“But, Un—”
“ENOUGH!” Coach Williams slammed his fist onto his desk, startling me. “Not another word, Jones. Not. Another. Word.” The one-eyed glare given to the boy after those words could have curdled milk.
Owen shrunk down into his chair, head low, and nodding meekly.
I felt the back of my head at that. Owen was a jerk, even if nothing was stuck in my hair. But I leaned over to Leif with other concerns to address. I whispered, “I wonder what that note had written on it?”
Leif replied, “No prizes for guessing.”
To reinforce those words, Edwin’s face had blushed so red the Bureau of Meteorology could have issued a High Fire Danger Warning for the Central and Central Gippsland Coastal regions.
While walking home the long way, because I wanted to spend more time holding Leif’s hand, sensing his feelings through his touch, my phone buzzed. I wondered who it could be. The only person who usually texted was next to me, and I was thankful for that.
I smiled at him, swinging my hand that held his happily; I needed nothing else.
The afternoon sun made Leif’s skin glow warmly, illuminating him as much as he ignited my world. It was nice to walk with him hand in hand through our neighbourhood. The air seemed sweeter, the day brighter, and the world a better place when I was with him.
“Your phone’s going off,” Leif said, returning me to the moment.
“Yeah,” I replied dreamily. “I know.”
Perhaps the message I received was informing me that mum needed to work late, and she was telling me to make dinner tonight. I didn’t mind. I liked to cook and did it often.
Only one way to find out.
I retrieved my phone from my front pocket, using thumb ID to turn it on. The text wasn’t from Mum. It was much worse than that. It was from Jasper, my little brother who had issues even I didn’t understand. The text was succinct and pointed, just like him: Sucked enough dick today, fag?
Now that was strange. Jasper had never called me that before. I knew we didn’t talk much, but that was certainly new.
But I rolled my eyes so much I was sure they’d both end up looking like Coach William’s lazy left eye. Permanently. I made sure Leif saw the text, as he would have for me if the situation was reversed. He sighed. “I really think your brother has issues.”
“Too many to count, I’m sure.”
I didn’t bother answering Jasper.
We approached Leif’s house; the white picket fence set off by well-shaped English Box hedges was stark and bright in the sunlight and was always the first thing I noticed about his place. That and Mister Metaxas’ howling and barking when he knew we were approaching the house.
There wasn’t any commotion from Mister Metaxas.
That was strange.
Maybe he hadn’t sensed us yet.
I let go of Leif’s hand. His absence of touch was profound. I didn’t want to, but Mum always insisted I get out of my school uniform first before going out and socialising. She informed me often that they cost more than enough and didn’t want them ruined if I roughhoused with anyone, Leif especially.
Me, roughhouse with Leif?
He was my boyfriend not my wrestling partner.
Who roughhoused at fifteen anyway, besides the knuckle draggers and the boys on the Preston Razorbacks Wrestling team, that is?
The other reason she wanted me to get home first was so she could drill me if I had homework. I didn’t have homework—I did most of it during the afternoon study period we had today. I still had to change, though.
That rule was set in stone.
I was about to say goodbye to Leif for the few minutes we’d be absent from each other’s company, when he blurted with a surprised gasp, “Where’s Mister Metaxas?”
Spinning on my heels, I faced him. Leif looked worried and his misty mysterious blue eyes were pained. I didn’t know what to think, but said soothingly, “I’m sure he’s around.”
“He’s not! He’s always here to greet me!”
“Maybe your Mum took him to the vets or something?”
“She would have told me. No, Lyle, something’s happened.”
“But what?”
“Someone’s taken him,” Leif suggested, his voice cracking with emotion.
I was taken aback. “Who would do that?”
While Leif was studying the surrounds, perhaps for clues, becoming more frantic with every passing moment, his face suddenly drained a ghostly white. “What the…look at this!”
