The Forevers

by Chris Whitaker

  Even Miss Hart got to her feet.

  Mae frowned at Sail, who held out his hand.

  Mae took it. ‘I’m dancing on stage wearing a pink tutu. I think I’m ready for Selena now.’

  When the music finally died, Stella and the class took a bow as the parents stood and cheered through their tears.

  Felix joined them on stage. ‘Awesome, right? Barry, sending us all off.’

  Mae kept her smile in place. ‘When this is over, you better start running.’

  44

  ‘You could wear the dress Sail sent over,’ Stella said, holding up the navy dress and declaring it the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life.

  Mae sighed heavily.

  ‘But it feels so beautiful.’

  ‘There’s something Pretty Woman about Sail sending me a dress. Do I look like a whore to you, Stella?’

  ‘What’s a whore?’

  ‘The kind of girl Sail apparently wants me to be.’

  ‘Then, yes. I think you should put it on and look like a whore.’

  Mae turned a little and looked at the old dress of her own she’d put on. Worn to a shine. She went to straighten it again, found it tight around the waist so gave it a tug and heard the brutal sound of fabric tearing.

  Stella grimaced. ‘Mummy must have been so skinny.’

  ‘Anorexia was all the rage back then.’

  Mae bent, watched the dress split apart and then swore so furiously Stella placed her fingers in her ears.

  And then their grandmother wandered in.

  She clutched an armful of emerald silk and held it out.

  Mae remembered the dress well.

  ‘It’s too big. I told you, it won’t fit.’

  The old lady said nothing, just shook the dress a couple of times till Mae took it.

  Stella was grinning.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Just try the damn dress,’ Stella said.

  Mae slipped it on, then she stood back and glanced at her grandmother. ‘You fixed it.’

  ‘And I helped,’ Stella said.

  Mae did not speak for a long time. ‘I suppose it’ll have to do then.’

  ‘I bet you look just like Mummy.’ Stella jumped down from the bed and hugged her sister tightly.

  ‘You just need someone to do your make-up now,’ Stella said.

  ‘Let’s get this over with then.’

  Mae looked up when she heard his voice.

  Hugo stood by the bedroom door with a large make-up box in his arms. ‘Time to make this goose into a swan.’

  Mae frowned.

  ‘I overheard you at the play,’ he said, then turned to Stella.

  ‘You were awesome by the way.’

  ‘I know,’ Stella said. ‘Now turn my sister into a whore.’

  Sail wore a dark tux, his hair combed neatly back.

  He leaned on a classic red Porsche, the roof down, the engine idling.

  ‘Wait there,’ Mae said.

  He fired off a salute.

  Mae walked back to the doorway and knelt beside Stella. ‘You’ll watch the sunset tonight? Grandma said she’d paint it.’

  Stella nodded.

  ‘It’s important.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘I don’t want to go,’ Mae said. ‘I could stay here. We could watch a film, anything you like. We’ve still got some of that popcorn. I saved it.’

  Stella hugged her tightly. ‘I danced with my Prince Charming earlier, now you have to dance with yours.’

  Mae smiled. ‘When did you get so grown-up?’

  ‘When you were drunk at the beach.’

  ‘Well played.’

  ‘You have to go say goodnight to Grandma now,’ Stella said.

  Mae glanced back at Sail.

  ‘Please, Mae.’

  She found her grandmother in the kitchen. She looked older then, so old and frail. Mae thought of the changes, so severe, so hard. The times she’d lashed out, the times she’d taken Mae’s hand and told her everything would be okay. Mae had stopped looking for perfect a long time ago, stopped looking for normal.

  She fixed her watery blue eyes on Mae. ‘So …’

  ‘Yeah.’

  She patted the seat beside her. ‘I’ll be asleep when you get in. And I don’t want you to wake me in the morning.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Some nights I dream of your grandfather. Maybe tonight will be one of those nights. I know I haven’t –’

  Mae swallowed. ‘No.’

  ‘But you know that I …’

  ‘Yes.’

  Her grandmother stood, and Mae hugged her quickly. ‘Goodnight, Grandma.’

  ‘Goodnight, Mae.’

  He drove slow, behind a procession of limos.

