by Dale, Lindy
“Uh, we do have a door, you know.”
“I tried it… for five minutes…. but you didn’t answer.”
“Sorry. Aunt Beth’s at the shop and I can’t hear the door from down here.”
Lacey’s bedroom at the back of the house was cosy with a lovely view of Aunt Beth’s cottage garden but since moving in, she’d discovered that she wasn’t able to hear anyone at the door. Which could be good or bad, depending on who it was. In Zac’s case it was most definitely bad. She was growing to like him more and more. Especially after he’d played the ‘knight in shining armour’ role the previous evening.
“What’s up, anyway?”
“I was going to head up river for a bit. Thought you might like to come. There’s a good spot over there that you could use for landscape ideas. You can see the maze from a different angle. Come, check it out.”
“And what will you be doing while I’m sketching?”
Zac’s smile widened. “Okay, you got me. I was just gonna lay there on the grass and annoy you but I brought some work of my own, you know, in case you turned me down.”
The cheek of him, Lacey thought, but how could she refuse an invitation like that?
“Sounds good. You have to let me get some work done, though. I don’t want to waste the whole day.”
“Kissing you for a whole day wouldn’t be a waste of time, Lacey.”
Oh please. Pushing him from the sill and pulling the curtains across for privacy, Lacey replied, “Meet me on the porch in five.”
*****
The other side of the bridge over the Seraphim River wasn’t a place Lacey had bothered to venture to thus far, having been so consumed with her studies at the maze and park but sitting on the bank with Zac, she could see what he meant. It gave the town a whole new perspective, one that was almost eerie. Living there every day, walking up and down Main Street, she’d never noticed that the place was so spookily symmetrical. Planned to the placement of the last cobblestone and bollard. And right at the apex was the Maze.
Pulling her sketchpad and a pencil from her backpack, Lacey sat, knees up, drawing everything from this new angle. On the grass next to her, Zac lay stretched, a book in one hand, the other gently caressing her back as she worked. The incident last night seemed to have moved their friendship to a new level. The bond was deepening and Lacey found that she liked it.
“This is nice,” Zac said, after a bit. “Relaxing.”
“Mmm.” Mesmerised by her discovery about the town, Lacey paid little attention to his words. Even the lines of the verandas that framed the shop fronts matched. The windows on the sides of the buildings looked like eyes. Big, spooky eyes with brows of wisteria and jasmine along the top.
“Are you seeing what I saw?”
That would depend on how far down the creepy surreal road he’d let his mind wander. Lacey sketched frantically. “It’s unbelievable.”
“Just like you.”
Lacey ignored him. Zac was full of lines, most of which were merely that. Lines. Half the time she didn’t know whether he meant them or if they were designed to get what most boys his age wanted. He seemed genuine though and after last night, she happy to accept that he was.
Pulling himself to a sitting position, Zac put down his book. Cautiously, he slid his hand along Lacey’s shoulder, lifting the wave of her hair and exposing the back of her neck. He trailed his finger along her shoulder, tickling softly.
“Zac,” Lacey admonished. “You promised.”
A glint of lust sparked Zac’s eye. “Uh, don’t think I did, actually. You just heard what you wanted to hear.”
Lacey nodded. She had to give him that. He’d admitted up front that his main aim for the day was to annoy her. And, as of this minute, he was doing a pretty good job.
“I want to finish this sketch.”
“I want to kiss you.”
He leant closer, pulling her hair further to the side and looping it over her shoulder. Slowly, he pressed his lips in the crook of her neck. Lacey quivered. The pencil shook in her hand, sending a scratch along the page and through her drawing. It felt so good.
Zac’s other hand grazed her collarbone, tracing the strap of her singlet as he followed it with kisses. Lacey put down her pad. It was pointless trying to work while he was doing that. She couldn’t concentrate. Instead she tilted her head, allowing him greater access to the back of her neck, giving in to the sensation of his lips on her skin.
