The Call of the Wild

by Julie Fison

  ‘So, you guys like orangutans?’ Annabel smiled as she sat down across from Liam. ‘They’re sweet, huh?’

  Liam frowned. ‘Yeah, we like them, but not because they’re sweet. We’re here because they’re endangered.’

  ‘Right!’ I said, cringing at Annabel’s clueless comment. ‘Kimmi and Annabel are really concerned about deforestation and the way it affects wildlife…’ I went on with a long list of things I was sure my friends weren’t even slightly concerned about.

  The way Liam was watching me wasn’t making it easy. Why was he being so weird? Everything had been completely fine the last time I came to a Wild Club meeting. Jack had been sick, so Liam and I had sat together and talked about everything except orangutans. I’d told Liam all about my crazy family and he’d told me all about his. He had a whole family full of scientists. His parents were marine biologists and his sisters were both studying environmental science. That’s when he’d told me about his family holiday to Borneo last year, which Jack had come on too.

  It had been really chilled back then, but now Liam seemed … different. I wondered if bringing Annabel and Kimmi had changed things, or if I’d done something wrong.

  ‘You should tell Kimmi and Annabel about your trip to Borneo,’ I said to Jack, trying to shrug off Liam’s weirdness.

  Liam had told me how they’d stayed in the jungle, rafted down remote rivers and even climbed the highest mountain in South-East Asia, where they’d seen huge carnivorous plants. It sounded amazing.

  ‘We’re actually meant to be sorting out the fund-raiser,’ Jack said.

  ‘Oh, yeah,’ I replied. ‘What’s that all about?’

  ‘We’re having an outdoor movie night on the school oval. Movie Under the Stars. We’re getting a big screen, and the whole school community’s invited.’

  It’s going to be huge,’ Liam added. ‘We’re having food stalls and a raffle and everything. And all the money raised is going towards Bunga’s orangutan sanctuary.’

  ‘We’re in charge of the slushie stall,’ said Jack.

  ‘Ooh,’ Annabel said excitedly. ‘We should call it Slushies in Paradise. And we could give the slushies special names, like Borneo Sunset Orange, Rainforest Green, Blue Lagoon.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Kimmi nodded. ‘I could make a big banner and we could hang it from the front of the stall.’

  ‘Cool,’ I said proudly. It was great the way my friends were getting into the idea. They really were going to love the Wild Club after all. I hoped the guys liked their ideas, too.

  ‘Sounds great,’ Liam said. ‘But first we need to work out where we’re going to get the slushie machines. We haven’t sorted that yet.’

  I thought for a minute. ‘Isn’t there a slushie place at the mall?’ I suggested. ‘They might be able to help.’

  ‘Oh, yeah,’ Jack said. ‘Sloppy Slushie. I’m pretty sure they’ve helped at school events before.’

  ‘There’s an art shop in the mall, too,’ Kimmi added. ‘They might donate some paints for our banner.’

  ‘Some shops could donate prizes for the raffle as well,’ Annabel suggested. ‘We should all go this afternoon!’

  Kimmi and Annabel made plans to meet at the mall with almost as much enthusiasm as they’d talked about the party. It was decided we’d meet at the water feature at 4.30 pm. Everyone seemed totally psyched about the slushie stall. But I felt a bit strange. I’d got to know Liam pretty well since I’d been in the Wild Club, but we’d never done anything outside of school before. For some reason, the idea of hanging out with him at the mall was giving me butterflies.

  The bell rang and Polly shouted, ‘We’ve got more posters for Movie Under the Stars here!’ She tapped her hand on a pile at the front of the room. ‘Put them up everywhere. We need to get the message out. Thanks, guys!’

  As I watched Liam strolling towards the door, I tried to work out why I was feeling so nervous about seeing him that afternoon. It was strange. I’d never felt like that about him before.

  ‘Hey, daydreamer,’ Kimmi said, grabbing my hand. ‘We need to get some posters before they all go. We can put them up at the mall this afternoon.’

  ‘Yeah, right, the mall. We should do that.’

  Annabel glanced at me. ‘How long were you going to keep those guys a secret?’

  I frowned. ‘What do you mean? I’ve told you about them before.’

  Kimmi shook her head as she picked up a bunch of posters. ‘You only told us about Jacqueline.’

