Friendship on Fire (33 page)

Nanna smiled with genuine excitement to see me that afternoon and pointed to a box at her feet. I tilted my head to the side and said, ‘Nanna, you are so organised.'

That night at dinner, Josh brought an unlikely guest. Pamela ran into the house and tackled me with hugs, as though we were old friends. I looked up at Josh for support but he shrugged back apologetically. What had possessed him to keep this girl for more than a month? What was it about her that made him stick around? Besides the obvious. There must be something about her that he was more interested in.

‘We got you a gift,' she announced animatedly.

I smiled. ‘Oh thanks, but you didn't have to.'

‘Of course we did. You're our sister,' she squealed.

‘That I am,' I said through gritted teeth, opening their small gift. It was a key ring with Daisy written on it and a gorgeous pink daisy. It was very thoughtful and I did appreciate her making the effort for me, on behalf of Josh.

‘It's gorgeous. Thanks so much. I'll put it on my car keys.'

Mum rushed into the lounge room from the kitchen and spread her arms wide to get everyone's attention. ‘It's time to eat. Let's go.'

Nate and I got up and moved into the dining room. Mum had set everything out so all we had to do was sit down and eat.

It took a while to negotiate who had to sit next to whom and who had to be next to certain foods (Shane), but we settled down and looked at the group of faces for a leader.

Mum spoke up. ‘Well, who would like to say grace to celebrate Daisy's birthday dinner?'

Within a second, Dad said, ‘Thanks, Nate.'

I knew my dad had been dying to say that to him for the last two months and I'm sure he'd calculated that I wouldn't argue back with him on my birthday. Nate squeezed my leg in affirmation.

‘Sure, no worries. Everyone ready?' he asked confidently.

He waited until everyone's eyes were closed and heads bowed, before praying a startlingly well-versed grace.

Dear Lord, thanks for the opportunity to meet together to celebrate Daisy's eighteenth year. We thank you for the delicious food; I pray that you will bless the hands that prepared it. But mostly, we want to thank you for Daisy, the most beautiful girl in the world. Amen.

Everyone murmured
Amen
, along with a begrudging Dad. Even he couldn't find fault with that prayer.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Everyone looked around the table, wondering who would be visiting or door knocking at this time of the night. Besides Jehovah's Witnesses, of course.

I offered to answer it so everyone could start eating. I pulled my serviette off my lap and ran to open the door. Standing there was Roman.

ey,' he said, a little unsure of himself. Weird, for Roman.

‘Hey, where were you today?' I demanded, immediately regretting my tone of voice.

‘I took the day off,' he said, blue eyes blank, but hiding something. This was certainly out of character.

‘Why?'

‘I had to.' He offered the same gaze.

‘What does that mean?' I asked, folding my arms.

‘It was important.'

‘Roman, it's my birthday. I haven't seen you all day. We're supposed to be best friends.' I was losing control with his vague responses.

‘I know. Sorry. You'll understand soon, hopefully,' he said, even more cryptic.

‘What's going on?' I asked, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

He opened his satchel and took out a small, crushed gift bag. He tried to straighten out the creases in it but they wouldn't smooth. Sighing, he looked up at me, his eyes getting caught at my neck. ‘Nice necklace, is it new?'

‘Yeah, Nate bought it for me,' I said awkwardly, putting my thumb over the heart at my chest. Did it stand out that much that another guy would notice it instantly?

He flicked his eyes up to my hair. ‘Cool. Your hair is back to normal, just like you said it would be.' I frowned, trying to remember this conversation. The markets. ‘Well, happy birthday. Eighteen is quite a milestone.' He handed me the crushed pink bag and turned to go.

‘Thanks. Hey, what's with the formalities? Can't you come inside for a while? I'd like it if you did,' I said, trying not to sound pleading.

‘Who's there?' he asked.

I shrugged. ‘My brothers, Nanna, my parents. Nate.'

He looked like he might have come in up until the last word. He shook his head firmly and said, ‘Nah, you go back in and enjoy yourself. Hope you like the gift. It's just… yeah …'

‘I'm sure I will. You're always great with gifts. Don't you want to see me open it?'

I thought this would surely get him to come inside. Then I could get Mum to bully him into eating with us.

‘Open it by yourself,' he said softly and, almost as an afterthought, leant in and kissed me gently on the cheek.

I was so startled by his presence, the gift and his sweet gesture that I didn't know how to respond. My cheek burnt where his lips kissed; it was spreading like wildfire across my face and down my neck.

My deer in the headlights face was no way near sufficient to make up for his efforts, but I simply couldn't match it at this point in time. He let me off easy.

‘Have a great night. See you soon.' And with that, I watched his back walk away from me until I couldn't see it anymore in the darkness.

In my room seconds later, I sat on my bed staring at the bag.

The parcel inside was perfectly wrapped in pink paper with black balloons on it and there was a small card attached to the top left corner. I ripped that off first.

To Daisy, on your eighteenth birthday, 

I wish you all the very best things in life.

You deserve everything that is good and pure.

I'm so glad I know you and can be called your best friend.

I miss you.

Roman xx

P.S. I remembered.

My curiosity was bursting; I couldn't wait any longer to open this mysterious gift. Ripping the paper open, I gasped at what fell back on to the doona. Three very special items.