He pointed with a shaking finger towards the gate’s lock. The padlock that secured the sliding bolt had been cut. It had been put back on so it wouldn’t have looked obvious at first glance that it’d been tampered with.
A terrible feeling crawled all over me like spiders searching for a place to nest. I swallowed hard. Fear also stabbed at my insides, making me wince.
Leif was right.
Someone had taken Mister Metaxas.
I couldn’t form words. Who would take Mister Metaxas from Leif’s front yard? At that moment, I placed my hand into Leif’s mailbox. I don’t know why I did that, but it turned out to be a good thing. It was then I noticed there was mail that wasn’t mail, an envelope without his address printed on the front sticking out from the opening.
The terrible feeling continued; the spiders had made their nest, and right in the pit of my stomach.
“What’s this?” I wondered aloud as I pulled out the offending item. It was a note.
A note with the letters cut-out from magazines and newspapers and pasted onto the paper to form sentences, just like the one Leif had found in his locker this morning.
Now that wasn’t good.
Leif came close and I put one arm around him as we read the note together. Its contents confirmed Leif’s worst fears—mine, too.
I’ve got Mister Metaxas and you won’t get him back unless you post photographic evidence on Snapchat and Instagram that Ben is cheating on Britney with Edwin. You have until midnight on Friday. But if you tell anyone about this before that I’ll know. Then you’ll never see your dog again. Gays are worse than lamingtons.
Remember when I said Leif’s head fit perfectly into the space between my chin and chest when we hugged? That’s what he did then. I held him, wrapping my arms around him, drawing him closer to be the strength for him that he always was for me.
“We’ll get him back. I swear to you we will,” I reassured him, my insides twisting into knots. Who would take a dog from someone? And someone they knew, too, because the note read a little too familiar for my liking. My gut instincts were never usually wrong. Who else but someone we knew in some way would kidnap Mister Metaxas and make such demands?
I didn’t think strangers wrote ransom notes like that.
Moments later, Leif’s shoulders heaved. Another moment, and he was sobbing into my shirt. I held him tighter, rubbing his back tenderly. I could feel the tension in his muscles they were so knotted.
I got misty-eyed as well, unable to help myself.
We held each other for eternity, so long the air around us began to cool as the sun sunk lower, the both of us crying for just as long.
When we finally let go, Leif wiped his eyes and said with a stumble of sadness and determination, “We’ve got to get him back, Lyle. He’s already missed out on his after school snuggle time and treats. He’ll be lonely without me—without us.”
“Are you suggesting doing what the kidnapper wants? Betray Ben and post stuff about his personal life for everyone to see? And without his or Edwin’s permission?”
“But if he’s cheating on Britney, she needs to know that.”
“What if Ben’s not doing anything with Edwin other than being his friend and supporting him in his time of need? His parents are arguing a lot lately, you told me that this morning. What do we do then?”
Leif was taken aback but I could see the cogs of his mind working once more, his frown deep.
I pulled his hands into mine, squ
eezing them to reassure him again. I added, “We have to do this the right way and without betraying anyone’s trust, especially our friends. Britney included.”
“I understand.” With wet eyes, he sniffled. “Will you help me get Mister Metaxas back?”
“Without question. But as I said, we’ll do it the right way. We’ll call the—”
“We can’t call anyone.” Leif’s shoulders shuddered again. “You read what the ransom note said. If Mister Metaxas gets hurt, I don’t know what I’ll do. We’ve got to investigate this on our own. Besides, we have until Friday.”
It was Tuesday.
There was time.
“That wasn’t what I had in mind.” Then a spark of warmth rose up inside me, ignited by Leif’s determination and his love for all things radiating from him like an aura. “But okay, now you’re talking. Let’s do this. And if we haven’t found out by Friday who did it, then we go to the police or whatever. Right?”
“Right.” Leif hugged me again. “And thank you, Lyle. You’re the best.”
