by Scott Monk
‘Make it fifteen. It’s hot outside.’
Sam left smiling and Brett laughed. The old bloke was definitely all right.
Swallowing the last of his drink, Brett stood up. His nerves steeled themselves and he sucked in a few deep breaths. One step. Two steps. He was away. He tried to look as cool as possible but was worried he looked more like a dropkick.
Caitlyn’s friends saw Brett before she did. The conversation stopped as they watched him approach. Caitlyn had her back to him and turned when one of her friends didn’t answer her. She was only half-interested in the distraction at first, but when she saw him, she forgot what she was talking about.
‘Hello,’ she said, smiling. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Having lunch. You walked straight past me.’
‘Sorry, I thought it was just a man and his grandson passing through town,’ she laughed. ‘I saw Sam’s ute outside but thought that this would be the last place I’d find him.’
‘Yer, well “grandad” needed some pushing. He might like eating beans all the time, but I don’t.’ They laughed at their ongoing private joke. ‘No, seriously, we needed some supplies from your store. I thought you might be working later so I tagged along.’
‘Not until much later. It’s a school day.’
‘Yer, I can see,’ Brett grinned, looking round the table at the four girls. ‘School finish early today?’
They all grinned sheepishly. Caitlyn pursed her lips and glanced at her friends. ‘Yes, and it’s such a shame. We’ve all got one of those’ — she coughed — ‘summer flu’s. You know the type.’
Brett matched her grin. ‘Oh, of course. I used to get them all the time. I found the best cure was to go to the local pool.’
‘River,’ Caitlyn corrected him.
They shared a smile before suddenly pausing, realising the small-talk had all dried up. Brett stood there, trying to think of things to say, when one of Caitlyn’s friends said, ‘Well aren’t you going to introduce us?’ She had this big smirk on her face as if she knew something.
‘I was getting to that,’ Caitlyn said, defensive all of a sudden. She introduced everyone round the table. ‘Brett, this is Nikki, Natalie and Joss.’
‘Short for Jocelyn,’ the last friend, a girl with a nice smile, said. ‘Hi.’
Brett answered each of them with a g’day.
‘So you’re the guy Caitlyn keeps talking about?’ Natalie asked.
‘Nat!’ Caitlyn elbowed her friend under the table.
‘What?’ Natalie said with an ouch.
‘Do you want a seat, Brett?’ Caitlyn asked, quickly trying to change the subject. She pointed at the spare spot next to Joss — furthest away from her, he noticed.
He looked round the table. Nat, Nikki and Joss were all smiling at some secret they held. Normally, he felt uncomfortable round friends of a friend but these three seemed okay. They were making Caitlyn feel ten centimetres tall but hopefully he could make her laugh.
‘Yer, okay,’ he said. He expected Joss to shuffle over but she said it was time for her to leave.
‘Sorry, but I have to buy a birthday present for my sister,’ she said.
‘And I have to return a book to the library,’ Nikki said.
They stood up and looked at Natalie who was still sitting at the table. ‘What?’
‘Don’t you have to be somewhere?’ Joss said.
‘No.’
‘Yes you do.’ Nikki hoisted Natalie up by the arm. ‘You have to buy new shoes, remember?’
‘No.’
Nikki elbowed her. ‘Yes you do.’
‘Oh, those new shoes!’ Natalie said. ‘I remember now.’
The three girls waved goodbye, leaving Caitlyn red-faced and Brett grinning at their hasty exit.
‘Subtle, aren’t they?’ he said when they were alone.
‘Sorry about that,’ Caitlyn said. ‘They’re normally not like that.’
‘That’s okay. I just hope it wasn’t because of me.’
‘No, no. They just had —’
‘— things to do?’
‘Yes, things to do.’ Caitlyn was getting more flustered so Brett wasn’t surprised when she changed the topic. ‘You want a drink?’
‘I just had one but I’ll go another one.’
‘What do you want?’
‘A Coke. Here, I’ll pay.’
‘No, my shout. You can buy the next one.’
Caitlyn paid for two Cokes and offered him one.
‘I’m glad you’re here,’ she started. ‘I’m, uh, sorry about what happened at the rodeo. Dad’s not usually like that.’
