by Beale, Fleur
He put his arms around me. ‘C’mon, babe. He’ll be sweet. Don’t stress.’
I tried to stop crying but it was so lovely with his arms around me and he was going away for two whole weeks and I wouldn’t be able to see him.
‘Minna! What is going on here? Who is this, and what are you doing in Noah’s bedroom?’ Mum. Of course.
Seb dropped his arms from round me like I’d become radioactive.
I wiped my face. ‘Mum, this is Seb and he helped me get Noah home.’
Mum skimmed a glance at Noah. ‘What do you mean, get him home? He’s sound asleep.’
I probably should have shut up, shrugged and got out of there, but her voice was loaded with suspicion. The look on her face showed that I’d been tried and condemned in the blink of an eye and it’s a wonder Seb didn’t die on the spot from poisonous mother vibes. So I did the dumb thing and explained. ‘He’s taken pills and A&E say he’ll sleep for hours.’ So suck on that. ‘And Seb helped me get him home.’
But did that make her apologise to him and smile? Not on your life. Her voice clanked with icicles as she said, ‘Thank you for your assistance, Seb. We’ll do very well now on our own. Minna will see you out.’
I would if I didn’t die of shame first. How could she speak to him like that? When I thought of how lovely his mother had been to me, it made me want to throw up, preferably all over my mother. ‘Sorry,’ I muttered once we got out of earshot. I couldn’t even look at him.
Seb gave me a hug. ‘Don’t sweat, doll. See you when I get back from Aus.’
I pulled out a smile. ‘Don’t forget the koala. And the postcard.’
He waved, climbed into his car and was gone. I watched until he was out of sight.
‘Minna! What’s happened here? Tell me this instant.’ Mum steamed out of Noah’s bedroom. ‘What’s Noah taken?’
I dug in my pocket for the pill bottle and held it out. ‘I found this. He must’ve taken some.’ She snatched it from me, marched off, phoned our doctor, and got the same advice that I’d already told her — let him sleep it off.
I waited for her to hug me and thank me for being adult and responsible and caring for my brother — huh! Some long wait that would be. She started right in on me.
‘All right, Minna. Let’s talk about the fact that you were with that boy when I trusted your word that you wouldn’t see him again outside school. Let’s talk about the fact that half your clothes are inside out.’ She stood there in front of me, her fists jammed on to her hips and her eyes firing red-hot lava in my direction.
I could do this. I could be calm and sensible and mature, even if she couldn’t. I explained that I’d been at Jax’s house, that I’d put my clothes in the dryer, that Noah came and collapsed, that I’d rung Seb and he’d come with his car to help me.
Mum didn’t say a word for about fifteen seconds, which is one long stretch of time. I opened my mouth to say What? but then her whole body seemed to cave in. She turned away from me and started walking back to her studio.
‘What?’ I yelled after her. ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. You should be glad I helped …’
She stopped. Didn’t even turn around and look at me as she said, ‘Maybe your story is true, Min, maybe it isn’t.’
‘Mum!’ I howled, ‘you’re the one who goes on about trust. Can’t you just believe me when I tell you the truth?’
She did turn then, and she said very quietly, which was much worse than being yelled at, ‘Minna — I know for a fact that Jax’s family does not have a clothes dryer.’
I gawped at her, all the wind knocked from my lungs.
She nodded once. ‘Exactly.’ And that was it. She took herself off to her studio and left me gasping for breath in the hallway.
I shut myself in my bedroom. I was doomed. Even if I did tell her the truth, and even if I made her talk to Mrs King, she still wouldn’t believe me. It was so unfair.
I rang Jax, sent Addy a text, then rang Jax back and asked her to tell Lizzie. I just couldn’t face Lizzie mourning over how I’d blown away yet another opportunity.
I stayed in my room. I got hungry but Mum didn’t call me for dinner. In fact I didn’t hear her in the kitchen so perhaps there was no dinner, but no way was I going to ask her when we were going to eat.
Dad got home just after nine. I heard noises in the kitchen, then he bellowed out that grub was up, come and get it.
Wounded dignity, I decided, would be the way to go. I walked out to the kitchen, greeted my father and ignored my mother. We sat down at the table and ate the pizza Dad had brought home.