“What’s this?” Zac’s finger stopped in a spot at the top of her spine, where her neck met her shoulder.
Lacey knew what he meant. “It’s a birthmark.”
“Looks like a tattoo.”
“I know. But I swear, its not. I’ve had it since I was born. It’s horrible. One day I’m gonna get the stupid thing removed.”
Zac pressed his lips to the spot. His sweet scent wafted into her nostrils. “Don’t do that. It’s beautiful and it’s part of you. I like it.”
Lacey guessed they’d have to agree to disagree on that one.
Picking up her pad, she shuffled her body away a bit and resumed her drawing. She didn’t want to kiss him anymore. Arranging her hair to recover the spot, she sat up.
Sensing he’d upset her, Zac pulled himself up. His hand slid over the grass to rest beside hers. “You know, I really like you, Lace.”
“Why? Why do you like me?” When they were together, the only thing he wanted to do was kiss.
“I like the way you stand up for yourself. You’re so focussed on what you want and you don’t let anyone dissuade you from it. It can’t be easy to be an individual when everyone else is in the crowd.”
Lacey’s eyebrows lifted and she gave a shrug. It wasn’t that she was so different; it more that she wasn’t willing to bend to be accepted. Been there, done that.
“Are we talking about the gang again?”
Zac’s finger traced her knuckles. “Yeah. I’d really want you to join. That way we could see more of each other. And you’d have more friends. Plus, you could still do your own thing within the gang. Its not like we have rules or anything. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? ” His eyes glinted playfully and his finger moved further to rub tiny circles inside her palm.
Lacey looked down at their hands. It would be nice to belong again but those kids were strange. “Maybe. But I don’t own enough black to be in your gang. Seriously. Why can’t we just go on the way we are?”
“‘Cause I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“I don’t belong to you, Zac. And I don’t feel the need to spend my Saturday nights leaning over Ouija boards or making spells or whatever it is you do.” She didn’t know why he was being so insistent. One minute he liked her independence, the next he was telling her she must be lonely because of it.
Zac pressed his chest to hers. The heat from his body coursed through her. His eyes were black as a bottomless well and Lacey found herself tempted to change her mind. His lips moved close. The intoxicating scent of him overpowered her senses. “We could be so good together. I could give you so much.”
Lacey pushed him back. “Like what?”
“Kiss me and you’ll find out.”
*****
By three o’clock, Lacey’s belly was rumbling. “Think I’ve had enough for the day,” she said, pulling the backpack to her and stashing her sketchbook inside it. “I might head home and grab a sandwich. You’re welcome to come.”
Zac glanced at his watch. He looked a little annoyed, possibly because he hadn’t got what he’d been after on the grass.
“Nah. I’ll head home. I’ve got stuff to do, anyway.” Standing up, he turned to face her. “It was a nice day, lazing here with you. Pity we couldn’t have made it nicer.”
“Oh well, there’s always the twins. If you’re that desperate.”
“Yeah. Might give them a call later. See what they’re up to…”
“Zac.”
He leant over, placing a tender peck on her cheek. “Joke. See you Mon
day.”
“Yeah, Monday.”
Gathering her bag, Lacey set off across the bridge and back towards Willow Walk. It had been a fun day. Zac was cool, she liked him a lot, but she wasn’t ready to kiss him. She’d have to know him a whole lot better before that happened. She could imagine what it would be like, though, no harm in that. She could feel his arms around her, his lips on hers, his words in her hair. It would be nice.
Off in her own little daydream filled with images of Zac, Lacey didn’t notice Cam standing on the path in front of her. She walked straight into him.
“Lacey.”
His chest pressed against her as he reached out to stop her from overbalancing onto the gravel but she fell anyway, landing in a tangle of disarray at his feet. “Geez, Cam!”
Setting her right, Cam stepped away. “You walked into me.”
“You were standing in the middle of the path, you idiot. What did you expect?”
