After Summer

by S R Silcox

  I look over at Riley, sitting up on the dune by herself. I toss the ball to Jason. “I need a break. Back in a sec.”

  I jog over to where Riley is sitting, shielding her eyes to look up at me. I sit down beside her so she doesn’t have to look up into the sun. “Thanks,” she says, dropping her hand and pushing her sunglasses on top of her head.

  “Are you coming down? Jo’s heading to work soon, so we could use another player.”

  “Nah. I’m happy just watching.”

  “Are you sure? Reece would love a chance to show off to you properly.” I wiggle my eyebrows and Riley shoves me and laughs. I push my sunglasses up on top of my head, and all of a sudden, Riley grabs my wrist.

  “This is your tattoo?” she asks, pointing at my wrist.

  “Yeah.” I wonder if she’ll get its meaning.

  She turns my hand over in hers and inspects the tattoo that circles my wrist. “What is it? A wrist band?”

  “Yeah, sort of.”

  “Does it have any meaning?” she asks.

  The fact that she’s asked that means she doesn’t remember. I’m not surprised. “I just liked the design,” I reply, trying not to sound disappointed that she doesn’t recognise it.

  “I like it,” she says, smiling up at me.

  I pull my hand away and change the subject. “So, Jason says your stuff arrived this morning.”

  Riley nods.

  “Unpacked yet?”

  “Not yet. It’s going to take ages.” She picks at a stray thread on her beach towel.

  “Everything okay?”

  Riley shrugs. “Yeah. I just didn’t realise Dad would get everything sent up, that’s all.”

  “What else would he have done with it?”

  “I don’t know. Donated it to charity maybe.”

  “You don’t want all your stuff?” I ask. Even though I’m arguing with Mum, I reckon it would be hard to throw anything out if she died.

  “I don’t know,” Riley replies. “I guess I just thought Dad would deal with it, you know?”

  “If you want a hand to go through it all, I’ve got tomorrow off from work. I’d be happy to come and give you a hand.”

  Riley smiles. “That would actually be great. You can be like those people on Storage Hoarders and tell me what I should keep and what I should get rid of.”

  “You watch that show too?” I ask.

  Riley grins. “I love it when the hoarders are trying to justify why they need all those old newspapers.”

  I nod. “I know, right? I mean, how are they even going to sit and read them anyway when all their chairs are covered in other crap.”

  Riley laughs. There’s a squeal from down on the beach and we both look over to see Reece is carrying one of the girls (it’s either Nicki or Jo, I can’t tell from here) down toward the water. “Oh no. Looks like Reece has moved on already.” Riley jabs me and I laugh. “You should come down. I’ll give you some pointers. I know how crappy you are at sport.”

  “Hey,” she says. “What are you trying to say?”

  “Oh come on. You could beat me at board games, but you weren’t even in my league when it came to outside stuff.” I’m deliberately baiting her, because if I remember correctly, even though Riley wasn’t very co-ordinated, she was competitive. It works.

  “Challenge accepted,” Riley says, leaping up off her towel. “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”

  Riley decides to play on the other team. I guess she wants to prove a point. Jason taps the ball and takes a couple of steps before passing off to me. I only take a couple of steps before Ben reaches out and grabs me around the waist and swings me around. As I try to wriggle out from his grip, I manage to get a quick pass off to Damo, who gets a couple of metres away before Reece ankle taps him and he falls flat on his face into the sand. The ball bobbles out of his hands, so it’s a turnover.

  Reece starts again and passes off to Riley who’s in front of me. She handles it like a hot potato and throws it to no-one as soon as she gets it. It lands in the sand and she screws up her face. “Sorry. I panicked.”

  “So you should with me about to tackle you,” I say as I pick up the ball and walk past her. She goes to give me a shove but I duck out of her way and she misses. She pokes her tongue out at me and pulls a face.

