The Boys of Summer (27 page)

“Who?” Rosanna, Melba and I all asked at
once.

And before Amy could deliver her climactic
line, Ellie burst into the kitchen.

“Toby broke up with Angela!”

The plate slipped out of my hands and smashed
into a million pieces. Ellie had solely addressed this to me with
an elated spark in her eyes.

Everyone looked at me. At the china shards at
my feet. At Ellie, then back to me, as if the information should
have meant something to me.

Which it did.

Oh my God, it did.

Amy gave Ellie a pissy look. “You ruined my
story.”

“Sorry.”

“So it was Angela?” Rosanna asked. “Under the
stairs?”

“Yeah, and Chris,” Amy continued. Apparently,
the reason why Toby was moody and fidgety on the night of the
Summer Show was not because he was taking Angela up to the Falls
for some canoodling. He was taking her to the Falls to break up
with her.

Angela had then relayed it all to Chris in
between sobs in the wee hours of the morning. She had begged Chris,
asking if he had known about it and why Toby would have wanted to
break up with her.

“What did Chris say?” Melba was hooked like
the rest of us.

Amy shrugged. “Some big speech about people
growing apart and things happening for a reason. Deep shit. He was
real careful not to be specific and break the bro code.”

“The bro code?” I asked.

“Yeah. He would have totally known why Toby
dumped Angela. Guys
do
talk. At least those ones do. Not to
mention Chris is like David Bowie in that Labyrinth movie. That guy
is all seeing, all knowing. Has a crystal ball or something. What
he doesn’t know doesn’t exist. Lurks and perks of the profession I
guess.”

“Well, no wonder he was Angela’s first point
of call then,” Rosanna mused.

“Your turn. What do you know?” Amy snapped at
Ellie.

“Stan told me. It was an accident. I asked
him who was coming to the disco tonight, and when I name dropped
Toby and Angela, he had this funny look on his face; it was enough
to tell me something was up. So I made him spill.”

Amy gasped. “You broke the bro code?”

Ellie straightened with pride. “Guess I
did.”

With each placing of individual cutlery on
the table, it triggered the same thing over and over in my
mind.

Toby broke up with Angela – Toby broke up
with Angela.

Those headlights I had watched with great
interest through the back window of Stan’s car, the indication to
the Falls that all but broke my heart and changed everything. The
text message to Stan about bringing in my bike the next day. God,
he sent that after he’d broken up with Angela.

My head spun. Toby had been single when I
went to the shop, when we teased each other about song choices,
when he wiped grease on my cheek. He did seem more relaxed than the
night before. But I would never have guessed why.

Ellie found out from Stan that the Onslow
Boys, including Toby, would be in attendance tonight, but Angela
had gone away for a girls’/healing weekend.

Ellie clicked her fingers in front of my
face, snapping me out of my own frazzled thoughts.

She giggled. “I know what you’re thinking
about,” she sing-songed.

I was speechless, absolutely at a loss, as I
fumbled my way through the silverware.

“You know, breaking the bro code is really
quite simple.” She leaned forward and whispered, “You just threaten
to hold off on the goods!”

“Ew! Ellie, too much information,
thanks.”

“I’m telling you, works like a charm.” She
winked. “I’ll get some dirt before tonight, just giving you the
heads up.”

Ellie was loving this, but I was uneasy.

Obviously, the entire saga was intended to be
hush-hush. And I didn’t want Ellie to be too inquisitive in case
Stan became suspicious.

So, Toby was a free man; that didn’t change
things. Maybe he wanted to be single? To be free of women, to hang
with the boys.

No, it didn’t change anything. I would still
just be Tess. The same dorky girl getting her bike fixed.

Then why was it that during the break before
the dinner shift I checked my messages every two seconds in case
Ellie had an update? And I got ready three hours before my shift
began, paying particular attention to every detail, ensuring
everything was perfect.

I was in the shower, exfoliating, shaving,
conditioning up a storm when I heard my bedroom door open.

“I’m just going to the cafe, hon; have fun at
work and don’t break a leg on the dance floor,” my mum yelled
out.

