by C.J Duggan
***
A strip of light streaked through the darkness of my closed eyes. I would not let the pesky sun disturb my slumber, so I rolled over, away from the offending beam. I had managed to kick off my blanket during the night and the oscillation of the fan still didn't threaten to chill me. I remembered that the irritatingly bubbly weatherman had promised a scorcher, and I had fist pumped my way to the fridge to grab a Coke, thinking 'do your worst weather dude'. But as the sun lifted and the breeze stilled, humidity was at its sticky worst and I changed my mind and cursed the summer and all who gloried in it.
A prod to my exposed foot caused me to drag it away from the edge. A tickle and I kicked out. Scratching my nose, I rolled over to push my face into the pillow with a sleepy groan.
"Wakey, wakey," an upbeat voice sing-songed. Mum.
"Noooo, go away."
"I have a surprise for you," she coaxed as I felt the mattress dip next to me.
She had my semi-attention now. I squinted at the clock.
"But it's so early."
The bright and breezy note in my mum's voice lowered in astonishment.
"It's 11.30!"
"Wake me in half an hour." I turned over, hugging my pillow.
"I guess you don't want this, then." I heard the rustling of a bag as she got up to leave.
I sat bolt upright, blinded by my wayward hair which swept across my face at haphazard angles.
"What is it?"
"Never mind, you're too tired," Mum teased.
"Oh, be the grown-up, Mum, what is it?"
Mum became all excited as she hid an object behind her back.
"Close your eyes."
I was fully awake now. I loved surprises. Had I told her about that top I had been eyeing off? She must have noticed I came home without it yesterday. I sat on my knees, pushing my bed-tousled hair back.
Holding out my hands, I closed my eyes. Mum placed something in them, and they dipped under the unexpected weight. Okay, definitely not a top. But it was solid and cool.
"Open your eyes," Mum said, barely able to contain her excitement.
I opened them with haste as Mum ripped the plastic from the top with as much flair as a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat.
"Ta-DA!"
"Oh ?" I said, "wow." That was about as much as I could muster as I took in the hot purple, marbled bike helmet in my hands with, oh Jesus, was that a lightning bolt on each side?
"Do you like it?"
"Wow. It's ? wow."
Mum nodded in appreciation.
"I saw you came home with another scrape on your knee, and thought you really need to have one of these. It's the new shape, like the racing people wear, very smart."
Smart was not the word I would have used. Helmet hair screamed inside me. I had never been so happy that my chain snapped, rendering my bike useless.
"I know you kids don't get around with helmets, but I think once one starts wearing them, it will catch on; the next thing you know, you'll all be wearing them."
I offered my best fake smile. "Thanks, Mum."
"Try it on!" She beamed.
I humoured her by placing the egg-like dome on my head. It slipped forward, into my face.
I gave her a double thumbs up. "Awesome."
She patted my cheek. "Looks great, you'll have to give it a test run."
I grimaced, trying not to overact my disappointment. I was a terrible actress.
"I can't until my bike's fixed; the chain, remember?"
"Oh that's right, well Dad can-"
"No rush, it's kind of nice walking - won't do me any harm."
In fact, I was pretty sure it may just save my reputation.
As Mum went to leave my room, she stopped and said, "I almost forgot." She fished out my mobile phone from her pocket that I had left charging in the kitchen.
"This thing keeps beeping at me." Mum wasn't very savvy with technology, and she handed it over as if it had a bad smell secreting from it.
I waited for her to leave before taking my helmet off with great gusto; I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I placed it on my chair giving it a horrified look.
Oh hell, no! Mum I love you, but this I cannot do.
A reminder beep went off, and I crawled back into bed to read 5 missed calls, 7 messages from Ellie. What the?
9.06 am
Oh me Gawd! Oh Me Gawd!
Ring me!!!
9.10 am
Why haven't you rung me??
9.38 am
OMG!! Check your emails woman!
And pick up your phone?I have to talk to you!!
9.44 am
OH MY GOOOOOOOD!!!! Tell your dad to switch your home phone over from the fax, I mean seriously!
9.46 am
Are you mad at me??
9.50 am
Because seriously now is not the time to be mad at me?TRUST ME!!!
10.00 am
I am coming over to kick your skinny butt!!!!!! Plus I want to see your face when I tell you!!!
I dove out of bed, tripping over my sheet that was tangled around my legs, while I attempted to dial Ellie's number and fire up the computer all at the same time.
I pressed the power button on the old computer and, as usual, it whirred, groaned and chugged to life. I swear, my parents had given me what must have been the oldest, slowest computer in the southern hemisphere. And if that didn't have my leg jiggling in impatience, I pressed the power on the modem and waited, waited and waited some more as the dialup beeped and buzzed, connecting to the internet. Thank God it was a separate line; between Dad's inability to switch the phone back over from the fax, or the fact that Mum and Dad were constantly using it for the business, I would never have got a look in. I convinced them on my sixteenth birthday that it was vital for my future study to get with the times. So they got me a secondhand computer and the internet with its own separate phone line. And I did use it to study. Right after I chatted to Ellie and Adam for a couple of hours each night on MSN Messenger.
Ellie wasn't answering; guess it was payback or she was riding over to kick my butt. What on earth had her knickers in such a twist? I was used to Ellie's dramatics, but this seemed different, far more intriguing, even more so than my hideous helmet.
Finally, my computer connected to the web, and I tapped into my email account. I expected to see one BILLION messages of harassment from Ellie, but there was only one from 8.04 am.
To: tessmcgee
Operation Go with Flow initiated!
Oh me Gawd! Oh me Gawd!
I hope you are sitting down, and I hope you have relieved yourself because otherwise you are seriously going to pee your pants!!!
I walked to the corner shop this morning to fetch the paper and who do I run into, in his work rig, fueling up?
That's right! Stan Remington, looking all windswept and interesting. Seriously he is so adorable!
Anyhow we got to talking and he invited us to go out on the boat with him and the boys?THIS AFTERNOON!!!!
Hold onto your helmet honey?(Oh yeah I know about that by the way. I mean I had to help your Mum pick it out and all. So cute don't you think??)
Anyway I will call you for rendezvous.
Meet the boys at the Onslow Hotel at 1pm.
Ellie X
P.S If you're wondering?Toby will be there.
PP.S And Angela has gone to visit her grandparents and won't be home for two weeks. (Just saying)
Sender: ellieparker
Boat.
Toby.
1pm.
Shit!