  ‘Huh?’ I said. ‘I’ve told you about Jack and Liam loads of times.’

  Annabel laughed. ‘You must have said Jack ’n Liam like one word. We thought you were saying Jacqueline.’

  I grabbed a pile of posters and handed a stack to Annabel. ‘So, what do you think of my good friend Jacqueline?’ I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Not too shabby at all,’ Annabel said.

  Kimmi nodded. ‘Indeed. The movie night should be heaps of fun.’

  And that’s when I noticed it. I stopped walking and stared at the posters in my hand. ‘Has anyone noticed the date for the movie night?’

  ‘Oh no,’ Kimmi sighed, reading the poster. ‘I thought it was, like, a month away.’

  ‘It’s the same night as Ryan Baker’s party!’ Annabel groaned.

  I stared at the poster, hoping it would somehow change if I looked at it hard enough. There had to be something we could do. ‘Do you think Ryan might change the date for his party?’

  Annabel shook her head. ‘That’s not going to happen.’

  ‘So which one will we go to?’ I asked.

  Annabel stared at me. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well,’ I began. ‘On one hand, the party will be epic. But on the other –’

  ‘Phoebs,’ Kimmi interrupted me. ‘The party is going to be the best night ever. It’s all planned.’

  ‘But what about Slushies in Paradise?’ I asked.

  Annabel frowned. ‘Since when is making slushies more fun than going to a party and having a sleepover with your besties?’

  ‘I just think …’ But I couldn’t quite work out what I thought. The party sounded fun, but I was really only going to keep Annabel and Kimmi company. Would a party with a bunch of guys I didn’t know be more fun than making slushies with Liam and Jack?

  ‘What about the thing at the mall this afternoon? We promised Liam –’

  ‘Oh, I get it now,’ Annabel interrupted. ‘This isn’t about the movie night, is it?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ I asked, confused. ‘What else could it be about?’

  Annabel gave me a sly smile. ‘Liam.’

  ‘It’s about saving orangutans,’ I insisted.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Kimmi. ‘Liam couldn’t take his eyes off you in that meeting. I think he’s got a thing for you. And maybe you’ve got a thing for him too.’

  ‘No way,’ I said, laughing. ‘Liam and me? That would never happen. We’re just friends.’

  ‘He’s pretty cute,’ said Annabel.

  I shook my head vigorously. ‘We’re friends. That’s it. And he’s in the year above. We’re hardly going to be cosying up under the stars at the movie night.’

  But even as I said it, I could feel myself blushing at the thought.

  ‘So, you’re coming to the party, then?’ Kimmi asked.

  I shrugged. My head was spinning. I had no idea what to do.

  If I went to the party, I’d let down the Wild Club, and poor Bunga. But if I went to the movie night, I’d be letting down my friends. What should I do?

  ‘You’re right,’ I finally said to Kimmi and Annabel as we arrived at the mall. It had taken me all afternoon to work out what to do, but I’d made the decision now. ‘I’ll go to the party. I feel bad, but it’s not like I’ve got a contract with the Wild Club.’

  ‘Exactly!’ said Annabel. ‘And the party is going to be amazing!’

  ‘We can still help get everything ready and set up the slushie stall,’ said Kimmi. ‘We just wo
n’t be there to serve slushies on the actual night.’

  ‘Ooh, let’s look in here for accessories for the party,’ said Annabel. ‘It’ll only take a minute.’

  By the time we got to the water feature, we were half an hour late.

  ‘Sorry we’re late,’ I said.

  Jack shrugged. ‘It’s cool.’

  Liam smiled, but he looked tense. He was drumming his fingers on a stack of movie-night posters, obviously keen to get on with our mission. I felt guilty that we’d kept them waiting, and I felt even worse that we wouldn’t be helping on the slushie stall anymore. I bit my lip, trying to work out how to tell the guys we’d be going to the party instead of the movie night. Liam kept fixing me with an intense look that didn’t make it easy.

  Annabel didn’t seem to notice. ‘How delicious is this?’ She waved the new clutch she’d just bought at Kimmi and me, looking pleased with herself. ‘I even got a discount.’

  Liam rolled his eyes and groaned.

  ‘You don’t like it?’ Annabel said, suddenly noticing Liam’s expression.

