On one hand, I agreed with him – the only person to blame for cheating was the person who did it, not the person they did it with. Not really. But on the other hand, I couldn’t help arguing with him.
“You could still be a decent human being and not…con her into cheating on her boyfriend.”
“Who we don’t even know she has.”
“Not the point.”
“Well what is the point?” Why was he angry? He had no reason to be angry. “Because all I see here is jealousy.”
I huffed, my eyebrows feeling like they were so close they were creating one epic monobrow. “You see whatever suits your arrogance. You believe whatever suits–”
“Okay!” Govi slid a hand between us as well as half his body and laughed awkwardly. “So this has been fun…” He shot me a semi-awed look like he had no idea where I’d come from and he wasn’t sure if he wanted me to go back or stay forever. “But I’m going to take Eli away–”
“Chloe does need a moment to calm down,” Eli interrupted and I glared at him.
“I was thinking more for your safety, actually.”
Eli scoffed. “You think she could hurt me?”
Govi nodded hastily. “Uh. Yes. And if you don’t shut your damned mouth, I’m going to give her full access to you. I might even hold you for her.”
Eli’s cocky arrogance slipped and he looked at Govi. “What?”
Govi shot me another look then whispered to Eli so quietly I was sure I wasn’t supposed to have heard, but I did. “You’re being a fucking dick. Worse than usual. It’s not cute this time, man. Do not ruin this shit, okay? I will mess you up.”
Eli’s nose scrunched and his lip rose in a snarl for a moment. “Fine. Fine,” he huffed back to Govi. Eli shook himself out. “We need to get to class anyway.”
“Eli!”
My reaction to that voice was visceral and, while Govi missed it, Eli didn’t. He had one moment to look at me in what was almost concern before my sister pushed her way in front of me.
“Elijah. Hi,” she said, full of pep and superiority.
“Ella.” He nodded. “Heading to Music?”
She nodded. “Of course, dummy. Walk me?”
Eli’s eyes slid to me for a moment, then he nodded. “Sure.” He tapped Govi on the chest. “Coming, man?”
Govi nodded. “Yeah. See you around.” He looked at me and I felt like I was being told to behave as well as he was checking I was okay. “Gin.”
“See you later, Govi.”
At the sound of my family nickname, Ella turned her deep green eyes on me with a furious glare. She looked to Lindy, snapped her fingers, then dragged Eli away. Govi gave us one more look, then went after them. But Lindy hung behind.
“Why is Gabriel Costa talking to you?” Lindy asked me.
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You heard.” She shifted her weight to her other foot as she looked me over like there was no way in hell anyone would choose to talk to me.
“I… I don’t know, Lindy. We’ve got to know each other through the formal committee, I guess. He was just saying hi.”
“With his hands all over you?”
I wasn’t sure when that had happened, but arguing with her would be pointless. “He and Eli were just talking to us,” I said, my hands up in my defence.
Lindy smiled at the mention of Eli. “Elijah’s so nice like that. Always sparing time for those less fortunate, the needy, the little people.”
Rica and I shared a glance of disbelief.
“Yes. Eli’s very nice,” I said, but once again the sarcasm was lost on Lindy.
“He so is though. Ella’s so lucky.”
“Lindy!” the Wicked Bitch in question shrieked back down the corridor.
“Stick to your own kind,” Lindy said, looking down her nose at me.
“I am also here,” Rica said and Lindy glared at her. The ever stoic Rica quailed a little. “But I will also stick to my own kind…”
Lindy gave us each a parting glare, as though that would keep us in our places, then walked away.
“…when I work out who that is…” Rica finished quietly, then looked at me. “Well, I think that qualifies as well more than five words to him. How do you feel?” Rica asked as we watched Lindy hurry to catch up with Ella.
“Mortified.”
“What for?”
“Because fighting with me is unlikely to make him want to take the harpy to the formal.”
“Okay. Maybe not. But look! They’re talking now so maybe she’ll do her own wooing now?”
“That is not going to spare me from having to do it.”
Rica clucked her tongue. “True. But this…” she indicated to all of me, “is not just because of that.”
I huffed. “I’m not the confrontational type, Ree. I stick in my corner and wait semi-patiently for my time.”
“So?”
“I don’t know what came over me back there.”
Rica was weirdly silent, so I looked up to find her with an odd look on her face.
“What?” I asked her.
She shrugged coquettishly. “No. Nothing.”
I frowned. “What?”
She shrugged again, but I knew it was only for my benefit. “Maybe you feel you can project your cooped up feelings about your family onto Eli because there are no perceived ramifications. You can’t put Ella in her place, so Eli’s your substitute.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe. That makes sense.”
“Or maybe…you like him?” she teased as she took hold of my arm and shook me.
I rolled my eyes. “I am not interested in Elijah Sweet.”
Prince Slightly Charming
As I walked to the Willis Theatre on Wednesday afternoon, I promised myself I wasn’t going to react to Eli. I wasn’t going to let his annoying arrogance get under my skin. I wasn’t going to let myself get confrontational again. I was going in there like a normal person capable of normal interactions with people of all types.
