Cassie (20 page)

‘Excuse me a moment,' said Holly. She stood, but didn't move away. Amy looked up. Raph McDonald and a couple of his mates were approaching, passing a basketball between them. Amy sighed and opened her book. Some things didn't change. The boys were nearly past when Holly stepped in front of Raph.

‘Can I have a quick word?' she said. Raph smiled.

‘Hey, Hayley,' he said. ‘Sure. No worries.'

He tossed the basketball to one of his friends.

‘Get some practise,' he said. ‘You goons sure need it.'

‘It's Holly,' said Holly.

‘What?'

‘My name. Holly. Not Hayley.'

‘Holly, Hayley, whatever,' said Raph. ‘What's your problem?'

‘You,' said Holly. ‘You're my problem.'

No one's voice had been raised, but it seemed all the students in the schoolyard edged closer. They had an unerring instinct for conflict and drama. Something was going on.

Raph McDonald sneered. Just a small re-arrangement of his features, but it transformed his face. Holly couldn't believe she had ever found him attractive. He frowned a little too, scrunching up his forehead as he searched for the right response.

‘Oh yeah?' he said finally.

‘Yes,' said Holly. ‘Do you remember me from yesterday?'

Raph's face contorted again as he dredged his memory.

‘The cinema?' prompted Holly.

‘Hey,' he said. ‘You were the girl with the disabled chick, weren't you? Look, Hayley,' he said. ‘It was dark, right? I couldn't see a thing. I didn't realise it was you. And she was carrying on something chronic. We just wanted to enjoy the movie. And so yeah, maybe I said some things I shouldn't.

I'm sorry, right. I apologise.'

‘Just a couple of things, Rolf,' said Holly. ‘I'm not a stupid cow. And I wasn't with a disabled chick. I was with my cousin Cassie who has cerebral palsy.'

Raph spread his hands.

‘That's what I said.'

‘It isn't. It's not what you said at all. Think about it, Rolf. Better still, get someone else to think about it for you. Ask them to explain in words of one syllable.'

‘My name's Raph.'

‘Raph, Rolf, whatever.'

By now, the circle of students had closed and there was silence all around. Raph glanced about him. His mates had stopped playing basketball and stood on the fringes of the crowd, listening.

‘Look,' he said. ‘I've said sorry. Just relax. Get over it. It was no big deal.'

‘You know, Ralph,' said Holly and the crowd leaned closer to catch what she said. She was very calm and her words were quiet. ‘There are organisms living under stones that are higher on the evolutionary ladder than you. Someone once suggested you have the brains of a brick, but that strikes me as an insult to masonry. Not only are you stupid, but you have the insight of a viral infection. You're just not as much fun to be around. You're pathetic.'

She had plenty more to say, but Mr Tillyard, the teacher on yard duty, was hurrying towards the crowd. He pushed his way through a tight wall of students, searching for the eye of the storm.

‘Break it up,' he shouted. ‘Come on, break it up.'

But when he got to the gap in the middle, there was nothing to break up. Holly Holley and Raph McDonald turned to face him. Holly was calm and Raph was flushed, but there were no fists raised.

‘What's going on here?' he said.

No one replied.

The crowd started to disperse.

Raph twisted his face in concentration as Holly moved away. He glanced at his mates and made vague movements in the air with his hands.

‘Oh yeah?' he said to Holly's back.

Off to the side, Demi whispered to Kari and Georgia. ‘I told you she was interesting,' she said.

‘I am a stupid cow, Amy,' said Holly. ‘I'm so sorry.'

‘No you aren't,' said Amy. ‘And I'm not sorry. It was fantastic. Particularly the bit about organisms under stones and the evolutionary ladder. See? You
were
paying attention in science classes.'

‘I meant I was a stupid cow to you.'

Amy chewed on her lip and glanced at the ground.

‘Well, I wouldn't call it being stupid . . .'

‘Amy?' said Holly. ‘Are we all right, you and me? Can you still be friends with a moody bitch, someone who dumps on her best friend, is silly and immature and selfish and insensitive? Because that's how I've been. That's how I am.'

Amy met Holly's eyes. Then she twisted her face as if she were concentrating really hard and it was making her head ache. She made vague movements in the air with her hands.

‘Oh yeah?' she finally said in a robotic voice.

Holly couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

Amy laughed too. And put her arms around Holly's shoulders.

Cassie's wheelchair was pushed up close to the kitchen table. Fern and Holly sat on either side. No one said anything. There was tension in the air. Holly stared at an interesting scar on the table's surface and Cass's head moved in lazy circles. A thin, strangled noise issued from her throat.

