Finding Home (5 page)

‘Okay, here’s the game plan,’ Lily informed us. ‘We’ll have a few here, get ready, and then Mum will drive us to the party at around eight. And we can either crash there or come back here, provided you all have taxi money. Sweet?’

I nodded. Kyle let out a giant belch.

‘I’m gonna go fix my make-up,’ Jade said, smiling and holding out her hand to me. ‘Come play.’ I shrugged and followed her down the hallway until we got to the bathroom. It was in complete disarray, just like the kitchen. Make-up stained the once-white sink, and empty toilet rolls littered the floor; Jade seemed oblivious to the mess, throwing her shoes and socks on the toilet lid and stripping down to her bra and panties.

‘I don’t like to get make-up on my clothes,’ she explained. I didn’t know where to look, so I averted my eyes and scanned the basin, trying to add up how many little spots of spilt make-up there were decorating the sink. I lost count at 30.

Jade had pulled a make-up purse out of her school bag and was emptying its contents onto the vanity, producing tube after tube of unidentified creams.

I was always intrigued by other people’s cosmetics. The only stuff I used were the basics, nothing dark or dramatic like Jade seemed to be into. Mum hadn’t been big on over-the-top looks. She used to just slick on a little lipstick, powder puff, and go

‘Can you please grab my drink? I left it on the counter. I would, but,’ Jade paused and gestured to her semi-naked state. I nodded and headed back out into the kitchen, kind of relieved to be out of there.

My relief was short-lived. There, on the bench, were Kyle and Lily — and they were all over each other. Lily was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs open, with Kyle’s face firmly planted on hers. Her shirt was unbuttoned. I didn’t know where his hands were, although I was pretty sure I could guess.

‘S-sorry,’ I said, a hot shade of pink flushing my cheeks.

‘That’s fine,’ Lily offered breezily after she’d detached her lips from his. She pushed Kyle away from her playfully and slid off the bench, walking up the hallway and buttoning her shirt as she went.

I went over to the counter and threw down two more of my miniature bottles, gagging a little as the third one made its way down my throat. But not from the shock of the taste. From where I was standing, I could see Lily’s mother sitting in the living room, where she would have seen the whole thing.

* * *

‘Is your Mum cool with that?’ I whispered to Lily. We were sitting together in the backseat of her car.

‘With what?’ she asked.

‘You know. Kyle pretty much groping you on her kitchen bench.’
Where she prepares food
, I almost added, but didn’t. From the look of Lily’s mum, I wasn’t too sure that she actually did any cooking.

‘She’s cool. She doesn’t care about that kind of thing.’ Lily shrugged, taking another huge swig out of her bottle of bourbon. Perhaps we had more in common than I’d first thought.

I studied Lily’s mum. Her hands were on the steering wheel, her eyes staring straight ahead. It was obvious that her driving skills weren’t hereditary. She was overly cautious, taking each corner as if a small child could jump out at her on the other side at any time. Lily’s mum would stop at an intersection and look left, right, left, right, and left one more time to make sure no cars were coming, although by the time she had done all her checking a car surely had, so she’d have to start her routine again.

‘Come on, Paula,’ Kyle groaned. She’d stopped the car at a give way sign for what felt like two minutes, for no apparent reason.

‘Shut up, Kyle,’ Lily said.

Lily’s mum just smiled, her eyes glassing over, and kept driving.

The house was huge. Rachel’s parents had gone away for the weekend and left behind what looked like a year’s supply of booze for their darling daughter to exploit. Sticky liqueurs and plastic shot glasses were everywhere. People were milling around and smoking various substances, both outside through the huge patio doors and inside on the white leather lounge. The poor lounge had already acquired a few burn marks. Music blared from the speakers, thumping out nameless dance tracks that people had to yell over in order to be heard.

‘Shots?’ Lily made herself at home, walking over to the kitchen counter and managing to find us some relatively clean plastic cups. After a quick rinse, she started pouring like a pro — a splash here, a lick there. The drinks were measured, calculated, completely unlike the ones I used to pour when Dad and I were on the road. Was this what normal people did? Drink beverages that looked like traffic lights?

