Friendship on Fire

by Danielle Weiler

  I shrugged.

  What was the point arguing, or begging? Skye would do what Skye wanted to do and what Skye does best.

  So I waited to hear my sentence.

  ‘What do I care? Your secret is safe with me.’ Hoisting her skirt higher, to reveal some thigh, Skye grinned at me and swung her hips as she left the bathroom.

  Sarah slapped me on the back. ‘Exhale.’

  Light-headed, I breathed the air out that I’d been holding inside. ‘Do you think she’ll come good on her word?’ I asked, abruptly worried her good nature was a trap.

  ‘Probably. She’s got nothing to gain from spreading it. Maybe you’re old news,’ she giggled.

  ‘I hope I am,’ I said, staring at the door after her long gone figure in a daze. ‘You don’t think people like Skye can change, do you?’

  ‘What? No. It’d be a miracle, but no. She loves who she is. You must have caught her on a good day.’

  ‘Yeah.’ I opened the bathroom door and let Sarah out before me.

  She spun around as if to scare me. ‘So. Are you going to fudge being sick, or get seeing Roman’s parents over and done with? You know Mrs Taylor will keep asking you over until you go. I think you should, and make out with him.’

  ‘You would,’ I smiled at her. Her matching grin revealed shiny white teeth. Straight. No metal. I squealed in surprise.

  ‘Sarah. You got your braces off.’

  ‘Yeah? A while ago,’ she shrugged modestly.

  ‘You didn’t tell me.’ I pushed her shoulder.

  ‘It’s not a big deal. But I can sure eat a lot faster now that they’ve gone.’

  Sarah loved her food.

  ‘You look gorgeous. All the guys will be after you now.’

  ‘They were before, what are you talking about?’ she joked.

  ‘OK, better get back to class before anyone realises we’ve gone. Together,’ she giggled, and pushed me in the direction of Music while she went to a more fitting subject for herself: Drama.

  ‘Daisy, have you got a sec?’ Josh asked me from the threshold of my room. It was just before sunset, I noted with surprise. My head had been stuck in books for the last few hours and I’d lost track of time. I was glad for the break.

  Josh rarely came near my room, so this had to be good.

  ‘Sure,’ I replied, pulling earphones out of my ears and spinning around in my computer chair.

  ‘This is going to be awkward. Um,’ he struggled, scratching the top of his head, searching for words within his thick dark hair.

  Patiently I waited, pulling a leg up under my backside to make myself more comfortable.

  ‘Watching you the last few weeks has been … educational… for me,’ he began.

  I tilted my head slightly, watching him rifle through his thoughts.

  ‘I never liked Nate,’ he came out bluntly. I blinked. ‘I didn’t keep that a mystery, but neither did I bother to tell you why. Instead, I behaved like a dick, and I’m sorry.’

  ‘Go on,’ I commanded, intrigued.

  ‘I’ve been thinking, maybe, if I had told you why I had reservations about him, that you wouldn’t have been so hurt when he …’ He didn’t finish the sentence, and he didn’t need to. I knew exactly what he meant.

  ‘Josh, this isn’t your fault,’ I said quietly.

  ‘I know, but I’m your eldest brother. Isn’t it my job to look after my little sister?’ I saw something new in his green eyes. It pained him. Was it guilt?

  ‘And you do. I admit I don’t see you as much as I’d like to, but it’s not as if you’re not here.’

  ‘Don’t you get it Daisy? I am like Nate. I may as well be him, incarnate. I’m always cheating on girls, moving from one to the next, charming them, and hoping they will be a good influence on me. My best trick is breaking their hearts. Look what I did to Pam.’

  Yes, I witnessed that first hand. Her sobbing, tear-stained face in my room. My own arrogance.

  ‘Yeah that was pretty bad,’ I agreed bluntly. ‘She was cut up. What did you do, anyway?’

  ‘Almost the same as what Nate did to you. Without the best friend part.’

  ‘Ahh, yes. That makes a slight difference, but the betrayal feeling would still hit hard for her.’

  ‘See what I mean? I didn’t bother to stop and think about the consequences of my actions. I only thought about my you know what.’ Was that a blush I saw …? Humility was a new personality trait for him.

