by K. A. Last
“I should never have come out here.”
“Why did you?”
“Daniel wants to punch you. Hard,” I say. “I was going to stop him.”
Levi clenches his jaw. “What did you tell him?
“You mean besides the fact you’re a jerk, dickhead, and an arsehole who ripped my heart out, threw it on the floor, and then stomped on it?”
Levi winces.
“You better get out of here,” Karen says through the screen door. “If Daniel sees you ...”
“I’m not leaving until Katie hears me out,” Levi says.
“You don’t deserve to have her listen to you.” Karen opens the door.
I move up the steps then stop. “Why were you in your car?”
“Why do you care?”
I scoff and shake my head. “I don’t.”
We stare at each other, and the longer we stand there the more the anger boils inside me. My eyes burn, but I don’t feel like I’ll cry. I cried enough tears last night to last me three lifetimes.
“I didn’t want to go in and face Dad. Okay?” Levi says.
“Because you were drunk?”
He drops his gaze and stuffs his hands in his pockets. He’s still wearing his suit pants and once white shirt.
“Dad ... he’s not—”
“I can’t do this right now,” I say. “To be honest, I don’t care what you’re going through. I don’t care if you want to drown your sorrows in a bottle of booze. All I care about is forgetting you even exist. You made me fall in love with you, and now ... we have nothing, Levi. You made me feel like I was nothing but a piece in your stupid game.”
Karen is still holding the screen door open and I grip the handle, pulling it closed as I go inside.
“You’re in love with me?” Levi asks.
I look back at him through the screen. “Not anymore.” Then I slam the wooden door as hard as I can.
“Daniel?” I call out, moving past Karen.
“Kitchen,” he says.
“Can you help me with something?” I sit at the kitchen counter.
He wipes the frypan over with a tea towel and sets it on the bench. “What would this something be?”
“I want to rip the trellis down.”
“You want to what?” Karen asks. “Won’t your parents be pissed?”
“I’m hoping they won’t notice.” I shrug.
“What? You think they’re not going to miss the massive pink and green plant stuck to their house?” She puts her hands on her hips.
“I’m not sure, Katie,” Daniel says. “Karen is right.”
“Then I’ll call Dad.” I run upstairs and grab my phone from my desk before either of them can protest. I’m already talking to Dad before I make it back to the kitchen. “I think we need a change.”
“But you love that bougainvillea,” Dad says.
“Change is as good as a holiday.” I slide onto a stool at the kitchen counter.
“Did something happen with Levi?” Dad asks.
I hesitate and look at Karen, even though she didn’t hear the question. “What makes you think that?”
“Well, last time we pruned it because he was climbing in your window. Now you want it gone ... I’m thinking it might have something to do with you not wanting him to climb in your window.”
“He doesn’t do that anymore. And we pruned it because it scratches the house, remember?”
“Katie,” Dad says in his best fatherly voice. “I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“And you didn’t come down in the last shower either.” I laugh, but it’s bitter.
Dad is silent for a few heartbeats, then he asks, “Are you sure everything is okay?”
I wish people wouldn’t ask that question. No, I’m not sure if everything is okay. I’m not sure about anything. “I’m fine, Dad,” I eventually say.
“All right. If I come home and the bougainvillea isn’t there, I won’t be angry.”
“Great.”
“But I will be angry if something’s happened and you’re not okay.”
“Really, I’m fine. We just ... had a fight. It happens.” I look at Karen and Daniel, and they both shake their heads.
“Boys, huh?” Dad laughs.
“Yeah. Bye, Dad.” I end the call and set my phone on the counter. “Who’s up for some bougainvillea butchering?”
“I guess we’ll need the ladder, and a couple of butchering devices.” Daniel smiles, puts the frypan in the cupboard, and heads for the back door. “I’ll grab some tools and meet you girls out the front.”
Karen looks at me and bursts out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“This is not how I pictured us spending the first day of our break.”
I follow her to the front door. “We don’t exactly get a break. Remember those things called exams?”
“Yeah, whatever. You already made dux. Don’t sweat it.” Karen opens the door. “And we have your birthday to celebrate next week as well.”
I groan. “You know I hate doing stuff for my birthday. And this year is worse because it’s right before exams.”
“You’re turning eighteen! I’m making you do something.”
I close the door, and we walk down the steps and around to the side of the house. Daniel is there and has set up a ladder. He’s also laid two pairs of pruning shears and a garden saw on the ground.
“Looks like hard work.” I pick up the garden saw.
“This was your idea.” Daniel grabs a pair of shears and walks up the ladder a few steps. “Not mine.”
“Daniel, tell her she has to do something for her eighteenth.” Karen stands with one hand on her hip, looking up at my brother and shading her eyes with her other hand.
“Katie hates parties,” Daniel says. He leans over and snips a branch off near the top of the bougainvillea.
I nod. “He’s right. I do.”
Karen sighs. “Fine. But we’re going to talk about this later.” She picks up the other pair of garden shears.
The three of us set to work, cutting and sawing at the branches of the bougainvillea. Some of them have really entwined themselves into the lattice, and it’s hard work cutting them loose.