‘It’s forgotten,’ Brett shrugged. ‘Calling me a criminal kind of made me mad, that’s all. I’m trying to do the right thing here and it weighs on me, y’know, when someone pays me out like that. I don’t need reminding. I know what I’m doing time for. I’m not proud of it. What’s worse, it affects my family too. They’re good people. They don’t deserve my bad reputation.’ He smiled. ‘I’ve never told anyone that before.’
Caitlyn didn’t laugh, like he expected her to. She nodded knowingly instead. That was cool.
‘Hey, what time are you working this afternoon?’ he asked quickly to cover up the uncomfortable silence.
‘From three-thirty to five-thirty as usual.’
‘Even though you’re “sick”?’
‘It’s just one of those couple-of-hours bugs, you know. A few hours of swimming and I’ll be fine again.’
‘You going down to the river with your friends?’
‘No, they’re going over to Nikki’s to watch some videos later. Her parents are away for a couple of days so she has the house to herself.’
‘So you’re going swimming by yourself?’
‘Not if anyone wants to join me,’ she said, with a sly smile.
Brett answered with a sly smile of his own. Him. Her. Alone. Forget the sly smile. Grin a mile wide, boy! He might have something real to brag about to the guys this time! But Brett dropped the grin. There was no way Sam would let him go swimming unsupervised. And Brett would only go unsupervised.
He was going to answer with some smart remark when Caitlyn spoke first.
‘Don’t look,’ she said, distracted by something outside. But Brett did and saw her three friends peeping through the window at them, giggling and elbowing each other. They realised they’d been caught out and quickly scrambled away. He couldn’t help but laugh. It was just a bit too obvious.
‘I heard a couple of guys were expelled from The Farm after the rodeo,’ Caitlyn said, changing the subject faster than the colour of her blushing face! ‘What happened?’
Brett told her about Darren and Paul and how the cops had busted them. He left out the part about the fight with Smiling Joe, though.
‘What about your friend? The girl with red hair? What was her name?’
‘Rebecca. I don’t think she enjoyed it. She ended up drunk and hurling in the gutter somewhere.’
‘Is she your … girlfriend?’
‘Used to be. Though after the other night I don’t know why.’
‘Did she follow you up here?’
‘No, she didn’t know I lived here. She left Sydney before I did. I knew her boyfriend worked for a rodeo but I didn’t think it was the same one that just passed through town.’
‘Where is she now?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard from her since. The rodeo left town weeks ago, so I guess she and her boyfriend left with it.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ Caitlyn said.
Brett followed her gaze to the door. Dressed in a fluorescent green crop top and black hip-hugging shorts, Rebecca walked into the takeaway. Her hair was a mess but seductive. She strolled up to the counter and leaned over the cash register until the cook came to serve her.
‘What’s she still doing here?’ Brett groaned.
‘I thought the rodeo left town.’
‘It did. Maybe she’s just sobered up.’
Caitlyn laughed quietly and they both looked back at the counter.
‘Oh no. Now she’s seen us.’ Brett hid his face by pretending to rub his temples. ‘Is she coming over here?’ he asked.
Caitlyn nodded. ‘What should we do?’
But it was too late.
‘Hello!’
Brett glanced up. ‘Oh, hi Rebecca. I thought you would’ve left with the rodeo by now.’
‘No! The best thing happened! I dumped Joe after meeting this gorgeous guy who lives on a property near here. He said I could stay with him as long as I want. Isn’t that great? Now we can hang out together again like old times.’
‘Yer … great,’ Brett said.
Rebecca eyed the seat next to him until he got the hint. Reluctantly, he shuffled over and glanced at Caitlyn. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking at that moment. But he knew it couldn’t be good.
Rebecca looked across at Caitlyn, finally acknowledging that there were in fact three people sitting at this table, not just two. ‘Oh … hi,’ she said. ‘I’m Rebecca.’
‘Caitlyn.’
‘Are you from round here?’
‘I live on a property upriver.’
‘A property? What do you do? Do you work? Or do you go to school still?’
‘I go to school.’