My mouth was full of toothpaste as I paused
brushing.

“Bwye Murm.” I heard my bedroom door
close.

In a burst of steam, like a magician entering
the stage, I exited the bathroom. Hair in a turbanesque twist on my
head, towel wrapped around me, I froze in the doorway thinking
perhaps I was seeing a mirage, that my mind was heat affected from
the shower, because hooked on my mirror was the light mint top I
had dreamed about for all eternity, the one that had been sold. I
walked over to it, touching the soft, silky fabric to ensure it
wasn’t a dream. A note was clipped to the hanger.

To our hard-working daughter.

We are so proud of you.

Thanks for all your wonderful help and for
being an utter joy.

Lots of Love Mum and Dad. x

P.S. Ellie helped us pick this out.

My chin trembled as I picked up the top, the
top I would definitely be wearing tonight.

Hours later there was a knock at the front
door. I knew it would be Ellie trying to catch me out undressed,
unprepared. She loved fussing over me before any big event, to do
my hair and dress me up like a life-sized Barbie doll. No luck this
time. I was ready, dressed and primed to go when I opened the
door.

“Tess!”

“I know, amazing, right? I’m actually ready.”
I circled with pride.

She beamed at me. “You look beautiful.”

I grabbed her in a bear hug. “Thanks to you I
do.”

Ellie laughed. “You could wear a hessian bag
and you would still be gorgeous.”

“Well, you’re my best friend, you’re supposed
to say things like that.”

Ellie walked in, a smile stretched across her
face.

“Firstly – no, I don’t have to say things
like that, and secondly – I’m not the only one who thinks you’re
beautiful.” She wiggled her brows at me.

“W…what?”

Her smile broadened, barely containing her
excitement. “I know something you don’t know,” she sing-songed
tauntingly.

“Tell me.”

“Sorry, I have to honour the girlfriend
code.”

“The girlfriend code?”

“Let’s just say, Stan confided in me
something that I vowed I would never repeat.”

“That’s really touching.” I moved from the
front door into the cool of the lounge, trying my best to disguise
my rapid breathing as my heart hammered against my chest in
anticipation.

If I didn’t take the bait Ellie would get
bored.

She followed me into the lounge. “Yep,
something
very
interesting.”

“You’re right, don’t tell me. You don’t want
to break that girlfriend code, now.” I straightened the pillows on
the couch. My heart pounded like crazy.

I could see Ellie’s excitement dipping. “It’s
something about you.” She stood with her hands on her hips.

I cast a fake grin. “That’s nice.”

Oh God! Tess, just breathe, don’t freak
out.

Ellie’s mood darkened. “It’s about someone
thinking you’re pretty. Goddamnit, Tess, don’t you want to know
what it is?”

“But the code.”

“Oh, screw the code, come on, sit here.” She
slapped the couch cushion next to her, and I obeyed.

I squeezed my hands together in my lap, in an
attempt to disguise the slight tremor of anticipation. “Ellie,” I
paused, “I know this might sound strange, but do you mind if you
don’t tell me? I kind of just want to go along with things and just
enjoy the summer. Go with the flow, remember?”

What the … what was I doing? What had I just
done? I could hear the words coming out of my mouth, but I seemed
powerless to stop the utter stupidity I was speaking.

Ellie looked at me as if I was some wacko.
“Are you serious right now?”

Was I? What was wrong with me? Any normal,
red-blooded teenage girl would have thrown themselves at Ellie’s
feet and begged for details, had her repeat them several times,
asked for the tone of voice it was said in, facial expressions,
time and setting of conversation. All the usual over-the-top
analytical questions. What was I afraid of? That something that I’d
wanted for so long might be possible? That what I’d felt with Toby
wasn’t imagined? After so long of having an unrequited crush … I
didn’t know how to digest the possibility.

I nodded adamantly, the tension ebbing from
my veins. “I am. I don’t want to know.”

Ellie watched me for a long time as if half
expecting me to change my mind. I met her look unwaveringly.

The corner of her mouth tilted. “You are
unbelievable.”

“Why, thank you.”

