Three's a Crowd (9 page)

“Is he indeed?” Mum said in her driest voice. “You make sure you ring me to collect you if he's been drinking.”

“Even if he does drink he's hardly likely to get pulled over for a breathalyser test walking me home,” I pointed out.

“Not on,” Mum said. “Is John invited too?”

It took me a few seconds to realize she was referring to Jeebie. I shrugged. Even if he was going to be there I didn't intend to socialize with him.

Mum looked at the clock. “I'm getting lunch. Go and find Brett for me.”

I couldn't believe that it was lunchtime. The morning had whizzed, yet we had returned from the pool really early. This was a nuisance as I had intended putting in a few hours on my homework. Taking notes on Drew's English books had absorbed more of my time than I realized and my own stuff was beginning to pile up.

Brat wasn't down at the park, nor was he playing with any of his fiendish friends. I returned home in a real snitch. More of my valuable time wasted chasing around after him, and Mum would flap if he stayed missing. Also the clear morning had fulfilled its promise and developed into a real beach weather day. I was hot and sticky in my shirt and jeans and couldn't wait to get inside to change into something cooler.

I was walking through our front gate when I heard the familiar giggle above me. Brat was hidden in the old rhododendron by the gate. It had been cut back every year so the foliage was too thick for me to see him. I grabbed hold of a branch and stood on the fence to see up into the tree. Brat had placed two planks across the forks of the branches. It was a solid little platform with a good vantage point to watch the street. Two soft drink cans, three comics, a bag of sweets, and a supply of water-filled balloons rested beside him.

“What do you think you're up to?”

“I've made a cubby,” Brat said. “It's my secret place.”

“Didn't you hear me calling? I've been looking everywhere for you.”

“It wouldn't have been a secret any more if I had answered.”

“Lunch is ready.” I was tempted to thump him, and hard, but I knew that any blows would fall on empty air as he ducked away grinning like a monkey. “And if you've been stuffing into sweets Mum'll kill you.”

Brat put on his innocent look and dropped from the tree. “I only nibbled some rations to stop me starving,” he declared.

After lunch I changed into my sundress. Sharp-eyed Brat watched me stuff my bathers into my bag.

“Can I come too?”

“No.”

“Don't be a meanie. I want to come for a swim too.” His voice started to get a whine to it.

“If you're going to Julie's, take him with you,” Mum ordered. “I've got to get some work done.”

I glared at Brat. I felt like Sinbad and the Old Man of the Sea, except he got to unload his burden at the end of his tale and it looked like I'd never unload Brat. If I didn't take him he was just as likely to pursue me there anyway.

“You'd better be on your best behaviour,” I warned, which he took as a pressing invitation to accompany me.

The entire district seemed deserted. I didn't see a single girl or guy or any of the crowd on my way across to Julie's. Geordie's van was missing from its home in the driveway and the pool was empty. Mrs. Gosford was reading by the pool and waved me inside. Brat shed his clothes and splashed in with a loud whoop.

Julie squatted on her bed in a nest of colourful clothes.

“Where is everyone?”

“Geordie and some of the guys went down to the beach for the afternoon. Drew and Ian are playing tennis. Louise has pulled in all the available labour around to prepare for the party,” Julie chanted without taking a deep breath. “I'm not allowed out of my room until I clean up so I'm here for the afternoon.” She held up a bright yellow satin dress. “What do you think?”

“Very formal,” I agreed. “Where did you get it?”

“Five dollars at the local thrift shop. Do you think it's formal enough for a Lessing party?”

“Ideal,” I agreed. Envy filled me. Even with the off the shoulder lace blouse I was still going to look like a school kid. “I bet Louise has scored something dashing for the evening too,” I sighed.

“Yeah,” agreed Julie, and the conversation moved on to all the previous Lessing parties and what Louise and her little sister usually wore.

The Lessings had an ideal party house for us to go formal. Although Louise wasn't allowed to have her parties inside, the big triple car garage was the size of a ballroom and just as clean. We always set up the trestle tables along the back wall with the sound equipment, so there was plenty of space for dancing, especially if it was raining. If it was a nice evening Louise was allowed to get out the Christmas lights and string them around the patio and the pool and among the trees in the well-kept garden.

