Enough Time Page 2

  His gentle knock makes her start and giggle. She grabs the towel and wraps it around herself.

  'Yes?' she calls through the door.

  'It's me,' Ethan says. 'I have the clothes for you.'

  She opens the door a crack, and his arm shoots through with some clothes bunched in his fist. She takes them, expecting him to follow.

  'Meet you downstairs,' he says. 'Take your time.'

  'Thanks,' she says. She frowns and locks the door after him. What a gentleman.

  She drops the clothes on the vanity and lifts them one at a time, holding them up to inspect them: black leggings and a long, red shirt with sparkles. So pretty.

  It takes her a long time to dress. Her limbs do not cooperate, and she's distracted by the fittings in the bathroom and the lights overhead. By the time she reaches the bottom of the stairs, the number of people has thinned. Her head spins, and she can't see Ethan. She drops to a chair and watches a handful of people dancing; she is fascinated by the sway of their bodies.

  She turns and smiles in slow motion when Ella taps her shoulder.

  'Where have you been?' Ella asks. 'And where is your dress?'

  Zoe looks down and frowns, trying to remember her dress.

  'My dress is in Ethan's bathroom,' she slurs with a lopsided smile.

  'You didn't.' Ella says, a look of horror on her face.

  'No, he was a gentleman,' Zoe says, her words running together. 'I just got wet and had to change, so he let me use his bathroom.'

  Ella looks relieved, and with Jake's help, they find Zoe's sodden dress on the floor of the bathroom and her shoes by the pool; and walk her to the car.

  'But I have to say goodbye to Ethan,' Zoe says. She peers over her shoulder. 'I can't see him.'

  'He'll understand,' Ella soothes. She steers Zoe towards the car. 'I'm sure he'll call you tomorrow.'

  Zoe giggles.

  'Yep,' she says. A smile lights her face. 'He will.'

  They tuck her into the back seat of Ella's car and climb in the front.

  'You're totally wasted,' Ella says. 'What have you been drinking?'

  'Coolers,' Zoe announces like a small child, waving her arms for effect. 'And maybe something else.'

  'What else?' Ella asks, concern in her tone.

  'Dunno, Ethan gave it to me. Something on my tongue.' She sticks out her tongue and then puts her finger to her lips. 'Shhh. Don't tell anyone.'

  'It was probably an E,' Jake says. 'He takes them all the time.'

  'Oh my God. I can't take her home like this; her mum will have a fit.' There's a waver in Ella's voice.

  'Maybe we should take her back to yours,' Jake suggests. 'I can get her into your room while you distract your mum.'

  'I better stop and ring Zoe's mum before it's too late. Tell her she's sleeping over.'

  She makes the call, telling Mrs Verity that Zoe has fallen asleep. Zoe's mum is happy for her to stay at Ella's.

  'You're so good to me,' Zoe says, wrapping an arm around Ella outside her front door.

  'Where's Charli? She's good to me too. And Jake.' She turns and throws her arms around his torso, squeezing hard.

  'Okay,' he says. He extracts himself and steadies her with one arm. 'We're going to play a game. It's called see who can get to Ella's room the quietest.'

  She gives a solemn nod; her eyes are on him.

  'That means no talking or laughing and being very quiet.'

  She nods again.

  'What about whispering? Can I whisper?'

  He shakes his head and puts a finger to his lips.

  'No whispering,' he says. 'Do you think you can do it?'

  She nods.

  'Yep.'

  'Okay, we're starting now.' He steers her toward the front door and turns, his finger on his lips. She nods and presses hers together in a tight line.

  Once inside, Ella heads to the living room to distract her mum while Jake and Zoe tiptoe to Ella's room at the end of the hall. Jake closes the door behind them and gives Zoe a quiet high five.

  'You did it,' he whispers. 'I'm proud.'

  'Me too,' Zoe says and falls on her back onto the queen sized bed. She's staring at the ceiling fan when Ella comes in ten minutes later and turns on the air conditioner before stretching out next to her.

  'What's going on with you and Ethan?' Ella asks. 'Some people were saying you did it with him tonight.'

  Zoe giggles. She's floating on a cloud.

  'Don't be silly,' she says. 'He was nice.'

  'He didn't look nice when he was swallowing your face in the pool,' Ella says.