‘Oh,’ Rebecca said, drawing out the word. ‘What year? Nine?’
‘Eleven,’ Caitlyn corrected, the friendly smile fading from her beautiful face.
‘Really? You look a little young to be in year eleven. How old are you?’
‘Sixteen,’ Brett interrupted, not liking Rebecca’s catty tone. ‘And she is in year eleven.’
‘You studying to be anything in particular? Or are you planning on being a farmer’s wife for the rest of your life? Have a few kids —’
‘No, I’m not going to be a “farmer’s wife”,’ Caitlyn said, an edge to her voice. ‘I’m hoping to go to uni like my brothers and study veterinary science or maybe biology.’
‘Veterinary science or biology? I thought you had to be smart to get into uni.’
‘Sorry?’
‘You know — brains. It isn’t like milking a cow, you know.’
Caitlyn stood up. ‘I’m sorry. I have to leave,’ she said. ‘Excuse me.’
‘Don’t go.’ Brett stood up too.
She looked at him then Rebecca. ‘Maybe some other time.’
And she left.
‘Is it something I said?’ Rebecca asked, watching Caitlyn leave.
Brett glared at his ex. He couldn’t believe what she’d just done. ‘Thanks a lot, Rebecca,’ he said.
‘Forget about her. She’s too precious. Take a seat and we can talk about what we’re going to do in this hole for the next few months.’ She pulled on Brett’s hand but he yanked it away violently. ‘Get out of my face!’ he said.
Running outside, he yelled, ‘Caitlyn! Wait!’
She stopped in the middle of the street and he joined her.
‘I’m, uh, sorry about that,’ he said. ‘I tried to get rid of her.’
‘I know,’ Caitlyn said. ‘But I had to leave though. I don’t like her.’
‘Don’t worry. I just told her off. I won’t let her talk to you like that.’
‘You didn’t have to do it. I can look after myself.’
‘Maybe, but you’re my friend. I don’t like my friends being treated that way.’
A car approached and they both finished walking to the other side. ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘But I still better go.’
‘Can’t wait until you can find a “cure” for that flu of yours, huh?’
‘No,’ she answered, grinning again. ‘And I shouldn’t be going alone either. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who’d like to walk with me, would you?’
Brett grinned coyly. ‘I know one guy who would.’
‘Oh yes? Who?’
‘Brett! Time’s up, Romeo. C’mon. We’ve got to get back to The Farm.’
‘Sam!’ Brett hissed across the street.
His feelings in the open now thanks to the old man, Brett glanced over his shoulder and saw Caitlyn barely controlling a wide smile. His confidence rose again. He wasn’t the only one blushing! She liked him too!
He wondered if the right time was now. Maybe he should ask her. Clearly she liked him. He swallowed back the fear. He had to get it over with. At least he’d know once and for all if she liked him. It’d be better than suffering for the next couple of weeks, wondering.
‘It’ll have to be another day,’ he started safely. ‘I have to go. But that doesn’t mean we can’t, um —’
‘We can’t what?’ Caitlyn asked.
‘We — er — I mean —’
‘Yes?’
Brett gave a stupid little laugh. He never was good at asking girls out. ‘Don’t worry. It’s dumb.’
‘What?’ Caitlyn pushed. ‘C’mon. Tell me.’
He was dead certain she knew. ‘I, er — no, I can’t.’
This was ridiculous. He wanted to ask Caitlyn out but he was scared. Of what? A girl!
‘Brett, whatever it is I promise I won’t think it’s dumb.’
‘Yes you will. That or you’ll get all embarrassed and I’ll get all embarrassed and —’
‘Brett, ask me.’
He looked at her face and he knew everything was all right. She not only knew but she wanted him to ask her out.
With a deep breath he said, ‘Even though you’re never going to talk to me again, I want to know if you wanted to — like, y’know — go out with me to a movie or something?’
There he’d said it! Now he just hoped she’d kill him off quickly.
Biting back an enormous smile, Caitlyn said, ‘All right.’
‘All right?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘All right.’
Brett nearly howled as Caitlyn got all shy and red-faced again. They looked at each other and smiled, not knowing what to do next. A car horn blasted from across the street. Brett didn’t have to turn round to realise it was Sam.