We finished, and I hadn’t said anything the whole entire meal. Mum asked a couple of polite questions and Dad babbled on about the stupid island and how, even if we didn’t go, he’d arranged to spend a couple of weeks there by himself and wasn’t that awesome?
Mum put down the slice of pizza she’d nibbled. I wish she wouldn’t do that — eat it or leave it is my motto. She spoke to Dad, not to me. ‘We’ll do it, Wes. We’ll all go to the island. For the year.’
I choked and spluttered, but thank goodness I had Lizzie. Dad whooped and hollered and carried on like we’d won the biggest lottery in the universe.
‘But Mum — why?’ I couldn’t believe she was actually agreeing. ‘You don’t want to do it! Look at you! You look as if you’re going to prison — you’re crazy.’
She didn’t respond to that, and Dad didn’t pick up on it either, I was interested to note. Instead, Mum said to him, ‘You might like to take a look at your son.’ She told him the Noah story, but left out the chapter entitled Rescue by Minna.
Dad shot out of the room, came back, sat down, didn’t say anything.
I stood up. ‘Well, you lot can go and play happy families on the island. Not me. I’m staying with Lizzie.’
Mum did look at me then. ‘No, Minna. You’re not. You’re coming too. We’re a family. We’re staying together and we’re all going.’
five
Monday. I woke up with that feeling of dread you get when something’s wrong but you can’t remember what. It didn’t take long for memory to crash back in on me. Oh, gee whiz, that’s right — my boyfriend was leaving for the entire holidays and when he came back I was going to be banished to some pathetic island for a whole entire year. I hadn’t told my friends yet and the thought of telling Seb sent cold chills juddering through my body.
I got out of bed and went in search of my cruel mother. She was in the kitchen. ‘Noah’s still asleep.’
As if I cared. Her suddenly agreeing to the island caper had to be all Noah’s fault. If he hadn’t drugged himself senseless she wouldn’t have freaked out and she wouldn’t have agreed to go. Let him sleep for a hundred years. ‘I’m going to see Seb off at the airport.’ And don’t you try to stop me.
She said, ‘All right. I’ll take you, if you like.’
Well! I plonked myself down at the table.
Mum didn’t even look up as she asked, ‘What time?’
‘Doesn’t matter. I’ll get myself there.’ The last thing I needed was her standing there tapping her foot and looking at her watch while Seb kissed me goodbye.
I thought she’d argue but instead she shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’
Seb and his parents picked me up from the corner. No way was I going to let Mum near them, seeing as how I couldn’t trust her to behave in a normal and pleasant manner. Why couldn’t I have parents like Seb’s? They were so sweet to both of us. I had to tell Seb about the island but I waited till his parents tactfully left us alone after he’d checked in.
‘Whoa!’ he said. ‘A whole year! Man, that’s heavy.’ He shook his head and hugged me. ‘Can’t you tell them you’re not going?’
I huddled into his arms. ‘Believe me — I’ve tried.’ Hours of ranting and crying last night had not made the slightest impression on either of my parents.
I wanted to ask him if he’d wait for me. I wanted him to say he’d love me even if we were separated f
orever but the words stuck in my throat. I still hadn’t asked him when the plane took him away from me. His parents dropped me home and they didn’t say anything about me crying all the way.
Then I had to tell my friends. Jax cried, Addy hugged me and her eyes were tragic. ‘But Min — what about Seb?’
I just shrugged. It was something I couldn’t talk about.
Lizzie said, ‘Your parents stink.’
Yeah.
‘When do you go?’ asked Jax.
‘In a month.’ It was such a little space of time.
‘Minna! You can’t!’ Addy gasped.
But it seemed we could. Dad was in overdrive. Mum went about packing up the house but her face wasn’t happy. I tried to have a free and frank discussion with Noah, but why did I bother? He just said yeah, the pills were a mistake, and kept right on with the dope. I pointed out that it was his fault we were going to be in a virtual prison for a year but all he said to that was sweet, it’ll be sweet. ‘You are sixteen!’ I yelled. ‘Grow up!’
