Shutterspeed (13 page)

He goes in slow for the left-hand turn onto Marine Parade, then comes out fast. Ahead, Terri Pavish sees his shape in her mirror, swears, and urges the 750 engine faster. They move like this, leant over their borrowed bikes, charging down the coast. She has so much to lose and he has nothing.

At the same time, Nugget pulls the 250 into Dustin's driveway but Dustin isn't there. In the unkempt backyard, Ken is sitting, heavy with new loss.

Jasmine drives alone in her car, heading south for school. Cottesloe Beach stretches out on her right beneath the drizzle of indifferent rain. The sea swells with secrets. Waves spread across the sand.

Shh.

Shhh.

Should.

Shouldn't.

The ocean rocks with sadness.

At the last moment, Jasmine decides to pull in to the beach. She swings a quick U-turn at the roundabout.

The last message stored in Dustin's starts with a pause, then a sigh. Ken's voice is gravelly.

… Your mother left at night. She said she was thirsty. She was always thirsty. She went to the beach and she walked into the ocean, they say … just kept walking. She'd been sad. She'd been sad since she'd had you
. Ken's voice breaks. There is nothing left of the man
. She didn't know what it would be like …

The white Mini Minor doesn't indicate and the Ducati doesn't slow to give way. Terri Pavish just goes straight through, and Jasmine swerves hard, too late to brake. The little car spins.

From behind, Dustin watches as the world slows down. The car turns, Jasmine's hair covering her face as it circles. He looks on with sickening recognition. He doesn't need to keep watching to see what will happen. He already knows the ending. Her hair is like seaweed, covering her pretty face as the car turns.

Through the visor of his helmet, he watches the eyes of Terri Pavish instead. She straddles the Ducati on the pavement, her helmet already off her head and hanging from her fingertips. She, too, is in slow motion.

Her face registers the noises.

Glass.

Metal.

Plastic.

And the rain to soften it all.

Drivers get out of cars, shout down mobile phones. In the background, the sea beats itself against the land.

Shhh,
it says.

Sorry,
it says.

Terri Pavish says nothing. She looks toward the pine trees where parakeets screech. Dustin watches her, unable to turn his face back to the roundabout where people are gathering. If he can just focus on Terri Pavish, he won't have to turn around and see Jasmine. Already there's a far-off siren.

Terri Pavish puts the helmet over her head and buckles it. She wants to go, to leave this all behind. So she does. He watches her turn the throttle and ride away.

I gratefully acknowledge the following people for their counsel and encouragement: the Brisbane poetry crew (especially John Knight, Wendy Morgan and Ross Clark), Julienne Van Loon, Liz Byrski, Meg Main, Mum, Andrew, and past students who were never short of ideas. Thank you also to friends who were authorities on odd topics.

And for their commitment and wisdom, my heartfelt thanks to publisher Cate Sutherland, editor Wendy Jenkins, and the team at Fremantle Press — thank you for making Dustin real.

A. J. Betts grew up in far north Queensland, and has taught in Brisbane, Cairns, the UK, and Western Australia. After travelling, she settled in Perth in 2004.
ShutterSpeed
is her first novel for young adults.

First published 2008 by

FREMANTLE PRESS

25 Quarry Street, Fremantle

(PO Box 158, North Fremantle 6159)

Western Australia

www.fremantlepress.com.au

Copyright © A J Betts, 2008.

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.

Consultant editor Wendy Jenkins.

Cover designed by Tracey Gibbs.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication data

Betts, A J.

Shutterspeed / author, A J Betts.

ISBN: 9781921361203 (pbk.)

A823.4

Fremantle Press is supported by the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts.

Publication of this title was assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body