“Okay, so I won’t break the code, but all
that aside, can I give you some friendly advice?”

“Okay …”

“When you knock off work tonight, go looking
for Toby, because, trust me, he will be looking for you.”

I was stalling; I knew I was. Delaying
leaving the sanctuary of the toilets.

The door burst open with the sound of
laughter and I snapped out of my daze. A couple of girls stumbled
in, swaying their way into a line in front of the mirror, though
one headed straight to the empty cubicle. I dodged the incoming
traffic with a polite smile.

“Pass me a tampon, ho face,” the girl from
the cubicle yelled out.

Charming
. I left them to their
affectionate name calling.

The evening’s older clientele huddled around
the main bar inside. Not really into the disco scene, their
entertainment for the evening was Uncle Eric behind the bar. Chris
was, no doubt, manning the beer garden bar, cutting off (and trying
really hard not to strangle) the drunken just-turned-eighteen
crowd.

I weaved my way around tables through the
closed, dark restaurant to the sliding door out to the beer
garden.

Looking through the thick glass, it was
actually quite pretty now the sun had gone down. The entire garden
was enclosed by overgrown ivy, which Eric or somebody had woven
with fairy lights. It made the space feel intimate and cast a
romantic glow throughout. Huge glass vases filled with lit candles
dotted each picnic table and speakers were strategically placed
around the perimeter for everyone to enjoy.

Shame about the choice of music, though. I
could hear ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ muffled through the glass door, no
doubt ten times louder out in the garden.

I took a deep breath and opened the sliding
door. It opened directly onto the dance floor, where a sea of drunk
girls flailed their arms around in what I could only assume was
their attempt at dancing. It was what I imagined walking into a
snake pit would be like.

The poor choice in music only seemed to
encourage the drunken horde of screaming, laughing girls. There was
a mixture of muffin tops protruding from tight-fitting jeans, short
skirts and boob tubes. Bare arms struck
Karate Kid
poses,
karate chopping each other to the song.

As I stepped out into the garden, sliding the
door closed again behind me, I was blinded by the flashing,
spinning globe above the dance floor that was the disco ball,
before I took a deep breath and zig-zagged through the mass of
writhing bodies, intent on avoiding the smoke machine as it belched
out wads of nastiness that would no doubt induce asthma attacks and
coughing fits in the boozed-up girls on the dance floor.

I actually would have quite liked to see
that.

Stan was perched on a picnic table, Ellie in
front of him, his legs straddling her hips and her arms snaked
around his neck. Ringer sat at the same table with his girlfriend,
Amanda, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. I looked around the
shadowy garden and the dance floor and all of a sudden felt very
alone; no Toby, no Sean in sight. Looked like my only option was to
sit with the happy couples and become the dreaded fifth wheel.

I plonked myself on the bench seat with a
sigh, only to notice I didn’t have a drink. Damn.

I had nothing to occupy my hands with. It
wasn’t because I was thirsty; I looked around the packed beer
garden and seriously doubted all these people were all so parched
at this one particular moment. It wasn’t about thirst, it was about
keeping your hands busy. It was a social thing. If you didn’t have
a drink you could smoke, or text someone. I had nothing to occupy
my hands with so I awkwardly folded them in my lap. I tried to be
cool, tried not to look around too much in search of Toby. I tried
not to interrupt the canoodling couples.

I gave off an air of nonchalance, when really
I wanted to stand on a picnic table with binoculars and search for
him. I felt a dip in the seat and then the press of heat next to me
as Sean sat and slid along the wooden plank to bump into me.

I quirked a brow at him.

“You’re going to get a splinter in a very
unfortunate place if you keep sliding along like that.”

Sean held a jug of beer and with a steady
hand he topped up his pot glass, a smile on his face.

He nodded in the direction of Ellie and Stan.
“I think the only ones in danger of getting a splinter in
unfortunate places are those two.”

They sat in front of me, kissing and pawing
at one another, completely oblivious to everyone around them.
Honestly, couldn’t they get a room or something?

“You want to give it a go?”

My head snapped around towards Sean.