  I tap the ball and pass it off to Jason. He does a big right foot step and makes Reece look like an idiot, which is never hard, and takes off. When Ben is just about to intercept him, Jason tosses the ball backwards, high into the air. It loops up and over both his and Ben’s heads and I manage to scoop it up, just before it hits the ground. There’s nothing but space in front of me, so I take off up the sand toward the try line. I chance a look behind me and I’m surprised to see Riley sprinting after me, grinning. She’s gaining on me too, and I can’t make my legs go any faster.

  I can hear her heavy breathing when she gets close to me, and when she takes her first grab at me, and then we’re tumbling onto the sand in a laughing, panting heap. She half lands on top of me and through her giggles she asks if I’m okay.

  “I’m good,” I say, panting and spitting out sand. We look at each other, grinning and when our eyes meet, the world tilts. I don’t know what Riley feels at that moment, or even if she feels it, but my heart stops, just for a second. I’m hyper-aware of her hand resting on the skin of my stomach, and I feel like I’m seeing her for the first time. It’s amazing and weird and confusing, all at once. We just lay there looking at each other for what feels like ages but what must only be seconds, panting and sucking in breaths.

  She pulls her hand away from me and gets up. “Sorry,” she mumbles. She brushes herself off and then offers me her hand. I take it and she hauls me up.

  “Great tackle,” I say.

  “Thanks,” she replies, but she can’t look at me. Shit.

  I try again. “You’re faster than you look.”

  That gets me a cheeky grin. “What? I don’t look fast?”

  “Like I said, you were never the sporty one,” I say, and she shoves me as we head back over to the others.

  Ben jogs over to us. “I’ve got to get going,” he says. “Nicki and I are going to grab a drink and go over the new pizza menu before work.”

  “Oh, really?” I say.

  “Yeah,” Ben replies. “Please don’t be a dick about it.”

  As he turns to walk away I call out, “So, should I expect you home after work tonight?”

  Ben gives me the finger and I wave him off.

  “I could do with a drink myself,” Riley says.

  “Milkshakes?”

  “Perfect,” she says. “After I get rid of all this sand.” She brushes at it but it’s sticky stuff.

  “Only one way to get that off,” I say, and take her hand and pull her down to the water.

  Thirteen

  Riley

  A man comes in to the Hut dressed in construction clothes and I notice that Brooks is scowling all of a sudden. He’s got a big, booming voice, so we can hear the conversation he has with Gloria at the counter, and when he says he has to wait until high tide to get the barge over to the island, Brooks mumbles, “I hope it gets stuck.” She stabs her straw into her milkshake a couple of times and then takes a long drink.

  “You really don’t like what Dad’s doing over on the island, do you?”

  “What?” Brooks looks surprised I heard her. “Oh, you know. It’s no big deal.”

  “Obviously it is,” I say. “I get the feeling a few people don’t like what he’s doing, but I don’t understand why it’s a problem. I mean from what I’ve seen, Roper’s isn’t exactly full of tourists anymore, is it?”

  Brooks looks around at the empty tables. “It’s only early in the season. Most people don’t come up til after Christmas.”

  I know that’s not true, and I know something is obviously bothering her about Dad’s development, but I don’t want to push her so I change the subject to something I know she’ll like talking about - herself
. “Jason told me you made the Australian team for football. I didn’t know you were that into it.”

  Brooks looks up and her whole demeanor has changed. She’s more relaxed and she gives me a broad smile. She doesn’t answer my question, but instead asks, “What did Jason tell you?”

  “Just that you were good enough to make some tour but didn’t go.” I leave the rest of what he told me hanging, just to see if she’ll tell me herself.

  She purses her lips. “Uh-huh.”

  I laugh. “Okay, okay. He told me you got expelled and that’s why you missed out. Is that true?”

  Brooks nods. “Yep.”

  “I can’t believe it. You? Expelled from school?”

  “Yeah,” she shrugs. “It’s no biggie.”

  “No biggie? Does that mean you haven’t officially finished high school then?”

