Three's a Crowd

by Margaret Pearce

  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.

  The moon got higher. Someone switched off the coloured lights and the moonlight changed the patio and garden into a magic place of light and shadow. Suddenly the slow music stopped and was replaced by a fast moving beat. The patio became crowded with dancers. I had snapped out of my trance-like state so quickly I was bewildered and for a second Drew and I just stared at each other.

  We drifted over to the punch and helped ourselves. I wrinkled my nose. It had a funny taste. The trouble with punch was that with everyone helping make it they kept putting in more and more stuff that clashed with pineapple juice.

  “My dance, golliwog,” said a familiar voice as a long arm scooped me away and spun me into the middle of the gyrating crowd. Drew tried to smile, and I saw Julie spin smoothly into his arms and whisk him further down the patio. She must have been watching pretty closely to move in on him so smoothly.

  Jeebie grinned down at me. He had a good sense of the beat and his long arms and legs flung out as he danced. “Can I walk you home, golliwog? It must be about your curfew hour.”

  “I’m going home with Murray,” I said coolly. “And when I decide to.”

  “I doubt it,” Jeebie chuckled. He spun me around so I was facing the lawn, where I could see Murray the Murk was a pathetic heap on the ground.

  “What happened to him?”

  “All that training and never eating properly caught up with him,” Jeebie said. “The secret of his low blood pressure is out.”

  “Does he need to go to hospital?”

  “Nah, just be more conscientious about eating correctly,” Jeebie said.

  I kept dancing. Jeebie watched me with his infuriating grin. Suddenly I missed a beat of the music. I had just had the most brilliant brainwave. It was nearly time for me to leave anyway. I grabbed Geordie who sat by the pool still talking to Louise. She had a glazed look on her face.

  “Those new fibreglass boards have a lot going for them,” he droned.

  “Geordie,” I said. “Do you reckon you and Jeebie could run Murray home right now? He’s littering up the place.”

  Geordie glanced around at Murray’s body and sighed but he stood up, jangling his car keys and looking at Jeebie. Jeebie nodded agreement, his face suddenly serious. They both moved forward and I watched my evening ‘date’ being lugged like a sack of potatoes out to the van.

  I checked that Drew was still dancing right behind me with Julie. I stepped back against him. He stopped dancing.

  “Thanks for having me, Louise,” I said nicely. Louise blinked. She still had a glazed look on her face. “It’s time I left. Do you think someone can escort me home?”

  Louise looked around to where Sandy, Ian, and Paul were dancing. With the thunderous beat of the music, no one had noticed the departure of Geordie and Jeebie with Murray or overheard our conversation, except Drew, of course.

  “I’ll walk you home,” Drew suggested.

  Louise had to produce her nicest dimpled smile. She had been outmanoeuvred. “That’s very kind of you, Drew,” she said gracefully. “Supper will be on as soon as you get back.”

  I was leaving one of the best parties in the district before any real action had started, but with Drew holding my arm as we strolled along the silent moonlit streets, I didn’t regret it one little bit.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Drew didn’t break the silence on our walk home. There was no need – we had total empathy. He sensed how I felt and I sensed his feelings. As we reached my street, our synchronised steps grew slower.

  The porch light was on and I saw the soft glow of the lounge room light through the closed blinds. Mum was still up. We paused in the dense shadow of the gate by mutual decision. I felt like Isolde with Tristan pledging our love. It felt so right for Drew and me to be together, not just because he was the best-looking guy in the district, but because he made me feel special. I sighed deeply. I now knew what being in love was all about. I knew Drew felt the same way. His arms tightened around me and my knees got their familiar melting feeling. He kissed me and I kissed him back. He strained even more tightly against me.

  “Amanda,” he breathed, stroking my back.

  I shivered deliciously as his hand trailed down my spine as far as my waistband. “Drew,” I breathed back.

  We were welded together so closely I heard his heart thumping in time with my own pulse. Then there was a familiar and hated gurgle of mirth above us. I wrenched myself away from Drew’s embrace but I was a fraction too slow. The water cascaded down over both of us, saturating Drew’s head and running coldly down my bare back. I shrieked aloud at the unexpected shock of the water.

  “Caught you, caught you, yah, yah, yah,” Brat’s voice crowed.

  We had been bombed by a water balloon. Despite the high-heeled sandals, I leapt on to the fence and lunged through the blackness of the rhododendron, but Brat had already dropped from the tree and was racing for the house, squealing with enjoyment. I caught a quick glimpse of him as he slammed through the front door and then he was gone.