  There were people on the street, watching the cars pass, a horse and carriage. She saw girls in long dresses posing while proud parents fired off photographs.

  Mrs Abbott had opened her salon for the last time, brought in a team of friends to help style hair free of charge.

  They left the car at Felix’s house, stood on the pavement and watched him kiss his parents goodbye.

  Felix wore all white, the buttons gold, his shoes polished to a deep shine, a captain’s hat pulled low. ‘This is it. The last roll. The last movie she rented. An Officer and an effing Gentleman.’

  Mrs Baxter glared at him. ‘Can we have one night where you don’t swear? Just one.’

  He bent down and kissed her cheek. ‘Don’t wait up. I’ll be slamming Candice all night long.’

  Mrs Baxter sighed. ‘Making love, son. Making love.’

  Felix flexed his bicep. ‘Not the way I do it.’

  ‘Into a tissue in the bathroom?’ Mae said.

  Felix walked them over to Kitten, to which his mother had tied a ribbon. ‘Like a goddam wedding car.’

  ‘We can’t all fit in the Porsche,’ Mae said.

  ‘I prefer Kitten,’ Sail said.

  ‘You won’t when you hear the engine.’

  They piled in and Felix gunned the accelerator. Mae opened her window to the howl of neighbourhood dogs while Sail winced. ‘It actually hurts.’

  They stopped outside the Sweeny house and Felix pressed the horn.

  Mae glanced at Sail, the memory would not have time to soften.

  ‘She’s wearing a dress,’ Mae said.

  Sally climbed in, her face drawn, her eyes red. ‘You look like a magician, Matchstick.’

  ‘You look lovely, Sweeny,’ Felix said, smiling into the rear-view mirror.

  ‘Lesbian crew did my make-up,’ Sally said.

  Mae reached a hand back and Sally squeezed it limply.

  As they reached Sacred Heart Mae saw a dense crowd, expensive dresses and heels, black bow ties and wide smiles.

  Cameras flashed, the air smelled of perfume, she managed to smile as Sail gripped her hand tightly.

  Felix pulled into the car park and they all got out.

  ‘Have you seen Hunter and Hugo?’ Mae said.

  ‘Hugo’s probably picking up our Viagra so we can bang all night,’ Liam said, getting out of a limo.

  Mae raised an eyebrow.

  ‘I mean bang our girls, not each other,’ Liam clarified.

  Candice soon arrived, then Lexi and a group of others.

  ‘Jeez, that car,’ Liam said, kicking the side of Kitten. ‘You couldn’t afford something better for your date?’ He looked at Felix, then saw Sally climb out of the back and laughed. ‘Actually maybe it’s you that’ll need Viagra tonight.’

  ‘Shut the fuck up,’ Felix said.

  Liam cocked his head a little, like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard, then he took a step forward.

  ‘Just leave it, Liam,’ Candice said.

  Sail moved in front, squared up to Liam, a slight smile on his face. But Felix pulled him back. ‘I’ve got this.’

  ‘You sure?’ Sail said.

  ‘Yeah.’

  Liam slipped off his jacket. ‘This night just
keeps getting better.’

  He was big, his arms bulged beneath his shirt as he clicked his neck from side to side.

  ‘Why does his neck make that noise?’ Felix whispered to Mae.

  ‘Could be arthritic,’ Mae said.

  ‘Can I use that against him?’

  ‘Possibly in the future.’

  ‘We have no future.’

  ‘Good point.’

  ‘Am I about to have a fight?’

  Mae nodded. ‘Looks that way. You want me to kick him in the nuts?’

  Felix shook his head. ‘It’s time for me to step up.’ He took his glasses off and handed them to Mae.

  ‘Can you still see?’

  ‘No, but that wouldn’t stop Stella.’

  ‘Kill him, Felix. Dead dead.’ Mae turned to see Matilda and Betty, both watching Liam like prey.

  Matilda smiled. ‘We’re creating a new world. If you want to make an omelette …’

  ‘You have to spill some blood,’ Betty finished.

  ‘I think they’re insane,’ Felix whispered to Mae.

  A crowd was quick to form. They made a circle. The noise grew loud, kids hollering for blood, baying and jostling for a spot at the front.

