Cool Bananas (12 page)

‘What do you think, Roxie?’ said Angela with a wink.

‘Yeah. Let’s do it!’

Together the two girls gave him a mighty shove and he slam-dunked off the stage and landed flat on his face.

‘In-house joke,’ said Roxie, wiping her hands on her apron, as the cameraman zoomed in for a close-up of what he thought was hicksville high-jinks.

‘Yeah. We always do that to the toughiest male at
Coolini Beach celebrations.’ Angela grinned. ‘It’s called girl power.’

They walked off arm in arm to serve the customers and make the new shakes everyone was clamouring to try. Lots of willing helpers remained to pack up chairs and clean up the debris.

Flick looked at Liz with her arms round Josh. She was thrilled for her friend and glad that Josh had come back safe and sound. She looked at Angela and Roxie, now the best of friends. But how come she was on her own? Everyone else had someone.

‘Hi,’ said Nathan in her ear. ‘Wanna take a walk with me?’

‘Sorry,’ said Flick with mock ruefulness, ‘but I have to help clean up.’

Sometimes it was better to be on your own!

Liz, Josh and Flick walked up the hill to Liz’s place.

They’d eaten their dinner at the store so at least they didn’t have to cook anything. They were all tired, especially Josh, because he and his mates had driven from South Australia. His mates had gone to their own homes or vans to shower and sleep.

While Liz and Josh were talking quietly to each other in the family room and obviously wanting to be alone, Flick stood on the verandah looking out into the stillness of the night.

Below her she could see winking lights in the camping ground as people sat round their barbecues, or sat watching TV or playing cards in their vans with the curtains open. Above her the stars twinkled in the cloudless sky.

Where was Tim? They were supposed to be back here by six and it was now nearly nine. Why didn’t they phone and let Liz know where they were? Not that Liz was worrying, she was too wrapped up in Josh.

In a nearby tree the male koala grunted, and from another tree close by there was an answering grunt. A koala romance was in progress.

‘Where’s my romance?’ said Flick to herself. ‘
Who
is my romance?’

To stop herself feeling depressed, she wandered inside and turned on the TV. Kiev’s handsome face flashed across the screen, looking intently into his co-star’s eyes. He bent his head and their lips welded together in a passionate kiss. Flick felt tears pricking her eyes as she stared at the screen.

What was real and what wasn’t? Had Kiev been trying his acting charms on her? And why was she even thinking about him when Tim was coming home?

The red roses from Kiev were curling in their vase, and most of them were starting to drop their petals. During the commercial break, Flick took the single remaining rose that was still a perfect bud and put it carefully in her bag. When she got back to her bus she’d press the rose between the pages
of a book of poems by Byron, and keep it as a reminder of a fleeting moment with a handsome man who had captured her heart for a brief time. She wrapped the other roses in newspaper and put them in the organic waste section of the big bin outside the door.

‘They didn’t last long,’ said Liz, who had been watching her from the doorway.

‘No,’ said Flick shortly. ‘Some things don’t.’

The penetrating beam of headlights sweeping up the drive interrupted their conversation.

‘Flick. Are you sure you’re all right?’ asked Liz gently.

‘I will be as soon as I see Tim,’ said Flick firmly, switching off the television. Kiev was gone from her sight and her mind in one smooth motion.

Liz dashed to open the door and welcome her family home. Flick and Josh stood in the background and waited for the excitement to die down a bit.

‘The plane was late,’ said Liz’s mum. ‘Did you get our message?’

‘No.’

Liz looked across at the answer-phone. The red light wasn’t blinking and she’d checked it for messages when they’d come home. In fact, there hadn’t been any messages for several days.

‘It musn’t be working. Maybe the tape’s got jammed,’ she said, as Josh went to help with the bags. ‘No matter. You’re all home safe and sound.’

‘Safe but not sound,’ said Tim, limping in on crutches with his leg in plaster.

‘What happened to you?’ Flick was at his side in an instant.

‘Totalled the board and broke my leg in three places,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t my fault, though. This kook dropped in on me from nowhere and wiped me out. He broke his arm and got concussion and it served him bloody-well right.’

‘When was this?’ said Josh.

‘Yesterday. So it was okay, I managed to get in some good waves, mate. You should’ve seen the break points. And those barrels. Awesome.’

Flick pressed her lips together and looked at Liz. The two boys were already deep in surf talk and Tim was hardly in the door. Liz shrugged. It was a boy thing.

Finally, the bags were all inside and Liz had the kettle on. Flick brought out the rest of the blackforest cake from the fridge and cut everyone a slice.

‘Oh, yeah,’ said Tim self-consciously. ‘I bought you something for your birthday. It’s in my bag.’

