One Dead Seagull (36 page)

‘Nah,
I
don
’
t
want
it,’
I
said,
and
backed
away
another step.

The
puppy
looked
at
me.
Its
mouth
snapped
shut
and its
head
tilted
to
the
side.

‘Where
did
you
get
it?’
I
asked.

‘My
dog
had
pups.
I
picked
out
the
best
one
for
you.’
I
looked
at
him
suspiciousl
y
.
‘Why?’

‘
W
ell,
I
know
you
haven
’
t
got
a
dog
and
I
know
you
like
them.
Y
ou’re always
sticking
up
for
that
fat labrador
at school
and
that.’

‘I
couldn
’
t
keep
a
dog
here.’

‘
Y
eah
you
could. It
’
s
bigger than my
joint out the back.
Just
run
a
bit
of
a
fence
up
the
side
.
.
.’

‘Nah.’

‘
Y
eah,
come
on.
T
ake
it
please.’
He
stepped
closer
and swapped
the
dog
into
his
other
hand.
‘It
’
s
my
way
to
say sor
r
y
.’

‘Sor
r
y?
What
for?’

He
rubbed
his
nose
and
looked
at
the
footpath.
‘For
cutting
your
hand
off,’
he
said.

I
laughed,
and
he
jumped.
‘
Y
ou
didn
’
t cut
my
friggin’
hand
off.
I
did
that
all
by
myself.’

He
shook
his
head.
‘Nah,
I
turned
the
tap
off.’ He looked
at
my
face.
‘I’m sor
r
y
,’
he
said,
and
shoved
the puppy
at
me.

My
head
rattled
with
thoughts.
Mum
would
kill
me.
It takes
guts
to
say
sor
r
y
.
What
would
it
eat?
Dog
food,
de
r
.
It was an accident.
I
could
take
it for walks
and that. Probably
piss
and
shit
eve
r
ywhere.

‘It wasn
’
t
your
fault.
Dad
parked
the
wheelbarrow
on the
hose.
It
just
happened.’

Griz
’
s
shoulders
dropped.
‘
Y
eah,
but
I
turned
the
tap off.’

‘It
happened,’ I
growled.
‘Don
’
t
beat
yourself
up
about
it.
It
was
an
accident.
Shit
like
that
happens.’

He
looked
me
in
the
eyes
and
frowned.
‘Jesus,
I
shit myself
when
I
heard
all
the
screaming
and
that.’

I
chuckled.
‘I
bet
you
did.’

‘
Y
eah
and
I
ran
into
some
guy
’
s
joint
and
just
grabbed
his
phone
and
dialled
triple zero
to
get
an
ambulance.
They
asked
me
all
these
questions
and
I’m
going
“Just fucking
hur
r
y
up”
and
that,
and
the
chick
on
the
phone says
“
W
e’ll
be
there
quicker
if
you
tell
us
where
you
are” like
a
real
smart-arse.’

I
laughed
and
he
smiled. I
took
the
pup
from
him.

‘Thanks,’
he
said
and
wiped
his
hand
on
his
pants.

‘Thank
you
,’
I
said.

He
patted
the
pup
in
my
hand
and
jogged
off.

I
stoo
d
ther
e
fo
r
a
ful
l
minute
,
t
r
yin
g
t
o
ge
t
m
y
head
aroun
d
wha
t
ha
d
jus
t
happened
.
Gri
z
gav
e
m
e
a
dog
.
I
patte
d
i
t
wit
h
m
y
stump
.
I
t
wen
t
flopp
y
an
d
it
s
leg
s
hung
down
,
chi
n
reste
d
o
n
m
y
outstretche
d
fingers
.
I
kne
w
I’
d
be abl
e
t
o
tal
k
Mu
m
int
o
lettin
g
m
e
kee
p
it
.
I
wante
d
t
o
fee
d
it an
d
bat
h
i
t
an
d
pla
y
wit
h
i
t
an
d
dra
g
i
t
aroun
d
o
n
a
lead.

I
half
jogged
to
the
Humes’
place—pup
in
one
hand,
flowers
under
my
other
arm—and
rapped
on
the
glass
panel
beside
the
doo
r
.
I
heard
Kez
yell
from
inside
that
she
would
get
it.
I
smiled
and
put
the
puppy
to
my
mouth. It
smelled
clean
and
sort
of
sweet
as
I
kissed it
and
quickly tucked
it
behind
my
back.
Kez
ripped
the
door
open
and
her
face
hardened
into
a
frown
when
she
saw
it
was
me.

‘Hi,’ I
said,
and
shrugged.
‘Just
me.
Happy
New
Y
ea
r
.’

‘What
do
you
want?’

‘Um.
I
came
around
to .
.
.
give
you
these,’
I
said.

She
looked
at
me
puzzled
and
I
must
have
looked
like
a
retard,
shaking
my
shoulder
at he
r
,
t
r
ying
to
get
her
to
take
the
flowers
from
my
armpit.