  ‘I thought we were here to sort out things for the slushie stall,’ he said.

  ‘Totes,’ Annabel said, putting her bag away. ‘I’m ready. And I happen to be a great negotiator. I think you’ll be pretty impressed with my skills.’

  I cringed. Annabel could talk her way into pretty much anything, but she was sounding a bit on the arrogant side.

  ‘Excellent,’ Liam said. He tucked his posters under his arm. ‘Let’s get started then.’

  ‘Before we go,’ I took a deep breath, ‘there’s something we need to tell you.’

  I looked from Liam to Jack, and then glanced at Annabel, hoping she might take over, but she looked away.

  ‘What’s up?’ Liam asked.

  ‘Well,’ I hesitated. ‘We can’t actually help at the slushie stall after all.’

  ‘You’re quitting the Wild Club?’ Jack frowned.

  ‘We’re not quitting,’ I said quickly. ‘We just can’t go to the movie night.’

  Liam scowled. ‘What are you doing here, then?’

  ‘We still want to help,’ Kimmi said.

  ‘We’ll put up posters and get donations and stuff,’ I added. ‘We just can’t make it next Saturday.’

  ‘Even though that’s the actual night of the fundraiser,’ Liam said, frowning.

  I nodded.

  ‘Oh, that makes perfect sense, then,’ he said sarcastically.

  I felt awful. Liam was taking this really badly.

  ‘Why can’t you make the movie night?’ Jack asked.

  ‘A double booking,’ Annabel sighed. ‘We’re already committed to a party.’

  ‘A party?’ Liam looked horrified.

  I groaned to myself. This was just getting worse. I suddenly felt completely unreliable, putting a party before my Wild Club responsibilities.

  ‘Not just any party. It’s Ryan Baker’s party,’ Annabel went on.

  Liam and Jack looked at each other and shrugged. Clearly they had no idea who Ryan Baker was or that he lived in a harbour-side mansion.

  ‘He goes to Highgrove,’ Kimmi explained. But that just made things worse.

  Liam glared at me. ‘So, you’re going to a party with a bunch of losers from Highgrove instead of coming to the movie night.’

  ‘Well, it’s not quite like that,’ I said.

  ‘Yeah,’ Annabel interrupted. ‘Highgrove guys aren’t losers. They’re actually very cute and very charming.’

  Liam scoffed.

  ‘And we were invited to the party before we found out about the movie night,’ Annabel went on. ‘Sorry if that doesn’t work for you.’

  ‘Whatever,’ Liam said. ‘Let’s get started. Jack and I will go up to Sloppy Slushie and see if they can help. And you three can … ’ he shrugged.

  ‘We’ll put up posters,’ I said brightly, even though I was hurt by Liam’s tone. ‘And we’ll get some paints and things for the banner. Meet you back here in an hour, okay?’

  ‘Right,’ Liam said, heading towards the escalator with Jack.

  ‘Happy shopping,’ Jack called over his shoulder.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but they’d gone.

  ‘Wow,’ Annabel frowned. ‘Who made them kings of the jungle? Give me a Highgrove guy any day. What is it you like about those guys, Phoebs? They’re pretty up themselves for nature nerds.’

  ‘They’re not normally like that,’ I said feebly as the guys disappeared towards the top floor of the mall.

  ‘I guess they’re pretty annoyed we’re not helping on the slushie stall,’ Kimmi said.

  I felt completely deflated. ‘I’ve been in the Wild Club all year, not doing very much. And now, when I’m actually needed, I’m going to a party instead.’

  Annabel gave me a hug. ‘You made the right choice. Those guys don’t deserve your help. They’re lucky we’re here at all.’

  I sighed, pulling a roll of movie-night posters out of my schoolbag. ‘Come on, let’s put these up and get the paints and things. Show them we care about more than just shopping and parties.’

  ‘Totes,’ Kimmi said. ‘The art shop is this way.’

  We linked arms and marched off down the mall, ready to prove our commitment to the Wild Club.

  ‘I can’t believe I thought Liam was kind of cute when I first saw him,’ Annabel said.

  ‘Kind of?’ I laughed. ‘You were practically drooling.’

  ‘I thought Jack was pretty sweet too,’ Kimmi added. ‘Quiet, but mysterious.’