  “Your little brother?” Drew breathed heavily. I supposed he was in shoc
k too.

  “Who else?” I returned.

  The wonderful, magical bond and closeness was gone, shattered by the shower of cold water. It was surprising how much water those beastly balloons held. Then I realised something else – Brat would tell Mum I was home. She would now be timing my entry inside.

  “Want to come in for a coffee?” I asked.

  Drew shook his head and water splattered my face like a gentle rain of tears. He pressed an urgent kiss on my mouth.

  “Meet you down at Surfview tomorrow,” he whispered. “I’m borrowing a boat to go up river – just the two of us.”

  I nodded but a lump formed in my throat and I felt ready to explode with rage and grief. He turned and I watched him jog up the street, back through the moonlight saturated night towards Louise and her party. My creep of a brother had just ruined the most marvellous moment of my life. I would never forgive him. I stormed inside, slamming the front door after me and headed straight down the passage to Brat’s bedroom.

  “Amanda,” my mother said urgently. She came up behind me and held my wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going to give that little pig the thumping he deserves,” I threatened. “What was he doing hanging around spying on me this late anyway?”

  “I didn’t realise he was prowling around,” she said. “He was asleep most of the afternoon so I suppose he wasn’t tired enough to sleep again. I was finishing some work and heard you shriek. I wondered what had happened.”

  “She was kissing Drew Jamison,” Brat sang out from the protection of his bedroom. “They were going all goo goo.”

  Mum leaned closer and sniffed my breath. Her eyes widened and she got a pinched look to her mouth. I caught a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror and decided to retreat to bed and pursue my feud with Brat some other time. My lipstick was smeared and my hair ribbon had caught in the rhododendron so that my hair was all over the place. Mum’s green blouse was spotted with water, but even worse it barely clung to my shoulders and hung loose over my skirt. I looked a real mess.

  “You’ve been drinking.”

  “I have not.” The funny taste to the punch, I remembered. What if that stupid Murray had spiked it?

  “Why didn’t Murray bring you home?”

  “He passed out as I thought he would. The guys took him home.”

  “Why didn’t you get John to bring you home? At least he’s responsible.”

  “He was one of the volunteers who took Murray home.” Responsible! Where on earth had my mother gotten the idea that Jeebie was responsible? Water dripped down my back. It was my little brother who was irresponsible. “Why don’t you concentrate on keeping your pet child out of mischief? The little pig dropped a water balloon on us.”

  “I never did like the Plympton-Smith mob and I don’t want you associating with Drew Jamison,” Mum continued, ignoring my accusation. “If you can’t act responsibly you’re grounded. Alcohol is not my idea of a nightcap for a girl your age – or any age.”

  “Knock it off,” I yelled back. “I’m old enough to pick my own friends and make my own choices.”

  “Not under my roof you won’t,” Mum warned. “So get yourself to bed and wipe that muck off your face.”

  “It was only a joke,” Brat called from his bedroom. “Don’t be a sorehead.”

  I ignored him and slammed my bedroom door hard. I was thankful to reach refuge. I was actually shaking with rage as I washed and undressed myself. How could my mother be so unreasonable?

  My blind was up and the moonlight shone in serene silver bars across my floor, comforting me. From then on I would always associate moonlight with that magical feeling of being in love, even if I lived to be as old as Mum. My evening hadn’t quite turned out the way I had hoped. Brat had made what we were doing sound vulgar and horrible, but it had been the most spiritual feeling of my life. I burrowed under my comforter, and gradually my rage seeped away as I became drowsy.

  Drew hadn’t got around to saying the actual words but there was no need for words. Love didn’t need to be pinned down with words. Actions were so much more important and no one could take away what Drew Jamison and I felt for each other.

  Drew had seemed more shocked than furious about my stupid little brother. I became drowsier and my thoughts muddled as they eddied around in my head. It wasn’t such a dreadful setback to our romance after all. Drew had still suggested that we go boating up river tomorrow, just the two of us.

  Mum’s inexplicable dislike of Drew and his family drifted across my mind. I reminded myself to try to settle Mum down before I actually left for Surfview tomorrow. It was not like her to have such a sudden dislike for any of the local guys.

  I just knew she would be pretty keen on Drew once she got to know him better.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “It was only a joke,” Brat insisted. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “Get lost.”

  Brat hovered around looking worried as I packed my swimsuit, fruit, drinks, books, iPod, phone and sunscreen into my beach bag. It was going to be another perfect beach day, and this time I intended for it to stay perfect. There was no way Brat was coming with me.