‘Cheers.’ Lily passed the three of us matching shooters. We took them, tipping the sticky liquid down our throats. It was thick, but tasted good. I started to buzz.

‘Look out.’ Lily nudged me. She nodded towards Coral who was making her way through the crowd. She looked glamorous but overdressed. Her hair was as straight as an ironing board, and her make-up showed a subtle sparkle around her eyes. She was probably the only person there in a mini dress, despite the cold weather.

‘Hi.’ Coral barely glanced in our direction as she staggered over and made herself a drink at the counter.

‘Hi, Coral,’ Lily said. ‘You remember Amy, right?’

I cringed.

‘Hiiii, Amy,’ Coral said sharply. Her words seemed to run together. She was clearly a bit boozy, too.

‘Hey. It’s, uh, nice to see you again,’ I said. Even though it wasn’t.

‘Don’t poison yourself while you’re mixing those drinks,’ Lily snidely remarked, walking out towards the open patio doors.

‘Shut up,’ Coral replied half-heartedly. She seemed a little distracted, like something was wrong. My heart started to beat faster, and I felt a small wave of panic wash through me. I studied her more closely, looking at the whites of her eyes to see if she was still here. Was it just booze that I could see clouding them?

‘Whaddarrrryouuuu looking at?’ she asked me.

Then again, maybe she was just really, really drunk.

‘Nothing,’ I replied.

‘Keep it thatta way,’ she slurred.

I decided to let it pass, and go and find Lily and the others.

The outdoor area of the property was every bit as beautiful as the inside. There was a giant swimming pool with one of those little spa houses at the end of it and a stone garden to the side. Then, after the safety fence, acres and acres of grass interspersed with minuscule snatches of woodland.

I turned left around the side of the house, eager to explore.
Maybe if Dad had a few more hit singles we could afford a place like this.
I wandered further towards the outskirts of the property. It was dark here, and I realised that I had walked much further away from the party than I’d intended to.

‘You’re the new girl.’ I turned around. A guy wearing a football jersey was right behind me. He must have followed me when I’d left the party.

‘Yep.’ I was so sick of hearing that.

‘What’s up with your attitude?’ he asked as he walked towards me. I took a step backwards without really intending to, my body acting in defence to his hostility. It was then that I noticed the other three guys lurking in the shadows behind their leader.

Shit.

‘For a new chick, she’s pretty damned sure of herself,’ one of the others muttered, his tone menacing.

I looked around. In my hurry to admire the place, I had really boxed myself in. Behind me was the side gate, a tall wooden thing, and in front were the four menacing guys. I was completely out of view of anyone else at the party.

My breathing got faster.

‘So, do you have a boyfriend?’ the first guy asked. My heart rose up in my throat. Something about his eyes and the way he’d asked the question unnerved me.

‘Um, yes,’ I lied.

‘Well, where is he?’ another one asked. They were jostling each other, getting closer and closer to me until I was pressed right up hard against the fence, a tight circle of meat-head surrounding me. I flattened myself back until I felt my shoulder blades touching wood. My heart beat faster. Panic began to kick in.

‘He’s out of town,’ I replied. ‘Anyway, I’d better be getting back to the party.’ I tried to sound breezy and took a tiny step forward.

‘I don’t think we’re finished talking.’ The first guy took his giant, oafish hand and slowly but forcefully pushed my shoulder, making me rock back into the fence again.

I was scared. My heart was pounding like a machine gun, fast and loud, and my palms felt sweaty despite the freezing temperature.

I looked around — left, right, and left again — searching for a place to run. I had to focus, to find a way out. Why had I had those drinks? I felt like maybe, just maybe, if I had have been one hundred per cent sober and clear-headed, I could’ve worked out how to get out of there.

‘Well, what would you like to talk about?’ I tried to play it cool.

‘How about what you and your boyfriend like to do in private,’ guy number two said, snickering.

‘Maybe you could give us a demonstration,’ the first guy suggested. Suddenly, his hands were on my face, and he was pulling me closer to him. I froze, trying to glue myself to the wall and fight the brutish force that he was using to move my mouth towards his. I felt sick. My first kiss had been bad, but this was a million times worse. Why had Dad sent me to this stupid town?

