Chaz left the room, shutting the door behind him. Ash closed his eyes, wishing it was the same time—just yesterday.
***
An explosion went off in the lounge, waking up Ash.
Not the bomb type, but a verbal battering of raised voices going at it hammer and tongs. Dante, their mother, Dante, their mother, yell, scream, some more yelling, another scream… Dante’s voice hadn’t broken yet, so Ash couldn’t tell who was screaming.
Ash swept his duvet aside and got out of bed, the ache below still there, but bearable. Gingerly, he headed into the lounge were World War III was taking place. Dante was standing in the middle of the room sopping wet. His hoodie and jeans dripped water onto the light blue carpet, making a dark halo around his feet.
“Get changed now!” Their mother pointed towards the passage.
“You left me, I had to walk home!” Dante yelled.
“I couldn’t find you, you took off. I went back and you were still not there, even after the game was due to finish. How many times do I hafta tell ya to stop taking off?”
Dante turned towards Ash, his face red with anger. Just over five-foot-six, he looked like a shorter and younger version of Ash. “This is your fault!” Dante shouted as he ran past.
As if!
The bathroom door slammed. Their mother shook her head. “That boy is gonna be the death of me.” She breathed in, the sound shaky. “He better buck up before he gets to Dargaville, otherwise Dida will blow his top.”
Ash refrained from grinning. Like his mother, their grandfather had a whopper temper when pushed too far, and with every year his fuse got shorter and shorter. Though, it was never coupled with violence.
“How’re ya doin’, Ash? Feeling better?” his mother asked.
“Yeah.”
“You sure ya don’t wanna come to Dargaville? Baba and Dida will be disappointed.”
“They’re coming down next weekend for my birthday.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Just… your father is being released today.”
“He doesn’t know where we live now.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I’m just worried. Then again, maybe he’s changed.”
“Doubt it, but Chaz reckons there’s no use in running away. Anyway, Chaz will protect us.”
“True.” She smiled. “You seem to be getting along with Chaz a lot better lately.”
Ash shrugged. “He’s nice.”
She walked up and hugged him. “That makes me really happy that you feel that way, especially with Dante’s horrible attitude towards him. You’re a good boy.”
Ash returned the hug. “No problem.”
She pulled away. “I’ve gotta get everything into the car. You go have a shower after Dante’s finished.”
He followed her into the passage, stopping outside the bathroom. His mother entered her bedroom, then reappeared after a few minutes with a bag and quickly disappeared into the lounge. A minute later Dante stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Dante glared at him. “Move it.”
“No, you don’t hafta be such a prick to Mum.”
“She left me.”
“So? You took off. And stop swiping my condoms.”
Dante’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t,” he hissed.
“Yeah, right, go buy your own.”
“They won’t sell me them, I didn’t have a choice.”
“I knew I had more. If you want some ask next time.”
Dante appeared surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah, though I reckon you’re too young to be doin’ it.”
Dante stood up straighter. “No, I’m not; I’ll be at your school next year.”
Ash laughed. “Can you say that any higher?”
“Arsehole.” Dante shouldered Ash and headed for his room.
“Juliet can push me harder than that, you li’l baby!”
Dante slammed his door shut, more swearwords following.
Laughing, Ash closed the bathroom door behind him. He turned on the bath taps and started stripping off his rugby gear. Once the water was ready, he slipped into the tub, grimacing as the water stung his scrapes. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, the warmth making him feel better below. A creak made him reopen his eyes. He looked up at Chaz standing in the doorway.
“Get out!” Ash hollered.
“Shit, you don’t hafta yell. I didn’t know you were in here, and I just wanna wash my hands.”
“Wash them elsewhere.”
Chaz walked past him grumbling, “You can stay home later if you’re gonna be a shit to me.” He rinsed his hands and walked off, slamming the door behind him.
