White Ute Dreaming (9 page)

Angie

Far out. The toilets at school are not the best place to get half a hard-on but it was happening. I remember David Longmore, or whatever his name was, in year eight. We went swimming at the leisure centre in Fairleigh and someone caught him playing with himself in the toilets. Mate, he never lived that down. We called him David Long Dick, which I thought was a bit of a compliment but I don't think he saw the funny side of it. He shifted to Chisholm Catholic after that. Poor bastard. The stupid part about it is that we all played with ourselves, just that he was unlucky enough to get caught. I zipped my pants up a bit uncomfortably and put the note in my pocket. Far out.

Dennis forgot that he needed to go to the toilet. We spent the rest of that period discussing periods. Den argued that Mrs Jenkins wouldn't question it if a girl took her pencil case to the toilet. She reckoned she would. Jenny Findlay volunteered to try it out.

‘Miss, may I please go to the toilet?'

‘Sit down, Jen.'

‘Nah, I'm serious, Miss. I need to go.'

‘Yes, you may go but leave your pencil case there.'

‘Oh. Okay,' she said, and put her pencil case down. She grabbed her bag.

‘Jenny. Put your bag down please.'

‘But Miss,' she whispered so we could all hear. ‘It's got my tampons in it and I don't want anyone to see them.'

Den and the girls groaned. Hendo laughed.

‘Put your bag down Jen, please, and take a seat.'

‘Nah. I have to go,' she said, and dived into her bag. She pulled out a flowery box and went red. She was laughing and shaking it like a maraca as she walked out the door.

‘See,' Den said. ‘What if that had smokes in it?'

Whitney Robertson laughed. ‘It has! Never failed yet!'

‘Oh. Ripped off,' Den said, and rocked back on his chair.

‘Put your chair down, Dennis,' Mrs Jenkins said. ‘I'll tell you what, if Jenny comes back and there is anything other than—you know—what's supposed to be in there, I'll give her a detention at lunchtime.'

Jenny came back. Jenny got a detention. Den lit up a smoke in class. Mrs Jenkins went off. Sent him up to see Richo. Way to go, bloke. Man, I love the last day of term.

I found Angie at recess. I had it all worked out in my head before I saw her. I'd just tell her that I was really sorry but I've got a girlfriend and that would be it. I saw her and my intestines tingled. Caroline and the other girl who was with them took off.

I sat on the bench next to her and we looked in opposite directions for about a minute.

‘I got your note,' I said. My voice squeaked.

‘Yeah, which one?'

‘The latest one. The “would you kiss me” one.'

‘Oh yeah. That one,' she said, and looked at me. Her face had drained of blood except for her bright red cheeks. She looked like one of Santa's helpers. Not from the kids' book—from the grown-ups' book. Christmas '87 edition of
Penthouse
in Don's shed.

‘I was going to send it back to you but I wouldn't have a bloody clue where your locker is so I thought I'd just reply in person.'

‘Yeah. Okay. All right.'

‘What were the questions again?'

She laughed. ‘I can't remember.'

‘Oh yeah. Would I kiss you, now that I know who you are?'

‘Oh yeah, that's right.'

My knee jiggled. I rested my stump on it but it wouldn't stop. ‘The answer is . . . yes. Definitely. Absolutely.'

She put her hand over her mouth for a second then sat up straight, trying to hide her smile.

‘The second question?'

‘I remember that one,' she said. ‘How?'

‘Yeah, that's right. I can't remember the words exactly but I ticked the bottom box.'

‘The bottom box?'

‘Yep,' I said.

‘Whooo,' she said, and rested her arm on the back of the seat.

‘You okay?' I asked. The colour was coming back to her face now. Fast.

‘Yeah, fine,' she chirped. ‘Very fine.'

‘Very fine?'

She laughed. ‘You know what I mean.'

I nodded. I had a sudden urge for a cigarette so I excused myself to go to smokers' corner. I had taken ten steps and I could hear her squealing. Carolyn and her mate were holding Angie's arms and jumping up and down.

Den said that Richo told him not to burn too many bridges. Whatever that meant. They couldn't agree on a suitable punishment so Den sucked up big-time and Richo asked whether his mum and dad knew that he smoked. Den just said yes. He wouldn't get a caning if his mum and dad really knew but he'd get a lecture that would go on for six months. Not sure which I'd prefer.

