by Micol Ostow
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Well, that didn’t turn out as expected, did it?” Jess asked with a grin as she settled onto her seat next to Eliza and Nomes in Mrs. Carroll’s class Monday morning.
It was the first time Eliza had seen Jess after the incident with the police. They had talked, but Eliza hadn’t gotten much time on the phone between finishing her shifts at Fishy Wishy, spending a whole day on the penguin project, and babysitting the twins. For the rest of the past week in Sorrento, every second of her life had felt like it was under surveillance.
Being back in Melbourne in the familiar halls of school and around her peers was, well, comforting. She would never have guessed that a time would come when she was dying to go back to school, but there it was.
“You can say that again,” Eliza said, looking around the classroom. “Did people hear about it?” She couldn’t decide if the looks she’d gotten in the hallway on her way to class that morning were a figment of her imagination or not.
“Everyone is awful impressed, I reckon,” Jess confirmed. “You’re the first person we know to run halfway across the state of Victoria only to be tracked by the cops and dragged back.”
“And that’s a good thing?” Eliza wondered.
“Zazza—this country was founded by a bunch of convicts. Heck, our national hero is Ned Kelly, and he was hanged for being an outlaw! I think you earned yourself a fair bit of street cred with that stunt.”
“You guys are a little nuts; you know that, right?” Eliza asked.
“Yep. So,” Jess said, leaning over her desk, “did you kiiiisssss Macca and snuggle up on the beach?”
“Shush,” Eliza said. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Oh, come on, ’fess up! We demand all the gory details.”
Eliza managed to contain herself for a full second before bursting out, “Okay, fine! We kissed!”
“And?”
“And we snuggled on the beach. I even learned how to surf!”
“That’s awesome,” Nomes chimed in. “I bet it was so much fun.”
Eliza smiled. “Yeah, it was pretty great.”
“So,” Nomes continued, “what did the Echolses say? Did they kill you?”
“It was awful when the cops brought me back, but I have to say, Estelle has been pretty cool. Of course, she thinks that Macca is a bad influence.”
“Oh, please. Did you tell her that he was practically a puppy dog?” Jess joked.
“Somehow, I thought it would be best to just agree with her and leave it at that.” Eliza smirked. “Anyhow, we worked it out. I told them I would keep to their schedule, and I made up for the work I missed at the Fishy Wishy. I had to promise that I would spend every Sunday with the family—and I can’t miss any more sessions of the internship. But I think I earned some brownie points when I brought the twins with me to visit the penguins. Apparently they love penguins. Who knew?”
“But what about Saturdays?” asked Jess.
“That’s the good part. Except for days when I have the internship, I’ve been given Saturday afternoons and Saturday evenings free, so long as I’m back by ten. And I have to let them know my plans in advance. They realized that their rules were a little bit strict, so we decided to meet in the middle.”
The girls all decided that that wasn’t so bad.
“But what about Macca?” Jess wanted to know. “How did you guys leave things?”
“Well,” Eliza continued, “the thing is, I like Macca—a lot—he’s funny and cute and sweet. But he knows what a close call the trip to Bells Beach was. I mean, I could have been sent home, and then what? I wanted more adventure while I was down here, but I think that was maybe too much adventure. I do not need to be spending more time in the back of police cars. If my parents found out, I’d be locked away in a tower forever once I got home. Which is what I explained to Macca the day after the ordeal.”
“So how did he take it?” Jess asked.
Eliza shrugged. “He understood. We haven’t talked in a few days, though.” She quickly changed the subject, grinning and pointing at Jess. “You’re part of the problem. You know that, right?” She wagged her finger. “You totally egged me on, even knowing it was a hugely bad idea for me to run off with Macca.”
Jess widened her eyes innocently. “Moi? I just provided advice! You were the one—”
Jess didn’t get a chance to finish her thought. She was interrupted by the shushing of Mrs. Carroll and the start of first period.
“Girls! How about we all take our seats and open our notebooks?”
Eliza smiled as Jess settled back in her seat. “Saved by the bell,” she said. “Lucky you.”
After classes ended, she made a plan with the girls for Saturday and then boarded a tram down to the ocean for her internship. She watched the city go by out the window. Tree-lined boulevards gave way to commercial parks, and finally the tram was coasting along the side of the bay.
With summer coming, it was staying light longer, and the afternoon sun was catching the waves, making Eliza squint. She imagined being back out on the long board and feeling the swells rising and falling below her. She smiled and decided that spending some more time with her feet in the water, even if it was for science, might not be the worst.
The tram pulled up to her stop, and Eliza got off. She crossed the road and headed down to an old pier where Mr. Winstone and a couple of the other interns were getting their gear ready.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Ritter!” called Mr. Winstone. “It’s so nice to have you with us.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Mr. Winstone.”
“I heard that we had some adventures over spring break and that you’ll be gracing us with your presence each and every session for the remainder of the semester.”
“That is correct.”
“Well, we’re very happy to have you. Why don’t you put on some bibs, and we’ll go check out some tidal pools.”