  Felix stepped forward.

  Liam stepped forward.

  ‘Please leave it, Liam,’ Candice said.

  ‘Shut up, bitch.’

  Mae looked at Felix. Maybe it was the fact that Candice didn’t see him, that no one really saw him, or maybe it was the way Liam talked to the love of his life, but right then he began to move like he knew what he was doing, like months of midnight karate sessions with a possible sex predator would finally pay off.

  Liam lunged.

  Felix twirled out the way like a bullfighter, a blur of white polyester.

  And then he moved in and swung hard.

  The crowd watched in stunned silence as Felix finally stepped out of the shadows.

  He connected flush, and might have done some damage had he clenched his fist.

  ‘Did you just chop me?’ Liam said, rubbing his forehead.

  ‘Karate,’ Felix said, quietly, then glanced at Mae.

  ‘Chop him again?’ she said.

  And then Liam stepped forward, and there was collective flinching as Felix closed his eyes tightly.

  The sound of flesh on flesh echoed around the car park, silencing everyone there.

  When Felix opened his eyes he saw Liam laid out on the ground.

  He glanced to his right and saw Sally Sweeny holding her hand. She winked at Felix. ‘I kind of owed you that one, Toothpick.’

  As Liam’s friends tried to help him sit up, Felix walked over to Candice.

  She stood tall in heels, her make-up flawless.

  Felix produced a single rose, the same white as his suit.

  ‘“Up where we belong”,’ Felix said.

  ‘It was you,’ Candice said.

  He nodded.

  ‘You’re the arsonist zombie raper?’

  ‘That’s what they call him,’ Mae said.

  ‘Maybe I should punch you myself,’ Candice said.

  Felix dropped to his knees.

  Candice clenched a fist. ‘Any last words?’

  For the second time that night Felix closed his eyes tightly. ‘I love you.’ He continued, his eyes still closed, ‘I’ve loved you since the first day of primary school. When you carried an Aristocats backpack. I’m the O’Malley to your Duchess.’

  Sail frowned.

  ‘Whenever it rained we used to stay in at breaktime and watch a movie. There were loads of choices but my uncle was the caretaker and I used to make him grab The Aristocats every time. And then you’d get up and dance during that song … remember? O’Malley’s friend, Scat Cat.’

  Sally wrinkled her nose. ‘Is that porn or something?’

  ‘“Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”,’ Candice said, slowly, quietly.

  ‘And then in Year Five, you once forgot your PE kit and you cried because you didn’t want to be the only one doing PE in your underwear. So I said I’d forgotten my PE kit too. And I was wearing Toy Story underpants so no one took any notice of you and just ripped me to pieces instead.’

  ‘I remember – Buzz Lightqueer,’ Candice said.

  Felix nodded. ‘They called me that for two years straight. But it was worth it. You wear Chanel No. 5, because it reminds you of your grandmother, whose bush I did not mean to desecrate. You hate llamas.’

  Sail mouthed, ‘Llamas?’ to Mae, who shrugged.

  ‘Your bedroom is blue because you love the water. I know that because some nights, when everyone is watching the sky, I aim my telescope at your window, because you’re more beautiful than all of the stars.’

  ‘I think he’s gone too far,’ Mae whispered.

  Sail nodded.

  ‘See, even now,’ Felix said, ‘while everyone watches the last colours of the very last sunset on Earth, I watch you. I can die tomorrow, and that’ll be okay, because I had the balls to say it to your face. I love you, Candice Harper.’

  Felix was still braced for impact when Candice dropped to her knees.

  He wasn’t prepared for the kiss so forgot to move his lips.

  ‘This is horrific,’ Mae said.

  ‘And yet I can’t look away,’ Sail said.

  Mae watched them and smiled, because, finally, Candice saw Felix Baxter.

  Sail led her inside, where the school hall had been transformed into an homage to the world they lived in. Planets spun above designated areas, an Arctic bar, a beach where another photographer stood, and a rainforest dance floor where leaves hung from branches draped from the ceiling.

  Locals had volunteered to help out. A man from the local pub had stocked the bar, the lady from the beachfront cafe was in charge of catering. The food was courtesy of Reverend Baxter.