The monster’s lips were on mine. They were dry and brittle, the dead skin scraping against my skin. I did the only thing I could think of.

I bit him.
Hard.

‘Ow!’ He staggered back in pain, hands raised to his mouth as if checking for blood. ‘The bitch bit me!’

I moved forward. I needed to escape.

What do you think you’re playing at?’ the second guy asked as he pushed at me. This time I was shoved harder, two hands slamming me back against the fence instead of one.

I tried to push back, feeling feeble and helpless. I knew they were probably just drunk footballers — after all, if they’d wanted to take more from me than they already had it wouldn’t be hard — but that didn’t make me feel any safer. A blur of coloured rugby shirts were up in my face as I tried to push my way through the circle. I heard their obnoxious laughter and felt like a little kid trapped in an arena of menacing bullies.

A loud voice broke through the group. ‘What’s going on?’

The boys stopped pushing.

‘Is everything okay?’ The owner of the voice stepped into the clearing, and I looked up. The moonlight illuminated his face, every angle of his chiselled jaw seemingly carved out of stone. It was Luke.

‘Back off, man,’ one of the guys sneered, not even looking at him.

‘I don’t think so.’ Luke’s voice sounded powerful. ‘Come on, Amy.’ He hadn’t broken eye contact with me.

I wanted to run up, throw my arms around him, and thank him for saving me. I couldn’t have been more excited to see him if my life had depended on it.

I strode through the group of boys who had now parted like the sea so I could scamper through. I kept my eyes on Luke’s face until I was next to him, safe at last. He casually threw an arm around my shoulders and guided me off into the shadows.

‘If you want a good time later, you know where to find us!’ one of the boys yelled, laughing as we left the clearing. I shivered a little, enjoying it as an excuse to nestle closer to Luke. He tightened his grip, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and directing me away from the party. We walked in the direction of the expansive grounds around the property.

‘I thought it’d be best if we took a break from the party,’ Luke said, answering my questioning look. ‘You seem kind of shaken up.’

‘I’m okay,’ I replied, defiant. I didn’t want him to think I was frail. I didn’t need anybody feeling sorry for me.

‘I don’t doubt that,’ Luke said, grinning, ‘but you walking into a party with four guys is not a good look.’

‘And they’re not going to think anything suspicious when I walk back in with you? Not that I’m saying you’re sleazy, but you have a girlfriend and…you know what I mean.’ I was extremely aware of his hand still resting on my shoulder. Shivers ran up and down my spine, and all thoughts I’d had of Nick had completely vanished. Why would I want a music-obsessed rebel when just one of Luke’s hands could make me feel like this?

‘By the time we get back, everyone will probably be too drunk to notice.’ By the time we got back? Did that mean we were taking an extended party break?

I tried not to smile.
He’s just being nice, he’s just being nice, he’s just being nice. As
if hearing my thoughts, he removed his arm and kept walking, his phone illuminating our path when the moon did not.

‘So do you think I should report those guys or something?’ I asked of my rescuer.

‘What?’ Luke’s eyes widened, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline. ‘Nah, they were just mucking around. They were just about to let you go.’

‘It didn’t feel like that to me.’

‘Amy, you’re new here,’ he said, sighing and stopping. The party was just a cluster of lights in the distance now. ‘You can call the cops if you want, but who’s going to believe you? Especially when they find out you’ve been drinking.’

‘Wouldn’t you be my witness?’ I said, my voice nearly a whisper.

‘Of course I would, but that’s still two against four,’ Luke replied. ‘And I lost my license a few months ago, so I’m hardly the most reliable person to have on your side. I just think it’ll be better for you, for all of us, if we just keep this a secret.’

I decided to let it go. Nothing had happened. Luke had saved me, and he was making a very good point. We were all drinking, so what was the point in reporting it?

Yet why do I feel like not saying something about this is the wrong thing to do?

Luke took my hand, and we walked further off through a field of long grass. Eventually, we came to a cluster of trees with a white wrought-iron bench in the middle, overlooking the undulating valley below. Stars twinkled overhead and the noise from the party was barely a distant thud. It was like a scene from a movie.

‘Let’s sit for a while.’ Luke walked over to the chair and sat down. ‘It’s not the most comfortable, but the view’s all right.’