I stared out the window at the indomitable blue of the sky. It was going to be a lovely evening. Louise's place would look like pure magic with the coloured lights strung around.

I admired the blue of the pool. Geordie kept it sparkling clean. Mrs. Gosford had fallen asleep in her chair, while Brat whooped and splashed in the spa pool. My eyes focused on him and I gasped. The water surged and foamed around him – too foaming and too blue against the tiles. The little brat had poured soap powder and blueing mix into the spa.

His skin was bright blue!

 

 

“You just can't be trusted can you?” Mum nagged. “All you have to do is keep an eye on your little brother, and you had to let this happen.”

Julie and I had pounced on Brat. Even after we scrubbed him dry Brat was still tinged blue all over and kept protesting that his deed was a science experiment. We dressed him and draped the towels around his head and I ran him home fast. I left Julie trying to empty and clean the spa without waking up her mother.

By the time we reached home the allergic reaction to the soap powder had set in and he had come up in a blue rash and started howling. Mum stopped working and emerged from the sun room to check on what had happened. Of course I got all the blame.

“I just can't understand how you can be so irresponsible,” Mum flung over her shoulder as she bundled Brat, towels and all into the car to rush him off to our local casualty department at St. Clare's Hospital.

“How was I supposed to know the little creep would be stupid enough to frolic among soapsuds?” I yelled back. “Am I supposed to have ESP or something?”

The car accelerated out of the driveway and was gone and I was left yelling to the empty air. I turned back and went inside. I couldn't risk ringing Julie in case she hadn't finished cleaning the spa and the telephone woke her mother. So I just had to wait.

Mum was in a more cheerful mood when she arrived home with the subdued Brat in tow. He looked almost back to his normal colour except for a few hard-to- shift patches around his hands and knees. The rash had gone down. Mum put him straight to bed.

“The effect of the antihistamines should keep him quiet for a while,” she said. “I didn't mean to yell at you, Amanda, but you don't take the responsibility of your little brother seriously enough.”

“I shouldn't have Brat around my neck all the time,” I retorted. “No one else I know has to have younger brothers or sisters around their neck twenty-four hours a day.”

“I can't understand you, Amanda,” Mum said. She seemed bewildered, and once again I wondered at the immense communication gap between us. “You are just so lucky to have a brother in your family. Can't you see how lonely only children are?”

“Drew Jamison is a one and only and he likes it. What's so wonderful about never having any time to yourself?”

“I rest my case,” Mum said as though she had won the argument.

She went back into the sunroom, shutting the door firmly behind her. By dinner time she seemed to be happier. Brat was still sleeping and the house was pleasantly quiet. After dinner I changed into the green lace blouse and my full cotton skirt. Mum handed over the jade pendant and her high-heeled sandals with an approving smile.

“You should see what Julie is wearing,” I said with a sigh. “She's got this fab bright yellow satin dress with a dipped hemline.”

“I can imagine,” Mum said with a shudder. “You look quite presentable so don't worry about it.”

There was a knock on the door. My ‘date' Murray the Murk had arrived. “Try to get home at a reasonable time if you intend to go to Surfview tomorrow.”

“Hi, Mrs. Baxter,” Murray said as Mum opened the door.

He was sober and shone with virtue and cleanliness from his gleaming eyes and teeth to each stud on his jacket and belt. Even his black dreadlocks had a shine to each twist. He inspected me, his eyes lingering on my bare shoulders. I worried that I had made a mistake wearing such a low cut blouse for a date with Murray the Murk. He didn't come out with any of his outrageous comments though – he just waited. Mum raised an eyebrow.

I brushed past her and marched Murray down the path. “See you later,” I called back.

Murray was on his best behaviour, for a change, as we strolled arm in arm along the street. He had dropped in at the Gosford place and had heard all about Brat's latest prank from Julie.

