Dare You Part 11

A girl, about our age, pushed a trolley towards us. *Hey, Alex, this trolley was by the dog food.' I swear she smirked before lifting items out of the trolley. *Prunes. Prune juice. Metamucil. All Bran.'

The laughter bubbling in my throat just about choked me.

*Yes, yes, yes,' bl.u.s.tered the woman, s.n.a.t.c.hing the cereal pack out of the girl's hand.

*Is everything still in your handbag?' asked the manager, watching the woman check her purse.

*Apparently so.'

*Well then,' he said, *seems you just forgot where you left your trolley. May I suggest that in future, you keep your handbag under constant supervision.'

The woman's face flushed.

*So we bogans can go?' asked Sas, shooting the woman a filthy look.

*Sure,' said the manager.

I cleared my throat and looked at the woman. *We'll have an apology, thank you.'

The manager, girl who'd found the trolley and shoppers waiting at checkouts stared at the woman. Her mouth tightened and her face coloured.

*I apologise.' She s.n.a.t.c.hed her trolley and strode into the nearest aisle.

The moment we stepped through the automatic doors onto the footpath, we lost it. Khaden leaned on the top of the rolled rug and laughed, Sas held on to the trolley bay for support and I clutched my sides, the laughter hurting, but impossible to stop.

*Ruby, you were on fire!' said Khaden after a few minutes. He opened his iced coffee and drank about half of it.

*Is it an invisible trolley?' mimicked Sas.

Khaden spluttered and wiped his mouth. *That was gold, Ruby.'

He handed the carton to Sas who took a sip.

*Well, she gave me the s.h.i.+ts. Bogans! Who does she think she is?' I glared through the gla.s.s windows.

Khaden grinned and shouldered the rug again. *Come on, Feisty-we promised Sas we'd hurry.'

Sas took one of the bags from me so I could drink. I took a swig and offered the bottle to her.

*Nah, I'm good. And you know what, I don't care if we're late. That was worth it.'

*I swear my palms are bleeding.' I said, swapping the plastic bags from one hand to the other as we turned into Sas's street.

*I hear you,' said Khade.

*Oh, suck it up, you two. It's-' Sas stopped at her driveway.

*What's...' Then I heard it too. Crying and yelling. *Sounds like a major fight.'

*No, not a fight-' She dropped the laundry basket and ran before she finished the sentence.

*Seriously, Sas, I can't carry...' But Sas had gone. With a sigh, I reached for the laundry basket.

Khaden s.h.i.+fted the rug. *Here, I'll take it.'

When we reached Sas's place, yelling and sobs blasted out the open front door. Khaden and I dumped our stuff on the verandah.

*How did it happen?' bellowed Sas.

Behind the noises, I could hear the shower running.

*She was hungry.' I think it was Madison's voice, but she sounded so stressed it was hard to tell. *She wanted noodles and was sick of waiting for you, so she filled the saucepan with hot water from the tap, and slipped. It wasn't my fault.'

*You could have phoned to see where I was! Or just waited! What is wrong with you, Madison?' screamed Sas.

Khaden and I rushed down the hall.

Eliza stood outside the bathroom, crying.

Khaden squatted beside her. *You okay?'

She sniffed and nodded. *Grace is burnt.'

I eased around Khaden and Eliza and squeezed into the bathroom. Madison was huddled near the toilet. Sas stood, fully dressed, under the shower with a s.h.i.+vering Grace, who wore a denim skirt but no T-s.h.i.+rt. Her chest and left arm were scarlet and blotchy.

*I'll phone your mum,' I said, my voice low.

She looked up, her face as white as the tiles behind her. *Thanks.'

Khaden Slumped on the sofa, Khaden thought about making dinner, but decided to wait. Taj would probably be hanging out with the band and Mike would be at work, or the pub.

Not that it mattered. After what happened with Sas's sister, Khaden needed time alone. He couldn't shake Grace's screams from his head, or the look on Sas's mum's face when she rushed in the front door. Then there was Sas-so calm amid the chaos. Ruby was pretty calm too and kept Eliza and Madison out of Sas's way. He'd just stayed with Sas, feeling useless.

Khaden thought of the curve of Sas's calf, the curl of hair on the nape of her neck. He wanted to rush to her to check she was okay, but there was no point if they were still at the hospital.

He and Sas definitely weren't just friends any more. But what were they? And what would it mean to Ruby?

When the back door slammed, Khaden jumped. He expected it to be Taj, but Mike walked into the lounge, holding a box of fried chicken.

*You haven't eaten, have you?' he asked.

*No.' Khaden sniffed the air for beer, but could only smell petrol, and the food.

Mike placed the box on the coffee table.

*Chicken okay?'