Ash swore. He gave his body a quick wash, then let out the water and got out of the tub. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went looking for his stepdad. He found Chaz in the kitchen buttering bread and still grumbling.
“I’m sorry,” Ash said. “I didn’t mean to snap.”
Chaz scowled at him. “You’re a rude bastard sometimes.”
“I wuz naked.”
“So what? It’s not like I haven’t seen a cock before.”
“Not mine.”
“And right now you’re acting like one. Or more like a baby, and I ain’t interested in taking a li’l kid to the pub.”
“I ain’t a kid.”
“Then stop acting like one, and getting uptight over me seeing your wee willie winkie,” Chaz said, his voice mocking.
“It ain’t little!”
Chaz started sniggering. “You should see your face, you look so funny.” He stopped when Ash swore. “Jeez, calm down, boy. If it makes ya feel any better, I didn’t see it. It wasn’t like I was looking. I ain’t a fag.”
Ash’s shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, s’pose so.”
“S’pose so? I should hope so.”
“Does that mean I can still go to the—”
Chaz stomped on his foot.
“Ow! What the fuck—”
“Ash, watch your mouth!” his mother said behind him.
Ash swore under his breath and turned around.
She shook her head then exited through the back door, yelling at the twins to get ready.
Chaz placed the bread slice on top of the ham sandwich and passed it to Ash. “Sorry, you almost got me in trouble. But yeah, we can still go.”
Ash took the sandwich and limped out of the kitchen, heading for his bedroom. He ignored Dante as his brother passed him in the passage, grumbling that it wasn’t fair that Ash got to stay home.
***
The house was quiet. His mother, Dante and the twins had left for Dargaville in Chaz’s van over an hour ago, leaving behind her crappy Civic, which Chaz was cleaning.
Ash sat down on his bed and dialled Tiana’s number. A young male voice answered. Probably Tiana’s brother, he thought. Ash went to hang up, then stopped. Why the hell should he slink around pretending he wasn’t dating Tiana? Yeah, he had every right to talk to her.
“Get me Tiana.” You prick.
“Who’s this?”
For a second he thought about lying, but instead decided to grow a pair that weren’t sore. And it wasn’t like he couldn’t take on her brother, just not with his GARGATUAN mate at the same time.
“Her boyfriend,” Ash said.
“I told her to drop you.”
Ash gripped the phone. “What gives you the right?”
“I’m her brother.”
“So what? She should choose, not you. So, get her now.”
“No. And if you come near her again, I’m gonna visit your place and beat the shit outta ya.”
Ash sniffed. “Like to see you try. Actually, why don’t cha, cos my stepdad’s aching to take a piece outta someone after your mate attacked me at rugby.”
“What?”
“Don’t act stupid with me. You’ve pro’bly had a good laugh over it. Well, laugh all you want, cos he won’t be playing rugby for a while after what he did.”
“I’m not p
retending; that bastard isn’t my mate anymore. So, stay away from my sister or I’ll finish you off myself.”
The phone clicked off, but not before he heard Tiana yell at her brother. Ash sat waiting, hoping she would call back. After ten minutes he guessed her brother was winning whatever argument they were having, so he pushed off the bed and headed for the kitchen, wondering what to do next. Maybe he could ring Joel and brag about going to a pub.
A bang came from the front door. Ash placed the phone back in its cradle, then went to answer the door. Chaz entered the house through the back door and strode past him, answering it before Ash could.
His stepdad’s large body blocked Ash’s view. “You!” Chaz shouted.
Ash took a step back, scared that it was his father.
A different voice replied, “Where’s your son?”
“He’s my stepson, and if you don’t leave now I’m gonna return what you did to him.”
“I’m suspended from playing cos of him.”
“It was your fault, not his.”
Ash clenched his fists, now realising who it was—the bloody ball buster. “You fucker!” he shouted, trying to get past Chaz.
Chaz pushed him back. “Go to your room, Ash.”
“No, he wuz one of the guys who kidnapped me the other day.”
