Will (21 page)

Yeah right, thanks heaps! Queen of the backhanded compliment. Then the one called Milly started up.

Yeah, Elizabeth says you’re really funny
.

I looked over at Elizabeth and raised my eyebrows.

So you’ve been talking about me to your friends?

I only said you were funny in a really annoying way
.

I resorted to familiar territory and got revenge without words. I grabbed her bag and proceeded to fill it with all the stuff from the table: salt and pepper shakers, serviettes, coasters, the works. By the reaction I got it was working. She tried for a good three minutes to grab the bag from me, but I had the advantage of height and strength and we both knew it. Eventually she gave up and collapsed back into the booth laughing. She tried to grab it again when she thought I wasn’t watching, at which point I threw the bag to Milly and asked her to finish the job. This allowed me to catch Elizabeth’s hands and pin them behind her back.

Eventually Milly relinquished the bag but only after Elizabeth had threatened to get
her
bag and spread out all of its contents on
the table. I wondered for a moment whether I might have gone a little too far when the salt shaker spilled all over Elizabeth’s bag, but she just laughed even harder and when I wasn’t looking grabbed a handful of salt and threw it over my head.

And I thought you were meant to be Miss Maturity!

At that point Milly said she had to leave, and since her mum was giving a lift to the other girls, they all stood up to go.

Wanna lift, Elizabeth?

Ahhh …

She sounded unsure, which was a good sign. She was definitely stalling, I could tell. I just wasn’t so sure if she was waiting for me to say something. Chris could give her—

I can give you a lift, easy. As long as your dad doesn’t come out and give me grief for getting his precious daughter home late
.

Mark and the boys had grabbed their stuff and were moving tables. He must have overheard the question. Smooth. Thanks, mate!

No. He likes you. Besides, I told them we had to stay late for rehearsals and that I needed time to unwind afterwards
.

Mark was barely listening to Elizabeth’s reply because he was too interested in grinning pointedly in my direction. The Freak was giving me the thumbs-up really obviously.

It was good ending the night with just us again. Even though Chris was a ring-in, he fit right in as usual. For the final hour Elizabeth and I relaxed and didn’t jump every time we accidentally touched. By the end of the night we were resting on one another and it felt great. So great that when Chris said that he had to get the car home so as to prevent parental stress, I nearly told him to go without me. But Mark grabbed his keys and jangled them.

Yeah, me too. Are you ready, Miss Elizabeth?

She didn’t seem very keen to be going anywhere either. But eventually we all stood up and moved outside, saying our goodbyes. I felt my palms go sweaty and jittery when I knew it was my time to say goodnight to Elizabeth. But she came straight up to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and said she’d see me next weekend at rehearsals … and to give her a call during the week if I wanted. Thank God Chris started to drag me away, otherwise I would have stood there like a speechless idiot. I yelled out goodbye to the Freak and Mark and followed him.

I knew Chris was going to start as soon as we got in the car and he didn’t let me down.

Willo! You are completely gone, mate!

Give it a rest, Chris
.

Yeah, well, her friends were saying she’s into you too
. He put on a fake girl voice.
The talk of the musical
.

Shut up, you wanker!

The cutest guy in the production
. He kept going with the girl’s voice.
And you’re really funny and it’s great how you look out for Zach and help Brother Pat. You’re just a big softy underneath the tough-man act, aren’t you, Will?

If he hadn’t been driving he would have copped one right in the gut. Instead I started on him.

So what about that Maree chick, then? She was hanging off everything you said and, mate, I know you, you’re just not that interesting. Elizabeth’s friends kept going on about how cute you were. They were even more impressed when I told them you were going to be school captain
.

Got him. This time it was Chris who went red.

You what?

He hated it when I raised the school captain thing, really hated it. I moved on quickly.
Look out, mate, your life is just about to get a whole lot more interesting
.

Chris freaked out all the way home, but he was loving it.

And I was loving it. In fact, something strange was happening, because for the past two days almost everything was good.

The week went pretty quickly except that every five minutes I thought about Elizabeth and the fact I hadn’t rung her yet. Andrews had organized three rehearsals after school for the actors, and after band practice on Wednesday I figured I’d give her a ring and see if they were up for pizza again. It was a great plan, if I actually did anything about it. Brother Pat was also full of plans, but he, on the other hand, had no problem getting on with them.

Now don’t forget, Will, I will need you to be out of classes on Friday morning before singing practice. Make sure you give me a list of the teachers I need to notify so they don’t think you are up to any mischief
.

For the first time in my whole school career I wasn’t looking forward to missing time out of class.

You know what, Will, I can help you if you want
.

I looked down to see the Freak, waiting to walk out after practice with me like always.

Sure, Freak, that would be great
.

At least it would give him a chance to tell the other losers to pull their heads in.

That all right with you, Brother?

Absolutely!

We left Brother Pat on the sax, practicing for his regular Wednesday-night gig with his mates.

We both stood on the veranda of the music room and looked out into the junior quad, not saying anything. The Freak must have been figuring which one of the geeks he was going to tell off first on Friday, and I was practicing what I was going to say to Elizabeth.

I got out my phone to check the time.

Are you going to ring Elizabeth?

No! Why would you say that?

’Cause you keep looking up to the hall and then going to get your phone out. I can’t go out tonight because Dad said not during weeknights
.

Right.

But you should ring her because you said you were going to
.

Right.