  Brooks takes a deep breath and lets it out. “We’re negotiating on that actually.”

  “What’s to negotiate?”

  “Whether I get to just sit exams next year to graduate or whether I have to repeat.”

  “Wow. It’s that bad?”

  Brooks nods. She drains the rest of her milkshake and leans back in her seat.

  A thought occurs to me. “You know, if you have to repeat, that would mean we’d be doing final year together.”

  Brooks laughs. “Always the optimist,” she says.

  “Hey, I was thinking more about me than you. I won’t know anyone there except for Jason, and if you’re there, well, at least I’ll know one more person.”

  Brooks gets all serious. “Probably better for you if pretended that you didn’t know me.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Before she can answer, Jo comes over and puts her hand on Brooks’ shoulder. Brooks visibly tenses. “Hey,” Jo says. “How were the milkshakes?”

  “Great,” I reply.

  “Fine,” Brooks deadpans.

  “Great,” Jo says. She looks over at me. “So, Riley. Are you enjoying being back at Roper’s?”

  “It’s alright so far,” I reply. I’m getting the feeling something’s going on between Jo and Brooks but I’m not exactly sure what it is.

  “Cool,” Jo says. “I guess I should get back to it.” She leans in close to Brooks. “I’ll see you later?”

  Brooks doesn’t answer. Jo scoops up our empty glasses and heads back to the kitchen.

  “What was that about?” I ask.

  “Nothing. She’s angry with me about,” she pauses. “Stuff,” she says eventually.

  “Stuff, huh? I hate it when people are angry with you about ‘stuff’,” I say.

  Brooks smiles. “Yeah. Me too.” She checks her watch. “I should get going. I promised Ben I’d mow the lawn this afternoon. We’re still on for tomorrow to go through your stuff?”

  “For sure,” I nod. “I hope my stuff is easier to deal with than your stuff.” Brooks gives me a crooked grin and shakes her head. As we head in opposite directions, Brooks on her way home and me on my way to Dad and Julie’s, I think about Brooks’ reaction to Jo. It was almost as if Jo was being protective of Brooks. Maybe she’s just an overprotective friend? If I hadn’t stopped coming to Roper’s years ago, maybe I’d be Brooks’ overprotective friend. Then again, maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

  Fourteen

  Brooks

  I should have asked Riley if I could go have a swim in her pool after I mowed. The one thing I don’t like about Uncle Pete’s place is that he refused to get a pool put in. I’m only two blocks from the beach, but it would be nice to just laze in a pool without having sand creep into your underwear. Thankfully, Uncle Pete does have air conditioning, and I’m just about to settle back into the lounge and go channel surfing on the TV when the door bell rings.

  When I open the door, I almost slam it shut again. The only thing that stops me is that Jo’s not by herself. She has what looks like the rest of the protest group. My protest group. I stand in the doorway so she can’t just push her way in. “What do you want?”

  “We just want to talk,” she says. I know her innocent act is all for show in front of everyone else, but I don’t doubt for a minute that she’d have a go at me again if she got the chance.

  “About?”

  “The group,” she says. “We,” she sweeps her hand around to encompass the others, “would like to discuss a few things.”

  “Like?”

  “Like, where we go from here.”

  “From where, Jo?” I ask. “We decided last time that it’s all over and there’s no point organising any more protests. It’s not going to make a difference.”

  “No, you decided,” Jo says, her voice rising. She takes a breath. I hide my smirk. I know she’s finding it hard to hold it together and it’s hard for me to resist the urge to poke the bear. “Look,” she says. “Can we just come inside? It’s freaking hot out here and we just want to talk, that’s all.”

  I think about what would be the worst possible scenario if I let them in. Jo obviously wants control of the group, and to be honest, I don’t really care anymore. I doubt there’s anything they can do to change my mind, so I make a decision. “I don’t think there’s anything to discuss.” I look over to the rest of the group. “If you guys want to keep the group going, fine. Just leave me out of it.”