“What the hell?” Chaz grabbed the prop by the sweatshirt and yanked him inside. Although the guy was bulkier, Chaz was taller and right now his stepdad’s expression was vicious.
Chaz shoved the prop into the back of the couch and slammed the door shut, then went still as the guy pulled out a gun from his school jacket.
“The police want me now, so I’ve got nuthin’ to lose,” the guy said.
Chaz raised his hands. “If you shoot you’ll go in for murder, not common assault.”
“His girlfriend lied, said I sexually assaulted her. She wouldn’t say that, he made her.” He pointed the gun in Ash’s direction.
Ash stepped back, terrified and not understanding a thing that was happening. “I-I didn’t.”
The guy directed the gun at Chaz as his stepdad inched forward. “Stand over there!”
Chaz stood in front of Ash.
“Move to the side,” the guy said. “Or I’ll shoot ya.”
“Just lower the gun, mate,” Chaz said.
“Move outta the way!”
“We can talk this over; sort this mess out, cos Ash has nothing to do with your problems.”
“Bullshit, he stole Tiana from me. I’ve known her since she was li’l, then this prick comes along and takes her away.”
“Everything will be taken away from you if ya shoot him.”
“It already has. First my mum, then my brother, then rugby, and now Tiana. Even my dad looked at me like I deserved to be in jail. And my best mate’s gone too. He hates me like everyone else.”
Ash peered around Chaz at the guy. His face was contorted in pain, his body shaking. The gun lowered slightly, then rose as Chaz took a step closer.
“This has nothing to do with Ash,” Chaz repeated. “You’re the one who hurt him, not the other way round.”
“He hurt me!” the guy shouted, spraying spit. “All I wanted was to marry Tiana, live off rugby, and to make my old man proud. What’s so wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” Chaz said. “But not everyone gets what they want in life, and if you gimme that gun at least you won’t be going to jail.”
“What do I care? I’ve lost everything.” The guy raised the gun to his own head.
“No!” Chaz shouted.
A click sounded, but without the blast of the barrel. Chaz grabbed the gun, put it down on the bookshelf, then directed the stunned looking guy to the couch. “What’s your father’s number?”
“Why didn’t Levi have bullets?”
“I don’t know who Levi is. Gimme your father’s number so I can call him to get ya.”
The guy started rocking. “I can’t, I can’t…”
Chaz looked up at Ash. “Bring me the phone.”
In shock, Ash did as instructed, passing the handheld to his stepdad.
“Kid,” Chaz said to the guy. “What’s your number?”
“You can’t call my dad; he’ll take me to the police station.”
“It doesn’t mean you’ll go to jail. How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“Then I’m sure your father will sort things out.”
“But, he hates me now.”
Chaz exhaled. “I doubt that. I can’t think of any parent that would want their child to kill themselves.”
Ash looked away, knowing that wasn’t true. Not wanting to hear anymore, he walked down the passage and shut himself in his bedroom. His hand went to his head, the raised scar under his hair proof that his father would prefer he was dead.
24
Tiana
Tiana glared at Levi. “What gives you the right to tell me who I can and can’t see?”
“I’m your brother.”
“So what? I don’t choose your girlfriends.”
“Cos I’ve got better taste.”
“You dated that slut Salma!”
Lucky their parents weren’t home, because Tiana was sure the whole neighbourhood could hear their argument. She wanted to hit her brother, but she stayed in front of the fridge, her temperature rising at Levi’s indignant stare. It was as though he thought he was doing her a favour, but what did he know about love, besides hitting on any female he thought was hot. He had no idea, and didn’t feel for someone like she did Ash.
“Ha!” she shouted. “Gotcha on that!”
Levi covered his ears. “Stop yelling, my head’s killing me.”
“Then stop interfering in my life!”
“Not until you drop that bastard.”
“I want to marry him.”
Levi started laughing.