Brett turned to leave. ‘I better go. I’ll catch you later then?’
‘When?’ she called.
‘How about tomorrow?’
‘I’ll be at school.’
‘Catch another cold.’
‘I can’t. Two in one week’s too obvious.’
‘What about after school?’
‘I’m working at the store.’
‘How about this weekend?’
‘I’m going to my aunt’s on Sunday.’
‘Saturday then?’
‘I promised Dad I’d help him round the property.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Brett felt cheated. Asking Caitlyn out on a date was all for nothing if they couldn’t see each other. And that was before he’d even begun to figure out how to get past Sam to see her.
‘But that doesn’t mean you can’t come over and help me,’ she shouted.
‘Sold!’ Brett called back. ‘What time?’
‘Nine o’clock?’
‘Great. I’ll see you then.’
‘It’s a date.’
Brett waved back as he dodged another car to reach the ute. He was lucky not to be run over. His mind was doing cartwheels! He had a date with Caitlyn Douglas! The girl of his dreams! On Saturday! Nine o’clock! At —?
‘Caitlyn!’ he yelled out. She stopped and turned round. ‘Where do you live?’
‘“Yuriyuri”,’ she answered. ‘Just follow the river east. You can’t miss it.’
That settled, she waved a final goodbye. His face glowing, Brett watched her leave until Sam honked the horn once again.
Pushing himself off the dirt, Brett started sprinting! His boots thudded on the ground as he ran across the paddock. He made it two hundred metres, looked over his shoulder then hit the dirt again. Sam was about to glance his way! Frog realised it too and distracted the old man. It worked. Brett got to his feet again and made another hundred metres. Within five minutes, he’d escap
ed. He pulled up a small distance away from the property’s turn off then flagged down the first approaching car to hitch a ride.
With some help from the driver, he found where Caitlyn lived. It was a white medium-sized homestead set on a large property with beef cattle, geese and chickens. He banged on the front door again, shifting from one foot to the other, maybe a little too anxious to see Caitlyn. He knew that. But he’d thought Saturday would never come. He’d nearly gone crazy counting down the days until he got to see her again. So far, Sam knew nothing of the escape; only a couple of the guys. And just as they closed ranks to cover a wrongdoing, they closed ranks for something they thought was right. Brett knew he had to be back before the afternoon rollcall — if not sooner. He had two hours — or three tops — before Sam would become suspicious. (The guys could only lie for him for so long.) And if the old man found out before that, Brett could expect to be punished accordingly.
No one answered the door and he started to worry. She had said nine o’clock hadn’t she?
He pressed his face against the frosted-glass window to see if anyone was moving inside and thought he saw something. In old houses like this one it could’ve just been a shadow. He tried the door. It wasn’t locked. But he didn’t go inside. Knowing his luck, Caitlyn’s parents would catch him and think he was breaking in.
A noise rumbled from the east and Brett looked round. A tractor chained to a crackling cluster of dead timber bounced into view over a small rise. On board the blue monster were three people: a man in his late fifties, a woman with silver hair and a teenage girl. It was them.
Brett stayed out of sight for a while longer as he watched Caitlyn and her parents ride towards the house. They looked like they’d been awake for some time now, clearing the cattle paddocks of dead trees. Mr Douglas stopped the tractor behind the house and he and his daughter stepped off to unchain the timber. Even sweaty and covered in dust, Caitlyn looked sexy. Her hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail, leaving her with that cute fringe. She hadn’t seen him yet, so this gave him a chance to check out what mood her parents were in. They seemed mellow enough. Good. Last time had been a disaster.
Before showing himself, Brett double-checked that he looked respectable — well, passable. He’d borrowed the best shirt he could find and some hair gel from one of the guys. He’d never used gel before but he’d never met a girl like Caitlyn before. He’d also borrowed and slapped enough aftershave on his face to kill a skunk, brushed his teeth (three times), sprayed himself with deodorant (four times) and scrubbed enough zit cream into his face to nuke any pimples that might surface over the next decade. Not too much like a pretty boy hopefully — but just right.