Part 15 (1/2)

She caught it and smiled. *Ruby! Nice work.' Her face collapsed into a frown. *Except for the receipt sticking out of your pocket.'

*I paid for the one you're holding.' I pulled the stolen lip-gloss from between my shorts and knickers. *But I stole this one.'

*That's ten bucks, Sas,' said Khaden, holding out his open hand, palm up.

*Pay you next week.'

The pavement buckled under me.

*Did you have bet on whether I'd do it or not?'

They glanced at each other.

*When did I become such a joke to you two?' I yelled.

*Hey, Ruby,' said Khaden, his eyes wide, *don't be like that.'

*How should I be? One minute you're normal and the next it's like you hate me. Like you don't want me around.'

Sas scoffed. *Paranoid.'

*Paranoid?' My voice was screechy. *You're always picking on me, laughing at me or blaming me for stuff, like Grace being hurt. How was that even my fault?'

Sas folded her arms, her eyes like steel. *You know what, Ruby, if you want to act like an idiot, fine, but I have stuff to do.'

*Whatever Sas.' I turned towards the tram stop.

*Hey, Ruby.' Khaden reached for my arm. *We were just mucking around. We didn't mean anything...'

*Yeah,' I said, shrugging off his hand. *Gotta go.'

On the packed tram, I sat on a backwards-facing seat beside an old granny who clutched her bag to her chest and hummed. As we lurched away from the junction, I kept watching the laneway, just in case Sas and Khaden came after me. But they didn't.

Khaden Khaden had to trot to keep up with Sas. Every few steps, he looked over his shoulder, hoping Ruby would run after them. What had happened, sucked.

Sas took a sharp left turn and stopped at the traffic lights. She poked the b.u.t.ton, her right leg jiggling.

Khaden placed his fingers on the arms of his sungla.s.ses.

*Hey.'

When Sas turned to look at him, he stuck out his tongue and wiggled the gla.s.ses, making them jump up down on his nose.

At first Sas frowned, then she laughed. *Idiot.'

The lights changed. As Sas and Khaden crossed the street, Khaden's hand brushed against Sas's. He linked his finger around hers and felt the tension ease out of her.

*Feel like a shake?' he asked when they neared a cafe.

*Sure.'

They ordered and sat at the window seat.

Khaden stirred his drink with the straw and watched Sas sip her vanilla milkshake. She flicked her hair back from her shoulder and sunlight sparkled on her nose stud. All the words he'd been piecing together jumbled.

Sas looked over her milkshake at him. *You going to drink that?'

*Yeah, just thinking.'

*What about?'

Khaden took a deep breath. *Ruby.'

Sas's shoulders slumped. *Khade...'

*What's going on with you two?'

*I don't know.' She leaned back in her seat and the words flowed from her in a rush. *Ruby always thinks she has it worse than anyone else. She complains all the time, about everything, but what has she got to complain about? Her life is dead easy. And what's the deal with her being so scared all the time?'

Khaden poked a bubble with his straw.

*I'm trying, honest, Khade, but she's so frustrating.' Sas sighed and rested her chin on her palm. *Has Ruby said something to you?'

*Nah, it's just there's something up with her, and you.' He looked straight into Sas's eyes. *How come you don't talk about your dad anymore?'

Sas ran her thumbnail along the edge of the wooden bench top. *It's complicated.'

*Complicated I get.'

*Should I try harder with Ruby?' asked Sas, her brow furrowed.

*I reckon.'

She finished her drink. *So, I'm being mean?'

Khaden took a deep breath. *A bit.' He sipped his drink and waited for Sas to speak.

After a few minutes she looked up and smiled. *Ready to go?'

*Yeah, I'll take this with me,' said Khaden.

Ruby At home, I dumped my hat and bag on the bench and pegged out the load of was.h.i.+ng still in the machine. I was folding the dry clothes at the kitchen table when Harrison came home, wearing his supermarket uniform. Mojo, who'd been moping at my feet, jumped on him, her tail wagging like crazy.

*Thought you worked until six,' I said.

Harrison reached down and scratched Mojo's ears. *Tomorrow's s.h.i.+ft is 'til six. What's it to you anyway?'

*Just making conversation.'

*Or trying to work out how you can sneak out again tomorrow.'