  “But you’re the one who knows everything about the project,” Sam says. “You’re the one who did all the research and dug up that info from your mum’s computer.”

  “What’s stopping you from doing your own bloody research?” I ask. I’m trying to keep my cool because, with the exception of Jo, I’m friends with the rest of them.

  “Research isn’t the point,” Jo says. “You’re the one with inside knowledge. We can use that.”

  “What inside knowledge are you talking about?”

  Jo glances back to the others. Sam nods at her. She turns back to me and says, “Riley. If you could get Riley to get us some intel—”

  My jaw clenches and I can feel the heat rising in my face. “You have to be kidding me? I’m not asking Riley to do anything.”

  “Brooks, please. Just hear us out.” Jo grabs my arm but I pull away.

  “No, Jo. If you want to take charge, go ahead. Just leave me out of it.” I don’t want to talk about it anymore, and Jo was right. It is bloody hot outside. “And stay away from Riley,” I warn. I slam the door before she can reply, and go back inside.

  I’m half-way back up the hallway when the doorbell rings again. “You have to be kidding me.”

  I fling open the door. “What part of— Mum.”

  “I can’t believe you’re still insisting on having anything to do with that group,” she says before she even says hello to me.

  I turn and walk back inside, knowing she’ll follow me. I can’t just send her away like I can with Jo and the rest of the group.

  “The protest at the community meeting was one thing but sabotaging the barge? That’s on a whole other level, Brooks. It’s criminal. Do you want to go to jail?”

  I spin around. “Wait. What? Someone sabotaged the barge?”

  “As if you didn’t know,” Mum says. “For God’s sake, can you just let this be?”

  “I don’t know anything about the barge.” I know she doesn’t believe me so I change the subject. “Is that what you came over here for? To chastise me for having a conscience?”

  “A conscience? Brooks, it’s all well and good standing up for your principles, but you need to learn when to let things go.”

  “Why? Does it make you look bad that your own daughter is against your pet project?”

  “Brooks!”

  “Look Mum, if you just came over here to get up me for something you obviously think I did, then I don’t want to hear it.”

  Mum narrows her eyes and glares at me. “You’re still my daughter, Brooks, and no matter what you think, I don’t want to see you get into trouble.”

  “So what, you came over to do th
e ‘Good Mother’ thing? To try to put me on the straight and narrow?” I emphasise the word ‘straight’ with my fingers because I know it will get a rise out of her. This time she doesn’t bite.

  She just takes a deep breath and gets out the pointy finger she loves so much. “I’m warning you, Brooks. If you get caught doing anything else with that protest group, I’m not going to come bail you out.”

  “Fine. Whatever. Is that it? Have you finished?”

  She sniffs. “Your father misses you. I was going to ask you over for dinner, but under the circumstances, I don’t think it would be a very good idea.”

  “Whatever you think,” I reply. “And Dad knows where I am. He’s welcome around here any time.” What I don’t say is that she’s not, but Mum gets the hint and turns around and walks out. After I hear the front door close, I yell into the air at everything and nothing. I take a deep breath and go over to the TV cabinet to find one of Ben’s XBox games to play so I can take out my revenge on some unsuspecting virtual enemy. The more frustration I can get out of my system on a computer game, the less Ben will have to listen to when he gets home.

  Fifteen

  Riley

  I get up early the next morning, only to miss Dad again, so I decide to catch him at his office on the esplanade. By the time I get there, it’s a little after eight, but he doesn’t seem to be around. I jiggle the door but it’s still locked. I peer through the glass to see if I can see any movement but the inside office door is closed too. I’m sure Dad’s here somewhere; his car’s in the driveway. I’m trying to decide whether to wait for him or just go home when someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn to see an old lady holding a string bag full of groceries. “You after Scott Fisher?” she asks.

  “Yeah. Have you seen him?”

  “Pfft. Good luck getting in to see him. No time for anyone these days,” she says.