Sam, we all saw, was in heaven, and not because he could wee, he had hardly let Nathan out of his sight since we’d arrived.
“Hey,” Av grouses bringing me back to the present. “They say that steak is good for bruising. Lucky, I’d say! Weeing freely, teaching Sam to drive a tractor and steak! I’m having a pearler of a day!”
“Did you get kicked in the head, too?” grunts Sam. “They aren’t real!” He flourishes a large hand at Av’s faux steak.
They are amazing, Seth painted them so lifelike, right down to the fat and small veins through the meat. I made them thick and had sewn them with thick stitches that made them look like real slabs of meat sewn together with butcher’s twine.
“Don’t flourish your hand at my boobs like that! They are real!” Av reaches out a toe to push at his thigh, her face outraged, her hands cupping her steak bra protectively. Her tone becomes dry. “And I could get kicked in the head and still know beef, Sammie. But what I want to know is who died and made you such an expert?”
“On boobs or ...” Sam hedges. “’Cause I could go through all my experiences in detail if you want.” His hands form cupping motions nd his eyebrow waggling.
A soft chuckle, filled with a whistle of wind, stirs behind me. Av spins to show Chops her get up. I can tell that most people can’t decipher his words, but due to my dad being extremely raspy near the end, I find it easy. I had seen photos of him before when Zoey was here, posing happily with Avalon so was half prepared. The others were not. It was an amazing effort for them to gulp down their emotions at the sight of him and a very safe one because Av and Nathan both gazed upon Chops in a way that tingled my spine. I know that it would be a dangerous situation if someone bullied Chops.
“Erk, definitely not boobs or your ‘experiences’,” Av says with a grossed-out face. Then “Totally,” she grins at Chops. “Sam should get a set, too! Great idea, me! Not boob bits but steak undies! No!” she stops, “sausage undies!! We’ll let him ride Frank too since he’s an expert.” She directs that to Chops.
Sam goes to push her but thinks twice when Nathan looks at him sideways, not in a bad way, just a think about it way. Av smirks and raises an eyebrow before flouncing into the bathroom. Not once did she ask what she looked like, just totally happy with the realness of the steaks. She said it would have been rather hard for her to smile wearing real steak in the heat forecast for tomorrow and muttered something about Daryl going off his banana about bacteria.
“Can’t wait to do this,” Nat claps his thigh. “Old Frankie in the city. I’m going to climb a light post and yell out stuff.” He turns to the door Av is behind with a grin. “I’ll lift you up on one.”
“You’ll have to,” she replies with a sad chuckle.
My heart stutters at the name. Frank is more frightening than any animal I’ve ever encountered. He is massive, and his eyes follow Avalon like a dog follows a sausage at a barbeque. His huge head hits the fence if he wants her attention and then when she goes over to him, he switches into the biggest sook ever. He practically lolls over and lays on her if he gets the chance, rubbing his head along her leg and licking her kneecaps. He acts like a huge puppy.
“Are you ready for me?” Nathan cornflower blues on me, a twinkle of excitement dances within their depths. He steps toward me. My breath hitches and I take an involuntary pace back from his bulk. A dullness envelopes his face for a second, the laugh lines around his eyes flattening. I can’t say anything, my throat paralysed. His blue eyes seem dimmer. The sound of a door opening makes my heartbeat faster, and all I can think of is where has the courage I thought I had finally found disappeared to? Where is it?
“Don’t tower over her, big dong head,” Avalon chides arriving with clothes on, whacking Nathan across the back of his head. “She’s used to guys being moronic, big pigs.”
My eyes flick to Sam without warning, and I catch the unmistakable guilt in his answering glance. I feel bad, he’s changing... just like me. I forgive him. I send him a shy smile.
“Maybe we need to take you for some pregnant gas,” Nathan tilts his head to the side, surveying me like a cow. “Let you find your inner hammerhead.”
“Inner hammerhead?” I repeat stupidly. I know he’s like Avalon, so committing to anything before knowing exactly what it entails, may be perilous. Avalon talks like Nathan is great fun, but Av herself is pretty wild, I’m almost certain I wouldn’t survive Nathan’s ‘fun’.
