The Yearbook Committee (13 page)

Read The Yearbook Committee Online

Authors: Sarah Ayoub

Charlie

         
Charlie Scanlon
Reading The Sex Myth by Australian journalist Rachel Hills. Sooo good! #amreading #feminist #bibliophile

         
Katy Coolidge-Brown
likes this.

         
Katy Coolidge-Brown
Ohhh I have heard such good things about it.

I'm waiting on the stairs in front of the library one morning before school when Gillian calls.

‘Hey! Where are you? I thought we were meant to meet up,' I say.

‘I'm not coming to school today,' she tells me. ‘I stayed up all night working on my English assignment and I'm so tired.'

‘Damn you to hell, I wanted to tell you I booked my flight.'

‘To Melbourne? That's awesome.'

‘I know, first time back in six months, I'm so excited.'

‘Yeah, it's home, why wouldn't you be? Oh, Sammy's here, he thinks I can play with him because I'm home! Gotta go.'

I open my laptop, excited to share the news with Pete. He's already online, and I take it as a sign from the universe that this is all meant to be.

 

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Booked this morning! Five weeks and counting.

       
Pete Brady:

       
The only exciting thing to ever happen on a Monday. So what are we going to do? Lord of the Fries, churros, tram to St Kilda for chats?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Chips, churros, chats. How very us.

       
Pete Brady:

       
I know, we're super classy.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
OMG! Can't believe I forgot to tell you!!! I found a Lord of the Fries here!

       
Pete Brady:

       
Have you been yet?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
As if. I refuse to enter the premises in revolt.

       
Pete Brady:

       
That word is so sexy. I'll need to use it. So I'm thinking with LOTF there, maybe Sydney wants you to stay?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
And if it does?

       
Pete Brady:

       
I'd torch it in revolt. After rescuing you of course.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Hmm, maybe skip the torching . . .

       
Pete Brady:

       
Your mother's pregnant isn't she?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Um, how did you know that?

       
Pete Brady:

       
Easy — you've never been this sensitive about Sydney. How far along is she?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
4 months or so I think.

       
Pete Brady:

       
You never told me?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
I didn't know. There's a three-month rule.

       
Pete Brady says:

       
You're her daughter and you live in the same house. Wouldn't you have heard her vomit?

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Not all women get morning sickness, you know. And the house is palatial.

       
Pete Brady:

       
I don't know what that means but that's no excuse.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Huge. It means huge.

       
Pete Brady:

       
I repeat — no excuse.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
OK, I knew. I just couldn't tell you.

       
Pete Brady:

       
I knew it! I'm gutted.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Girls before fellas. OK, so I'm there Friday night, Saturday, Sunday. I have to be back at the airport at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

       
Pete Brady:

       
I'll make sure I keep all of Friday night and Saturday free.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
No Sunday? ☹

       
Pete Brady:

       
Sorry — I have something on.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Yeah — what?

       
Pete Brady:

       
A thing.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
You know I'll keep pestering.

       
Pete Brady:

       
You'll laugh.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Try me.

       
Pete Brady:

       
Um, I might be going to a church thing.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
ROFL. Seriously, what is it?

       
Pete Brady:

       
I knew you'd laugh.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
OMG — you're serious?

       
Pete Brady:

       
Yeah. There's like this youth BBQ on, and I'm going with a group.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Wow. You're not even religious.

       
Pete Brady:

       
It's just a fun time out with some friends. I'm not becoming a priest, just going for the company and the sausage sizzle.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
I'll come for a sausage sizzle. There's wine at Catholic church too, right?

       
Pete Brady:

       
Lol, not for freeloading atheists like you.

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
Me? I'm insulted. Seriously, I don't mind coming.

       
Pete Brady:

       
You'd hate it. You wouldn't fit in. You have a chin piercing for God's sake!!!

       
Charlie Scanlon:

       
So? You have tattoos! And I took my chin stud out when school started. We're not allowed to have them.

       
Pete Brady:

       
It's just a different crowd. Plus I'd feel weird bringing you when you don't know anyone. Sorry. Let's just stick to Saturday and Friday night for now. Think about what you want to do. Can't wait to hang out.

 

He signs out a second later and I find myself staring at his message, trying to read between the lines for some reason why things have changed between us. But I can't see it.

‘Ouch, that's some fobbing,' a voice says behind me. I spin around and see Ryan sitting on a step behind me, smirking.

‘How long have you been there?' I ask, giving him a dirty look.

‘Long enough. So who's Pete?'

‘No one you need to worry about.'

He shrugs. ‘I'm not worried, but the guy sounds like a dick.'

‘Well, he's not.'

‘OK then, whatever.'

He walks past me and I quickly shove my laptop into my bag and hurry after him.

‘Putting aside the fact that that was an invasion of privacy,' I say, falling in step alongside him, ‘how much of that did you see?'

‘Well, congratulations on your mum's pregnancy and your palatial house.'

I start to say something but he doesn't let me interrupt.

‘I come from a long line of Catholics and should probably warn you that you're not allowed to drink the wine — which becomes the blood of Christ, by the way — unless you're actually a Catholic. And a Catholic who goes to confession for that matter, but even so, I find that the sausage sizzles at any communal event are a massive drawcard. Just look at Bunnings. As for the piercing comment, your friend Pete obviously doesn't know that the word “Catholic” means “universal”, which means even people with three legs are welcome. God won't judge you for having a piercing.'

‘Do you know people with three legs?' I ask.

‘No, but I can understand why they'd want some Jesus in their life. The world is mean.'

‘Starting with boys who read private messages,' I point out.

‘You were blocking the way. And so was your school bag.'

‘The phrase “excuse me” — you familiar with it?'

‘Oh, that,' he says, shaking his head. ‘I decided not to ask you to move in case you interpreted that as me declaring my superiority as a male.'

‘Very funny,' I say, my eyes narrowed. ‘So how come you were in the library? She wouldn't let me in, the cow.'

‘She likes me,' he says. ‘All the teachers do.'

‘Yeah, I bet they're all gunning for you to win the St Gerard scholarship.'

He coughs, amused. ‘Jerome. The St
Jerome
Medal.'

I fold my arms. ‘Whatever it's called, it's gonna be mine.'

He smiles and nods his head. ‘Well, best of luck then, Charlie. You probably deserve it more than me. Even if you're not very smart when it comes to choosing your friends.'

‘What's that supposed to mean?' I ask.

‘You'll see when you get to Melbourne,' he calls out, walking away.

I spend the rest of the morning thinking of Ryan's words and Pete's coldness, irritated that I let them both get to me when I had so much else on my mind: the yearbook was time-consuming, I had heaps of homework, and I actually wanted to make an effort with my mum and my new brother- or sister-to-be.

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