed humps at the entrance to the car park. Towering over her, a plantation of tall pine trees stood like soldiers. Among the dense foliage numerous trails braided the ground; some heading to the beach that lay on the far side of the park and some looping through the flat terrain to end up back at the start.
Ari was a creature of habit. She’d been running the same route for the past couple of years. It was the perfect length, usually taking her just under an hour. Long enough that she would feel tired but not so much as to feel desperate to be home.
Ari wedged a well-worn Yankees cap onto her head, threading her ponytail
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