Friendship on Fire (60 page)

I smiled and nodded in thanks, ushering them into the kitchen and trying to keep my emotions at bay. This piece of news technically didn't mean anything, but the whole ‘message from his parents' thing had to imply something good.

And he teased me. That was the real Roman.

Mum made the most food I've ever seen her make along with Dad and Josh's barbeque. There were plates of food everywhere, and great music — as far as Christmas carols went. The air-conditioner was cranked up as high as it would go and we still sweltered in the summer heat.

Sarah and Shana came over after lunch and we exchanged gifts. The girls put their money together and gave me a bright pink Roxy beach towel with multi-coloured polka dots on it. I got them a necklace each, though Sarah's was leather and way more hippie and Shana's was silver and shiny.

For the rest of the afternoon we sat on the new sun chairs in the gazebo and talked giddily about the past, the present and the future.

Selfishly I hoped everyone would stay in Twin Rocks to complete their studies or begin new jobs, just so I could choose who I wanted to hang around with but still have a comfort zone. I knew life wouldn't be that easy and that I would be disappointed somehow by missing those who would leave.

‘I have a secret,' Shana announced suddenly, to which Sarah and I both oo'ed and ahh'ed accordingly.

‘You're running away to Mexico with James,' I suggested. ‘No,' Shana exclaimed, shocked.

‘You're getting married,' I tried again and Shana shook her head.

‘You're sleeping with James' best friend,' Sarah said, then all of us realised that would be Roman and shook our heads together.

‘You girls are the worst guessers. It's nothing about me, directly. My parents are back together,' she said quietly, nearly bursting with excitement.

‘Congratulations. That's awesome,' I said, hugging her around the shoulders. ‘When did this happen?'

‘Well, Dad had to give Mum the dates for grad, so while they were on the phone Mum said she missed Dad and that it was over with the internet guy.'

‘How did he take that?' Sarah asked, always one for the juicy details.

‘At first he was like, “Well it's your fault for running away with him so don't think you can waltz back into our lives and go back to happy families” and she accepted that. But after a few weeks talking, they started to hit it off and fell in love all over again.'

‘Like, long distance romance,' Sarah said. ‘Over the phone.'

‘Sorta, yeah. So when Mum came back for grad, they were all cute and awkward, but now everything is fine and she's moved back in. Dad is so happy.'

‘Trust issues …?' I had to ask, considering what happened to me this year.

Shana nodded knowingly. ‘Definitely, but they're working through it and they want to make it work for themselves as well as me. And, she wants to stay here.'

‘Cool, Shana. I'm so happy you have your mum back. I can't wait to get to know her properly,' I said, feeling genuinely happy for her.

Sarah was grinning.

‘What now?' I said, pinching her leg.

‘It's nothing, really,' she said, barely containing her laughter.

‘Spit it.'

‘OK. I so thought you were going to say that you're pregnant,' Sarah said, giggling mischievously.

‘So not. James isn't like that,' Shana said blushing.

‘Like what?' Sarah and I asked her together.

‘Never mind. Hey, speaking of,' Shana said, eyes suddenly popping open. ‘I saw Skye in the shops last week. She was wearing a tight singlet, as always, but I could swear she had a baby belly.'

‘Really.' Sarah's eyes joined Shana's, intrigued.

I smiled to myself. So she is keeping the baby.

‘Are you sure?' Sarah asked Shana, looking slightly doubtful.

‘Fairly sure. You know what she's like about her weight and other people's. Look how many times she told Daisy she had a fat arse.'

Shana stopped, looking at me apologetically. ‘Sorry Daisy, bad example, but you know what I mean. I doubt she'd just let herself go.'

‘Yeah I guess you're right. But heck, who could the father be?' Sarah mused.

‘I have no idea. What do you think, Dais?' Shana stabbed me in the leg with her fingernail.

‘Wow. I can't believe it hey. I have no idea who it might be. It's such a surprise,' I said.

I don't know what made me want to keep Skye's secret, but I did. Now that people will find out by looking at her, I didn't have to keep her pregnancy to myself anymore, but it wasn't up to me to spread the gossip to the world either.

Skye hadn't answered my calls as I kept to my promise, but to hear she hadn't aborted the baby gave me hope that one day she would answer them and we could be friends, outside the confines and walls of high school. If not, like my mum said, I made my choice and tried. The rest is up to her.

‘Yeah, and the Brigade is pretty much splitting up,' Shana continued. How did she know all this stuff?

‘What do you mean, splitting up?' Sarah wrinkled her nose. ‘As in, they're not going to sleep with each other anymore?'

‘Ew, I don't know about that, but I heard from James who heard from some boys in the ex-Grammar gang. Apparently Rachael is leaving to go overseas for a year or so, Tiffany is moving to America to pursue acting.' I rolled my eyes to that one. ‘And Bree is leaving school to start a hair-dressing apprenticeship.'

I can't say I was surprised at all of those. Maybe I was a little smug at the idea of them splitting up. Things in high school don't last forever, cool or not.

‘Holy cow,' I said, whistling. ‘What about Nate? Does anyone know?'

Sarah shook her head.

‘Actually, I do,' Shana said. ‘Apparently his mum is dragging him and Amelie to Queensland to get away from his dad. That's all I know.'