It didn't slow him down at all. One of the year eights kicked a soccer ball onto the roof and he volunteered to be hoisted up to get it. He did a little dance over the top of the science rooms and someone growled at him from the quadrangle. He apologised loudly and when he was out of sight from them stuck his middle finger up. A group of year-nine girls came to say goodbye. I didn't know any of them by name but they all had to hug my skinny little mate. I think I worked out why he doesn't have a girlfriend. He's a bit like Uncle Don and instead of narrowing his options down to one girl, he hugs the lot. I guess that's got a bit going for it.

Angie tracked me down towards the end of lunch. I offered her a smoke and to my surprise she accepted. She drew back a huge lungful on her first drag and rolled it between her fingers to get the ash off. She'd done that before. The smoke gave her a look of confidence that made me want to sit down.

‘Rod Holloway's parents are going up to Sydney next week and Rod's having a party on Thursday.'

Her hand was shaking as she said the words and she nearly dropped her smoke. Was that an invitation? Rod had gone to Fairleigh primary and we'd been in year five together. Ended up going to Chisholm Catholic. His parents are a bit religious. He was an awesome footy player then and he plays for the seniors now.

‘Is Rod still living on Ashburn Street?' I asked.

She nodded.

‘Cool.'

She felt in her pocket. ‘Have you got a pen?'

I didn't have one but Hendo handed her one before I had a chance to ask.

‘What's your phone number?' she asked, and paused with the pen ready to scrawl on her upturned wrist. I told her and she said it was easy to remember. Her phone number had two different numbers on the end, otherwise it was exactly the same as mine. Freaky. I wrote her number on my stump and she told me to have a nice holiday.

‘Yeah, you too,' I said, and watched her bum as she walked off. Hendo and Den were watching, too.

Hendo shook his head. ‘Mate, she's hot.'

I chuckled and looked at her number.

‘What is it with you, Wayne? How do you do it? You always have chicks hanging off you,' Hendo said, and pushed me in the arm.

‘I dunno,' I said, and smiled.

‘I might cut my hand off and see if that helps,' Hendo grumbled.

‘Nothing could help you, sleazebag,' Den said.

‘Thanks, mate,' Hendo said, and crossed his arms.

Den was right though; Hendo is a sleazebag. He'll be talking to a woman—like Jenny that morning—and he won't look at her face, he'll just stare at her tits until it's so obvious she'll cross her arms or something. Don't get me wrong, I like eye-lollies too, but Hendo missed out on the politeness gene.

Kerry was waiting out the front for me when school exploded that afternoon and she wanted a dink.

‘Are you crazy?' I asked.

‘Nah,' she said. ‘Might be the last time I get to risk my life like this for ages. Some people go to theme parks, you know, and go on all the scary rides. They're nothing.'

We rode up to the caravan park and grabbed the crazy yellow dog. Dad made a few limp jokes and Kerry laughed when she was supposed to. I told Dad we were taking Ernie for a walk to the flat to pick up some stuff. He said tea would be ready around six.

The sky was heavy and blue-grey like any minute it was going to bucket down but I took it easy going home. Kez insisted on cleaning up the backyard so I helped. It's funny but the only things that make Ernie run away are the smell of his own poo and the sight of me with the hose. I've never squirted him or anything but he gets a bit toey when I wash the little broom and shovel.

We went inside and Ernie snuffled around on the kitchen floor licking up breadcrumbs or whatever, like the biggest mouse that had ever lived. Kerry flopped onto the couch and I turned the TV on.

‘Nah. Turn it off,' she said softly, and patted the seat next to her. ‘Haven't got time for that.'

I pushed the button on the remote and sat down with her. She snuggled under my arm, pulled my shirt out of my pants and put her hand on my stomach. That lit the fire. It felt like ages since we'd been that close. Maybe it was the right time. I kissed her temple and she raked her nails over my chest. I sighed.

‘What?' she asked.

‘Nothing. That's nice.'

‘Nice?' she said, and brushed my nipple.

‘Well . . . delicious. Yummy. Very nice.'

