Dark Days at TAC

by Richard Pinkerton

CHAPTER 14:

  Confusion

  Holly’s mind was in turmoil. For six months, everything had gone along fine between her and Mav, but now things had all turned to custard once more.

  ‘I’m so confused and I don’t know what to think,’ she told Chelsea and Jacqui during interval as they sat outside E block. ‘He insists he’s not seeing Samantha Drysdale, but I just don’t… you know… know whether to believe him or not and I can’t keep accusing him of it.’

  ‘I don’t know what to say…’ Chelsea said; her expression pained.

  ‘I know I need to try to trust him, but it’s just… you know… so hard.’

  ‘Why worry about it?’ Jacqui asked. ‘I mean, hell, you’ve got Rex making a play for you now. Let Samantha have him, you can have the real prize.’

  Holly flinched. She had considered that herself, but she just didn’t feel right about it. ‘It’s so hard. A huge part of me says “Go for it, Holly, you can have Rexy like you always wanted,” but the other part of me says, “No, you can’t take advantage of the situation, because he’s not in his right mind.’ She sighed heavily. ‘It’s so frustrating because… you know… even though I love Mav there’s such a strong allure when it comes to Rex.

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Jacqui said.

  ‘Besides… he’ll come right. He has to and what then? I’ll just… you know… lose out to Vanessa and then I’ll have just buggered things up with Mav even more. I want to prove to him that I can be trusted and if I get it on with Rexy, that’s not gonna happen, is it? It’s just so hard and I’m worried, because if Rex keeps… you know… chasing me, I don’t think I’ll have the willpower to resist him.’

  At the moment, Vanessa arrived on the scene. She sat down with them, her face gloomy. She didn’t say anything, so Holly continued, ‘I just wish I knew what to do… about Mav, I mean. How do I prove he’s not cheating on me?’

  ‘Why don’t you talk to Samantha?’ Chelsea asked.

  ‘I couldn’t. There’s no proof. I’d be accusing her of stuff she might be innocent of. It may even get back to Rick that I’ve been…you know… asking questions.’

  ‘Oh, for goodness sake,’ Jacqui growled. ‘You two have been having problems ever since you got together. Perhaps it’s time to get real and move on. Hell, Rex wants you. Are you crazy? Go for it!’

  Holly tensed up, especially seeing as Vanessa sat right there with them. She peered across to see her reaction.

  ‘Oh come on!’ Jacqui said. ‘Do you have to have her permission or something? She has no say in this. Rex goes after who he wants to go after. You have just as much right to him as she has. I bet if she was in your shoes she’d go for it, wouldn’t you, Vanessa?’

  Vanessa paused and gazed at Jacqui for a few seconds then let out a deep sigh and nodded. ‘Of course I would…’ She turned her eyes to Holly. ‘You have to do what’s right for you. You know, I could even handle it if you did start seeing him. What I can’t handle is the fact that Rex is hanging out with Ben Tamati right now. That’s what gets to me. Instead of being with us, the ones who want to be his friends, he’s hanging out with a gang member, a loser who hates his guts, one who even led a vicious assault against him once. What’s with that?’

  Holly could see the pain in her eyes and realised that this whole business was really taking a toll on her. She realised now that she could never move in on Rex. She just couldn’t do that to her.

  ‘It’s the amnesia, Vanessa,’ Chelsea said. ‘That’s all it is.’

  ‘But normally he wouldn’t be able to tolerate people like Ben. Would amnesia have such a radical affect when it comes to his tastes?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  Holly couldn’t help but share the same concerns with Vanessa. ‘You know I even saw him chatting with Morgan Casey like they were good friends. That guy is such a creep.’

  ‘It’s so surreal,’ Chelsea said. ‘Like…’ Her words trailed off.

  ‘Like what?’ Holly asked.

  ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Oh, let me guess.’ Jacqui smirked. ‘The time you spent with your new boyfriend in the Bay of Islands?’ She laughed.

  ‘Actually, yes. It was very surreal.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Never mind. It’s too hard to explain. But Holly, I say go talk to Sam. She’s a reasonable person. If she’s innocent, then she’ll remain calm and she’ll find some way to assure you, she’s not seeing Mav. Then you can put your mind at rest and know he’s not cheating on you.’

  ‘But it won’t put my mind at rest. All it will do is rule out her being the one. For all I know he’s seeing someone completely different.’

  Jacqui sighed loudly. ‘Look Holly, how many people are there in this world who are screwed up enough to go for someone like Rick Maverick? Come on now.’

  ‘What’s wrong with Mav?’ Chelsea said. ‘He’s a great guy.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Holly huffed. ‘Besides, it wasn’t all that long ago that you were… you know… making the moves on him, rem…?’ Her words trailed off and she stared at her friend as a horrible possibility came to her mind.

  Jacqui jerked back and stared at her. ‘Oh no! No, no, no, don’t you start accusing me of seeing Mav behind your back. I really was screwed up back then. That is ancient history and I’m still trying to live that down.’

  Holly took a deep breath. ‘I know. Of course it’s not you.’ Nevertheless, even though she said the words, an element of doubt remained. That previous year when Jacqui was trying to move in on Mav, she had tried to encourage Holly to dump him for Rex then too. Was it just a coincidence or was Jacqui once again putting devious plans into motion?

