Dare You (11 page)

Khaden spent the day with Sas, listening to music and mucking around on the computer. He didn’t leave until her sisters came home from school.

As he peeked past the tree and saw his empty driveway, a weight lifted from his body. Inside, the lounge room was still a mess. It took Khaden ages to straighten the over-turned furniture, pick up the pieces of the broken mug and plate, and clean the bloodstains from the carpet. Once he’d finished, he checked Taj’s room and knew straight away that Taj hadn’t been home since yesterday either.

When Mike arrived home later that night, he avoided Khaden, and Khaden avoided him. Taj didn’t come home again.

The next morning, Khaden waited in bed until he heard Mike’s ute roar to life, then leapt out of bed and into the shower, eager to head back to the junction to complete his plan.

At the junction, sunshine beating on his back, Khaden pressed his face against the shop window. A tram bell rang and traffic whizzed by, but he didn’t notice. He scanned the display for the ring Sas had fallen in love with last time they were here. She’d noticed it when they were walking to the tram stop and had tried it on, just for fun. Khaden could tell by the way her eyes gleamed and by the way she held her hand that she loved it.

But today, nothing in the window looked familiar. He took a deep breath and walked through the door. The small shop made him feel awkward.

A woman about the same age as Lou smiled at him. ‘Can I help you?’

‘I’m looking for a ring, a silver one. It’s chunky and kind of curls. My ... friend tried it on a couple of days ago.’

The woman smiled. ‘Think I know the one. It’s handmade.

Khaden’s heart sank. It’d be worth heaps. The eighty dollars curled in his pocket felt too light.

The woman took a key from behind the counter and unlocked the glass door. ‘From your description, I’d say it’s one of these.’

‘That one,’ he said, pointing.

The woman lifted the ring from the glass shelf and handed it to Khaden. The light danced across the thick loop.

‘Is it the one from the window? It’s just Sas tried it on, and I know that one was a perfect fit.’

‘That’s the one. I did the window myself, this morning. It’s sixty-eight dollars.’

Khaden swallowed and reached into his pocket.

‘What about for cash?’

‘Sixty?’

He smiled. That left him with twenty bucks to buy something for Lou. ‘I’ll take it, thanks. Could you wrap it please?’

I was up before Mum, Dad and Archie left, again, and had showered, cleaned the rest of the windows and hung out more washing before Harrison surfaced for breakfast. His hour in the bathroom slowed me down in a big way.

Once he’d left for the supermarket, I turned on my iPod and went to work on the bathroom. I was scrubbing up a storm, singing Michael Jackson’s
Black and White,
when someone patted my back. My scream bounced off the tiles, mingling with Sas and Khaden’s laughter.

Last night I’d decided I was being too sensitive, that Khaden and Sas didn’t leave me out or laugh at me, that they were my friends, my best friends. Determined to keep hold of these thoughts, I took out my earbuds, turned off my iPod and smiled. ‘You just about scared me to death.’

‘We did knock,’ said Khaden, when he’d caught his breath.

‘And we called out.’ Sas wiped her eyes. ‘We couldn’t figure out if you were singing or being murdered.’

‘Michael Jackson would call it murder, if he were still alive.’ Khaden sat on the closed toilet seat.

My shoulders tensed. Friends. Don’t be oversensitive, I reminded myself. ‘Should hear me do
Blame it on the Boogie.
’

Khaden sniffed the air. ‘What’s the smell?’

I nodded at the bucket beside me. ‘Vinegar.’

‘Ever heard of bathroom cleaner?’ he asked.

‘Don’t you listen?’ Sas giggled. ‘It wrecks the environment.’

The rubber gloves snapped as I pulled them off. ‘So, do you want a drink or something?’ I gasped. ‘Khaden, your face...’

He glanced at Sas then at the bathroom floor.

‘Brothers, hey?’ said Sas. ‘Taj and Khaden were mucking around, you know wrestling. Bet Archie and Harrison do it all the time.’

‘I guess.’ Sure, they wrestled, but they never ended up bruised and bloodied. ‘How bad is Taj?’ I meant it as a joke, but Khaden didn’t look up.

‘So, let’s go do something,’ said Sas, clapping her hands.

‘Like what?’

‘I don’t know. Hang out.’

‘I guess.’

‘Ruby, such enthusiasm. Come on, get excited. We’re on holidays.’

‘Holidays?’ I trudged up the hall to the laundry, followed by Sas and Khaden. ‘Slave-days more like it.’

‘Exactly why we need to do something fun. And I promise we’ll be back by “three-twenty-five exactly”.’ Sas imitated her mum. ‘Have to walk the girls home.’

I dumped the rags in the washing machine and poured the water down the sink. It swirled grey and murky against the white trough. I brushed past Sas and Khaden and into the kitchen.

‘I guess.’

‘You
guess,
again?’ said Sas, rolling her eyes. ‘What else are we going to do?’

‘We could stay here and play computer games,’ said Khaden, his smile sheepish. ‘Or watch Stuart’s DVDs.’

‘He’d kill me,’ I squeaked.

