The only positive about not sleeping was that I was already awake when the alarm went off for milking. Accepting the challenge was a given. It was exactly the sort of thing Harper would do. At least it was getting easier, even if I wasn’t leading the tally.
No surprises that Sophie was coming first. And I consoled myself with the fact that she probably would have taken that spot even if Harper had been here. Grace was second, but it was very close. Chaz came next, tied with Trent. Then me. What surprised me was that I was beating Skye—not by much, but enough to make a difference. The comedy duo trailed after Skye, again not by much. Except for Sophie—and maybe Grace—it was still anybody’s game to reach third.
That morning, I milked like a machine and managed to nudge my tally up by a quarter of a litre past Chaz. Trent had also overtaken Chaz though, so now I was fourth. Win? Harro was close to overtaking Skye.
It was hard work, and afterwards, bumping against Chaz in the truck heading back up to home base, I felt the lack of sleep start to catch up with me. I was tired, it was cosy; almost enough to put me back to sleep. That was ironic when it had been Chaz who’d been the main cause of my lack of sleep. There’d been questions in his eyes when I first saw him that morning, but I smiled and squeezed his hand, relieved when his eyes cleared and he smiled back.
My weariness was real, but deep down I knew I was using it as a way to hide from the fact that it was time to come clean with him. Time to tell him the truth.
But it’s amazing how the best laid plans can be so easily overturned. Even easier when you’re terrified of what might happen when you actually put those plans into place.
It happened at breakfast. Chaz had just settled on a chair next to me when Steve called for our attention. His words offered me some breathing space. ‘We’re switching the itinerary around a bit today. We usually give you guys a day off during the course, and that was planned for tomorrow. But there’s some markets or something going on in town and we thought that might be a bit of fun for you.’
My heart clutched. A day of fun away from Winmaroo? A day to be Heidi? My earlier resolution to come clean rocked precariously, ready to topple. Surely I could just have a day of fun? Just one more day?
‘The bus’ll be up here in ten.’ Kelly took over from Steve, who stepped back, leaning his weight, as he always did, on one leg, fingers hooked into the pockets of his jeans. ‘Grab your swimmers, a towel, your sunscreen and whatever else you’ll need. We’re headed into town!’
‘Dosh?’ Grace called.
‘You’ll need money for anything extra you might want to buy, but food and any entry fees we’ll take care of. Okay? Move!’
Honestly, we were like primary school kids on an excursion! And I felt like I’d been handed a get-out-of-jail-free card. For this one day I could just be myself, stop trying to pretend to be my amazing sister. I felt a huge weight slide off me, immediately replaced by a lightness that bubbled so intensely inside me that I thought I’d be able to fly back to the bus.
By now it was a no-brainer that Chaz would sit next to me on the bus. And no less of a surprise when Vee and the comedy duo squeezed into the long back seat. Grace joined them and I knew they’d have a ball together.
Sophie plonked herself in the middle of a double seat, making it obvious she wasn’t sharing. That just left Trent and Skye, and I was secretly pleased when they sat together—anything to distract Trent was a good thing. Though once again I noticed Skye shooting little looks in my direction, and I wondered if I was the topic of conversation. It wasn’t the first time I’d wondered if Skye was using Trent to get intel about me. Or at least about Harper . . . Why? Because she was jealous? Jealous of me with Chaz.
I didn’t want to let anything spoil today, but that thought lingered. Jealousy can make people do horrible things. Would Skye really do anything? And if so, how far would she go?
The heaviness I’d barred from today started to creep back, but then Chaz’s hand crept into mine and squeezed, and I resolved that I couldn’t let anything ruin today. Yep, the Skye thing was a biggie, but that was something to worry about another day.
Before that there was fun to be had, and I intended to have it. First stop wasn’t town, but this cool spot . . . um, maybe hot spot, called Burning Mountain. Oh my God, it was so freaky! Smoke and fumes were actually coming up through cracks in the ground, like little chimneys in the mountain.
‘Thermal activity, I get that. But five thousand years old? Are you kidding me?’
Kelly nodded at me, and everyone else looked equally impressed by this little side trip but I also had a sense that everyone was really hankering for some town life.
After the tension last night over the lost items there was a different mood in the group today, more cruisy. Like they’d put it all behind them—for today at least. Just as I had. Even Grace was up for some fun. Maybe because Steve had promised to look into the iPad thing for her.
Everyone was really relaxed and it felt great. And also very hot. Man, it was working up to be another record breaker. So Kelly cut short our sightseeing and we headed into town for a swim at Scone Pool.
Usually I wasn’t a pool gal, preferring seawater and the challenge of the ocean, but when we got inside the pool area and the smell of chlorine hit me and I saw the blue, blue water sparkle and ripple, calling to me with such enthusiasm, I almost jumped in fully clothed. As soon as my body sliced through that water, I was in heaven—not even worrying about what the chlorine was doing to my brand-new bikini. The pool was the perfect place to be on a day like this. We were all acting more like ten-year-olds who’d never seen water than fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds. Once everybody had cooled down, the games were on: team races, Marco Polo, tag . . .