  ‘Josh you’re still young. You always do stupid things when you’re young. You’ll be a great guy soon … in a couple of years, say,’ I said, smothering a smile.

  Josh shook his head. ‘Don’t stick up for me. I don’t deserve it and it doesn’t help me change. None of us would be so gracious to Nate if he were sitting here, so why are you treating me like I’m the good guy?’

  I didn’t know. ‘I guess everyone needs someone to love them,’ I shrugged. Who loved Nate?

  He hung his head and rested it in his hands, brooding. ‘Seeing what you’ve gone through will make me think twice about being so reckless in the future, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Good. Girls are people too, bro,’ I joked, and he laughed despite his melancholy mood.

  ‘I’m proud of you, little sis. I don’t tell you enough,’ he said, kissing me on the cheek and rubbing the top of my head with his knuckles.

  ‘Thanks,’ I said dryly.

  Skye kept to her promise, I realised with horror.

  No bagging me on YouTube, SMS, MSN, prank calls, notes in the common room, rumours, sniggering posse.

  Nothing for two weeks. Not that I didn’t still go around on tiptoes. I never knew when I could walk into a group of girls laughing at a poster of my face depicting the moment I saw Nate on top of my best friend.

  So far, so good. But not until school was finished could I be completely sure that I was free of Skye’s tricks.

  The last week of term three was hectic. Every free period Roman and I could spare was taken with awkward Graduation and Formal meetings. Every lunchtime the student Councillors met to discuss patterns, invitations, themes, pricing, and catering. It helped having twelve of us in the room at a time to plan, firstly because I wasn’t sure Roman and I could handle so much dialogue alone, or with Mr Head again. However, it was annoying trying to referee when girls wanted different colours and patterns. Roman, diplomatically, would say both colours could be included. I wanted to tell the girls to get over themselves. At this stage the Formal was set to be toward the end of next term.

  A dress.

  I hadn’t considered a dress yet.

  Was I going naked?

  What was wrong with me?

  ‘We’ll go shopping together. The good dresses haven’t been taken, drama queen,’ Shana had said after school as I hyper-ventilated in the locker bay.

  Slapping my forehead, I whined, ‘How could I forget the Formal, Shana. It should be a girl’s number one priority. I hear some girls have had their dresses for eight months already.’

  Shana smirked, but didn’t look surprised. ‘I haven’t. Put it this way. You get the latest fashion. They get last season’s fashion. Don’t worry about it. You’ll look hot whatever you wear. As long as you don’t go ranga again.’

  ‘No chance of that.’ I laughed. ‘Hang on, you didn’t see me as a ranga.’

  ‘Oh but I heard. That was plenty,’ she said, grinning.

  ‘Cheeky cow,’ I said, nudging her in the ribs.

  She started shuffling her feet. ‘Well, I’m going to hang out with James now … so …’

  ‘Is that right?’ I asked slyly. ‘Getting serious are we?’

  ‘Nah … maybe a little …’ she suddenly turned shy. ‘We’re taking it slow…’

  ‘Good. Make him work for every inch he gets.’

  ‘He does,’ she winked, and giggled as she swung her bag over her shoulder and went to meet him out the front of school.

  n Thursday night, I made my mandated trip a few streets away. The
walk over there made it feel like a lifetime away.

  Knock, knock, knock. My fist banged reluctantly on the Taylors’ front door and I waited with dread for someone to respond.

  Roman’s dad, Jordan, answered with a beaming smile.

  ‘Daisy, so glad you could make it. Come in. Make yourself at home, as always.’

  He swept his arm around his house, inviting me to partake in anything I pleased. He stopped beneath the staircase. ‘Roman, come down here. Your guest has arrived.’

  My face burned with embarrassment, a rash that slowly crept down my neck and under my arms. Great look, sweating profusely over a dinner that wouldn’t have bothered me a year ago.

  Stomping noises upstairs revealed Roman’s presence, before he bounded down the stairs. I used to wonder how he didn’t break his neck the way he’d jump from the top of the stairs to the middle, then to the bottom.

  ‘Hey,’ Roman said politely, resting one hand on the rail.

  ‘Hey.’ What to say? I miss you and I want to tell you how happy I am that your foreign flick has gone home? ‘How are you?’