“Sounds awesome!” Sam claps his hands together. “Inner hammerhead’s got a mean arse ring to it. Go for it, D! You need to get ready for Amanda after this morning.”
A boulder seems to lodge in my throat. While Sam thinks it was the best thing ever because Amanda got mega done in and stormed off in hysterics from Nathan’s display of the hideous and hairy mega V and the truck, she then returned later and seemed decidedly smug. Apparently, she spouted off to anyone that would listen that Avalon would get her just desserts and the whole pig eating off Amanda’s legs thing would be a mercy compared to what was coming Avalon’s way. She even told Seth that he was beneath her now, in looks, in attitude, in everything and that he’d be sorry too. I have no idea what is going on in her head, but she certainly portrayed that she had something up her sleeve.
I was worried about Av, Amanda has a very mean streak to her. She saw me in the corridor waiting to go into the exam and snarled at me that I wouldn’t escape what was coming to me either. That I would wish I never left the dunny.
Av’s head snaps up, “What do you mean by that?” Nathan instantly cocks his head at her tone and swivels his eyes to pin Sam.
Sam shrugs nonplussed, “She was just raving on with mad-arse crap because she got ripped. She was only spouting stuff that she thought would worry you. Don’t sweat it, what the hell can she do?”
Av’s stands there for a second and I wonder what thoughts are dashing through her head, her blue eyes seem to darken and flash before she says, “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Nathan watches her and seems to make a decision. I’m glad I’m on their side.
“Anyway, Amanda’s just bullshit,” Sam stretches his shoulders back. “Where were we? Inner hammerhead... mean arse? Remember?”
“It’s not mean,” an older voice interrupts in a wry tone. “It’s a whole lot of crawling and creating sounds like you are dying from a potent throat infection. A bit of nipping thrown in too,” Av’s grandfather, Orb (who we were told to call Pop) winks at me and rubs his legs wryly.
I giggle at Avalon and Nathan’s matching scowls. Least they stopped broadcasting the fact they were about to go hunting.
“I sounded good,” they both point at him in unison, they bark at each other that they were the better singer.
“It was horrendous. Just keeping it real,” he waves at them with a roll of his eyes before heading off the kitchen. “My ears are finally healing so don’t even look like you want to do it, D... please.” His words fall in a trail behind him. Everyone listens in case there’s more.
Nathan is the first to stop staring after Pop. “Was it this guy?” He jerks his thumb at Sam with a wicked grin splitting his face. I feel confused. “Was he a pig to you?” He clarifies, returning to that subject.
I swallow uncomfortably and suddenly find the peeling paint on the architraves interesting. Time ticks by, Nathan has the same characteristic of just waiting for the answer as his sister.
“I was,” Sam admits of his own accord. Avalon gives him a slow clap.
“First step on your own,” she smiles. “And was is the important word there.”
“But still,” Nathan’s voice holds exactly the same note that Avalon’s does when she’s had an idea that has started to sprout. I hold my breath, Sam has been good lately, I don’t want him to get hurt. It seems I associate Nathan with violence and that’s unfair.
“A bit of good-natured retribution taking never hurt anyone,” he continues.
Sam appears to have eyes that can grow to the size of sau
cers like he’s being harried about taking on a lion. I mustn’t be the only one then.
Nathan turns to me, “You have to know how to defend yourself against bigger guys or jealous biatches” he crushes one huge fist into another, “it will make you grow your confidence. We will have practice after my fitting. He,” he jerks a finger at Sam, “can be your designated punching bag.”
Avalon raises an eyebrow at me, a silent question asking do you want to? Ready to step in if I didn’t but, there is also something else in her face. She believes I should. I think she’s worried about Amanda more than Sam and the fact that she’s not at school now.
I focus back on Nathan, waiting totally confident that he can get me, someone that only got enough courage to even speak up in the last month, to be fierce and knowledgeable enough to face my abusers. He did teach Avalon and she is both of those things, but I think she was probably born with those elements in her blood. My fingers twist the measuring tape nervously in my hands, I had forgotten I was even holding it
I nod before my courage fails me again. I must seem like a deer, not the fierce tiger I had imagined when confronting Jarrod and Noah.