  ‘I say forget about the card,’ Jacqui said. ‘It probably wasn’t his anyway. You’re just going to piss a lot of people off if you go around accusing them of stealing your boyfriend.’

  ‘Maybe Jacqui’s right,’ said Chelsea. ‘Why don’t you just leave it? Trust him like you say you should.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess so,’ Holly said. However, she knew it would be easier said than done.

  To Holly’s surprise, five minutes after the conversation she had with her friends, Samantha came looking for her. Holly was about to collect her things from her locker in preparation for their next class when the leggy blonde stepped into the locker bay and greeted her. ‘Holly, we need to talk.’

  Holly froze. She felt the blood rush within her and a siren went off in her head. Samantha was coming to confess. She couldn’t help but let her fears out, ‘Oh no. Please, I don’t think I want to hear this. Please tell me you’re not seeing Mav. Please!’

  ‘Relax!’ the blue-eye senior said. ‘I am not seeing, Mav. You can trust me on that.’ She smiled warmly. ‘That ship sailed a long time ago. I even have a new boyfriend now. Mick Johnson. You know Mick right?’

  Holly took a deep breath. ‘Yes. He’s a year thirteen.’

  ‘We’re seeing each other. We started seeing each other over the Christmas break. Holly, Mav came to talk to me yesterday afternoon. I want you to know that I have never been seeing him behind your back and have no intention of it. Yes, I did fancy him and I still think he’s really sweet and cute, but I am in no way interested in having a relationship with him. I think you two are perfect for each other and I would never come between you.’ Her soft eyes seemed to make her words that much more sincere and Holly couldn’t help but feel she was telling the truth. She had seen Sam and Mick together quite a lot, but it had never occurred to her they were a couple. ‘So have I put your mind at rest?’

  ‘Yes.’ Holly smiled. ‘Thank you, Samantha.’

  ‘No worries.’

  Even though Holly had said “yes” her mind was still far from restful. The image of the card continued to haunt her and the horrible feeling remained that Mav had intended that card for someone. But who, if not Sam?

  She went to pull her books out of the locker when she noticed an envelope there. Inside the envelope, she found a card; a Valentin
e’s Day card. ‘Kind of late for Valentines,’ she said to herself as she opened it.

  Imprinted inside was.

  Be my valentine.

  It was signed, Paul Burgess.

  Holly sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned and noticed a head duck into the boy’s toilets at the last second. She sighed again. ‘That little pest... Paul, you little creep! Will you stop spying on me! And I don’t want your Valentine’s card. Give it to someone your own age. Oh and wait for February the 14th!’

  She hurled the card towards the toilets then departed.

  English was the next class of the day and she met up with her friends and sat down, ready to begin. Ms Cann arrived and peered around the classroom to see if everyone was there. ‘No Rex? Mmmmmm. I guess I kind of thought that with his memory loss, he may be more inclined to be at class on time.’

  ‘Maybe he forgot where he’s supposed to go?’ asked one of the students.

  ‘Perhaps, but he found his way here yesterday.’

  She began to teach, once again talking about “Animal Farm”. The class had been in session for five minutes when the door swung open and Rex stepped inside. He stood at the door, expressionless.

  ‘Please, Rex. Do come in and take your seat.’

  Holly’s first expectation was that Rex would pull one of his entertaining routines where he teased Ms Cann and got her into a tizzy, but his tone was dark and humourless. ‘What, you’re not going to scold me for being late, you old bat?’

  Everyone gasped. Holly had not heard him speak that harsh to anyone, unless they had really riled him up.

  Ms Cann turned red. ‘Please, Rex. I’d ask that you be a little more respectful please.’

  ‘To an old hag like you? Shouldn’t you have retired years ago?’

  More cruel words. It seemed to Holly that the boy before her was no longer the guy she’d come to love. It seemed the knock to his head or the drugs he’d been forced to take may have done some serous damage.

  Rex peered around the class and his eyes came to rest on Holly. He bowled over towards her, pulled her desk away, hauled her by the arm to her feet, cupped her face and delivered a long kiss, just as he had the day before.

  All Holly could do was stand there mesmerised. His kiss blew her away like it always had in the past, incapacitating her, but in a euphoric way. It was as if the world around her ceased to exist and all there was, was just him and her.

  This time though, Mav did not stand idly by. He leapt to his feet and shoved the table away. ‘Rex, stop it!’ He tried to rip Rex away from her, but he wouldn’t budge. Rex finally released her and Holly stood there, stunned, not knowing how to react.

  ‘Damn it, Rex, why are you doing this?’ Mav snapped.

  ‘Please, boys,’ Ms Cann said.

  A smirk appeared on Rex’s face.

  All Mav seemed to be able to do now was stare at him. ‘What’s happened to you, Rex?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Rex smiled. ‘I’m simply staking my claim, that’s all.’ He turned towards Holly and winked. He strolled over to a desk, sat down, swung his legs up onto it and folded his arms. ‘Well come on you old tart, teach!’

  CHAPTER 15:

  Creeped Out and Cast Out