Eliza dropped her stuff on the pier and wrestled on a pair of oversized rubber bibs. She tightened the straps until they were as comfortable as they were going to get. She grabbed a net and a few jars and followed the team off the pier and into the water.
She spent the next couple of hours chasing little bugs and invertebrates around tide pools. She managed to get far more water into her bibs, it would seem, than critters into jars. She debated briefly just pouring the contents of the bibs into a jar but ultimately decided that thinking about what was swimming around her toes was not a good idea. Instead, she would look at the water and think about the fact that this was the same water that flowed out of the bay and all the way back to Bells Beach.
Eventually, as the sun sank low on the horizon, Mr. Winstone called everyone back to the pier and collected their sample jars. As Eliza sat on the concrete drying her feet, Mr. Winstone came up to her.
“So, Ms. Ritter, how was your first day back?”
“Actually, it really wasn’t that bad.”
He chuckled. “Well, that’s good to hear. I assume the excuses are going to be a thing of the past?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Eliza.
“Excellent. Have a good night and get home safe, Ms. Ritter.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Eliza gathered her things and headed back toward the street. The Echolses were going to be picking her up, and as she rounded the corner of a warehouse, she looked for their car, but it wasn’t there.
Instead, parked at the curb, was a very familiar dune buggy; leaning against the dune buggy was a very familiar guy with a very big grin on his face.
“Macca!” Eliza yelled as she ran over toward him.
“Hey, you. How’s botany treating you?”
“It’s biology, you big dope, and it’s treating me just fine. Which is more than I can say for you!”
“What? What did I do?”
“You haven’t called!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I was afraid that if I tried to get in touch, you’d be in even more troub
le. And once I decided that I had to see you, I wanted to surprise you!”
“Yeah, well, you succeeded.” Honestly, though, she didn’t mind. It was the best kind of surprise.
They smiled at each other. Eliza still felt embarrassed, wondering what Macca must think of her. Surprise or no, maybe his feelings had changed. Finally, he broke the silence.
“So, are you going to get in?”
Macca walked around to the driver’s side of the car.
“I can’t. The Echolses are picking me up.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s all taken care of,” Macca said with a grin.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I worked it out with them. I stopped by there looking for you after school, and Estelle was home. I told her that I was really sorry about everything and I didn’t mean any disrespect, but that I really wanted to see you again. She said I should come pick you up on the condition I took you straight home. So get in the car; otherwise, we’ll be late and we’re going to be up the creek without a paddle.”
Eliza smiled until her cheeks hurt. She tossed her stuff in the back of the buggy and swung into the passenger’s-side seat. Macca settled in behind the wheel, started the car, and pulled out.
As the car sped off down the boulevard, Eliza looked at Macca and then at the bay passing along the side of the road. She thought about where she was. She was ten thousand miles from home—literally. If you dug a hole through the Earth from Washington, D.C., you’d probably come out right around Melbourne.
Yet despite that enormous distance, she was feeling like this place was a home for her. The stores that had seemed so different when she first arrived now were familiar. The streets and names she knew and they felt comforting. That being said, she also was aware that she was going to have to go home before long. The end of the semester was not so far in the distance that it was inconceivable.
Going home meant back to her parents and friends. How would she be able to explain everything she had seen and done? She could show pictures and tell stories, but they hadn’t been there.
But at this moment, with the wind in her hair and the setting sun on her face, Eliza couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.
Well, maybe back at Bells, she thought with a smile as she glanced over at Macca. She knew this relationship would be at an end soon and she was fine with that, but for the moment, this very moment, it wasn’t a bad thing. She was okay with living in this moment.
They had driven a couple of miles and were approaching the boardwalk in St. Kilda when Macca suddenly pulled the buggy over.
“What’s the matter?” Eliza asked.
“There’s something I’ve got to do,” Macca answered.
“What’s that?”
“This.”
Macca leaned in and kissed her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Parker
Hey there! I know I’ve been quiet this week—it’s been busy here!
What can I say? I’ve been making amends for all of my scandalous exploits. Thankfully your parents believe in second—and third!—chances.
I heard that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Parker, especially down at the newspaper office, and I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of him while I’ve been away. I know I haven’t been as good about keeping in touch with him as I could have been. Maybe I’ve just taken for granted that I could do what I wanted while I was away and that he would still be waiting for me when I got back. But a lot has happened since I’ve been in Australia, and I think Parker deserves some honesty from me.
Believe it or not, I told him all about Macca, and even though I think it wasn’t easy for him to hear, he was cool about it.
One reason I think he was able to take it in stride: it seems he’s had his eye on someone while I’ve been away, too….
I have to admit, when he first told me how close you guys had become, I was jealous. But it makes sense. I mean, I know you’re great—so no wonder Parker agrees. And speaking of second chances—I’m not going to encourage you to get together with Parker, but I promise to do my part to keep things as unweird as possible in the event that there is a genuine romance blooming. Who am I to stand in the way, after all?
