11

CHOCOHOLIC

SOMEWHERE IN BRISBANE

The coach of the Brisbane Broncos, Wayne Bennett, is sitting in his recliner with his white fluffy slippers on, sipping a cup of tea and watching the evening news. Suddenly he lunges for the remote control to turn the volume up and spills his drink. A television reporter is on location outside Flatwater State School, explaining that children all over Queensland, New South Wales and as far away as New Zealand are arguing and fighting. Some kids are even refusing to go to school. Mr Barwick appears on the screen, heading for the school car park.

The reporter spots him and rushes over. ‘As a teacher, what effect has the loss of Deadly D had on your students?’ she asks.

Mr Barwick pats his hair down and fixes his moustache, trying to make himself look good. ‘They all love Deadly D. He’s their hero. Mine too. But I’ve never seen such bad behaviour in my life,’ he says loudly into the microphone.

The reporter turns back to the camera but Mr Barwick taps her on the shoulder and asks if he’ll be on the telly. She ignores him.

The news report cuts to footage of kids protesting outside their schools and holding up placards — ‘Come back, Deadly D’, ‘No Deadly D? No class for me!’ There is a shot of people gathered outside the Broncos Leagues Club. They are all wearing Broncos jerseys and holding candles for Deadly D.

Coach Bennett is in such a state that he does what he always does when he’s excited. He grabs a block of chocolate from under his recliner and bites off large chunks. He always has chocolate hidden around his house, just in case of an emergency. In the bathroom, he keeps it under the hand towels in the third drawer. In the garage, he hides it inside his golf bag. In the laundry, Coach Bennett keeps a few bars behind the fabric softener. But right now, he’s pacing up and down the lounge room on the phone.

‘Good evening, Coach Bennett,’ says the voice at the other end.

‘Chloe, are you watching the news?’ Coach Bennett babbles through a mouth full of chocolate.

‘I am. They say it’ll be sunny and warm tomorrow.’

‘No, I mean did you see the report about Deadly D?’

‘Yes, I did,’ says Chloe. ‘I didn’t realise he meant so much to so many people.’

‘Me neither,’ says Coach Bennett, taking another bite. ‘But I’ll tell you one thing. We need to get him back — fast.’ He wipes chocolate crumbs off the mouthpiece of the phone.

‘What would you like me to do, Coach?’ asks Chloe.

‘Call that Justice Jones kid and set up a meeting with him and me.’

‘Yes, Coach. Anything else?’

‘And tell Cadbury I’m running low. Ask them to send me another box. No, make that three boxes.’ Coach Bennett hangs up and walks over to his computer. ‘C’mon, Mr Google Machine, tell me everything you can about Deadly D,’ he says, staring at the screen.