‘I’ve got something to tell you, but I’m still grounded,’ Skye says on the phone. ‘Can you come over?’ Adam’s stomach drops to the floor. He should’ve known that condom was past its use-by date. But surely it’s too early to tell? It’s only been a week... His pulse quickens.
‘Skye, if you’re pregnant, please just tell me,’ he says.
‘No, silly! Just come over.’ Adam’s pulse drops back into double digits. Thank God!
At the flat, Skye pulls him inside, closing the door quickly behind them.
‘Did Mrs Cowens see you come up?’ she says, worried. ‘I don’t want her ratting us out. Aroha didn’t actually say I couldn’t have anyone over, but technically...’ Adam pulls her into a hug.
‘Hey, I’ve missed you, too.’ It’s true. Ever since that day at the track, every hour he’s away from Skye feels like a century. After a week without her, he feels like a carded test player, five minutes to play and the scores even. Skye melts perfectly into his embrace, her apple-scented hair tickling his nose.
‘So, did she see you?’ Skye asks again, her breath on his neck.
‘She didn’t have to see me. I parked the Mazda out front. She has to know it’s mine by now.’
Skye pulls away. ‘Oh shoot! I forgot about that.’
‘But I don’t think she’ll say anything,’ Adam adds quickly. ‘Don’t forget, she’s the one who signed your passport photo—effectively makes her an accomplice.’
Skye brightens. ‘Good point!’ she says. They make their way into the lounge and sit side-by-side on the sofa.
‘So Aroha’s still pretty mad, huh?’ Adam says, giving her a nudge.
Skye props her feet up on the coffee table and picks at some fluff on the leg of her jeans. ‘Not really. Not since that big barny that first night. I think she was more frightened than anything else. She knows she can trust me, really. She just doesn’t want me to make the same mistakes she did. We’ve had some serious heart-to-hearts over the past week. About my dad, and about you.’
‘About me?’
‘She said you came to see her at work.’
‘Oh, that.’
‘Well, what did she say?’ Skye says, walking her fingers up the sleeve of his shirt.
Adam lifts his chin haughtily. ‘She said you’re crazy about me.’
‘Ha!’ Skye cuffs him with a cushion.
‘Ow! Get off.’ It doesn’t take Adam long to gain the upper hand, wrestling Skye down on the sofa, her arms pinned above her head. ‘Okay, cough up. What did you tell her about me?’
Skye stops fighting, her green eyes open wide. ‘I told her you cared enough about me to spend all your savings on our trip and, because of that, you might not be able to go to university.’ Adam lets her go. He sits up.
‘Don’t worry about it. Dad and I worked out a deal. I promised to be nice to Marilyn and work my arse off at the yard all summer and in return he’s going to stump up with my fees.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, he’s not so bad.’ And neither is Marilyn, although it would take an army to force that admission out of Adam.
‘Hey, that reminds me. Hang on a sec.’ Skye ducks into her room and comes out flapping a sheaf of photocopied pages. ‘Look here. I didn’t see this before. I can apply for an undergraduate scholarship to study at Massey. It turns out I’m eligible for quite a few. I’ve been filling out the forms this week while I’ve been at home. And you know all the extra time Aroha’s been putting in at the store? Her boss has asked her to apply for a promotion. If she gets it, Aroha thinks she’ll be able to help me out, too.’ She beams.
‘Skye, that’s great!’
She wraps her arms around herself. ‘I know. I’m happy. I really want to go to university. I want the chance Aroha didn’t have. I want to make something of my life.’
They’re quiet for a moment, and it occurs to Adam that they’re not so different.
‘Are you sorry we went looking for Whitworth?’
Skye fans herself with the scholarship papers. ‘Nah, not really. I’m sorry he turned out to be a dork, but at least I’ve met him, so now I don’t have any silly illusions.’
Adam jumps when the doorbell rings. Adam panics for a second, then realises that Aroha would have her own key.
‘It’ll be Corey and Kieran. I asked them to come over.’ Skye scoots off to open the door.
Adam follows her as far as the kitchen. He perches himself on the same stool he did the day Skye practically mummified him. Seems like ages ago. There’s a new apple fundraising grid stuck to the fridge. Alongside it, the old one has two remaining spaces.
Emerging from the hall first, Kieran smirks. ‘What’s up, lover boy?’ He gives Adam a playful punch on the shoulder.
But Adam doesn’t get to answer because the minute she’s in the room, Skye rounds on Kieran. ‘Right, Kieran Clarke. What do you have to say for yourself?’ she says, hands on her hips.
‘About what?’
‘About what? About the fact you told Pūriri that Adam and I were in Australia.’
‘I...’
‘Don’t try and deny it!’ She throws Kieran a look that is pure Hermione Granger. ‘The only people who knew about it were you and Donna, and she swears she didn’t tell anyone. Because of you, I’ve been grounded for half the holidays. Aroha’s making me show her my study timetable every day. I’m going out of my tree here!’
‘Come on, Skye,’ Corey intervenes. ‘Kieran couldn’t very well say nothing. It was the police asking.’
Skye throws her hands up. ‘Well, couldn’t he have exercised his right to remain silent?’
‘It was the police!’ Kieran protests. ‘I thought they might have found Adam’s mum.’
‘Skye, we can’t blame Kieran. Pūriri can be pretty sharp,’ Adam says.
‘And Kieran here can be pretty dense,’ says Corey.
‘I know,’ Skye sighs. ‘It’s just—I’ve never been grounded before. I hate being stuck at home. It’s not fair. Especially when Adam got off scot free.’
‘Not scot free,’ Kieran says, casually picking an apple out of the fruit basket. ‘He’s out of the squad for the summer track meet.’
‘You’re kidding!’ Adam splutters.
Kieran tests the weight of the apple, then throws it in the air, catching it like a cricket catcher. ‘Nope. You know that guy you brought along to practice?
‘Simon?’
‘Yeah. Simon. Turns out with a bit of practice he’s a fast little bugger. Faster than Jared. Probably even faster than you. Reece put him on the squad.’
‘I’m not worried. There’ll be a place left.’
‘Aah, Adam, remember what the Bulldog said: no boot camp, no track meet, no exceptions.’
‘But...’
‘Forget it. You’re out, man.’
Adam’s surprised to find he doesn’t mind. He’s pleased for Simon. And at least now he doesn’t have to feel guilty about the times he cheated, ticking off Reece’s boxes without actually doing the training. Adam grins. Suddenly, it feels like things might be going back to normal, like people won’t always be tip-toeing around him because his mother’s gone missing.
Shaking himself from his daydream, Adam realises his friends are talking about something else.
‘But I haven’t got a computer,’ Skye says.
‘Well, then, let’s send Kieran out for pizza and a movie. Make up for his delinquencies.’
‘Good idea,’ Skye chimes in.
Kieran groans. ‘Aw, come on. I don’t even like pepperoni.’