Maybe I’m oversharing. What can I say? I feel like after living in my shoes—or at least, my bedroom—all this time, you probably know me pretty well. I know I’ve got a new appreciation for you and your wholesome, outdoorsy life-style that you’ve got down here. :P
I bet you’re itching to get back to it. Myself, I can’t believe we only have a month left!
Write soon.
Eliza
The banquet to benefit the EPA may have been work for Billie and her intern colleagues, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun. Billie had to admit—however grudgingly—that five hundred dollars a plate covered a lot of flair.
The party was held at the Top of the Town, a hall overlooking all of the city’s major monuments. Every time Billie happened to catch a glance out of one of the ceiling-to-floor picture windows, she was rendered breathless all over again.
She had to admit, she had an idea that she was having a similar effect on the male volunteer population. She wasn’t one to fuss too much over her appearance, but she knew that the floor-length, black halter gown she’d bought for the event showcased her petite waist and slender arms to their best. And her sophisticated low ponytail and clean, buff-colored manicure was surprisingly muss-free, thanks to Fiona-belle’s collaborative attentions. The waitstaff certainly seemed to take notice of her as they made their rounds through the grand ballroom, keeping champagne flutes overflowing and making sure no one was without a shrimp samosa, salmon pinwheel, or stuffed mushroom.
She was glad to be keeping busy, whether by performing actual intern duties or by chowing down on finger food. It helped in her efforts to circumvent Parker, whom she’d been studiously avoiding since her arrival. His parents were good friends of the Ritters, so of course he’d arrived with them. He was hard to miss, tall and broad-shouldered in his tux, but they’d managed to avoid any run-ins since the awkward kiss, and Billie wasn’t looking to break that streak anytime soon.
She allowed herself to dwell momentarily on the last e-mail she’d received from Eliza. It was gracious of Eliza essentially to give Billie the go-ahead to date Parker, and Billie genuinely appreciated the gesture.
But what if it was too late?
She’d blown Parker off when he’d tried to kiss her, and even told him that she didn’t think she could get involved with someone who’d dated Eliza. For all she knew, she’d made a very convincing argument. Even if Eliza had spoken to him and told him about her relationship with Macca, who knew what frame of mind Parker was in right now? He was probably over Billie, having written her off as too naïve to be worth another thought.
It was sad, really, when you thought about it—her first kiss and her last kiss, one and the same.
At least she wouldn’t have to talk to him for the next hour or so, when she’d be manning a table for the silent auction. Iris had plucked her out of the crowd when her shift came up, leading her by the elbow to a table with a photo of a hybrid car and a sheet for writing down auction bids.
The car was one of the most expensive auction items, and though Mr. Ritter had plenty of supporters with deep pockets, Billie found her table to be less crowded than some of those around her. Therefore, she had nowhere to hide when Mr. and Mrs. Ritter wandered up with a group of friends in tow.
“Hello, Billie,” Mrs. Ritter said. Billie couldn’t help but notice that, for once, Mrs. Ritter’s smile seemed actually to reach her eyes, which sparkled their reflection of her lake-blue silk dress. Clearly, tonight Mrs. Ritter was in her element. It suited her.
“Hi,” Billie said, smiling back. The situation was definitely still strained at home, but she owed it to Iris, to S.A.S.S, and even to herself to b
e professional tonight. “Are you interested in the car?”
“If everyone drove hybrid, carbon emissions would be significantly reduced,” Mr. Ritter said. “I’ve been trying to get my wife to agree to go hybrid for ages.”
Mrs. Ritter only rolled her eyes. “Safety first, darling.”
“Right,” Billie mumbled. She swallowed hard, not sure if, after everything that had happened, she had it in her to say what was on her mind.
She glanced to the right and saw that, for the first time all evening, Parker was looking directly at her. He had to know how hard it was for her to face Mr. Ritter. And what was it he had said when they’d had coffee? He has to admire your passion. I know I do.
She didn’t know whether or not Mr. Ritter admired her passion. But she hoped, at least, that he would appreciate her honesty.
“You know,” she said, glancing first into Mrs. Ritter’s eyes, and then directly at Mr. Ritter, “hybrids are fantastic, but electric cars offer an even lighter carbon footprint.”
Mrs. Ritter frowned. “Electric cars aren’t really market viable right now,” she said.
Billie shook her head. “Actually, Nissan recently unveiled a five-year plan for their product development that placed a high emphasis on electric cars. It’s only the wave of the future if we refuse to embrace it today.”
Mrs. Ritter raised her eyebrow, stepping aside so one of her friends could place a bid on the car. She was silent.
Mr. Ritter, however, burst out laughing. Billie looked up at him, startled. “You’re right, of course,” he said, noticing her curious expression. “You’re also the first person to contradict my wife—or me—in years.”
Billie looked down. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Mr. Ritter tilted his body so that he could look her directly in the eye. “Don’t be,” he said. “Don’t be.”
Later that evening, Billie was coming out of the restroom, marveling at the contradiction of the tiny, individually wrapped cosmetics and toiletries that were all labeled “organic,” in the ladies’ lounge, when she bumped directly into Mr. Ritter again. Talk about mortifying. He must think she was a total clod.