“Hey you.” Govi bumped into me as his arm went around my shoulder and I nearly lost my balance in the corridor.
I laughed as he helped me keep my footing and my book in my hand. “Hi. You make it a habit of trying to run people off the road?”
“Only the ones I really like,” he chuckled.
I nodded. “Oh. So pleased.”
He nudged me companionably, and less enthusiastically than before. I looked up at him to find him smiling warmly and it gave me a feeling I only had with three other people. My heart warmed and I had trouble fighting the smile on my face.
Govi grinned as though he could read my mind. “Don’t fight it, Gin. Just feel it.”
“You sound like Rica,” I told him.
He gave me another grin. “Yeah? So she and I have a few things in common then?”
I laughed. “It seems so.”
He pulled a little bit ahead of me, and turned to face me, walking backwards. “Not least of which, we both like you.”
I nodded. “If you say so.”
“I do say so. And no amount of self-deprecation on your part can convince me otherwise.”
I laughed. “Okay. You win. I’ll even allow it.”
Still walking backwards, he flung his arms up in triumph and three things happened.
The first being he collided with Milly and Eli. The second being, on its way up, one of his hands connected with the clipboard in Milly’s hands and sent it flying. The third being his other fist crashed into Eli’s cheek and knocked Eli to the floor. Milly managed to stay on her feet, but she smacked Govi in the arm.
“Gabriel! The clipboard!” she cried, glaring at him and pointing at the clipboard on the floor. She’d paused for so long, I actually almost thought she was waiting for him to pick it up for her.
But Govi gave her his adorable little smile. “Sorry, Mill. My bad.” And she actually softened.
Even with he
r all-important clipboard not in her arms, she softened. It was a sight to behold.
“Just watch where you’re going,” Milly said quickly, then turned to pick the clipboard up.
“And I’ll just stay here, will I?” Eli drawled from his spot on the floor.
“If you’re suddenly too old and decrepit to pick yourself up, yes,” Govi answered, but he held his hands out to help Eli off the floor.
I watched as, in true Govi form, he let go of Eli’s hands while they were halfway there and Eli fell back down again. Govi sniggered and even Milly smiled as Eli glared at his drummer.
“Dude. Uncool.”
Govi shrugged. “Was it though?” he asked in perfect imitation of Thor as he looked at me.
I managed to stifle my smile, but I shook my head.
“Consensus. Was that cool or uncool, Gin?” he asked me, goading me to side with him. He really needn’t have bothered.
“Cool,” I answered.
“Cool?” Eli spluttered, but when I slid my eyes to him he was smiling. “Fine. I guess I might have done at least one thing that deserved that,” he said as he pulled himself off the floor, waving away Govi’s proffered assistance.
“One?” Govi cried. “One? Mate, you’ve done plenty of things to deserve that.”
“Name a single one,” Eli said. “One. I dare you.”
The two boys headed over to where we’d started building our trees on Monday, still arguing but the way friends argue over insignificant things.
“You…uh….” Milly started.
“Chloe?” I offered.
She nodded. “Chloe. You okay with those two?” she asked.
I looked over at them, shoving each other. “I think so. At least, I can handle Govi.”
“And Govi can handle Eli,” Milly said knowingly.
I looked at her. “You…know them well?”
She shrugged. “Ramsey, second guitarist for Quicksilver, is my cousin. Our families are close. So I know them…pretty well.”
“And still…” I mused, then froze in embarrassment.
Milly and I turned to look at each other, me in horror but she was smiling.
“Still.” She nodded and looked back to Eli. “Every sensible part of my brain tells me to run in the opposite direction, but Eli’s…Eli.” She shrugged and the soft and sweet Milly disappeared under the officious formal committee head. She pulled her clipboard to her tighter. “I’d like as many trees as you three can get done.”
“We can set up the blocks and see what will look best?” I asked.
“Good plan.” She nodded once more, then her eyes slid behind me. “BRENDA!” she yelled before she hurried away and I made my way over to the boys.
They were still scrapping over something, all huge arm gestures and goofy smiles. Both of them were laughing so hard they were crying by the time I reached them.
Govi made what sounded like attempted words through his laughter at me, then waved his head and his hand and that set Eli off harder. Their laughter was infectious and I found myself smiling.
“I don’t think I want to know,” I told Govi ruefully. “I’m going to get another block. Milly wants as many trees as we can make.”
“I help,” Govi panted, failing to get any control over his laughter.
I shook my head. “You work on standing up straight, then start taking the blocks we have over to the main door.”
He nodded as he fought to control himself and I headed backstage.
Obviously quicker at recovering, although only just, Eli hurried to fall into step with me.
I studiously ignored him while my heart raced and my mind crashed around trying not to think of incredibly stupid things I could say like how his face still looked nice. But it seemed an affliction I only suffered when we were alone, or without Govi at least, because it took it appearing for me it realise I hadn’t felt it just before.
“About yesterday…” Eli started as I climbed up the stairs to the stage.
“It was Tuesday,” I said. Although, I wasn’t sure if I was trying to be sassy or if I’d just had a brain fart.