‘Oh?' She lifted my shirt and kissed my belly button then wriggled so she was straddling me, her eyes half closed. We kissed. First like a few drops of rain falling on a tin roof. Then like a thunderstorm. I had a hard-on that felt like it was going to burst any minute and the way Kez was moving didn't help, wriggling like she couldn't get comfortable. Could she feel that? Oh, God. I reached my hand under her shirt and slid my fingers over the softness of her bra. I cupped her breast and she put her head on my shoulder and breathed on my neck. There was a hard nipple in there, trying to escape. I rolled it between my fingers and she kissed my ear. Sorry little nipple, I couldn't get you out if I tried. I couldn't undo a bra with two hands let alone one shaky one. Kez sat up and reached both hands behind her back. Next thing her top and bra were on the floor and she was helping me wrestle with my shirt. She sat back and looked at me. Red on her neck and face and the sweetest naughty smile. Looking at her beautiful body made me feel useless. Right at that moment she was so perfect, you know. I could never live up to that. Fact is I'm not perfect. For a start, she has two awesome boobs and I have one hand. As that feeling started to burn me up,
she took hold of my stump and rested it on her naked breast. I wanted to pull away. I didn't want to gross her out. She moved my wrist over the side of her breast and it felt so smooth and luscious.

‘That's nice,' she whispered.

‘Nice . . .' I said, and smiled.

‘Totally erotic and goes straight to my . . . you know.'

She tilted her head back and I stroked the other breast as well. She wriggled and I wondered if those layers of clothing would be enough to stop her getting pregnant if I exploded. We were going somewhere we had never been before.

The phone rang. Kez jumped and looked around for her clothes.

‘It's only the phone,' I said as she got up.

‘Yeah, I know. You'd better answer it.'

I don't have to, do I? Come back!

It was Mum. ‘I thought you might be there. What are you up to?'

‘Nothing. Just came over to get some clothes and that.'

‘Can you water the plants while you're there, love? The two in the lounge and the maidenhair in the bathroom.'

‘Yeah. Okay.'

‘Everything okay?'

‘Yep. Fine.'

‘All right. Don't do anything stupid. I'll see you on Tuesday some time.'

‘Yep. Right. See you.'

‘And the plants. The little watering-can is under the sink in the kitchen.'

‘Yep. Okay. Bye.'

‘How is it, staying with your dad?'

I shifted feet. ‘Yeah. Fine. No worries.'

‘See you on Tuesday. Look after yourself.'

‘Yep. Bye,' I said, and hung up.

The fire had gone out. Kerry was dressed and Ernie was scratching at the door.

‘We'd better get going,' she said, and pointed to the clock on the microwave. 5.47. I'd reset it and gone past the right time by twenty minutes and I couldn't be fagged going through the whole process again.

‘That clock's fast,' I said, but it didn't matter. Kez had grabbed Ernie's lead and all that was left of our heat was my crumpled shirt and a cold spot in my undies. I got dressed and locked the door behind me. Fuck the plants.

Kez huddled close to me on the way back to her place. We didn't say much to each other, we didn't have to. She said they'd be leaving about lunchtime and that I should come over to wish them goodbye. I said I would but it sounded like hard work. A huge van was parked in their drive and a couple of bright lights had been set up in the yard. A fat bloke and a skinny one struggled through the front door with the mattress from a double bed. The fat bloke was sweating and I could see his head shining from the road. He used his blue singlet to wipe his brow as he thumped inside for another load.

‘Going to come in for a while?' Kez asked.

‘Nah. I'll get going. I'll probably see you before you go tomorrow though.'

She nodded and hugged me around the neck. She planted a cool kiss on my lips and ran inside. It started to rain.

I puffed a bit harder than I needed to when I got back to the van. I was soaked to the ball bag and so was Ernie.
He had a wild look in his eyes like he'd been swinging off the clothesline. Dad made a bit of a fuss and dried my hair with a towel but he wasn't pissed that we were late. The van stunk like vomit. He'd made spaghetti bolognese and had got a bit heavy-handed with the Parmesan cheese. Spaghetti block-a-nose more like it. It was good. He's a good cook when he tries.

I walked up to the shower block and had a shower of power after tea. Must have been in there for half an hour and the water was still hot. My knob went off while I was cleaning it—that's the honest truth—and I had to wash the shower stall as well. Can thank Kez for that. There is so much I'll miss about her.