‘Why?’ He grinned at me. ‘Life is sweet. Why change it?’
I tried to talk to Mum, but it was like talking to a Teflon-coated Egyptian mummy. Nothing penetrated. I took myself off and spent my time with my friends. I only came home to check the mail, but I don’t think she noticed and Dad certainly didn’t. There was nothing from Seb. It was too soon, I knew it was too soon. I tried to concentrate instead on my friends.
My friends. I was going to miss them so much. ‘But we’ll phone you,’ Addy said. ‘Every day. And there’s email.’
I shook my head. ‘The TV people want it to be a sort of survival programme. You know — Swiss Family Hargreaves roughing it. We even have to do a first-aid course.’
Lizzie punched her teddy bear in the stomach. ‘I think you should divorce them. You’ve got a cast-iron case — mental cruelty.’
I grabbed the bear off her. It wasn’t his fault.
‘Tell them you’ll only go if you can take a year’s supply of tampons,’ said Jax.
I gasped. I hadn’t even thought about that. I tackled Dad that night.
‘Dad — no tampons, no island.’ This was the deal-breaker. I would rather die than live without tampons.
He aced me. ‘Of course you can take them.’ He looked at my face and laughed his booming laugh that came right up from his gut. ‘Look, Min — we’re not going back in time. We’ll have solar power. We’ll have the freezer, the stove, hot water, washing machine.’
I turned away. It was all going to happen and I’d better start getting used to the idea. But Dad hadn’t finished. ‘It’s the situation that’s interesting. A family of four on their own for a year with minimal contact with the world. How will it change us?’
I reported back to my friends.
Lizzie snorted. ‘That’s so pathetic. I mean — at your age do they expect you to stay the same for a whole year? Of course you’ll change.’
‘Noah might change,’ said Jax, a mixture of hope and wistfulness in her voice.
Lizzie scoffed at that little dream. ‘Yeah, he’ll have a hard time getting his supply on an island — doesn’t mean he won’t be into it as soon as he gets home.’
Jax slumped back, crushed. Addy glanced at her, then at me. ‘What about clothes? What clothes do you wear on an island?’
‘They’re taking us shopping.’
Addy, with another glance in Jax’s direction, asked, ‘Can we come too?’
Jax straightened her back and her face lightened. Good old Addy. ‘I’ll ask.’ I looked at all three of them. ‘It’d be so good to have you with me.’ I dragged out a large grin from the deep hollow of my heart. ‘I shall beseech Cara. She won’t be able to resist because …’
‘You beseech so brilliantly!’ the girls chorused. We hadn’t done the beseech routine for months. It cheered us all up. For the moment.
I rang Cara right then and beseeched her. ‘Sure,’ she said, ‘but warn them I’ll be filming the trip.’
I grinned at the girls and nodded. Cara heard their cheers.
‘Ask her where she’s taking you,’ Addy said.
Cara heard without me having to repeat it. ‘Oh, it’s a warehouse. The public can’t go there. Bye, Minna. I’ll pick the four of you up from your house tomorrow at two.’
Suddenly things were a heap more fun. ‘We’ll be on telly,’ Lizzie said. ‘This calls for strategic planning.’
Addy jumped up and paraded around the room, stopping every step or two to take a pose. ‘It’s our grand appearance.’
‘This,’ said Lizzie pointing a finger in my direction, ‘is your chance to imprint your image on Seb’s mind. Make him dream of you for the entire year you’re away.’
I shook my head. I couldn’t think about Seb or I’d cry. Lizzie saw my face and hugged me. ‘Sorry, Min! Come on, let’s work out what we’re going to wear.’
It took us all afternoon to decide. It was Jax who sorted it in the end. ‘Look,’ she said, ‘it’s got to be black. All of us in black. For mourning.’
Addy thought about it for a second. ‘Yep, you’re right. And Min looks spectacular in black.’
We turned to Lizzie, who wore her thoughtful face. ‘Okay. It’s a plan. Let’s do it.’
‘I haven’t got black trousers,’ Jax said.
Addy shrugged. ‘Not to worry. We’ll do black tops and jeans.’