“Maybe we need the chainsaw,” Daniel says.
Karen laughs. “Do you even know how to use one?”
“If it’s too hard just cut all the branches that have flowers,” I say.
“But there’s so much pink.” Karen snips another branch then stands back and stares at the pile we’ve made on the ground.
Daniel steps down a rung on the ladder. “Pass me the saw, Katie.”
I hand it up to him and take the shears, attacking a lower branch while Daniel works on a higher one.
The lattice is attached to the house from around a metre off the ground. There are two panels side by side that reach up to the second storey, but it’s the one on the right that gives access to the small section of roof outside my bedroom window. The main trunk of the plant grows up in front of the left panel, so I concentrate on untangling the limbs and leaves from the right one.
“Maybe we only have to cut half of it down,” I say. “I want to get the right lattice panel off the wall.”
“Are you making this up as you go along?” Daniel asks.
“Pretty much.” I smile at him. “I don’t want Levi climbing up to my room ... ever again.”
“That’s nice to know,” Levi says.
I spin around.
He’s standing on his driveway, glaring at me.
Anger rises into my chest. Is he mad at me?
Daniel climbs down the ladder. “Get lost, Levi.”
“I’d listen to him if I were you,” Karen says. “He has a potential murder weapon in his hand.”
“You’re cutting down the bougainvillea?” Levi ignores Daniel and Karen.
I take a step towards Levi and adjust my grip on the garden shears. “Yes, we’re cutting it down.”
“Why? If you don�
��t want me to climb it, I won’t.”
“You say when you’re sober.” I glare at him.
He folds his arms over his chest, and looks at the pile of cut branches on the ground then back at me. “Katie, can we please talk?”
“Oh, did you hear that?” Karen says. “He said please.”
I shake my head. “No. I told you I don’t want to talk to you.”
Levi laughs, and I grit my teeth.
“Why are you laughing?” Karen asks. “Nothing about this is funny.”
Levi rubs his face, and has one last chuckle into his hand before stopping. “It kinda is.” He turns his stare on me again. “Katie, I’m trying to apologise, and I at least deserve to be able to give you an explanation.”
I take a deep breath and say, “No. What you deserve is to be treated the same way you’ve treated me. You ruined everything, and I will never forgive you.”
“Cutting down the bougainvillea won’t change anything,” Levi says.
I clench my fingers around the handle of the garden shears. “And you think telling me you’re sorry will? Sorry won’t fix anything.”
Second Chance
MUM AND DAD DIDN’T say much about the bougainvillea. After Mum saw it, she gave me one of those ‘I understand’ kinds of looks. The ones only mums know how to give.
For the past few days I’ve thrown myself into study. It’s the first week of the break, and if I was in any other year at school, I’d be off having fun with my friends and doing whatever. Just chilling out. But I have HSC exams starting the second week of term four, so even though I’ve officially finished school classes for like forever, I haven’t finished school.
But, as much as I want to study today, and hide in my room away from the world, Karen won’t let me.
She’s taking me out for my birthday.
Yay.
I have never liked celebrating my birthday. Not because I’m a party pooper or anything, but because I don’t see the point. We never had enough money for Daniel and me to receive presents that we didn’t need or that weren’t practical, so it took the fun out of it. Now, if Mum and Dad spend money on me it makes me feel guilty, not happy.
Okay, maybe I am a party pooper.
“We’re hitting the shops,” Karen says from the other end of the phone. “I have a surprise for you, and then I’m taking you out for hot chocolate.”
“Great,” I say. “I love surprises.” Not.
“I’m picking you up in fifteen minutes, so be ready.” Karen hangs up.
I stare at my screen. A surprise? This can’t be good.
It’s warm today, so I change into my favourite denim skirt and a pale blue singlet top with wide straps. I slip my feet into a pair of sandals, grab my phone and tote bag, and head downstairs, dumping my stuff at the front door.
“Happy birthday,” Mum says when I come into the kitchen. There’s a small present sitting on the bench.
Mum is busy making coffee and breakfast. I give her a kiss, grateful that she’s going about her morning routine, and not making a fuss.
“Happy birthday, kiddo.” Daniel kisses me on the cheek on his way through from the lounge.
“Neither of you working today?” I ask.
“I took the day off.” Mum flicks the kettle on. “Thought I’d make your favourite breakfast for you.”
“Toast and tea?” I raise my eyebrows. “I can do that.”
“Nonsense. I’ve got this.” Mum smiles and puts two pieces of bread in the toaster. I laugh, and her smile is infectious.
“I’m not rostered on today,” Daniel says. “Open your present.”
“Are you scheming with Karen? She said she has a surprise for me.” I slide onto one of the stools at the kitchen bench and pick up the small box.
“She may know what’s going on.” Daniel laughs. “You’ll love it.”
“God help me,” I mumble.
“This is the first part.” My brother sits on the stool beside me, pointing to the box in my hand. “Open it.”
I take a deep breath and turn the small present over in my hands a few times. It’s wrapped in pretty purple paper with a white ribbon. I have no idea what’s inside.
“Dad left early?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“He looked in on you but you were sound asleep,” Mum says. “He didn’t want to wake you.”