Nathan smiles, the same smile that on Avalon looks deceptively mild, you couldn’t believe the thought behind that smile would be in her head, but on him, it’s tinted devilish with a more than a tinge of savage. “We will have... tasks,” he says after a second with a real wolf creek grin.
“Run, Sammie,” Avalon whispers ominously. “Run.”
Sam’s head switches between them. Chops moves in behind him and places a large hand on his shoulder making him jump. “Tasks,” he rasps. “Are great fun!”
Sam just nods, obviously not understanding a word Chops said.
“He said,” Avalon chuckles, “Tasks are great fun. Emphasis on fun, Sammie. You’ll be fine. I’ll save Savage Nathan for Jarrod or someone. You’ll love that!”
“Jarrod?” Nathan turns to Sam with interest. His biceps bulge.
Sam begins to tell Nathan about Jarrod, as he does Nathan pulls off his shirt and jeans revealing the largest expanse of smooth skin I have ever been close to, full of angles and mountains and valleys of muscle. He smells very similar to Avalon, like the outdoors has been ingrained into their DNA but of an extremely masculine variety. He is the male version of her. A big, male version. No wonder Avalon is not impressed around males smaller than him.
They have exactly the same expressions and mannerisms. Av’s are softened by her beauty and that sometimes makes even the most dangerous expression not seem perilous at all. But the thought of those expressions on Nathan clatters around my stomach to tense and twist it. And he’s displaying a pretty nasty one now as Sam describes Jarrod at the beach.
They are made of exactly the same stuff. I think they are twins in a different way than usual... they are even born on the same day. And Av told me that they were born seven years and seven minutes apart. Very strange. I’m unsure what I believe about death, Av believes death is dead, over and done with. Zoey said that was due to growing up on a farm... I want to believe that Dad is watching down on me now, so proud, maybe he bought Avalon to me that day. Mama said she thought he did.
I try to find my hidden tiger, crouching behind my spine. He waits. For quite a few breaths, deep ones. His eye’s the colour of the bluest sky are filled with unexpected warmth. I finally move. I feel hot as I thread the tape around Nathan’s torso. “I can’t wait to have my own leotard,” he grins down at me. “I’ve wanted one forever, you know?”
“You should get a really awesome ‘strike a pose’ shot in it out the front of the hospital and send it to dad in a frame,” Av laughs.
Chops giggles too. When he catches me looking, he lowers his eyes to the ground and the smile fades away. I feel terrible.
“Chops?” I hedge. He peeks up through his lashes, hopeful, a light growing in his chocolate eyes. “Could you please give me a hand?”
He smiles and for the first time, I don’t flinch at the sight. Chops reminds me of a story my mama used to read me when I was little, about the Unseelie fairy king who was beautiful on one side and horrifying on the other. If he were not injured, Chops would be a very handsome man. Brown soft wavy hair and large brown eyes. I wonder if he’s any older than Nathan. He looks roughly the same if you focus on his good side, he’s just got this old soul aura around him.
“Can you please take down the measurements in my little book, there,” I point, he nods happily. His large hand grips my ice cream sundae pencil, dwarfing it. He smells it and lifts it again... and again. He brings my book to his nose and inhales. A small smile tugs at his lips. He must like vanilla.
“Don’t eat those, Choppie,” Av pats him on the back affectionately. He puts them in front of her nose and she smells. “Hmmm.”
“Umm,” the deep masculine voice in front of me murmurs. “Chops, I’m feeling left out here.”
Nathan scents them too.
“This trait,” he looks at his sister. “You can bring home with you. I’d like a girl to smell like this. All soft and marshmallow like.”
Av winks at me and moves into the kitchen to help her Pop, Harry and Flea chop up food for the BBQ. The other guys are outside painting something for Avalon. A tractor, I think. She’s decided that all of Harry’s machinery need makeovers. I’m not sure if they’ll be up to Noah’s standard but by the look it, the tractor will be quite learie.
I’m glad she’s in view, I’m feeling better about dealing with people now but not such big people yet.