Of course, when you have a group of boys all trying to out-macho each other, there was the inevitable shoulder wrestle. Soph was doing laps. Grace opted out too—and leaned against the side of the pool chatting to Kelly. I was up for it, though. I was on Chaz’s shoulders, and we took out Zac and Vee pretty quickly. When we got to Skye and Trent it was like they were playing for Australia. I was ready to concede defeat about three seconds after we started, when Skye’s giggles turned to grunts and the determined gleam in her eyes started to scare me. Winning wasn’t worth the injuries I’d probably receive to claim the prize, so I dived to the side. Pity, because having a legitimate reason to hang off Chaz was very nice. But it was just as nice when he slipped an arm around my waist and we just bobbed around in the water together. And when I found the worries creeping in about what could lie ahead, I mentally smacked them away. Not today, I told myself.
After a couple of hours in the water, Chaz and I finally swam to the side and climbed out. As usual, we were the last to straggle out, and when we flopped down on the grass beside the others, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.
Kelly organised lunch, and I dragged myself to a sitting position to wolf it down.
‘Such a cool day,’ Zac said through a mouthful of bread roll and hot chips.
‘I know!’ I agreed. ‘And holy speed freak, Batman, did you guys see Sophie in that pool?’ Turning to her, I high-fived. ‘You powered through the water, girl. Go you!’
As I was speaking, Trent lifted his head, staring at me in a very weird, intense way. I frowned back at him. ‘What? Have I got tomato sauce on my face or what?’
He shook his head as though clearing away invisible cobwebs. ‘Hell, Harper, what’s with the Batman stuff? Isn’t it your sister who’s always quoting Batman?’
I swallowed, my heart suddenly thundering, and rolled my eyes at him to cover my blunder. ‘I’m just channelling her. Besides, we both watch Batman movies—it’s a thing we do with Dad. I guess it has to sink in.’ Still trying to cover my blunder, I looked across at Chaz and grinned. ‘Better than having tomato sauce on my face though, right?’
Trent held up his hands as though defeated. ‘I’m just saying I’ve never heard you say that before.’
But now I was getting ticked off. ‘There’s heaps of things you’ve never heard me say, Trent,’ I snapped. ‘Doesn’t mean I don’t say them.’
Everybody was quiet after I’d spoken. The good mood was disintegrating fast and I was responsible. Damn Trent! ‘Hey—who’s got a game?’ I said.
There were a few listless shrugs from the others. Fortunately, the comedy duo came to the rescue. ‘We should have a sauce challenge!’ Harro said, sitting up suddenly. ‘Remember that rad night we had in Maitland, Zac? We had to line up for shots of sauce? Oh man, I was so sick, but it was the best fun! Who’s up for it?’
The very thought of sauce shots turned my stomach, but I could have kissed Harro for distracting everyone. I sat for a moment, willing my heart to slow down and let their excited chatter wash over me. Then, thinking it might be a good time to check out the town—and put some space between me and Trent—I stood up and started pulling my shorts and cami on over my bikini.
Still lazing on the grass, Grace called out, a bit belatedly, ‘What about this . . . So, if you were in an accident or got mauled by a wild animal and your face was gone, how would your family identify your dead body?’
It was gory and yuck, but everyone weighed in.
‘Teeth,’ someone suggested.
‘Nah,’ Grace replied. ‘Teeth gone too.’
‘I’d be identified by the size of my—toes.’ Everyone burst out laughing. ‘No,’ Zac said, holding up one monkey-toed foot for inspection. ‘Fair dinkum, they’re spectacular.’
Harro waved his arm, pointing to a mole on his shoulder. ‘Tatts and scars. Birthmarks.’
‘Then I’m doomed for the Jane Doe pile,’ I shot in, pulling on my shorts. ‘Got none of the above.’
I’d almost dragged up my shorts when Trent looked across at me. ‘I thought you had some scar on your stomach?’
OMG. Harper’s appendix scar. How did he know this stuff?
‘What? How . . . ?’ Flustered, I almost lost my balance, and dropped my shorts back down to my ankles as I tried not to fall over. I crouched down to grab them, my mind racing at warp speed. It was only a couple of months back: Harper’s appendix had almost burst and we only just got her to hospital in time. But how did he know?
‘Geez, Trent,’ I managed. ‘You been stalking me or something?’
When everybody sniggered, I knew I’d asked the wrong question. His face started to glow red, and it had nothing to do with the sun.
‘Freaking hell, Harper. You were showing it off at the end-of-year class party. At the pool, remember? And you might also remember that we were paired up to give a class presentation right when you went to hospital. It was a major assessment and I had to present it myself. Nice of you to forget.’
Oh, shoot . . . Thanks, Harper. He had me. And I couldn’t stand up. To straighten would mean exposing my smooth, scar-free right side. Silently I was screeching for help, and it came. From a completely random source. Pale legs, muscled from sport, suddenly stepped between Trent and me. It was the momentary screen I needed.
‘Oops, sorry,’ said Grace, reaching forward. ‘Just got to get my bag.’