‘Not surprising, but I feel sorry for them having to move again,' I remarked.

‘True, but at least he's away from here, and you,' Sarah added.

‘On the bright side, most of our boys are staying around here. James is, and …'

‘Roman?' I interrupted, looking too eager to be casual.

‘Don't know that one babe, sorry,' Shana replied apologetically.

I shrugged, shoulders hunched. ‘It's OK.'

‘I'll listen out for any extra information from James.'

‘Thanks. Not that it'll do any good. Look what happened last time,' I said, remembering James' unswerving loyalty to his friend.

‘I'm much better at it this time,' she grinned.

‘Good girl,' Sarah encouraged.

‘You know, I think Ethan is the only one moving interstate for uni, but I didn't know him that well anyway. He was very quiet.'

‘That's a shame. He was cute,' said Sarah miserably.

We burst out laughing at Sarah's declaration of affection for Ethan and continued sunning ourselves outside until the sun disappeared on the distant horizon.

he beach continued to be my natural medicine. I would sit on the rocks for hours and write in my diary, wind and sun on my skin, strangers passing me with their energetic dogs. Or worse, couples would pass. When I saw them so happy and content, jealousy slid over me like a snake and I had to take deep breaths and reassure myself that one day I would get it right.

One day I might get closure from Roman, too. I counted the days so I knew he was back in town, but he still hadn't contacted me about the not-so-anonymous birthday present, or to follow up on his parents' message. I told myself in self-protection that he had probably given up on me because he was moving away or I was useless at communication.

A few days after New Year, I took my pastels with me and decided to try my hand at dodgy stick figures again at a very balmy South Beach. Believe it or not, I began to miss my bored drawing sessions during maths and human biol and felt inspired enough at this point in time to see what came into my head to draw.

With a black pencil, I sketched myself standing calmly looking out of the page. Taking other colours, I added my hair colour; me as a redhead from the past, with a mixture of blonde hair too, with pink thongs and black skirt. I looked like I was fourteen and I giggled.

Strangely, I had the urge to keep drawing. It seemed empty to have one lone piece of information on the bleached white page. So, next to my stick Daisy, I drew a taller boy, with sandy blonde hair and compelling blue eyes. He was wearing only board shorts and thongs. I paid particular attention to his facial features, trying to get them as accurate as I could to Roman's likeness.

I don't know what possessed me to do what I did next. Taking a red pencil, I drew a giant love heart around us, taking care to shade the thick border to make the heart stand out just as much as the people. And, being in the centre of the page, it thudded in my eyes as though it were alive.

‘I hope I don't look like that in real life,' said a familiar voice behind my left shoulder.

Heat rolled into my ear as goose bumps covered my body, spreading from my ear across my head and down my arms and legs. I snapped the art book shut, spinning on my towel to face the amused blue eyes of my long lost friend, Roman. He was wearing the t-shirt I bought him for his birthday.

My lack of speech made him chuckle. ‘It's unlike you not to have a comeback.'

‘You surprised me.'

‘Caught you, you mean.'

‘Shut up.' I stuffed the book into my bag and as good as sat on it.

Uninvited, he sat down on the spare space of my towel and reached his arm around me. In one fell move, he pulled the bag from under my right leg and began to systematically rummage through it. Out came my iPod, thongs, purse, car keys, hair ties.

‘Can I help you with something?' I asked, heart racing.

‘Yes. Thank you for my birthday present,' he said casually, as if I hadn't been waiting for him to say that for nearly a month.

‘That's OK. Glad to see you wearing it,' I said shortly. ‘You could have told me you got it and that no one stole it.'

‘You could have answered my letter.'

I opened my mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say. Finally, I recovered. ‘Anything else?'

‘Lollies. Where is your stash?' he accused, happy with the change in subject, but eyebrows raised in disapproval. He couldn't find any sweets in my bag.

I pointed to my stomach. ‘In here.'

Roman shook his head. ‘Unbelievable.'

‘Sorry, didn't know you were coming.'
Which is probably for
the best. I might have bolted before you arrived like the coward
I am, if I knew.
‘How did you know I was here?'

‘Your parents told me,' he said matter-of-fact.

I made a mental note to give them a good talking to when I got home.

‘Never mind that. So, how've you been?' he asked, as he gently placed all the items back into my bag. Except the art book.

‘Not bad hey,' I said casually. ‘Cleaning up my life and getting my priorities straight. You are one of the last things I have left to do, actually.'

‘Do,
hey?' Roman raised one eyebrow while flipping through the art book. He stopped on the picture of us and I thought I would faint.

‘On my list. You know what I mean.'
Think. Distract him.

‘Glad we cleared that up,' he murmured, cheeks tugging in a small smile.

I giggled despite myself. ‘Sorry I didn't reply to your letter. It wasn't good timing for me. I wanted to.'

‘It's fine. We could have spoken if you knocked on the door for my birthday though,' he said, teasing me some more.

I blushed and said nothing.

‘Want to chat now then?' he asked.

I nodded. ‘Sure. As long as you promise not to bring up the drawing …'

He shook his head. ‘I won't. But at some point we need to discuss my six-pack. You have clearly underestimated my …' He saw my face and stopped. ‘OK, OK. You have a two-hour window. Go.'