Chops bends down to pick up the pencil he just dropped and returns upright holding up one of my Rebel Heart shirts that I have made for Av’s order. “Oh,” I say, worried because I’m not sure if they were for Christmas or not.
My eyes flick to her, and she moves her hand in a questioning way. I drop the tape measure and quickly go over to tell her what’s happened.
“No worries,” she pops a carrot into her mouth. “Go ahead and give them all out. I have new Christmas pressies in mind!”
I know that is Chops’ one because I thought the lemon colour and sky blues would go well with his eyes and hair, “That’s for you,” I mumble, heat seeping into my cheeks. “Av ordered them for ---”
I’m cut off by his arms wrapping around me, gently and softly. He pulls back and swings the shirt around. “I love it. It’s beautiful! Thank you so much,” he cries to both Av and I. The way he regards and fingers the shirt hurts my heart. He continues to dance around with the shirt in front of him like it’s a beautiful lady, the love of his life.
I bend further and pull out Nathan’s, who grins and instantly shrugs it on, the reds make his eyes burn electric blue.
I hand out Harry’s, Flea’s and Pop’s and am greeting with so much gratefulness and admiration I feel almost overcome. I can’t stop blushing. Av shoos everyone together for a family shot. I want to shrink back, not used to all the fuss and glowing praise.
Nathan grabs my hand delicately and pulls me back to the measuring tape. “You are amazing,” he smiles. “The shirts are awesome. Be proud!” I swallow. “This leotard is going to blow minds!” I’m thankful as he starts to tell me about how he toted Irene and Gwen up and down the hostel corridors as they swung from his biceps. Then how he kept doing pranks on Dastardly Doreen with bedpans. I hope she checks her water bottle before swigging!
“Tell me about Zoey,” he says when I finally stop giggling at the hostel dance practice story. I’m completely at ease now.
“She has met someone,” I start. Then pop a pin in my mouth while I adjust the material around his waist. “She thinks he’s amazing. She always rings up, like every night and asks for stories as one of their fav things to talk about is what we are all doing. He finds Av’s capers hilarious.”
A small crease furrows in Nathan’s brow, “I’m glad she’s moved on from Jesse, he wasn’t right for her... or my sister. Who is he?”
“Clary Rohane is his name I think,” I pull the pin out. “Have yo
u heard of him?”
Nathan goes stock still and every cell in his body screams predator. His blue eyes resemble shards of ice. “Rowan?” he bites out in a tone that is so full of malice I feel like my insides just dropped to China. I’m surprised fangs haven’t slid over his lips. Oh no!
“No, no, no! R.O.H.A.N.E,” I spell it, almost stuttering. “I think you say it Row - Harn.”
He shakes his head instantly freeing his whole body of its savagery. “Maybe he’s not a cattle owner, just a normal guy.”
“She met him on the internet,” I smile.
“Well,” he muses, “he just may be a 75-year-old bearded woman.”
Av has been singing songs and Nathan and Chops have been dancing, at one stage they made us all do the heel and toe with them. It was very fun. Chops absolutely loves music, he loses himself in it, not caring about anything but what the music seems to want his body to do. Outlaw even swaggered over when Av played and sung, his ears flicking back and forth, one leg stamping at random times. Most people hid their beers, but Nathan went over and gave Outlaw one. The tall horse snatched it ruthlessly from his hand and tipped his long head up in the air gulping the contents.
Nathan couldn’t believe it. “He’s worse than Guzzler!” he exclaimed to Av and Pop.
“That’s scary,” Pop had answered. “You aren’t to have drinking contests against him, that’s my word of law for this week.”
Nathan just rolled his eyes, “Harry Potter should have had a chapter like that, drinking games with the Thestrals, that’d be more exciting than hunting spiders.”
“Hey, Aragog was huge!” Av started and then they argued for at least fifteen mins. Av end up opening a beer, scrambling up Chops’ back and tipping it over Nathan who then became the object of a very determined horse tongue. I’m glad he had taken of his Rebel Heart shirt, because the one he on was ripped to shreds. Tina and Lucy nearly died.
Avalon Expandable Heart: The Wild Heart Series Page 32