I scurried to pull up my shorts, cursing that they were low cut, and quickly pulled the cami down over the offending area. When Grace stepped away, I faced Trent, trying to breathe normally. ‘Yeah,’ I puffed, ‘but it won’t be much good in identifying me, because I got this great cream. Helped heaps. Like magic. Pretty much gone.’ So lame.
He just stared at me for a moment, confusion shooting at me from every pore. Had I convinced him? I didn’t know, I could only hope. Eventually he shrugged and turned away, and when Chaz suggested a walk up the main street, I was there. Anything to get away from watchful eyes. I was pretty sure Trent was seriously suspicious now. I was on very shaky ground, and I knew I would have to watch every single word and move from now on.
The main street of Scone was really cool—and so different to the city. Lots of parked cars but hardly any traffic, and the street was so wide it was like you’d need a passport just to cross the road. Shops lined either side of the road, flowers everywhere. Hanging from baskets, corner gardens at crossings. I’d always thought of myself as a city-slash-coast girl, but this was a nice timeout. Slow and easy and just—nice.
We walked, and yes, Chaz held my hand. After the weirdness of earlier it was so good to feel like someone had my back.
The market stalls were set up in a little park near the tourist information centre. Lots of craft and fabulous fresh fruit and veggie stands. I bought a couple of peaches and tossed one to Chaz. We found some interesting shops. And holy horses, Batman! If you’d somehow forgotten you were in the Horse Capital of Australia, you only had to look in any shop window to be reminded. If there was a way to whack a horse’s head on something, they’d done it. There were even horse-head undies. Too funny—and very cool.
In the bookshop I saw a stand of gorgeous little moulded farm animals, and I found the cutest little horse to buy for Harper—one that looked just like Poppy, of course. The bookshop itself was amazing. Books are my next love after surfing, and I drooled over every latest release, wishing I had more money to spend. Three times I picked up a murder mystery by one of my fave authors, but in the end I just couldn’t justify it: I didn’t have loads of cash to throw around and I would need money to get home at the end of the course. That’s if I lasted that long.
When Vee, Grace and the boys came in, I rushed to show them the stand of animals. Of course they all went for the horses—that was what rocked their boats, after all.
When we’d finished in the shops, we all found our way to a Macca’s at the north edge of town where we snagged some snacks and chilled for a while out of the heat. It was a bit of a walk but we didn’t have anything else to do—for a change. After that we headed back to Elizabeth Park, where we all took photos of the famous mare and foal statue. The photo shoot reminded me that I didn’t have any of Chaz, and I snapped a few on my phone when he wasn’t looking. Afterwards I held the phone close to my heart for a second, knowing that soon that would be all I’d have of him.
It was getting dark and an outdoor movie was scheduled to begin soon so we settled down to wait for it to start. While we waited, lying back on the rugs Kelly had brought out, we munched on junk food. Popcorn was tossed about, and Chaz and I shared an ice-cream. And trust me, before this trip I would have puked at the thought of licking ice-cream another person had licked—that’s how deeply I had fallen. The park filled up as night-time moved in. And so did Chaz, first to lick a blob of ice-cream off my nose and then to place the lightest feathery kiss on my eyelids. Above us, the black velvet sky was once again studded with diamonds, and a soft breeze played around the waiting crowd. Perfect.
The movie started—I heard the music. And I felt Chaz’s hand in mine, and the warmth of his body next to me. But I have no idea what the movie was about or who was in it. I was in my own world. A world where I was Heidi and she was the one Chaz liked. A world where there were no lies and I didn’t have to spend every day afraid of being caught out. A world where Chaz and I spent our days riding horses and riding waves. And the nights were magical, like this one.
Yep, perfect.
Back on the bus after the movie, Vee got my mobile number and very soon afterwards my phone started pinging with a series of messages. Taking a peek, I saw they weren’t from Harper but from Vee. A whole series of sneaky pics of Chaz and me, heartbreakingly gorgeous shots that I would keep forever—especially the one where he was kissing my eyelids.
That’s when the tears started. I quickly brushed them away so Chaz wouldn’t notice, and tucked my head into his side. He took the phone I offered and had a look. His smile was crazy good. ‘Can you send me these?’ he whispered.
That would be a yes! And that would also be one heart overflowing with happiness.
It lasted until we were back in our bunkhouse and I was floating towards the bathroom. For a while I’d locked all my worries in a big invisible box and just enjoyed the moment—just like I’d planned. And then Sophie uttered one sentence and the bubble burst, and reality set in once more.
‘Has anyone seen my wallet? It’s orange. This is crazy . . . I had it when we got on the bus to come home, but it’s not in my bag now.’
I think it was the longest sentence she’d spoken since we’d arrived. And it was a doozy. Everyone stopped dead, and then turned slowly to look at each other. Surely not. Surely not something else missing?
We tipped the room upside down—well, as much as we could. We checked every corner, every bed and in the bathroom. We even called Kelly to ask her to check the bus. But it wasn’t anywhere.
And instead of going to bed that night in a nice floaty haze, I went to bed feeling sick. Was one of us a thief?
No, that was crazy! Wasn’t it?
Not that it affected what I had to do the next day. I’d put it off long enough. Chaz had to know the truth before he found out some other way. And that meant telling Steve.