Finding Cassie Crazy (39 page)

We sent him off in a taxi into town, and told him to meet the film crew in Martin Place. Then we gave Mary-Ellen a message to give him if he called, and we hung out in the reception area of the studio and waited.

He finally called around 4.30. Mary-Ellen didn't know what was going on, but she knew enough to put it on speaker phone so we could hear.

He asked if there were any messages for him, in this worried voice. Like he probably thought he'd gone to the wrong place and messed up the whole movie.

And Mary-Ellen said, all innocent: ‘Oh yes, there's a message here for you from Cassie Aganovic. She says she got your letter under her door last night but she doesn't have a clue who you are.'

There was this dead silence on the other end of the phone.

‘Hello?' Mary-Ellen said. ‘Hello? Are you there?'

‘There's a message from
who
?' Paul says.

‘From Cassie Aganovic.'

‘Does she—does she
work
there?'

‘No, she doesn't.'

‘Okay, well, what about the movie? I'm supposed to be meeting Heath and Naomi here and—'

‘Heath and Naomi? I don't know what you're talking about. I just have this message for you—would you like me to read it again?'

‘No . . . I just . . . I thought—'

Then you could practically hear the whole thing tumbling down in Paul Wilson's head as he figured out what had happened. His breathing got heavy and fast, and he was trying to slow it down. And then he said, really quietly, ‘I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong number' and hung up.

Mary-Ellen put the phone down and looked over at us with her eyebrows raised, like:
Is that what you wanted?
Then she went back to her paperback novel.

I have to tell you, Em, Cass and I were silent for a moment. We have a capacity for feeling bad, which we always catch from each other. And I know all three of us were thinking about his voice when he said, ‘I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong number.' Like you never heard disappointment so heavy in your life.

And Em said, ‘That sure got him,' in a doubtful kind of voice and what she really meant was:
Did we go too far?

Like, to send someone over the moon, thinking they were going to be a star. And then to crumple up the moon in their face.

Then Cass said, really quiet and straight-faced: ‘Mummy? My socks are falling down.'

Mary-Ellen shook her head at us from the reception desk, we were laughing so hard.

I'll tell you what I've been thinking. That Em and I spent all that time trying to take away the thing that Paul Wilson loved the most. Which we thought must be his girlfriend. Whereas Cass figured out exactly what it was that he loved most: himself. Or at least, his idea of himself.

He was so sure of himself, that he didn't even doubt it for one single second when Em phoned up pretending to be a casting agent.

And Cass took all that away. For one day, anyhow.

So, anyway, Seb, I guess you don't want to talk about you and me, when you're waiting to find out whether you're going to be expelled or not. But I just wanted to say that I maybe overreacted about the way you tricked me, you know, seeing the photo before you saw me? We were just playing a game, but I turned it into something really serious. And now I sometimes wonder why I got so mad.

I guess I thought you were getting to know me on one level and that you liked me because of my letters. Whereas, in fact, you were just interested in the regular way. So, how could I trust that you liked who I really was?

Your sincerely
Lydia

Friday

Dear Charlie
Well, I'm so glad we kidnapped Paul Wilson! It was like
killing a flock of birds, that kidnapping. Cass got her revenge on Paul; Seb got to go to his art show; you got to forgive me; the list goes on! I will tell you the whole story of what happened one day! Which day?! This weekend, Lyd and Cass will come to my place so we can celebrate everything. Maybe you and I can celebrate on a day next week?!

Love

Em

Dear Lydia
I'm still here and that was a beautiful thing that you and your friends did for me. Set up a meeting at the Voodoo Lounge, can you, so I can buy all three of you drinks all night?

Furthermore, it seems like you've saved me for a lifetime, not just a day. Paul's scars are fading as we speak and he hasn't gone to the authorities. He's even smiling at me, in a
Hey mate, let's put it behind us and move on
kind of way. At least that's how I read the smiles. Maybe you guys embarrassed him so much you reformed him?

I am grateful to you for the rest of my life. And when I say ‘you', I mean every part of you, including your mind and your smile and your giggle and the mad look you get in your eyes sometimes. If you don't believe that your words have got into my soul, take a look at the painting that I took to the art show (it's called
The Puppy and the Pyramid
, which is what you might call a clue). But if I don't get to kiss you fairly soon, Lyd, I won't have a soul left to speak of.

Lots of love
Seb

Day 1—Monday

Dear Charlie
Thank the Lord it is the modern age and we do not have to rely on cardboard mail boxes to communicate!

What's going on!? Do you know?!

We hear that ‘serious events' have occurred! What could they be? WHY HAVE THEY SUSPENDED THE ASHBURY–BROOKFIELD PEN PAL PROJECT?! It's such a great and educational project!

The teachers remain tightlipped.

Love
Emily

Hey Em & you others in the CC world. Here is the serious event as I see it: some Ashbury kids broke into our school over the weekend and used red paint to write ‘DEATH TO BROOKER KIDS' and ‘BROOKER BITES' all over the walls of the Year 10 home rooms. Way to go, Ashbury.

Buggered if I know why they had to stop the letter exchange though.

Charlie! That's ridiculous!! No Ashbury student would be brave enough to break into your school and paint graffiti! Except maybe Lyd or Cass. And it wasn't you, was it Lyd and Cass? Please confirm. I can see you both across the library there, typing your overdue assignments, so please confirm immediately.

Charlie, I'm sure it wasn't Ashbury students.

Em, do you really think Cass and I would use the expression ‘Brooker Kids' in graffiti?

It should also be mentioned, Em, that we all spent the weekend together at your place. At what point did we sneak away from you to go paint slogans at Brookfield? Why do they think it was Ashbury students anyway?

I hear the Ashbury crest was painted after every anti-Brookfield slogan. Listen, I've gotta go, they're locking down the computer room for the night, but take care walking the streets in your Ashbury uniforms, eh? Personally, I'm very happy for you Ashbury kids to paint our walls, but a lot of people here are taking it to heart. There's anti-Ashbury threats being made under the breath (and on top of the breath) of some of the criminal element.

     
Day 2—Tuesday

Charlie! You were RIGHT to warn us!!! We are in danger here at Ashbury! Some of your compatriots have broken into our school, and SMASHED THINGS! I feel a bit uneasy. On the
bright side, all our classes are now being taken outside, on the squash courts, in the art rooms etc, so it's fairly leisurely.

But we cannot understand why Ashbury students attacked your school on the weekend! Why? I suppose it was someone from Year 10 here since it was your Year 10 classrooms that were attacked. But none of us can figure out who, even though we have been asking around a LOT!

Lyd and Cass, please confirm that none of us can figure this out.