  Zoe giggles again, remembering the kiss.

  'He's a good kisser,' she says dreamily.

  'Where does Harry fit into your little threesome? He's going to be upset when he finds out you hooked up with Ethan.'

  'Harry? I forgot poor Harry. He's such a nice boy. So good to me. He might not want to be my friend anymore.' She smiles, rolling to her side. 'Do you think he'll be mad at me? I don't like it when people get mad.'

  'When you hurt people, they get mad, Zoe. How would you feel if Harry hooked up with someone at a party.'

  A fat tear squeezes from Zoe's eye, and she nods.

  'I've been bad, haven't I?' she says.

  'Yep.'

  'Ethan is so hot, though; I couldn't help it. He was so lovely. I just forgot Harry. Everyone loves Ethan, and now he loves me.'

  She giggles.

  'Not everyone loves him,' Ella whispers.

  'What?' Zoe asks.

  'Nothing. I'm tired,' she says with a yawn. 'I'm going to shower and go to bed. Want some pyjamas?'

  'Thanks, Ella Bella,' Zoe says in a fit of giggles.

  While Ella showers, Zoe changes into pyjamas and snuggles beneath the covers of Ella's bed. She drifts off thinking about everything beautiful and how lucky she is to be alive.

  Chapter Two

  Charli groans and throws an uncoordinated hand at her phone. The incessant beeping irritates her, which is why she chose it. Her brow creases as she blinks in the semi-dawn and tries to adjust to the light. She stumbles to her ensuite, showers, and wraps herself in a soft, blue towel. Using the edge of the towel, she swipes the steam from the mirror and studies her reflection. Long, dark hair frames a narrow face. Flawless caramel skin surrounds tawny green eyes and stretches across high cheekbones and a long, straight nose. Her eyes narrow in on a blemish on her chin, and she probes it with a fingertip. She licks dry lips and digs in the drawer for lip balm. At almost six feet, she's taller than most girls her age and has the physique of an athlete. She's formidable on and off the sports field.

  Today is St Joseph's annual sports day. There are four designated teams in the school, and they compete against each other for supremacy. Charli is on the blue team, and they're the reigning champions for the past three years. She smiles in anticipation of the day ahead. Ella, Zoe, and Charli always dress up in the same outfit and strut into school like they own it.

  There's a tiny gnaw of worry in her gut, and she knows it's because of Saturday night. Things are not okay with Zoe. Charli's still mad at her for blowing her off. She's not looking forward to seeing her. She knows it would be easier to forgive her, but part of her wants to watch her crawl her way back into favour. She deserves to suffer a little. She knows it means Zoe will be super nice to her and is expecting homemade chocolate chip cookies this morning. Zoe knows they're her favourites. She called three times yesterday, and Charli ignored her; she didn't even call her back. She smiles to herself, plucking the blue tutu from inside her walk-in-wardrobe, and she starts dressing for school.

  Sports day at St Joseph's is a rainbow of radical outfits. There are four house colours, and Charli and her friends are all in blue. They had worn tutus the last two years with shiny blue wigs. Even their makeup was blue, with diamantes above their eyebrows. They were spectacular as they arrived together and strutted arm-in-arm through the throng of multicoloured students.

  This year is no different, excep
t Ella drives them rather than Charli's mum. They glide into school, arms linked, blue, fitted shirts reaching just to the top of their tutus, and their tanned legs reaching down to their blue socks and shoes. They look amazing. Everyone wants their photo, and they stand posing, surrounded by a sea of house colours. Most people get into the spirit of the day, dressing up and chanting house songs at the top of their lungs. The air is festive and heavy with expectation and excitement.

  Charli ignores Zoe when she first gets into Ella's car. Zoe pokes her head between the front seats and offers Charli a chocolate chip cookie.

  'They're your favourites,' Zoe says, thrusting one beneath her nose.

  Charli waves her off.

  'Maybe later. I've just eaten.'

  'Come on, Charli; please forgive me. I'm really, really sorry. I was just distracted and wanted to make a good impression.'

  'And drunk,' Charli says.

  'Maybe a little.'

  'Keep working on how sorry you are, and if the day goes well, I may forgive you,' Charli says with a half-smile. She can never stay mad at Zoe. It's impossible.