“Stop laughing at me. He feels the same way as I do. He said he loves me.”
Levi’s expression changed instantly, like someone had slid one of those drama masks over his face—from happy to sad. “You didn’t sleep with him, didja?”
Tiana forced a smile. Let him stew, he deserved it.
He raised the phone up high and squeezed it as though it was Ash’s neck. “You said you didn’t sleep with him!”
She lifted her chin. “I hadn’t at that point.”
Levi shook with anger, like he used to do as a little kid before he threw a tantrum. He flung his arms out and yelled, “He only said he loved ya to get into your fucking pants!”
“He’s not like you!”
“I don’t tell girls I love them to get some. I’m not that desperate.”
“He loves me for real.”
“Now, you get real,” he pointed the phone at her, “Cos all he loves is his own cock, not you. He pro’bly called to get another shag before dumping you.”
“You’re horrible!”
“You’re worse, dropping your knickers for some greasy Maori.”
“Racist bastard!” Tiana ran to the front door and shoved her feet into her shoes. She was in grey track pants and a blue sweatshirt, perfect for taking a run to Ash’s house… Or maybe a walk, because she still had a sore stomach.
Levi followed her. “Where ya goin’?”
“To Ash’s so I can sleep with him again.”
He grabbed her arm. “Like hell.”
“You can’t stop me; unless you’re gonna push me around like Isaia did.”
He let go of her arm. “I’m gonna tell Mum.”
“I’m gonna tell Mum,” she mimicked, knowing it was childish, but unable to help herself. There were so many times she could’ve told their mother about Levi’s escapades, but never did out of respect for him.
“Tiana, think about it. You can’t marry him, and I bet he never even asked. What kid his age wants to get married?”
“He said he loves me.”
“That doesn’t mean he wants to marry you. And what about university? You
won’t be able to go if ya get married to some kid who thinks dole bludging is a career option.”
“Bigot!” Tiana opened the door. “And we’re not exactly rolling in cash either. If anything, his road’s nicer than ours.”
“But, Dad supports us. He won’t keep doin’ that if you marry some Maori bloke. If anything he’d cut you off. He’s all nice and polite to everyone, but you’ve heard him rant about Maoris.”
“He rants about his own kind too; it makes no difference what nationality someone is.”
Levi pursed his lips and puffed out his cheeks. It made him look comical, although it meant he was frustrated, like Tiana was some thick kid that couldn’t see his point of view. Well, that went both ways, because he was the one acting childish right now.
She continued, “You can hold your breath ‘til you’re blue in the face, but I’m still gonna see Ash regardless of what you say. He loves me, I love him. Simple.”
Levi exhaled. “I don’t want ya gettin’ hurt, cos it’s gonna happen with this bloke, I know it.”
“He’s not like that.” She opened the door and jumped down the steps, grimacing as her stomach rebelled against the sudden movement. What did Levi know? Nothing, because all that mattered was that Ash said he loved her back.
Levi followed her outside. “It’s gettin’ dark, Tiana.”
“It’s only a short walk.” She rounded the fence and headed along the path, passing Levi’s other mate’s pokey flat.
Levi ran in front of her, blocking her way. “I’m not letting ya walk in the dark alone. And I doubt it’s a short walk.”
She glared at him. “I’m not taking you to his place.”
“I already know where he lives.”
“How?”
“The phone book, dah.”
“Liar, he’s not in the phone book. His mum’s got a different last name.” She tried to sidestep him, but he mirrored her movements. “Stoppit, Levi!”
“Nope, but if you come home now, I’ll let ya phone him back.”
“Really?”
“Yup, cos you’re just as stubborn as Mum, and I’d rather him come here than the other way round. Maybe I can have a chat with him too.” He held up his hands as Tiana went to blast him. “No punching, only talking, I promise.”
“Okay, but if you so much as touch him.”
Graffiti Heaven (Graffiti Heaven #1) Page 13