‘Here we are,' said Ivy, bringing a large casserole dish from the oven and placing it firmly in the centre of the table. Keeping her oven gloves on, she removed the lid and put it in the sink where it hissed. ‘Eat up, everyone.'

Holly was the first to peer into the pot. She did so very carefully, as if whatever was lurking there might rise up and attach itself to her face. Like that creature in
Alien
. The thing was, the smell was different than normal. Not like something that had been buried in damp earth for a couple of months, but . . . well, ‘good' was the word that sprang to mind. Actually very good.

There was potato. There was onion. There was broccoli and green beans. There was thick gravy. And, most amazing of all, there was chicken. Roughly chopped chicken breast mixed in with the vegetables. Holly looked blankly towards her mother.

‘What?' said Ivy.

Holly looked back towards the casserole dish.

‘Just a chicken casserole,' said Ivy. ‘I did myself a veggie version. This one's for you three.'

Holly found her voice.

‘Where are the lentils?' she asked.

‘You know?' said her mother in a thoughtful tone of voice. ‘I'm getting just the teeniest, weeniest bit bored with lentils.'

If the words had been accompanied by a drumroll and an angelic chorus of ‘Hallelujah' Holly would not have been surprised. She dived for the ladle, just beating Fern to it. The atmosphere around the table did a one-eighty degree turn. Fern hummed quietly, Holly whistled and Cass broke into a shriek of delight.

‘Anyone would think I didn't feed you properly,' said Ivy.

Holly washed the dishes and Fern dried. Cass sat in front of the television in the front room watching
Bridezilla
. Her shrieks of laughter punctuated the sounds of clinking crockery. After she'd wiped down the surfaces, Holly took a seat at the kitchen table opposite her mother.

‘Mum?' she said.

‘Yes, chicken?'

‘Can I ask a huge favour?'

‘Well, you can ask.'

‘Can I go to Westland tomorrow after school? Just for an hour?'

Ivy put down her coffee cup.

‘Hey, Holly,' she said. ‘You don't want to push it, girl. Just because you've washed the dishes doesn't mean I've forgotten or forgiven. It's Monday evening. Just a few short days since you gave me the fright of my life. Your grounding is still in place.'

‘Yeah, I know. I just want one hour. That's all. It's important, Mum. Please. I swear. You can add the time onto my grounding. In fact, I'll take another day if you just give me this one hour.'

Ivy stared at Holly. Though she tried to hide it, Holly saw the suspicion in her eyes.

‘What are you up to, chicken? Why do you want to go to Westland?'

‘Please?'

‘Tell me why.'

‘I can't tell you, Mum. I can't. You have to trust me. I have a good reason and it's very important. If it's okay with Aunty Fern, she and Cass could pick me up after exactly an hour. Would that be okay with you, Aunty Fern?'

Fern wiped her hands on the tea towel.

‘Fine by me. But only if your mother agrees.'

‘Please, Mum?' Holly met her mother's eyes and held them.

‘Okay,' she said finally. ‘In exchange for another day. But I tell you, Holly Holley. I have placed my faith in you. If you betray it, grounding would be the least of your worries. I'd have no punishment. But it would break my heart. Do you understand?'

‘Yes,' said Holly. ‘I understand, Mum. And I won't let you down. I swear.'

Fern

Holly went to watch the rest of
Bridezilla
with Cassie. Fern could hear the two of them laughing. She smiled at Ivy over her tea cup.

‘I got a phone call today,' Fern said.

‘Oh yes?'

‘From James in Darwin.'

‘How is he?'

‘He's moving down. In a few months. To stay. He's organising a twelve-month leave of absence from his job, arranging to rent out our house there.'

‘Oh.'

‘Don't worry, sis. He's not coming here, he's not coming to this house.'

‘Wow,' said Ivy. ‘This must be a lot for you to take in.'

Fern pushed her cup away, laced the fingers of both hands together.

‘We had a good, long talk. He's missing Cassie like crazy. And he says he understands why I left, but if he's going to be miserable, he might as well be miserable down south. At least that way he can see Cass.'

‘How do you feel about that?'

Fern sighed.

‘I haven't told Cass yet. Thought I'd save it as a nice bedtime surprise. As for me . . . well, I don't know. He swears he isn't interested in the front seat.' She laughed. ‘Says he doesn't even want the back seat. The boot will do him.'

‘Think there's still room in your life for him?'

‘Who knows?' said Fern. She rubbed at her forehead. ‘I guess all I can do is stick him in the boot and worry about the rest later.'

10

Holly