“I shouldn’t open this until he gets home,” I say.
“He won’t mind,” Daniel says. “Open the present!”
I raise my eyebrows but don’t say anything else. I pull the end of the ribbon to undo the bow. Daniel leans on the bench, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. I take extra care not to rip the paper as I peel the sticky tape off, knowing that it’s driving my brother crazy. Still, he doesn’t say anything. But he leans closer when I remove the paper.
Underneath is a purple box with a lid. I take the lid off and there’s white tissue paper inside.
“Oh, come on, you’re killing me,” Daniel says. “Hurry up.”
I laugh, and take the tissue paper out. Something metal falls onto the bench.
It’s a key.
And I’m pretty sure it’s the kind that starts a car.
I pick the key up and stare at the Toyota logo imprinted on the bow, running my thumb over it. The button that opens the locks hangs off a small keychain loop.
“Did you buy me a car?”
Daniel laughs. “You’ll have to go and see.”
“But ... we can’t afford for you to buy me a car.” I look at Mum.
“It’s okay, sweetie. We haven’t bought you a car,” she says.
Now I laugh. “Damn.” But I smile as well. I look at the key again. “Is this your car key, Mum?”
She grins.
“Would you just ...” Daniel shoves his fingers into his hair. “Go and look in the car!”
I get off the stool and go out the front door to the driveway. Mum’s Toyota Camry is parked where it always is. The car doesn’t look any different, and I wonder what on Earth my family has in store for me. I lean down and peer through the front driver’s side window. There’s another package on the front seat.
“Seriously, do you need help unlocking the car?” Daniel asks.
Mum laughs behind me.
A horn blares before I can answer, and I straighten to see Karen pulling up to the kerb. She turns her mum’s car off and jumps out.
“Did you open it?” Karen asks. “Has she opened it?” She looks to Daniel and Mum.
“She’s taking her sweet time,” Daniel says.
I poke my tongue out at him and press the button on the keyring. The door locks pop up. Daniel grabs the handle and pulls the door open. He looks more excited than I feel. Right now, I’m just confused.
Daniel pushes me into the car and I swipe the parcel off the front seat before sitting on it. The package isn’t very big, about the size of a DL envelope, wrapped in the same pretty paper as the box. Daniel leans on the open car door while Mum and Karen peer at me through the window.
“Hurry up,” Karen says. “This is torture!”
I smirk then unwrap the parcel, quickly this time. There’s a card and an envelope. When I open the card I see straight away it’s from Mum, Dad, and Daniel. Karen’s eyes are wide and she’s waving her hands around.
“Dear Katie,” I read. “We can’t believe our little girl is all grown up ...” Mum smiles when I glance at her. “You’ve worked so hard to get this far, and we wanted to reward you with something you’ll hopefully never forget. Your surprise is in the envelope. We hope you love it.”
I put the card on my lap and pick up the envelope, turning it over so I can tear it open. I pull out the contents. There’s a folded piece of A4 paper, and another envelope that has Love Daniel written on the front. I rip it open and find one hundred and fifty dollars inside.
“It’s not much,” Daniel says. “But I saved it so you could have some spending money.”
My mouth hangs open. “Spend
ing money? For what?”
“Unfold the paper,” Mum says, grinning.
I slip the money back into the smaller envelope and open the piece of paper. Printed on it are reservation details for two people at a hotel in Surfers Paradise. Seven nights in an ocean-view room, breakfast included. Written at the bottom in my father’s sprawling handwriting are the words, Love Mum and Dad.
“Two weeks after exams, we’re going on a road trip,” Karen squeals.
I stare at the paper and my smile falters. How can they afford this? Staying anywhere on the Gold Coast during schoolies week isn’t cheap. I fold the paper again and put everything back into the envelope, then get out of the car. Daniel steps back and I close the door.
“Before you say anything,” Mum says, “don’t worry about the cost. You work so hard, Katie. Your father and I want you to have this. Okay?”
I force a smile. “Sure, Mum. It’s going to be great.”
“I haven’t given you my present yet,” Karen says, handing me a small package.
I lean against Mum’s car and open the card taped to the top of the carefully wrapped present, also in purple paper. It’s from Karen and her parents. When I rip the paper off, I find a fuel card, a pen, and a beautiful leather-covered journal.
“Mum and Dad are paying for our fuel. We can take Mum’s car,” Karen says. “And I know you love to write in your journal, so I figured you’d want a special one for this trip.”
“This is all really ... great,” I say.
“Well, don’t get too excited.” Daniel frowns.
“I’m sorry. I am. I just ...”
Mum gives me a big hug. “I know, honey. But all I want you to focus on is having an amazing time.”
I bury my face in her hair and nod.
A door opens and Mum pulls away. I look over to Levi’s place where he’s coming down the front steps of his veranda. He stops on the path and our gazes meet. I do not want to see him today.
He presses his lips together. “Happy birthday, Katie.”
I push off the car and don’t reply, heading straight for my front door and not looking at him.
“Sorry, Levi,” I hear Mum say. “I didn’t raise her to be so rude.”
Seconds later Mum, Daniel, and Karen are all in the foyer with me.