  ‘Fine, you?’ He raised his eyebrows and held my gaze, briefly.

  ‘Yeah, good.’ I stood with my hands in my back pockets, feeling like an idiot.

  Jordan slapped Roman on the back. They were about the same height, so these days Roman could give as good as he was given.

  ‘Offer the lady a drink, why don’t you? Have you forgotten to be a gentleman already now that the Swedish bird has gone?’

  His joke wasn’t well received. Roman winced.

  I looked up at the ceiling. Lyn rescued us.

  ‘Food’s nearly ready. Come get your plates and entrees.’

  As I passed Roman I pursed my lips in a semi-smile, awkward beyond belief. Whose idea was this again?

  After grace, we passed the dishes around and began eating. Lyn had seated us next to each other, which was fine, but I wasn’t sure how much Roman would talk to me. He ate so fast I thought he might finish early and leave the table.

  He didn’t. He simply got more to eat. He was filling out; his arms thicker and hands stronger. Had he been working out? To make matters worse, I discovered that what Roman must be doing to improve himself was making him more attractive to me.

  Don’t think about it now, Daisy, I willed, as chemistry zapped me like electricity. This wasn’t a new feeling, but it was unexplored, which was possibly worse.

  ‘So Daisy. How are your parents and brothers going?’ Jordan asked out of the blue.

  I had just closed the deal with a mouthful of stir-fry. Willing myself not to choke, I smiled politely and waited out the awkward silence until I swallowed it.

  ‘Fine, thanks for asking,’ I answered, stomach churning. Noticing their staring faces, I then realised I needed to add more detail for this dinner to work. ‘Treston is busy at uni. He misses soccer and can’t wait for next season to start.’

  Jordan nodded knowingly and waited for me to continue.

  Think, brain. Think. ‘Mum’s birthday is next week and I have no idea what Dad will buy her but I have a feeling it will be something big. He’s been hiding something under wraps for a while.’ There, that sounds good.

  ‘The old dog,’ Jordan said. ‘What’s the bet it’s a new car.’

  ‘I hope not. For his sake,’ I mumbled into my glass of juice.

  ‘What about Josh? Still being a heart-breaker?’ Lyn asked.

  I nodded, pursing my lips as an afterthought. ‘I have a feeling he’ll be more careful in future. But yes, he always has heaps of girls calling our home phone for him. It’s annoying. I don’t know how he can meet so many girls at once.’

  They laughed politely, while Roman kept eating. I took a sidelong look at him and caught his eye. We both darted our eyes away, only to meet one of his parents’ set of eyes. My heart sank. Could they tell we were awkward together?

  ‘And how are your studies?’ Jordan prodded.

  I used the same old line. ‘Fine. Could be doing more, but we all need a life, right?’

  ‘You sure do. Not long left,’ he replied, using his matching adult line.

  How long were these niceties going to last? My head was spinning at the scent of Roman’s skin, the unsaid words between us, the memory of our brief moment of intimacy …

  ‘How is your work? McDonald’s still?’ That was Lyn.

  ‘It keeps my shopping addiction healthy, but I wouldn’t want to do it for long after school.’

  There, I’d decided something about my future.

  ‘Roman has been telling us about the hectic school captain meetings. How do you think the plans are going?’

  What is this? Twenty questions for the guest?

  ‘They are, but we’re coming along nicely. Roman is diplomatic and fair. Everyone appreciates him for that.’

  I thought I noticed Jordan kicking Roman under the table as it rocked slightly. Roman sat up straighter and forced a smile. ‘Someone has to be, I guess. It’s easy for me.’

  Lyn started clearing the table to organise dessert. This wasn’t going so badly, but it was still awkward as hell.

  She called from the kitchen, ‘What are your plans for the holidays, Daisy? I wish you could have come with us on the first break, but there’ll be other times.’

  I gulped down a hard ball of anxiety.

  ‘Yeah, definitely another time. Um. Study, I guess. Hanging out with friends. Beach, that sort of thing.’

  I put my hands under the table and started to wring them. My knuckles threatened to crack under the pressure.