“Oh, see. That was the problem!”
I paused and turned to look at him. It was a terrible place to have stopped because we were hidden from the view of everyone in the theatre behind the curtains of the wings. My stomach felt like I was zip-lining though the jungle as I looked up at him. Unlike with Govi, I didn’t get the warmed heart, I got the fretting and the panicking and the sweaty palms.
“Tuesday was the problem?” I asked him stiltedly.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“How…? Why?”
He nodded, a hint of that cocky wanker about him. “Because my foot-mouth disease tends to be worse on a Tuesday. Something about Tuesdays just makes my arrogant conceit flair up wildly.”
Was that… Was that an apology? A weird sort of apology. But it sounded apologetic at the very least. A small part of me wanted to argue with him, to not let him off so easily. But I shushed it because I didn’t want to disturb the very fragile foundation upon which my easy future rested. Twelve months. Neon lights. One wrong move and the whole circuit blew.
So I nodded. “I hear you can get something for that.”
He huffed and gave me a small smile. “Yeah. I have a cream, but I forgot it.”
Thinking this might actually be one step closer to getting my job done, I said, “You…and Ella…after our…?”
“Attempted negotiation of the nuance of language?” he offered and I frowned, knowing that phrase well.
“You have Tom for English? And you actually listen to him?” I asked and he smiled.
“What is song but poetry, only–”
“–far less melodious,” I finished for him.
Our English teacher was fond of perpetuating the old duddery philosopher image, his over-the-top metaphors and long-winded language (not always technically correct and even then by a stretch) most often a way to remind us that you can often achieve a better result with much more simplicity.
“That’s what I’m told on a near daily basis, yes,” Eli said with a nod.
“Uh…” I started then stopped. “Blocks.” I pointed at them.
“Are we back to incomplete sentences?” Eli whispered as he leant closer.
I shook my head, but said, “Yes,” as I picked up a block and took it out to where Govi was arranging our half constructed trees.
Eli said nothing as he followed me out.
Govi had his hand up and was looking at it like he was using it to measure. “What do you think?” he called. “Three centimetres to the left? I quite liked seven millimetres to the right, but now I’m torn.”
I heard Eli’s soft laugh. It was the sort of laugh you could call affectionate. It was also the sort of laugh you could say was not supposed to be overheard. So I just took my block over to Govi and then stepped back to see how our progress was going.
Eli dropped his block with mine. “Another?”
“Not yet. But Govi looks like he’s running out of card,” I said before going back over to Govi, picking up a new line of staples on my way.
“Have you managed full sentences today?” Govi teased as I took the cardboard from his hand.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“But without wanting to rip his arms off and beat him with the soggy ends?”
I laughed. “Yes. He seems…different today.”
Govi looked over to Eli, then back to his stapling. “Eli’s not a bad guy, Gin. Not really. He can be a totally arrogant arsehole–”
“I can?” Eli asked excitedly as he arrived and gave Govi another piece of card. “Aw, shucks. Thanks, mate.” He looked at me and waggled his eyebrows. “I have permission now.”
“That wasn’t permission, dick,” Govi muttered, fighting a smile. “I was telling Gin how you often are.”
“I don’t know, mate. I specifically heard the words ‘he can’. That’s p
ermission.”
“‘You can’, maybe.”
I could see this had the potential to go on for a while. “How about we all behave ourselves and get some more of these trees done?”
Govi and Eli looked at each other.
“Are we going to let her call the shots?” Eli asked.
“You worried she’s going to upstage you?”
“Should I be?”
Govi shrugged. “Well she is better looking than you…”
Eli nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “True. And we all know the best looking person takes the lead.”
“I mean, it’s like unwritten law.”
“It is.”
“Although we broke it.”
“What?”
“With you being lead.”
Eli snorted, his expression saying he knew he should have seen that coming but he stuck with their bit. “Well yeah, because obviously it should be Chloe.”
“Yeah. Chloe, then me, then Ramsey–”
“Then Lake, then me?” Eli finished with a grin and Govi grinned back.
“Obviously.”
“If I hadn’t left my pick in my other jeans, we could have had a ceremony.”
“Don’t be all sour just because Chloe’s better looking than you, mate.”
“Oh, I’m not. I just didn’t think you’d be so shallow as to think looks were everything.”
The way Govi snorted, I guessed they had these sorts of conversations all the time. I also guessed that I wasn’t the only one thinking that Eli had a serious case of pot calling the kettle black syndrome.
“No. Of course,” Govi chuckled. “But we’re just fortunate that, with Gin, the insides match the outsides.”
“The very pretty outsides?” Eli asked.
Govi nodded. “Yes. Those.”
I snorted. “Well, we can call off the search for Brenda’s missing magic mushrooms then.”
“What?” Govi cried, totally affronted. “I resent the suggestion I would only think you’re pretty if I was on something.”
I looked at him with a smile. “Are you saying you like my face?”
Govi wrapped me up and whirled me around. “I’m saying I like all of you, Gin,” he laughed as I tried to stop the giggles.
The Stand-In: my life as an understudy Page 8