“He's a smart little kid.” Murray said with a chuckle. “The district would be dead without him. I bet he was trying out a scientific experiment. Why don't you give him a chemistry set for Christmas?”

“And have him blow us all up?” I jeered.

Everyone it seemed was going to Louise's party, except of course, her parents. They were well-trained and always fled the scene before it got too noisy. They only went to a neighbour's for the evening, but it sort of made for a freer atmosphere not to have parents hovering.

It was a heavenly night with the stars winking away on a black velvet background. I had checked the calendar; a full moon was due later in the evening. It was going to be an absolutely perfect setting for the party and a heaven-sent chance to get to know Drew properly.

The music blared out to meet us. Once we turned the corner I saw the coloured lights around the patio and gardens. Linda, Louise's little sister, came dancing out to meet us. She wore makeup and looked older than her thirteen years. She was also wearing a scanty halter top with a swirling full skirt, exposing a figure none of us had noticed before.

“Hi Mandy, Murray. Louise appointed me assistant hostess. Orange juice and fruit cup on offer.”

“Wow!” Murray said. “When did you decide to grow up?”

Linda giggled at that and we followed her through to the garage. The atmosphere hit us as soon as we walked in. There were balloons and streamers and food and drinks and people dancing, but it was the excitement and anticipation, solid enough to cut with a knife, that gave you the sort of high that made you feel exhilarated and reckless. Julie glowed like a golden sun in her bright yellow satin. She was dancing with Sandy.

Murray broke into a spontaneous sort of breakdancing between Linda and me. The others moved away from the danger area and clapped us on. Murray was rewarded with a drink of fruit punch.

Sandy spun me around to dance on the low diving board over the pool and then off again. This set up a competition to see how far out on the board a couple could dance. The evening drifted on and I kept searching around for Drew. Allie and Paul overbalanced into the water with loud shrieks. They dripped into the house to get changed and Drew and Louise passed them on the way out. Louise held Drew's hand and dimpled up at him.

She was eye-catching in a brief pink silk top and an even briefer pink silk skirt. Patterned black stockings and high heeled pink sandals completed her outfit. I instantly forgave Drew for being besotted. It was some outfit. Drew didn't notice me, of course, so I backed into the crowd. It was time for me to be constructive about disposing of Louise. I looked around for Geordie. He, Ian and Jeebie were sampling the food by the trestle table. I pushed my way through to them.

“Hi, Geordie,” I said. “What about a dance?”

“On an empty stomach, aye?” Geordie grumbled as I dragged him away from his pickled onions, fruit salad and fresh cream. “We've come straight here and I'm faint with hunger.”

“Louise is getting pretty excited about surfing,” I said when I had struggled with Geordie through the crowd to the comparative quiet of the patio. Steering Geordie was hard work – he lumbered around like a trained bear doing the one-two- three shuffle. “I heard she's trying to talk her Dad into buying her a board.”

Geordie rose to the bait. “What sort, aye?”

I looked around for Louise, swaying gracefully around Drew. “Why don't you talk to her about what'll suit.”

Geordie spotted Louise and his leathery face beamed with pleasure. He reached over and scooped her to him as she swayed out from Drew, and without another word shuffled her off. I swayed without losing a beat into Drew's waiting arms.

“Lovely night, Amanda,” Drew greeted as his arms tightened around me. “What's with Louise?”

“Urgent business with a surfboard. Geordie is going to tell her all about what sort she should have.”

And that, I decided dreamily, should keep Louise captive for the rest of the evening. One thing Geordie could yak on and on about was surfboards. I smiled up at Drew feeling pretty confident. Murray the Murk was trying to attach himself to Linda and hadn't even looked my way the entire evening. I could see he was really smitten with her grown-up image.

Right on cue the moon appeared, hanging as yellow as Julie's dress just over the horizon. Someone must have got the message, because the beat of the music slowed to match the slow thudding of my pulse. There was no need for conversation. Drew and I clung to each other and swayed to the music. I wanted that moment to go on forever and I sensed that Drew was feeling the same way.