Outside, the street looks just the same as it did last term but it’s not. It’s different. Then again, maybe it’s not the street that’s changed — it’s my life. I’m the same as always, but everything else about my life is getting too hard and I just don’t know how to sort it out.
Ranga first: he’s my oldest friend and he needs help, but I don’t know what to do. Nothing that I can do would be useful anyway.
James is my friend now too, but he takes up so much of my time that I can’t hang with Ranga as much as I used to. Besides, he can’t do a lot of the stuff Ranga and I like to do, which sucks for him. I can’t do anything about that either. Being friends isn’t something you choose. It just happens.
Then there’s Jess. One after the other, her friends keep telling me that she likes me and she wants to go out with me. I think I like her. I mean, I like it that she likes me, and I think she looks pretty hot but I haven’t really talked to her. If I do ask her out, where am I supposed to take her and what are we supposed to do? I haven’t got much money — any really. I spent most of the money I did have on new skate shoes. Loser!
I want everything to be like it was. Ranga and I think of something fun to do, then we do it and it’s fun. We get busted, but it’s worth it. Simple!
Outside, sunlight is belting down. It’s already glaring off the windows of Dad’s car. The sky is electric blue like summer, except the lawn is green and I know that if I walk outside it will be cold. I love winter days like this, so what am I doing sitting around here? Maybe Ranga’s mum will let him out today. We could ride down the skate park. Yes, today feels like the sort of day where I could finally get some serious air and land one or two of them too.
I should go, but I’m still sitting here, looking out of the window, wondering what it would be like to kiss Jess.
‘Why aren’t you out getting some exercise?’
I nearly have a heart attack.
It’s Mum. She’s standing right behind me. ‘Why aren’t you doing something with Warren or James? Are you feeling sick?’
‘Why should I be feeling sick?’ I ask.
‘Well, let me see,’ says Mum, pretending to think for a while. ‘It’s a sunny Saturday and you’re in the house, sitting still and looking out of the window.’ She puts her hand on my forehead, pretending to take my temperature. ‘Oww!’ she cries, blowing on her fingers.
‘Ha-ha!’ I say as sarcastically as I can. It doesn’t work on her any better than it does on Ranga.
‘Well?’ she says.
‘I don’t think Ranga can come out at the moment,’ I say.
‘What’s he done this time?’ Mum asks.
‘Nothing!’ I say, maybe a bit louder than I need to. ‘What makes you think he’s done something?’
‘Well,’ says Mum, twice as sarcastic as I was, ‘let me see. Perhaps it’s because every other time he’s been grounded, he did something.’
‘Well he didn’t this time,’ I say.
‘So why is he grounded?’
‘He isn’t,’ I say.
‘Then why can’t he play? Is he sick?’
‘No.’ I don’t want to have to tell Mum about the social worker and Ranga’s bruises. It feels like Ranga’s secret. Besides, Mum will find out that I knew something and didn’t tell her, but Mum’s like one of those detectives on television. She always knows if I’m trying to hide something and she gets it out of me in the end. ‘Maybe he can go out,’ I say. ‘I’ll ask him.’
As I head out the front door James yells from his house, ‘Hey Sticks, whatcha doing?’
‘I’m gunna see if Ranga wants to go to the skate park,’ I say.
‘Can I come?’ James asks.
‘Sure,’ I say, ‘but what are you going to do down there?’
‘Just watch.’
Fair enough. I spend half my time watching Ranga do his stuff anyway, trying to figure out how he does it. I wait at the end of James’ driveway while he tells his mum where he’s going and then we head on down to Ranga’s house. James’ chair must be fully charged because it’s a long way to the skate park. We have to go down a big hill and through an underpass and then it’s still a fair way up to the shops and around behind them where the skate park is.
Ranga’s mum opens the door. She looks tired but she gives us this big beaming smile. ‘Hi boys,’ she says. She turns around and yells back into the house. ‘Warren, it’s Ian and James.’
Ranga comes bounding up the passageway. It’s the old Ranga back again. He’s been inside too long and he’s overcharged. Energy is sparking out of him. He’s ready to go — now.