“That you might be watching where you’re going?”
“Ha ha. Funny. Not.”
“I tried to step aside,” he explained, “But as you can see, there’s not a great deal of room here. Look, I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“Whatever.” Lacey pressed her stinging palm into her hip. Ouch. It really did hurt.
“Here, let me look.”
Tentatively, Cam reached out taking Lacey’s hand and turning it face up to examine the graze on her palm. His fingers were warm on her skin, his touch soft. With careful precision, he pinched his thumb and forefinger together, extracting the fragments of gravel from the pad of her thumb. With each piece he removed, she found the anger she’d felt only moments before became less significant. She wasn’t hurt. It had been an accident. Frowning, she looked up into his eyes. Their green was sparkling like emeralds.
“I’m sorry. Truly.”
“Yeah. Well, you could be more careful,” she huffed.
Seeming to sense he was forgiven, he changed the subject. “Was that Zac with you?”
Lacey glared.
Geez, why did he have to ruin everything by being so nosy all the time? Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling that peaceful. She was cross. She yanked her hand from his.
“You know it was. And why are you here, anyway? You don’t live anywhere near here.”
“I was out for a run.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’re always out for a run. Everywhere I go you’re out for a damn run. Why don’t you run somewhere else?”
“I can’t. I have to run here.”
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Lacey looked at him and shook her head. She opened the iron gate to her house and went though, slamming it behind her. She might have to reconsider that idea of him being nice if he kept up this ridiculous behaviour.
Chapter Twelve
“Your nails.”
The girls were sitting on the footpath of the bridge after school. Their legs were dangling in space above the river and their forearms were propped on the middle railing as they looked out over the current that sped down towards the falls. Abbie had passed the apple to Lacey for a bite. That was when Lacey noticed. Something was going on. Abbie had painted her nails black. There were traces of eyeliner under her lids as well.
Abbie hid her free hand under her thigh. “Its nothing. Ty did it.”
“But they’re black. You hate black nail polish and I’m fairly sure you told me - only last week- that you would never wear it because it’s slutty.”
“Ty likes it.”
Abbie and Ty had been spending a fair amount of time together but Lacey hadn’t realised things were this serious. Well, on Abbie’s part. She didn’t think Ty could be serious about anything for more than a nano-second.
“So, if Ty likes it, I guess that makes it okay, then, does it? I didn’t think you were the kind of girl to change your mind so quickly for a boy.”
“Don’t’ give me heaps. Please. A girl can change her mind. It’s only nail polish.”
Lacey looked at her friend. Tears were beginning to show in Abbie’s eyes, as if she were begging Lacey to understand, even if she didn’t approve. Her friendship with Ty obviously meant more to her than she’d let on. All she talked about these days, in her incessant rambles, was Ty, Ty, Ty. Not that Lacey was jealous or anything. Ty and Abbie made a cute couple. And his antics were definitely toned down by Abbie’s quieter nature.
Looking at Abbie’s fingers again, Lacey decided to let it ride. What the hell. If it made Abbie happy then it was okay by her. With a smile, she took a bite from the apple and handed it back to Abbie.
“So, you’re together then, like, ‘together’, together?” Lacey asked, after she’d swallowed.
“We’re not exclusive. Well, I don’t think we are. But I like Ty. He’s fun. He knows lots of stuff and he’s teaching me all kinds of things.”
“I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it does.”
“Not yet.” Abbie’s blush was as red as her hair.
“Oh Abbie. Please be careful. You know Ty’s only out for a party. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is something it’s not. He changes girlfriends like he changes socks.”
“But he’s not like that with me, though. Honest. And he won’t let me down. I trust him. You should be happy for me.”
“I am. But this whole gang thing freaks me out, to be honest. Zac keeps on about me joining and honestly, I cant see what all the fuss is about. I don’t need a gang to have friends. You don’t either.”
“We have heaps of fun, though.”
“Such as?”
“Oh, you know. Stuff.”