Sas’s face lit up. ‘I know what we—’

‘No!’ said Khaden, raising both hands in the air.

‘No what?’ said Sas.

‘No more shopping,’ groaned Khaden. ‘I’m over it.’

I shook my head. ‘Buying stuff for Sas’s room is not shopping.’

‘Let’s do lunch,’ said Sas. ‘Somewhere cool.’

‘I’m broke,’ said Khaden.

‘Have you blown your first pay already?’ I said.

Sas interrupted me. ‘Let’s just go, okay?’

‘Just have to grab my stuff and sort out the phones. I’m grounded, remember?’ As I diverted the phone to my mobile, a look passed between Sas and Khaden. I pushed away the paranoid thoughts threatening to bloom and smiled. ‘So, where to?’

‘Tram stop,’ said Sas, reaching for the doorknob. A shard of sunlight caught my eye. Sas was wearing a thick,
silver ring I hadn’t seen before. A shard of a different kind stabbed me.

It wasn’t unusual for Sas to wear earrings, bracelets and all kinds of weird necklaces, but she’d always said she hated rings, that they felt strange, yet here she was wearing a ring I hadn’t seen or heard about.

‘Ruby? You coming?’ Sas was standing on the decking with Khaden, who held the door open for me.

‘Nice ring, Sas,’ I said as I locked up.

Sas held out her hand. ‘Don’t you love it?’ She smiled at Khaden.

I held her hand to inspect it. The ring wrapped around her finger, tapering from thick and rounded at one end, to thin and pointed at the other.

‘Where’d you get it?’

‘Let’s go,’ Sas skipped down the steps and out the gate, ignoring my question.

I followed Khaden, my head a swirling storm of words that moved too fast for me to sort through.

‘Hey Ruby, the gate didn’t snib,’ said Khaden.

‘Stupid thing,’ I muttered, jogging back. ‘I’ve asked Dad to fix it a thousand times. Mojo has no road sense.’ I jiggled the gate to make sure it was shut.

We ended up at Chapel Street, traipsing in and out of exclusive shops I’d normally walk straight past. When we reached Toorak Road, Khaden took off to check out music shops while Sas and I did the other side of the street. She was more like her old self, and had me laughing and trying on all kinds of clothes—short dresses, high-heeled shoes and
crazy shorts. The shop assistants glared at us as though we were trailing mud, or worse, through their oh-so-important stores.

In a shop with white floors, walls and shelves, a girl with orange fake tan and about twenty silver bracelets on each wrist shadowed us. She nodded at the floaty dress I was about to try on. ‘Clearly, you can’t afford anything in my boutique. It’s probably best if you just leave.’

‘How do you know what we can and can’t afford?’ Sas pulled her mum’s gold credit card from her purse and flashed it in front of the shop assistant’s face.

The smug expression slipped away. ‘I didn’t mean ... It’s just...’ she stammered.

‘Crap stuff anyway,’ said Sas. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and marched out the door. I thrust the floaty dress at the orange girl and scurried after Sas.

‘She looks like an underfed oompah loompah,’ said Sas, loud enough for the girl to hear. ‘I’m so over these stuck-up people.’ There was something in her voice I couldn’t name.

Khaden weaved through shoppers. ‘I’m starving. Let’s eat.’

‘There’s a burger place back there,’ I said pointing over my shoulder.

Sas rolled her eyes. ‘Oh come on, we can do better than that.’

‘Yeah, but can we afford better than that?’ asked Khaden.

‘Hey, we aren’t putting food on your mum’s credit card,’ I said, both palms facing Sas.

‘It’s her old card. I only keep it in my purse to impress.’
She grinned and strutted up the street.

Khaden and I sighed and followed.

She stepped inside a café with ceiling-to-floor open windows. One look at the other diners and their sunglasses and flashy jewellery, and I knew the place was way out of our reach.

I cleared my throat. ‘Sas, that vego place back there looked—’

She cut me off with a withering look. ‘We eat here.’

‘Come on, Sas,’ said Khaden, turning to go. ‘We don’t belong in here.’

Sas grabbed his arm. ‘What makes anyone here better than us?’

A waiter dressed in black glided over. ‘Toilets are for clients only,’ he said.

‘Terrific to hear. When we use them, we’ll know they are clean,’ I said, giving him my sweetest smile. ‘Table for three, for lunch.’

‘By the windows,’ added Sas, already walking to a table in the far corner.

The waiter snatched three menus from the counter and followed Sas.

I chewed on my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling.

‘I’ll be back to take your drink order,’ said the waiter, dealing out the menus like cards. He huffed to the counter, where he spoke to other staff. It was obvious they were talking about us.

Sas flipped open her menu. ‘Order big, guys.’

I opened the menu and gasped. ‘Sas, there’s no way we can afford this. A soft drink sure, or even a bowl of
chips to share, not that they probably even serve chips, but a meal...’

Khaden paled. ‘Yeah, Sas, why don’t we just—’

She banged her menu on the table. ‘What is it with you two?’

‘You definitely have this covered?’ asked Khaden, his left eyebrow arched.

She didn’t look up from the menu. ‘I’m having roasted pumpkin risotto and an iced chocolate.’