Her
face
melted
from
a
frown
to a smile
she
was
desperately
t
r
ying
to
hide.
Her
eyes
watered.
She
took the
flowers and
looked
over
her
shoulde
r
.
‘
Y
ou
ran
away
from
home?’

‘
Y
eah,’
I
said.

‘
T
o
Brisbane?’

‘
Y
eah.
Pretty
stupid
reall
y
.’

She
laughed.
‘
Y
ep.
Y
ou
all
right
now?’

‘
Y
eah,
fine.
Fine.’
I
turned
slowl
y
.
‘I’d like
you
to
meet
my
little
mate.’

She
sucked
an
open-mouthed
breath
and
came
outside.

‘
A
puppy!
’
sh
e
sighed
.
‘It
’
s
s
o
cute
!
Wher
e
di
d
yo
u
ge
t
it?’

‘From
Griz.’

She
stepped
back.
‘The
guy
who
beat
Den
up?’

I
nodded.
‘It
’
s
a
long
sto
r
y
.
Can
I
come
in?’

‘
Y
eah,
I
s’pose.’

She
led
me
down
the
hall
to
her
room
and
closed
the door
behind
us.
I
put
the
pup
on
the
floor
and
she
sat
on the
bed
with
her
arms
crossed
and
cooed
at
it.

‘
W
ell,’
I
said.
‘A
long
time
ago
there
was
this
boy
who worked
with
his
dad
.
.
.’

She
chuckled
and
I
told
her
the
sto
r
y
.
T
old
her
how Griz
turned
the
tap
off
and
phoned
the
ambulance.
T
old
her
about
feeling
like
my
life
was
stuffed
when I
lost
my hand.
T
old
her
why
Mandy
kissed
me
at
the
beach.

She
uncrossed
her
arms
and
I
sat
on
the
chair
at
her desk.

‘Why
did
you
run
away?’
she
asked.

I
sighed.
‘For
lots
of
reasons.
I
thought I’d wrecked things
with
you.
My
mum
and
dad
looked
like
they
were
getting
back
together
and
I
didn
’
t
think
I
could
cope
with
that.’

‘Are
they
getting
back
together?’

‘Don
’
t
think
so.
Richo
gave
Mum
some
flowers
.
.
.’

She
oohed
and
touched
the
foil
around
the
roses
on
her
bed.
‘So
it
wasn
’
t
an
original
idea
to
give
me
flowers.’

My
shoulders
dropped.
‘No
...
I
guess
not.’

My
heart
started
beating
in
my
throat.
I
had
to
tell
he
r
, even
if
it
killed
me.
There
was
no
other
wa
y
.

‘I
think
you’re
beautiful,
Kez.
I
really
love
hanging
out with
you
and
that.
I was
sitting
on
a
park
bench
in Brisbane
and
dreaming
about
home.
I
was
wishing
I
was with
you.’

She
bent
and
picked
up
the
pupp
y
.
She
handed
it
to
me and
kissed
me
on
the
cheek.
I
hugged
he
r
,
kissed
her forehead
and
thanked
he
r
.
Said
sor
r
y
for
any
mistakes
I’d
made.
T
old
her
I
had
to
get
going.
She
grabbed
my
sleeve
and
dragged
me
towards
the
bed.

‘Nah,
I’ve
got
to
go,’
I
said
and
tried
to
pull
awa
y
.

Her
shoulders
dropped.
‘
Y
ou
don
’
t
love
me,’
she
said,
and
poked
her
bottom
lip
out.

‘
Y
eah
I
do.
I
do.
I’ve
just
got
to
go—I
told
Mum
I’d
be
home
for
tea
and
she
’
s
a
bit
sensitive
about
where
I
am
and
that
at
the
moment.’

Kez
grunted.
‘That
’
s
fai
r
.’

Den
and
Griz
were
playing
a
game
of
air
hocke
y
.
One minute
they’re
beating
the
shit
out
of
each
othe
r
,
next
minute
they’re
having
a
game.
I
don
’
t
understand
the way that
works.
Y
ou
wouldn
’
t
exactly
call
them
mates.
Griz
had just
sunk
the
puck
to
make
it
five-all and
Den
was sweating,
I
could
see
it
glistening
on
his
lip.
They
took
a
breather
and
I
showed
Den
the
pup.

‘Gorgeous
.
Where’
d
yo
u
ge
t
it?’
I
nodde
d
a
t
Griz.

Den,
mouth
open,
pointed
at
the
big
bloke. Griz
grunted,
nodded
and
looked
at
his
boot.

I
told
Den
I
had
to
go
and
he
shrugged
and
went
back to
the
table.
I
stuffed
the
bottom
of
my
T
-shirt
into
my
pants
and
lowered
the
puppy
down
the
neck
hole.
It scrabbled
against
my
belly
until
I
laughed
out
loud
and Maru
looked
at
me
as
if
I
was
going
spacko.