“And you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
It was then, right in front of our whole neighbourhood, in full view of the busybodies peering through their curtains, couples walking by pushing prams, and kids playing across the street, that Leif and I kissed.
Our first kiss.
It wasn’t anything sensual or intimate, just a press of lips that connected us even more than when we held our hands.
It was a kiss of understanding.
A kiss that spoke volumes, that he was there for me and I was there for him. But it was over in a flash and I shivered when we parted.
I wanted our first kiss to last longer. I didn’t want it to be kind of stilted and filled with nerves and the wrong kind of emotions because of the situation of its conception.
But we’d done it.
We’d kissed.
Sure, we’d get better at it, I knew that. As if to reinforce my thoughts, I immediately wanted to do it again but deeper and with more intent. I wanted to know what it would feel like when my tongue touched his tongue.
But there were other pressing matters to attend to.
“You go get changed,” Leif said, still emotional and teary. “I’ll go talk to my mum.”
“Sure. But you do know all I can taste now is your tears.”
Leif’s lips flashed a cautious smile. “And I can taste yours.”
I knew what he meant—he loved that I felt the same way about all this as he did. He was also telling me he loved that I was on his side and agreed with him. How could I not? Leif was my breath and kissing him for emotional comfort was amazing.
So much so, I wanted to do it again in front of everyone. No one who passed by cared anyway; if they did that was their problem. But I did as Leif asked and dashed towards my house, running as fast as my legs could carry me to my front door.
We had to get Mister Metaxas back. Then Leif’s kisses wouldn’t be filled with worry, just his love.
I couldn’t wait.
I threw down my backpack, shrugged off my blazer, stripped off my tie, and unbuttoned my school shirt as soon as I was inside my hallway. It was good to be home. I sucked in the air; the house smelt amazing, like comfort and love and everything I’d grown up with.
Mum called out, “Is that you, Lyle?”
“Yeah, Mum. It’s me.”
“Can you come into the kitchen, please?”
I knew why she wanted to see me. It was our after-school ritual. She asked me how my day had been, and I replied with something noncommittal but told her I’d been good even though I’d received lunchtime detention.
“Why did you get detention?” she asked with an incredulous tone, eyebrows raised to match her voice while she placed freshly baked chocolate chip cookies onto a cooling tray.
No wonder the house smelt even more amazing than usual. My stomach churned and my mouth salivated. I swallowed and licked my lips.
She offered me one with her famous motherly smiles when she handed me a cookie.
As I chewed on the warm chocolatey goodness, I replied, “Coach Williams called me a sissy and I stood up for myself, that’s why.”
“I’m going to have a word with the principal. That’s not good enough, and the coach should know better.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
She kissed me on my forehead when I informed her I didn’t have any homework because I’d done it. I was fidgeting and inching my way towards my room, my shirt already fully unbuttoned.
I was keen to get back to Leif.
At the kitchen door, I was confronted by Jasper. He nudged past me without a word, knocking me on my shoulder. Seconds later, he grabbed a cookie off the tray.
Munching on it with a sneer, he gave me his best stink-eye. “What are you in such a hurry for? Leif gonna give it to you up the butt, is he?”
I didn’t reply as I rubbed my arm. I was sure I’d get a bruise where he’d hit me, but I knew it wasn’t wise retaliating to my brother’s taunting when Mum was present. And I was right.
Mum put her hands firmly onto her hips. “Jasper! For that I want you to give me your phone charger, this instant.”
“Aww, Mum,” Jasper whined. “My phones on ten-percent. It’ll be flat soon. I need my charger.”
“Then you should have thought about that before you opened your mouth. You’ll get it back when you apologise to Lyle for your rudeness. And just so you know, your attitude lately isn’t helping you either, young man. I know things have been hard for you, but you are who you are, and your brother is who he is. I need you to deal with it without resorting to insults or there will be further consequences.”
Jasper, in the weakest most pathetic apology ever, mumbled to the floor, “Sorry…Lyle.”