  Geordie’s van lurched to a stop out the front, and the distinctive horn blared its summons. I picked up my bag and walked through to the kitchen. Mum passed Brat a packed lunch.

  “I’m not taking him.”

  “Don’t be childish,” Mum said. “Do you begrudge your brother a day at the beach?”

  “Yes.”

  “I do wish you would act your age,” Mum threatened. “Of course you have to take him. I’ve got to get that project finished this weekend.”

  “If he’s no trouble, why can’t you watch him?”

  “He’ll be even less trouble at the beach,” Mum returned. “Anyone would think you were the ten-year-old around the place, not Brett.”

  The horn blared again. I turned and ran out the door. I was not going to have Brat around my neck today of all days; it wouldn’t hurt him to stay home quietly for once. I catapulted straight into the arms of a tall skinny figure.

  “It’s my fatal attraction.” Jeebie said and sighed. “Girls hurl themselves into my arms all the time. Everyone ready?”

  Brat dodged past Jeebie. I struggled to get free so I could pull him back but it was too late. Brat had already been scooped into the back of the van. I heard the chorus of voices welcoming him. I was going to be stuck with my little brother whether I wanted him or not.

  “We’ll watch him, Mrs. Baxter,” Jeebie promised my mother, who stood at the front door with a thoughtful look on her face. “Don’t worry about anything.”

  Jeebie released me and I climbed into the front of the van beside Julie. Jeebie went behind the van and I heard the tailgate bang. I glanced into the back – Sandy had Brat squashed up beside him to make room for Jeebie. Murray the Murk looked very spaced out this morning; even his dreadlocks hung pathetically. He gave me an apologetic grin.

  “Everybody ready, aye?” Geordie said cheerfully and the van accelerated with a jerk.

  Julie couldn’t wait to come out with her exciting news. After Drew and I had left the party, the action really started. Gate crashers had come and had gotten very aggravated when Geordie returned and asked them to leave. He, Jeebie and Sandy threw them in the pool and called the cops.

  “Of course, the worst thing is that Louise has been grounded,” Julie yelled over the noise of the music. “Her parents discovered that the punch was spiked and blamed her. She told them it was the gatecrashers but they didn’t believe her.”

  “So she’s not allowed any more parties without supervision and won’t be at the beach this weekend.”

  “Very unfair, aye,” gloomed Geordie who was eavesdropping on our conversation.

  I started to feel better, despite the annoyance of having Brat shoved on me for the day. I knew that Drew and I had something special going for us, but it was a relief not to have the dimpled competition
of Louise against me all day.

  “Drew’s riding his motorbike down to the beach today,” Julie volunteered. “The Lessings aren’t going to be at their weekend cottage this weekend.”

  “And he can’t stay at the clubhouse ‘cause he isn’t a member,” chanted my little brother, who was listening from the back.

  “Drew missed all the excitement last night,” Julie continued. “He didn’t arrive back until after the cops left.”

  “It’s going to be a way out day,” I said changing the subject. Over the noise of the music I sensed the curiosity of the eavesdroppers in the back.

  “Dunno about the wind, aye,” Geordie warned.

  “What wind?” Julie scoffed. “It’s as still as anything.”

  “It’ll be offshore,” Geordie predicted. “You just wait. Be no surfing today, aye.”

  When we finally arrived at the beach, Geordie’s pessimism about the wind seemed unfounded. The sky was an unclouded blue and the sea almost flat, with just the slightest of swells rippling gently against the sand. The flags were further up the beach than usual. The sandbanks had shifted and the current had scoured deep channels across the usual swimming spot. There was no sign of Drew.

  “He mightn’t have set off as early as we did,” Julie said. “They were all still partying on when Geordie, Ian and I left.”

  Out of habit I checked that Brat was slathered with sunscreen and that he kept within the flags. More and more family groups arrived and spread along the beach. There were no boards on the beach and despite Brat’s pestering none of the boys unloaded theirs from the van.

  “No, you can’t have a board to play with,” Geordie kept repeating to Brat, over and over again. “The currents are all over the place today. Not right for kids, aye.”

  Around noon, a slight offshore breeze got up. It flattened the swell of the surf so that it had an oily, slightly ominous look. Faint streaks of ragged clouds appeared across the sky. The tide came full in and Geordie was proved right – the currents were all over the place. The calm surface of the water was deceptive. The beach patrol was busy collecting unsuspecting and inexperienced swimmers whom had been whirled out to sea.