This
is what he remembered. How could he have possibly been able to notice how I felt about these things, when I was acting so weird to him that day? Here I was cursing him in my head that he wasn't at school to make my birthday what I thought I wanted it to be.

My humility had no more time to bask as I heard a soft knock on my door. I shoved the precious gifts under my pillow and sat back, legs crossed.

‘Come in,' I said cheerfully. Hopefully whoever it was wouldn't hear the lie in my voice.

Nate stuck his head around the door. ‘Hey. Is everything all right? You've been gone a while. I thought you might have been kidnapped or something.'

‘Nah, I've been sitting here the whole time. Roman came by to say happy birthday. It was real nice of him. Had a few things to do in my room before I was coming back out to eat, but I'm ready now. You haven't finished have you?'

I got off the bed and went to stand in front of him.

‘No, but nearly. Quick before everything gets cold,' he said, kissing me on the same cheek Roman had. I looked down.

‘Who was that?' Dad asked as I sat back down at the table. ‘You were gone for ages. Did you tell whoever it was to nick off and that we don't want to join their phone company or buy their stupid fire extinguisher?'

‘No Dad, I didn't tell them that,' I said, reorganising the food on my plate.

Dad frowned at me. ‘Why not? I would have. You're soft, Daisy. Haven't I taught you to be assertive?'

‘Dad stop. It was Roman,' I said quietly, not wanting the whole table to erupt into the Spanish Inquisition.

An interesting thing happened then. Dad's face changed dramatically. ‘Roman? Our Roman? Well why didn't you invite him inside girl? You're not thinking tonight.'

Deep breaths. ‘I tried. He said he didn't want to stay long.'

‘What did he come over for then?' He stuck his fork in a potato and folded his arms stubbornly.

‘To wish me a happy birthday.'

‘And that's it?' He looked doubtful. I tried to glare at him to drop it but he ignored me, as usual.

‘Pretty much.'

‘So no birthday kiss?' Josh asked slyly.

Pamela looked confused. Her thick black eyebrows knitted together and she nudged Josh's arm, whispering to him loudly, ‘Baby, I think her boyfriend is sitting right next to her.'

Josh shook his head and dusted off his hands, saying to Dad in a low voice, ‘She's not the only woman in this room not thinking properly right now.' To Pamela, he said, ‘I know that. I'm not daft. I like teasing the bloke, is that all right?' The annoyance in his eyes made her shrink in her seat.

Nate's leg went stiff next to mine. I checked his eyes. Was he angry? Had Josh got to him finally? Or did he not believe me either that Roman came around only to say happy birthday.

I didn't want to tell Nate that another guy had given me a birthday present. It might make him feel there was something there when there wasn't. He was the only one in my life at the moment and I didn't want him to question my loyalty to him, or another guy's interest in me that I technically had no control over.

Besides, if I told him the truth, he might feel bad again that I could only wear half his present, whereas Roman's present was exactly what I wanted.

No, it was better this way. I might show Mum sometime but Nate, along with everyone else, must never know about Roman's gift.

‘Don't go. I'll miss you,' I begged, as Nate kissed me goodnight for the fiftieth time.

‘I'll miss you too. If your parents weren't so prudish I'd stay the night. But I'm still on eggshells with your dad, so we'd better keep it clean,' he winked at me.

I pushed his arm. ‘I don't want you to stay for
that.'

‘Really? Fine then. If you don't want me I'll go find someone who does.' And he slowly turned away, not quick enough for me to miss his arm to pull him back.

‘Don't be silly. Of course I want you to stay. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for that sort of thing yet. As you said — there are plenty of other things you have to teach me first.' The memory of last night at the park replayed in my mind and my heart fluttered. He leaned down to kiss me again.

‘That's true. Where do we start?'

‘You're the expert.'

Nate's hands found their way around the back of me again. I could get used to this.

The porch light went on.

‘Daisy? You've got school tomorrow,' Dad bellowed from inside.

I giggled. ‘Murphy's Law, hey,' I said, rearranging my shirt.

‘See what I mean? Next time you're coming to my house late at night. I doubt my dad would even know I had someone living there for months. We'd be fine,' Nate said.

I shivered nervously in his arms. ‘OK.'

‘Goodnight my darling. I hope you've had a great birthday. I'll see you soon.'

‘Thank you. You've been amazing. What on earth did I do with my time before I met you?'

‘Nothing nearly as exciting as this,' he grinned cheekily.

‘Go, before I follow you home,' I threatened.

He waved over his shoulder and whistled down the street.

‘Do I have to have a chat with that young man, Daisy?' Dad asked sternly as I shut the front door. ‘Is he coming on too strong?'

‘No, Dad, don't be silly. I can take care of myself.'

‘Just checking. Let me know if you change your mind.'

‘I will.'

Doubtful. Whatever horrible things Dad was thinking up that Nate would do, chances are I
wanted
him to do them to me. Not that I'd ever tell him that of course.

Before bed, I wrote a birthday presents list in my diary and added a bit about the day. When I began writing about Roman, my mind suddenly went blank. I didn't know what to include. My chest, on the other hand, felt like something really heavy was sitting on it. I could feel what I wanted to say, but couldn't think it.