Khaden and I exchanged a look and then read the menu too.

Sas pushed her plate away from her, leant back and grinned. ‘That risotto rocked.’

‘My steak was unreal, too.’ Khaden rubbed his belly like Dad did after a big meal.

The green curry had made my lips numb and my nose run. I sipped my diet cola, trying to douse the burning in my mouth.

‘Too hot?’ asked Sas, nodding at my half-eaten meal.

‘Nah, just not hungry.’

The waiter appeared at the table and cleared our plates.

‘Dessert?’

‘Thanks,’ said Sas. ‘Three sticky date puddings. With butterscotch sauce, of course.

‘Of course,’ said the waiter, his smile cold.

Dessert? I’d explode for sure. When I opened my mouth to say so, Sas grimaced so I stayed quiet.

The waiter glided to the counter.

Khaden leant forward, frowning.

‘Sas, I can’t eat another—’

‘You don’t have to. We’re doing a runner,’ she hissed, reaching for her bag.

‘A what?’ I asked.

‘A runner! You know, run off without—’

‘I know what you mean, but—’

‘Ruby, either you run or you pay for all our meals.’ Her voice was like steel. ‘And shut your mouth.’

‘Sas, if we get caught...’

‘We won’t.’ Her eyes were on the waiters at the counter. ‘Meet at the tram stop on Malvern Road, okay?’ She pushed her chair back and stood. ‘Ready?’

Khaden grinned, a cat ready to pounce.

I clutched my bag to my chest.

‘Now,’ hissed Sas.

She and Khaden were running up Chapel Street before she’d finished forming the word.

I stumbled, and my chair crashed to the tiled floor. A harsh voice cried out as I sprinted out the open window-door thing, through the traffic stopped at a pedestrian crossing. My thongs slapped against my heels and the curry bounced in my stomach.

Trams rattled, cars crawled and frowning pedestrians stepped out of my way. I hadn’t been caught and the world hadn’t collapsed at our evil.

I ducked down a side street, into a driveway, where I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and swapped around my singlets so the black one was now under the red. After a deep breath, I stepped back into the street and strolled to Malvern Road, trying to look relaxed. As I neared the tram
stop, I could see Sas and Khaden leaning against the shelter as though nothing had happened.

‘Told you I had it covered,’ beamed Sas.

‘You planned it, didn’t you? Before we even left my place, you knew we were going to do a runner.’

‘So?’ she asked, eyes narrowed.

‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ I was yelling now. ‘Or did you tell Khaden and not me?’

‘Hey, Ruby,’ said Khaden, looking around him. ‘Keep it down.’

‘Did you know about it, Khaden?’ I asked.

He screwed up his face. ‘No. Well not exactly. I knew Sas had a plan.’

I turned back to Sas. ‘Since when do we keep secrets from each other?’ I wasn’t sure if I was talking about the runner or the ring.

Sas smirked. ‘Ruby, if I’d told you, you would have melted down and ruined the whole day. This way you’re just ruining the end.’ She brushed past me to sit in the shelter. ‘You’re such a pain.’

‘What did you say?’

She crossed her legs. ‘You heard.’

‘At least I’m not a liar.’

Sas snorted. ‘Yeah right—shoplifting, doing a runner from a café—you’re really honest.’ She shook her head.

‘I’m walking home,’ I said, my jaw clenched.

‘Whatever,’ said Sas, not looking at me. ‘At least we won’t have to listen to you whinge anymore.’

I walked along the footpath, staring at dishevelled gardens and restaurant fronts, my brain empty and my heart
a concrete slab. Near Williams Road, something made me glance over my shoulder. A tram trundled towards me, so I dashed across the road into the burger place and waited, well back from the window, for it to pass. I caught a glimpse of Sas and Khaden, sitting at the back of the tram, talking as though everything in the world was fantastic. But it wasn’t.

Inside our back gate, I picked up Mojo and buried my face in her curly hair. Her sun-warmed coat was soothing.

The door opened. ‘Where have you been?’ said Harrison, hands on his hips. He sounded and looked like Dad.

‘What’s it to you?’ I tried to brush past him.

He stepped in front of me. ‘You took off yesterday too, didn’t you?’

‘Why aren’t you at work, hero?’ Mojo squirmed in my arms.

‘Lunchbreak.’

I felt my eyes narrow. ‘So you’re spending your break home, spying on me? Pathetic.’

‘Worth it, actually. I busted you.’

I searched for a reason I’d had to leave. My brain snatched at something that would also freak Harrison out.

‘If you must know, I had leave to buy tampons.’

Harrison’s face flushed.

Mojo tucked under my arm, I fished around in my bag and pulled out a purse-sized box, careful not to shake it in case it rattled and Harrison realised it was just about empty.

‘Happy?’

‘Well I’m still telling Mum and Dad you cleared off.’

‘Fine.’ I pushed past him and inside. ‘I’m sure they’ll understand.’ I climbed the stairs two at a time, shut my bedroom door and lay on my bed.

Mojo nuzzled and licked my cheek. At least something in this world loved me.