Thanks, Freak
.

Silence.

What time is your dad coming?

Now
.

I took a deep breath.

Do you want me to come out and wait with you?

Pause.

Nah, it’s all right. You can meet him at the show
.

Exhale of breath.

All right, well, if I don’t see you around tomorrow, I’ll catch you on Friday morning in the hall. You can help me set up
.

He made contact, his ancient eyes reflecting a very busy head.

I’ve already been thinking about that, Will, don’t worry
.

He stopped mid-pogo.
You really should call Elizabeth
.

Thanks for that. He left me nodding to his back.

He was right, I should call. She told me to ring her. She’d given me her number, made me put it into my phone. So considering
she said to, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t. It’s not as if I’m stalking her.

I went over to get my bike. I knew I could just as easily have gone over to the hall, but I didn’t, it would look too desperate. And Andrews would seize the opportunity to ask me in front of the whole cast exactly why it was I was spending even more time at school than I had to.

I put down my bike and reached in my pocket for my phone. I scrolled down to Elizabeth’s number. Don’t think about it, Will, just do it. I pressed the key.

Elizabeth?

Hey, Will? Have you just finished band?

Breathe, you idiot. She sounds completely normal.

Yeah. Are you guys in the hall?

Yep, but Mr. Andrews says he thinks we won’t be finished before nine. So it’s going to be a very long evening
.

Right, no pizza then.

Pause.

It was definitely my turn to speak.
Has Andrews lost it again?

OK, so it wasn’t great but it kept the conversation going.

No, he’s fine. Just giving us his usual motivational speech. Telling us how good we are, you know what he’s like
.

I wanted to say he had a completely different delivery for me but I didn’t.

Will … I had a great time the other night. The girls haven’t stopped talking about you all week
.

Ahhh … 

I’d love to do it again but, but … maybe just us next time?

Ahhh … 

I could hear Mark in the background telling her to get onstage.

Will, I’ve got to go
.

Speak, you idiot!

Yep … OK … Elizabeth, I had a great time too….

So definitely next week then? Just us two?

Yep, that would be—

I’ve really got to go. Thanks for calling
.

I got on the bike and floated home. Finally a victory! Brother Pat was right, I was the man!

There was a completely different story going round my head when I sat in homeroom on Friday morning.

Right, just a warning, boys, there’s a memo that says period three will be taken for singing practice
.

The news was received in one of two ways: half the boys cheered and instantly swarmed their diaries to see what period they were going to miss; the other half groaned. It was hard to hear which side had the majority. It was around about then I began to have another meltdown.

Settle down, mate, it’s not that bad. At least you get to miss out on maths
.

No, Chris, you don’t get it. Brother Patrick’s conned me into being a part of the school band. You know, being up onstage in front of the whole school, looking like a prize idiot
.

Chris stared at me as if he’d been waiting for this moment all his life. Which is exactly why I hadn’t told him. He was now about to get his revenge.

Me and the boys had given him constant crap about being the school brownnose ever since he had been made the class representative in kindergarten. Not that it had ever stopped him: he just gave us the finger and kept accepting the badges. But now, after twelve long years, he had the perfect revenge and he didn’t have to raise any fingers to make it happen.

You mean you have to get up there in front of the whole school and actually play when Brother Pat’s doing his wailing banshee stuff on the mike?

Yep
.

He didn’t even wait one second.

Hey, Jock!

Shut up, Chris! Come on …

But Chris was going to bleed this for everything he could get.

Did you hear that Willo’s going to be up onstage this morning?

No way, man! It can’t be true! The man who dacked himself at the girls’ bus, one of the finest moments in St. Andrew’s history? You’re part of the Brother Patrick Show by personal invite? Will, you’ve crossed to the dark side
.

Others, overhearing Jock’s accusing roar, came flooding over to throw in their gold coins’ worth. After five minutes of being slammed, I’d had enough.

Yeah, yeah, you’re all a bunch of bloody comedians!

Just at that moment, I mean at that exact moment, Brother Pat’s voice boomed over the PA, entering every room in the school.

Could William Armstrong of Year Eleven please meet Brother Patrick in the hall immediately
.

Naturally, this was too much. The whole class fell over one another, some in pain they were laughing so hard.

Whatever fragments of my armor were left clanked to the ground with each step. By the time I reached the hall I was unarmed and defenseless. Last night’s bravado had evaporated along with any semblance of credibility.

Brother Pat loomed from the stage.
Good to see you heard the message, William. We have a lot to do! You are to be in charge of the band, as I will be up the front leading the school
.

What do you mean, in charge of the band, Brother?
I asked, edging nervously toward the front of the hall.

He stopped unwinding the mike cord and stared down at me, incredulous.

What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean you will be conducting, of course
.

My pace slowed significantly. He’d only asked me to look after the band—he hadn’t said anything about
conducting
it.

But Brother, I’d really rather play. I’m not that confident conducting
.

Rubbish, with your ear, you’re a natural!

What about Ms. Sefton? Isn’t that her job?

Oh no, she’s far too busy. She’s playing the piano and accompanying me with the flute. It will have to be you, Will
. He placed his hand on my shoulder.
Now, there is no time for self-doubts. I know you will do a wonderful job
.

I stopped.

I’ve set you up on the stage so that everyone can see the band. It’s time to give them a much higher profile in the school,
especially considering how hard they are working in preparation for the musical
.