  ‘They’re both really nice. But … not so much today.’

  ‘They’ll get over it,’ Annabel told me.

  I hoped so. It really upset me to think of the guys being mad at me. Especially Liam. I’d thought we were good friends and could talk about anything. ‘I didn’t expect Liam to react that badly to us not going to the movie night.’

  ‘You know,’ Kimmi said, ‘I think Liam might be jealous that you’re going to a party with a bunch of Highgrove guys.’

  I laughed. ‘Jealous? No way. Mad, yes. But jealous?’

  Kimmi nodded. ‘I told you, he kept looking at you in the meeting today. Didn’t he, Annabel?’

  She shrugged. ‘Didn’t really notice.’ She stopped in her tracks as something in a shop window caught her eye. ‘Hey! That dress. It’s just what I’ve been looking for!’

  I sighed as Annabel disappeared into the shop, followed by Kimmi. When Annabel set her mind to something it was pretty hard to divert her. I followed my friends inside, trying not to think about what Liam would say if he could see us.

  ‘It’s half price!’ Annabel cried, excitedly poring over a white dress.

  ‘It’ll totes suit you,’ Kimmi said.

  ‘Have I got time to try it on?’ Annabel asked, looking at me.

  I nodded. ‘Fine, but don’t be too long. We’ve got a stack of things to do before we meet up with the guys again.’

  Annabel grabbed the dress and then pulled another two from the racks and tucked them under her arm. Then she found another one and handed it to me. ‘This is so you.’

  I shook my head. I really didn’t want to meet the guys with an armful of shopping bags. But Annabel nudged me towards the fitting room, leaving me no choice but to try it on.

  ‘Oh, wow,’ Kimmi smiled. ‘That orange is so you. It goes perfectly with your dark hair and eyes.’

  ‘You’ve got to get it for the party,’ Annabel said.

  I looked in the mirror, tilting my head one way and then the other. I did really like it, but there was no way I could get it. ‘It’s cute, but I can’t afford it.’

  Annabel waved a hand. ‘No problem. I’ll lend you the money.’

  I hesitated. Annabel always seemed to have spare cash and she had no problem sharing it with Kimmi and me. But it didn’t feel right, taking her money. I shook my head.

  Annabel opened her wallet anyway, and pressed a pile of notes into my hand. ‘Go on, just get it. You’ll regret not b
uying it. It’s so much better than the pink top I was going to lend you.’

  I stared at the money and then the dress. It really did look good. And I had some savings at home that I could use to pay Annabel back. I grinned. ‘Okay, thanks! I’ll pay you back tomorrow.’

  By the time we headed back to the water feature to meet the guys, we all had new outfits and accessories for the party. But we hadn’t just been shopping. I had put up all our posters for the movie night, while Annabel had managed to get some earrings, a bag and some vouchers donated for the movie-night raffle. Kimmi had talked the art-shop owner into giving us some paints for our slushie-stall banner. The afternoon had been a great success. The guys could hardly complain about us now.

  ‘So how was the shopping trip?’ Liam asked as we approached.

  ‘What shopping?’ Annabel said, managing to sound affronted. She waved a bag at the guys. ‘These are donations for the movie-night raffle.’

  ‘And we’ve got paints for the slushie-stall banner,’ Kimmi said.

  ‘And we’ve put up posters all over the mall,’ I added.

  The guys actually looked impressed.

  ‘How about you?’ I asked. ‘Any luck?’

  Liam beamed. ‘Sloppy Slushie has got a mobile trailer. You know, like a caravan with a big serving counter at the front – the ones you see at fairs. We can have it for the night. No cost or anything.’

  ‘Way to go!’ I said excitedly, giving Liam a hug. But I pulled away quickly when I felt his body stiffen.

  We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. It looked like Liam wasn’t the hugging type. But I was glad we were friends again.

  ‘So,’ Liam said eventually. ‘If you guys are still keen to help out, do you want to meet up next week? Maybe Friday. Give us some last-minute help?’

  ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘We’ll work on the banner this week. And we can even help set up on Saturday if you want. Before we go to the party.’

  ‘Yeah, cool,’ Jack replied.

  ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Next Friday, then.’

  We agreed on a time then said goodbye. The guys took off in one direction and we headed in the other.