*Always.' Khaden forced a smile.

Mike frowned. For a moment, Khaden wondered why; then he remembered the bruise. He reached forward and flipped open the box. Steam filled the air and the smell made his mouth water. *Haven't had take-away chook for ages.'

Mike's frown folded into a look of concern. *Does it hurt?'

Khaden shook his head and took a bite of a drumstick.

Mike looked away from his son's face. *A doctor should take a look at that.'

*It's fine. Just bruised.'

*Just the same-'

*It's fine,' repeated Khaden.

Mike ran his hands through his hair. *Mate, this stuff between Taj and me...'

Khaden watched his father search for words.

*We're too alike, both too stubborn. When Taj and I ... just stay out of it, okay? Let us sort it out.'

Khaden dumped the chicken bone in the box.

*Sort it out? You'll kill each other first.'

*Not if Taj keeps his mouth shut.'

*Why do you have to react? Why can't you ignore him like you used to tell me to?'

Mike hung his head.

*You're the adult, Dad.'

Mike slapped his knees. *I need a beer. Want anything?'

Something hot and bitter filled Khaden's mouth. *I'm right.'

Text Message-Ruby to Sas, 8.15p.m.

Ruby: Hey Sas. How's Grace? R u ok?

Text Message-Ruby to Sas, 8.45p.m.

Ruby: Left message on machine at yr home. Hope everything is ok xoxo Text Message-Ruby to Khaden, 9.15p.m.

Ruby: Hey KD. Have u heard from Sas? Left messages, but haven't heard. Wot about u?

Khaden: Pretty hectic. Grace in hospital o'nite. Sucks eh? Sas looking after E and M Ruby: Thanx. Poor G. Sas ok?

Khaden: Meh-shaken up Ruby: C u 2morrow Text Message-Ruby to Sas, 9.25p.m.

Ruby: Hi Sas. KD says Grace in hospital o'nite. It's awful. U ok? I'm here if you need anything. C u at school 2morrow xoxo Ruby Khaden, Sas and I strolled down the corridor to the gym for our last school a.s.sembly for the year.

*Starting the day with a.s.sembly sucks,' said Khaden. *Do you reckon Bergman will lecture us about rubbish and keeping our s.h.i.+rts tucked in?'

*Can Bergman talk about anything else? You must have to be obsessed with litter and uniforms to be a vice-princ.i.p.al, what do you reckon, Sas?'

Sas was on the other side of Khaden, head down and shoulders rounded. *Probably.'

*Hey, how's Grace, this morning?' I asked.

Sas's head snapped up. *Since when did you care?'

It was as though she'd slapped me. *What's that supposed to mean? I sent about 100 texts last night, and left messages.'

Sas stopped walking and the other students surged past us. *If you hadn't been "sooo thirsty" and made us go to the supermarket, and if you hadn't picked a fight with that old woman, I would have been home on time and Grace wouldn't have been scalded.'

*Are you serious?'

Sas folded her arms and tilted her head.

My mind swirled, my thoughts like leaves caught in a gust of wind. *Khaden, you were there.'

He raised both his hands. *Hey, keep me out of this.'

*Don't come over all caring now, Ruby, when it was all your fault.' Sas flicked her hair over her shoulder and flounced towards the gym. Khaden hurried after her.

I stood in the middle of the hall, numb.

*Problems with The Three Musketeers?' asked Lyndal, her face covered in delight.

*Whatever, Lyndal,' I said, striding after Khaden and Sas.

In a.s.sembly, I sat at the back of the gym, near the geeks, rows behind Sas and Khaden. Bergman's voice washed over me. All I could think about was the scorn in Sas's eyes and how cruel she sounded. When Lyndal stood to receive her *citizens.h.i.+p award', the air in the gym seemed thick and heavy. My hands tingled and my vision blurred. I had to get out of there, fast. When I stumbled to my feet and turned to run, The Fink blocked my path.

*Gonna spew,' I muttered. That moved her. I sprinted down the corridor to the toilets.

Sas Last night sucked. Really sucked. The doctor said me sticking Grace in the shower made a big difference. Wish that made me feel better. I can't get Grace's voice out of my head, or the look on Mum's face when she rushed into the bathroom.

Mum's with the plumber now. He's changing the temperature of our hot water.

Dad's in the lounge room playing monopoly with Maddie and Eliza, and Grace is snuggled on his lap. At least Dad didn't bring Lee.

Khaden Khaden heard the back door slam over the Arctic Monkey's riff he was learning to play. He strained to recognise the footsteps. Taj or Dad?

*Oi, KD.'

Khaden breathed out. *In my bedroom,' he called, still playing the guitar.

Taj stood in the doorway. *Sounds good.'