“And your Mum doesn’t mind?”
Abbie took a last bite of the apple and tossed the core into the river. “She doesn’t know. She thinks I started going to the Youth Group. She approves of that ‘cause they do lots of nice stuff in the community. I’m having my initiation in a couple of weeks. You should come and see what goes on. It’s nothing sinister. Really.”
“But you have séances and stuff, don’t you? You know, Ouija boards and black candles and all that crap.” It worried Lacey that her friend was fooling around with this stuff. Even though she didn’t believe in it, a lot of people did. It only took one slightly adventurous person to suggest bringing sex or drugs into the mix and god knows what else could happen. It was so easy to bend to peer pressure because you were lonely or sad or whatever. She knew.
“Yeah. But I haven’t seen a lot of that stuff. It’s for members only.”
“So there’s an initiation?”
“Yeah.”
“What do they do?”
Abbie’s eyes turned to look out at the river. She sucked on her lip. “I don’t know, really.”
“’Course you do. You just don’t want to tell me because you think I’ll flip at you.”
“I said I don’t. Are you saying I’m lying?”
Lacey was surprised. She’d never heard Abbie speak that way before, it was totally out of character. And why was she being so secretive about the whole thing. It wasn’t as if Zac hadn’t asked Lacey to join too.
“Seriously, it all sounds a bit crazy, if you ask me, Abs. Fine, if you want to hang out with Ty, do it. But I’d stay away from that gang if I were you. You never know what they might ask you to do next.”
“But Ty’s in the gang….” Abbie’s voiced trailed off.
Lacey raised her eyebrows but said nothing. To her mind, that said it all.
*****
“I’m so glad you could come,” Abbie said to Lacey as they walked along the Willow Walk that Friday night. “I thought after what happened on Monday at the bridge that you didn’t want to be friends with me anymore.”
Lacey linked her arm through Abbie’s. “As if. I’ll always be your friend. I just wasn’t that wrapped about the gang thing. And I think you need to be wary of Ty, no matter what you say.”
In fact, when Abbie had first suggested the idea of stargazing to finish their assignments, Lacey had been ready to say no, but after hearing that Ty a
nd Zac were going she’d had second thoughts. If Abbie got into trouble, she’d be there as the voice of reason. And she’d get to spend some time with Zac too, so it’d be a win all round. Zac may have been the leader of the group she was trying to avoid but that didn’t mean she didn’t find him attractive. And as Abbie had told her, it was almost a reluctant leadership.
“You’re wrong,” Abbie whispered. “You’ll see.”
“Hope so.” Reaching over, she gave Abbie’s hand a comforting squeeze. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. Tell me what I’m meant to be looking for tonight.”
The girls rounded the cliff path that headed past the falls and towards the maze. As they wandered across the road into the park, Abbie chattered happily about the stars and planets they would see. The Milky Way was lit up that night and they were sure to see the Southern Cross because the night was clear and crisp, perfect for star spotting and if they found all the constellations and plotted them another assignment would be completed, so it wasn’t only a social outing.
A few metres behind, Zac and Ty were following with a picnic basket, cooler bag and two faded rag rugs from Aunt Beth’s linen cupboard. If they had to do school work on a Friday night, they fully intended to make the most of it by having fun with the girls.
Abbie stopped at the side of the park between the Angel Maze and the trees and threw her backpack onto the ground. She looked up into the night sky. “This looks like a good spot,” she said. “We have a clear view and we’re protected from the breeze by the maze and the bushes.”
“I would have kept you warm anyway, Abs’,” Ty said, as he put his stuff down next to hers and wrapped his arms around her from behind, gazing up to the heavens. “But you’re right, this is a good spot. There’s no street lights. They make seeing the stars so much harder, don’t you reckon?”
Abbie looked to where Ty was pointing. “I’ve never lived in the city. The stars always look this way to me.”
“You should go backpacking when you finish school. See the stars in a new way.”