But when his head was low, his shirt gaped open at the neckline because he’d left a couple of buttons undone. He was wearing a pink singlet thing underneath it. That was weird for him. Before I could be sure what I saw, he buttoned it up hastily, right up to his neck.
“And why are you sorry?” Mum’s voice brought me back from my thoughts. She wasn’t letting this go. Good on her. But still, I wanted to get to Leif.
My boyfriend needed me.
Mister Metaxas needed me.
Jasper shrugged. “Dunno.”
I almost laughed. He knew exactly why he was being told to say sorry. He really had been extra douche-baggy lately. What was his problem?
Mum rolled her eyes. “You’ll get your charger back tomorrow morning.”
Jasper came to life. “But, Mum! My phone will be dead by then and I won’t be able to take it to school. What will I do during recess and lunch without my phone?”
“You’ll survive, I’m sure. Now, Lyle, you’re excused. Jasper, I want you to start peeling potatoes, so you’ve got something to do while you think about what you said and why it was wrong.”
Jasper groaned again, muttering something about how it wasn’t fair or how I was the favoured son or whatever. I didn’t hang around to hear any more. After I’d changed into my most comfortable jeans, the dark grey ones Leif liked, and my favourite black polo shirt, I went to the front door to put on my runners. Before I left the house, my brother made sure to give me the evillest stink-eye he could muster.
That was nice of him—not!
His expression was so foul priests could have used it to exorcise the Devil. Because how would I know my brother hated me if he hadn’t done that?
I sneer-smiled back at him.
He would have hated that even more.
I felt sorry for Jasper, because Mum was right. Lately, he was being difficult. Why? That I didn’t know.
Chapter Five
The Investigation Begins
I never rang Leif’s front doorbell. We’d been living next door to each other for so long his house was almost an extension of mine. I opened his front door and entered, immediately missing the fact Mister Metaxas wasn’t all over me, begging for tummy scratches.
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I couldn’t see Leif in the loungeroom or the kitchen. “Hey, Leif! Where are you?”
“I’m in the den.”
I went to the back of his house. The den’s curtains were closed, making the room unbelievably dark for this time of day. A single lamp illuminated things enough so I could navigate my way to Leif through the clutter: Leif’s den served as a storeroom for all their junk, too.
He was sitting on the only couch in the room that wasn’t piled high with boxes or other things. He had changed as well, wearing blue jeans and a blue T-shirt to coordinate with it.
Leif was leaning forward, and his hands covered his face. I could see he had been crying, but he straightened himself and wiped his red-rimmed eyes when he must have felt me sit next to him, the leather of the couch creaking.
“You okay?” I asked lamely. Of course, he wasn’t okay. But what else could I say? I placed my arms around his shoulders, pulling him close.
He rested his head on me. With a quiet, measured voice, he replied, “My Mum isn’t home. She phoned to tell me that Aunt Nora isn’t well, and she’s had to drive up to Mildura to see to her. I didn’t tell her about Mister Metaxas being kidnapped; she’s got enough to worry about.”
I knew the drive to Mildura was about six hours via the Calder Freeway. He would be alone for a long time, possibly overnight. Leif was not only a single child, but his dad wasn’t a part of his life either. Something to do with not being able to face the responsibility of raising him or whatever. Lame. So, it was only Leif and his mum—and me and my family for him, too, of course. Minus Jasper, because he was being a jerk lately.
Leif, hugging me in return, continued, “Mum said she won’t be back anytime soon, so I’ve got to sleep over at your house until she returns. She hopes to be back by Friday, but depending on how things go, she couldn’t be sure. She’s told your mum about it and everything’s organised.”
Jeez, a lot had happened between my brother’s foulness, me getting changed, and being here for Leif. “Well, if you can stand Jasper right now, I’d absolutely love you to stay at my place with me for the rest of the week.”
The Fabulous Adventures of Leif & Lyle Page 3