We did a dress rehearsal of the hair and make-up. We straightened our hair with Lizzie’s irons and wore subdued, pale make-up. ‘We are going to look spectacular,’ said Lizzie, and truly we did even without the black clothes. Her hair was still red, Jax’s was blonde, Addy’s dark and mine a sort of mixed-up brown, although in my heart I heard Seb’s mother saying it was the colour of autumn leaves.
‘So tomorrow,’ I said, ‘you all come to my house at twelve. We’ll get dressed and Cara can pick us up together.’
Lizzie handed me her straightening irons. ‘Take these in case I forget them.’
We laughed. She could be such a ditz sometimes.
Jax turned up early the next day. ‘Noah’s not here,’ I told her. I gave her a hug. ‘Forget him, Jax. He’s a loser, even if he is my brother.’
She managed a crooked smile. ‘Like you should forget Seb?’
Ouch. I led the way to my room. ‘Come on. Let’s do our hair.’
Addy turned up a few minutes later. We finished our hair and still no sign of Lizzie. Addy sent her a text.
Where r u?
Got a reply: Probs. Get C to pik me up here.
‘But what about her hair?’ I said.
Addy sent another text. Hair?
Mums got iron.
I shrugged. ‘Oh well. I guess we just get on with it.’
‘What do you reckon’s happened?’ Jax asked. ‘I hope she’s okay.’
‘She would’ve said if she wasn’t,’ Addy said.
We got dressed, but we missed Lizzie and there was the worry, too. What if something was really wrong?
Cara arrived exactly on time. We trooped out to the car. She filmed us running down the path and jumping in the back seat. She didn’t say anything, but there was a smile on her face that I deeply distrusted.
‘Where’s your other friend?’ she asked. She didn’t seem fazed when we told her we’d have to pick Lizzie up.
We directed her to Lizzie’s house, then texted Lizzie to tell her we were outside. She came out her door and we gasped. Cara swung the camera from Lizzie to us. I dug the others in the ribs, but it was too late. Cara had our expressions caught on tape for the world to see. Expressions of disbelief and betrayal, too. I couldn’t believe it. Nor could Jax or Addy. We sat silent as Lizzie swept into the front seat beside Cara. Her hair that was supposed to be red and straight was white-blonde and a mass of curls. She was supposed to be wearing a black top and jeans. She wore a white top and new white trousers, accented by silver chains at her throat and wrists.
Addy grabbed my left hand, and at the same moment, Jax grab
bed my right one. We would speak to Lizzie. Afterwards. In the meantime, there were clothes to buy and I didn’t have to pay for them.
I wanted to ask where exactly we were going, but I didn’t want Lizzie to think that what she’d done was okay so I stayed silent. However, she wasn’t bothered. ‘Where exactly are we going?’ she asked Cara, carefully turning her profile towards the fixed camera.
Cara smiled at her and repeated the warehouse info without adding anything new.
Lizzie turned right round and smiled at me. ‘You are so lucky, Min. Getting designer clothes — and before they hit the shops.’
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Really really lucky. Swap you any time you want.’
Lizzie gave a trilling laugh and turned to Cara again. She chatted to Cara the whole way. She was good at it, I had to admit. She talked about the programme, she asked how it would be different from the other survivor series on television. She wanted to know what other programmes Cara had done, and she responded with just the right amount of awed interest. She sounded mature. A lot more mature than the three of us in the back seat. I kept my mouth shut and stared in front of me.
Cara pulled up in front of a building that looked like an airport hangar. We trooped inside, the three of us giving Lizzie the mute treatment. She trotted ahead, keeping alongside Cara who stopped in the first aisle, handed a flat cardboard box to her and said, ‘Open this, will you. See if it’s the right size for Minna.’
I scowled. This was my shopping trip. Why couldn’t I open the box myself? Then I rearranged my face, because one of the guys who’d come to our house appeared from around a corner, aiming a camera at us. Lizzie opened the box and took out something dark blue. She held it up and I was glad I was watching her face because her expression totally took away all my fury at what she’d done. She started off looking like she was opening the Christmas pressie of the decade — all excitement and wow! what’s in here? Then her face crumbled into disbelief, then disgust. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing, followed nanoseconds later by Jax and Addy.