He hobbled off to find it. When he returned to the
buzz of conversation, with everyone talking at once, he handed Flick a small box.

‘I didn’t have time to wrap it,’ he said casually.

Liz’s mother rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. ‘Tim. Why didn’t you ask? I could’ve done it for you. Poor Flick. Sorry, love.’

‘That’s okay,’ said Flick, giving Tim a kiss on the cheek. She was sure he would be full-on embarrassed if she kissed him on the lips in front of his family.

‘Hope you like it.’ Tim’s voice was off-hand but he looked anxious. ‘I chose it myself and the jeweller said it’s what girls like.’

Inside the box was a pendant. A fine gold chain with a gemstone carved in the shape of a red rose attached to it. Flick gulped when she saw it. Of all the possible choices, a red rose.

‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Yes, she loved Tim, she was sure of it, but a small part of her wondered, just for an instant, what it would have been like to have been loved and cherished by Kiev Beauman.

The first book about Coolini Beach

Coolini Beach is the coolest place to be if you want to meet drop-dead gorgeous guys. The surf’s where they like to hang out. But when the city chicks arrive like flies after honey during the holiday period, the competition gets tough for Liz and her friends. And rough when the bikies come to town. Coolini Beach Cafe is where you find out what’s going on and who knows the latest gossip. Be there or be square.

Dear Reader
,

Last Summer I was talking to a group of young surfies at the beach cafe and they said, ‘Why don’t you write about US?’ And another group of girls nearby, who were on holiday in the caravan park, said, ‘Why YOU? Why not US
?

The waitress from the cafe overheard the conversation, and with hands on her hips, said, ‘Oh, yeah? What about the LOCALS and the WORKERS in the place
?

So I decided to make up a fictional story about EVERYONE: the surfers, the holiday-makers, the workers and the locals at Kayah Cafe on Coolini Beach. Hope you like it
.

Anyhoo … Margaret

Fat Chance

Can you become ‘The Face’ when you look like a pregnant rhinoceros? Lisa wants to know.

Can you snatch a modelling contract when you’re fourteen and a social outcast, with a mother who pumps donuts, hot dogs and chilli pancakes into you like there’s no tomorrow? FAT CHANCE!

Hot or What

Last time you met Lisa, in
Fat Chance
, she thought she was a beached whale. Well she’s back and she’s hot, heading for TEEN SUPERMODEL OF THE YEAR.

So hot in fact that the agency’s given her a new name, Rebel, and a whole new look to go with it. Okay, she got the job all her friends dreamed about, and she got the fairy godmother. But she got the ugly sisters too, THERE’S A WOLF LURKING BEHIND EVERY CAMERA and she’s still looking for that fairy tale ending.

And Lisa’s going to find it — hot or what!

Kiss & Make Up

Lisa Trelaw has a big decision to make. She doesn’t know if she’s won Teen Model of the Year or not, so should she got to Sydney and continue her modelling career?

Her decision is made easier when her boyfriend Mike is offered modelling work in Sydney. But what will happen when Mike meets all those gorgeous Bondi beach babes? Lisa finds that life has lots of ups and downs. For a while it looks like she and Mike are all washed up when modelling and love don’t mix.

Fame has its price and maybe it’s too high.

No Fat Chicks

No fat chicks?

When Mandy Miratoosi sees that bumper sticker on her brother Mark’s car, she’s ready to pluck his cocksure tail feathers once and for all.

Mandy is a big girl and Mark’s mates need to know that lean is not always dream material.

Featherweights and bantamweights beware. Mandy is out to prove that big chicks can be winners!

If you like
Famous for Five Minutes
and
Fat Chance
, you’re going to love this one!

Margaret Clark is one of Australia’s funniest writers for young people. She has worked as a teacher and university lecturer and at the Geelong Centre for Alcohol and Drug Dependence.

Back on Track: Diary of a Street Kid
and
Care Factor Zero
, two searing novels for young adults, have become best sellers. The latest book in this series is the gripping
No Standing Zone
with a new novel,
Bad Girl
, out soon.

Her novels for older readers include
The Big Chocolate Bar, Fat Chance, Hot or What, Famous for Five Minutes
and a trilogy about the Studleys:
Hold My Hand — Or Else!, Living with Leanne
and
Pulling the Moves. Kiss and Make Up
continues the story of Lisa, begun in
Fat Chance
and
Hot or What
.

Cool Bananas
is Margaret’s second book about life at Coolini Beach and features the girls and guys who work in the Kayah Cafe. You can read more about them in
The Search
.

Margaret lives in Geelong and enjoys reading, sailing and walking with the family dog. She now writes full-time.

Margaret’s website is:
http://www.margaretclark.com/

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randomhouse.com.au