  Lyn placed dessert bowls in front of us and we helped ourselves to butterscotch pudding and ice cream. The delicious sugary treat melted in my mouth as and by the time I was half way through my bowl Roman had another serving. Typical.

  Before I knew it dinner was over. I was dying to leave, but I couldn’t without offering to help with the dishes. It was Mum’s golden rule.

  ‘Well, thank you so much for dinner, Mrs Taylor. I’ll do the dishes, if you like,’ I offered politely, hoping she would decline and send me home.

  ‘Rubbish,’ Jordan interrupted as Lyn’s mouth opened to speak. ‘You’re not doing the dishes by yourself. Roman, help her.’

  I blushed crimson as Roman looked at his plate and slightly shook his head.

  ‘I don’t mind. Honestly. I can do them on my own if Roman has other things to do,’ I replied, still in formal mode. Roman hated dishes. I didn’t want to make his resentment for me any worse than it already was.

  ‘Don’t be silly. I won’t have a guest in my house doing dishes by themselves. Lyn, let’s go. Leave these kids to their own devices,’ Jordan announced, taking Lyn by the hand and dragging her into the lounge room.

  Roman’s posture oozed uncertainty, which I’m sure mine did as well. We stacked the dishes in silence and I filled up both sinks to start washing. Hopefully Roman would dry and we could talk in private like we should have weeks ago.

  Elbows brushing gently over the sink, we washed and dried dishes but didn’t talk. I didn’t know where to begin and Roman wasn’t leading in his own house, his comfort zone, so as time went on my heart sank and I lost motivation to say anything.

  Twenty minutes later, Jordan and Lyn came in to steal some chocolate supplies from the pantry. I could see where Roman got his sweet tooth from.

  When I thought it might be safe again for us to go back to our non-speaking ways, Jordan stood behind us and bellowed, ‘OK out with it.’

  I jumped, flicking fluffy white dishwater on to the bench. ‘Out with what?’ I asked in a shaky voice.

  ‘Have you two slept together or something?’ he demanded.

  ‘Jordan,’ Lyn exclaimed, mouth open.

  ‘Sorry?’ I squeaked.

  Roman said nothing.

  Mr Taylor shook his head. ‘The way you’re carrying on. That sort of avoidance is reserved only for friends who have slept together and don’t know what to do from then on.’

  �
��Daisy, don’t listen to him, he’s just joking …’ Lyn tried to cover but Jordan was having nothing of it.

  ‘No, I’m sorry Lyn but I have to ask. It’s killing me. One of you, out with it.’

  ‘Nothing’s happened, Dad,’ Roman finally spoke and I felt sad. OK I didn’t want his dad to know I kissed him, but the fact that the only time he spoke was to deny anything happened between us at all was worse.

  ‘Bull,’ Jordan continued.

  I emptied the dishwater in the sink with relief and wiped it out quickly.

  With a forced smile, I turned to Roman’s parents and said, ‘OK, all done here. I guess I’d better go. Thanks heaps for dinner. I really appreciate you having me here.’ I went to retrieve my purse and bolt out their front door.

  Lyn followed me. ‘No you don’t have to go. Isn’t this the time where you two go to Roman’s room and hang out like you normally do?’ Or kiss him, as I felt like doing now.

  Roman threw down his tea towel and folded his arms. ‘We have heaps of study to do, Mum. Aren’t you the one who keeps telling me exams are in a month?’

  ‘Yes, but you’ve had your nose in those books all day. Look at your skin. It’s going yellow. Don’t become a nerd, son,’ Jordan joked.

  I opened the front door to signal my departure. ‘It’s fine, really. I’ve got things to do at home. Help Dad and stuff.’

  ‘Well if you must go, we can’t stop you,’ Jordan said, ever hospitable. ‘Roman, walk her home. Don’t let a girl walk home at this hour by herself.’

  He winked at me, then shuffled Lyn away from us again.

  Roman, still unusually shy, scratched the back of his head and said quietly, ‘Let’s go, then.’

  ‘Roman you don’t have to …’ I started.

  ‘I don’t mind. Dad will kill me anyway if I don’t go, so let’s just get it over with.’

  I was something to get over with, was I? Two could play at this game.

  I straightened my back. ‘So your dad said Anya went home.’