  The music was loud, kids ran to the dance floor. Across were teachers, Miss Holmes dabbed her eyes, until the tears became a deluge and she shook her head as kids and other teachers crowded around and hugged her tight.

  Sail brought them fruit punch. Mae pulled vodka from her small bag and poured liberally. ‘I need this to get me through.’

  ‘Of course.’

  When he asked her to dance she did not fight him, just let herself be led, held and swayed. She pressed close to him, her head on his chest as she looked out at the others.

  Matilda held Betty tightly, by the wall Sally stood with a group of Forevers, she didn’t once glance at the food.

  They wandered outside and gathered for a group shot as the photographer knelt, his back to the view, a better one on show.

  As the camera flashed they called out, ‘Forever.’

  Mae was about to head back inside when she saw Hunter.

  She took a breath and walked towards her.

  45

  ‘Looking good, slut.’

  Hunter wore a gold dress, gold shoes, gold tiara. Her confidence bordered on ferocious.

  ‘You seen my date?’

  ‘He’s not here yet,’ Mae said.

  ‘Fashionably late and he still upstages me.’ Hunter began to walk past as Mae steeled herself. ‘I know,’ she said.

  Hunter stopped and watched the sky, her back to Mae. That night the stars shone almost as bright as Selena, like a reminder of everything beautiful as they faced the coldest truth.

  Hunter grasped the necklace as she turned, the blue stone caught the light. ‘You put it back.’

  ‘And found the tape.’

  Hunter nodded, her face straight, no tears, she was too strong for that.

  ‘It’s your job to take the mail. Counsellor Jane … the Abi tape was supposed to go … Did you listen to this one?’

  Hunter reached into her bag and took out a silver flask, drank deeply from it. ‘I didn’t need to. I already knew what was on it.’

  ‘Because your father has done this before.’

  ‘Gemma Dune was a druggie slut,’ Hunter said. ‘No one believed her. I mean, my
father and her …’ She shook her head.

  ‘But she was telling the truth.’

  ‘There’s more than one truth, Mae.’

  Mae shook her head. ‘There isn’t.’

  Hunter drank again.

  ‘So you moved to West to start again.’

  ‘At first I thought Abi was sweet. A little sad, what with her mother and all. It was like she’d been wandering around in the dark her whole life, and I showed her the light. She dressed like me. Talked like me. I caught her once copying the way I flick my hair back. She did it over and over – Tom Ripley, you know? Minus the talent.’

  Mae said nothing, just listened.

  ‘I tired of her quick. Stopped taking her calls, left her to Lexi and Candice. She could hang out with us, but I didn’t want her on my back.’ Another long drink. ‘She was so … young. The kind of girl who dotted the i in her name with a heart, who talked true love like it’s actually real. I thought she was lying when she told me she was late.’ She laughed then. ‘Prissy Abi Manton wasn’t dumb enough to get knocked up, not by accident.’

  ‘But she was.’

  Hunter nodded. ‘Took the test at my house. Cried her eyes out. I sat there and watched. You ever feel detached, Mae?’ Hunter glanced at her then laughed. ‘Look who I’m asking. Of course you do. So I sat there, detached.’

  Behind they heard distant laughter.

  ‘I told her to tell Theodore to sort it. Or not, whatever. It’s not like she’d ever meet the thing, right?’

  ‘And that was that?’ Mae said, knowing it wasn’t.

  Another drink. ‘She wanted me to go with her. Actually, she wanted you to go with her, but you weren’t there, Mae.’ Hunter laughed. ‘Coming to me with her shit. Like I cared.’

  ‘You were in the woods when she came to you?’

  Hunter shrugged. ‘Everyone’s got their part of West. I like the cliff. I like to know I could just … it’s my choice, right? I like knowing that. So goddam perfect. I’d die that way too. A little perfect mystery.’

  ‘Tell me what happened.’

  Hunter waved the bottle. ‘I told her again, “Get Theodore to go with you.”’

  ‘But it wasn’t his.’

  Hunter smiled. ‘She didn’t want to tell me, and I didn’t really give a damn. But we were drunk. I mean, Abi couldn’t drink for shit, but that night I had a bottle and she did half. I was impressed.’