  'It will go well,' Zoe says. 'I think the blues will win again. We've got a strong team.'

  'I hope you're right,' Ella says.

  At school, they are pushed along in the swell of students, finding themselves surrounded by blue when they assemble on the sports field. The sun blazes overhead while Miss Smith, the principal, addresses them through a hand-held microphone. Beads of sweat form on Charli's forehead and beneath her armpits. She wishes she had a hat, but it's not a cool accessory at high school, and most of hers are collecting dust in the bottom of a drawer or in her little brother's room. He loves her hand-me-downs.

  They're given the signal to start the novelty races, and Charli and her friends spend the next hour laughing their way through the events. They waddle with balls between their legs, throw sacks of rice into buckets, and rock hula hoops on their hips. It makes her feel like a kid again. Sometimes life gets too serious. Everyone expects so much from her. Most of the time Charli is happy to do the right thing, but sometimes she stares wistfully at the kids on the oval who smoke cigarettes and skip class, and she wants to join them. Just for a day. To see what it's like to break a rule and not be perfect.

  Miss Smith's voice announces the two-hundred-metre race, and Charli jolts back to reality. She finds the blue tent, ditches her tutu and wig, pulls her hair back with a tie, and heads towards the starting line. She stands with the other girls in her age group and starts to stretch. When they step up to the starting line, butterflies swarm in her stomach and her heart hammers. She stands poised until the starting pistol fires, and then she surges forward. Her legs pump of their own volition, and she streaks well ahead, crossing the finish line in record time. A petite teacher in a yellow shirt hands her a blue card with the number one on it. She's still catching her breath when the other girls tap her back and congratulate her on the win.

  She stares at the blue ribbon in her hand on the way back to the house tent and bumps into someone. A warm hand steadies her as she regains her balance.

  'Sorry,' she says and looks up into eyes the colour of syrup. Her skin tingles where he touched her, and she takes a step back.

  'No, my fault, I wasn't looking,' a tall, dark-skinned boy says with an African accent.

  She flushes and drops her eyes; she hopes he can't hear the whoosh of her heart.

  'It's okay,' she mumbles.

  'Hey, great run,' he says, and she glances up. He stands a head above her; his dark skin glistens with perspiration, and muscles pop in both arms.

  'Thanks,' she says, trying not to stare at his perfect physique. Her brain shuts down, and she can't think of anything to say.

  'Well, good luck in the hundred.' He flashes her a winning smile and glides back into the swarming crowd.

  Her eyes follow him. He is tall, muscled, and graceful. She runs the encounter over in her head and laments her responses. She must've sounded like an idiot. He's new to St Joey's, and she's seen him with the football team a couple of times. Everyone calls him the refugee, and she can't recall his real name. She's still distracted when Ella and Zoe spring at her and shake pom-poms in her face, screaming her name. She's showing them her ribbon when Harry's face appears over Zoe's shoulder. His forced smile doesn't reach his eyes, and Charli's heart goes out to him. He congratulates Charli on her win before he leans towards Zoe and whispers in her ear. Zoe's face drops, and her doe eyes shoot back to Charli and Ella.

  'Can I steal her away for a bit?' he asks.

  Both Ella and Charli nod and step back. They start toward the canteen to get drinks.

  'Want something to drink?' Ella asks over her shoulder, but Zoe and Harry are already too far away. His hand is on her arm, and he tugs her through the crowd.

  'Looks serious,' Ella says.

  'What does she expect? Half the school saw her kissing Ethan at the party. Did she think Harry wouldn't find out? I feel sorry for him,' Charli says.

  'You're right. I'd be furious if Jake did that to me,' Ella says. 'She should have talked to him about it yesterday. Now everyone will be watching.'

  'She deserves it. I tried to stop her at the party, but she just wouldn't listen. She told me where to go. I haven't forgiven her yet.'

  'You're just milking it to get more out of her,' Ella says with a smile. 'You can't stay mad at anyone. You're hopeless.'

  'You're right; I'm just holding out for more cookies.' Charli grins./ back. 'She makes really bad decisions sometimes, but she makes awesome cookies.'

  They're still smiling when they reach the front of the canteen line.

  'Well, we'd better get your energy up for the next race,' Ella says. 'I'll get you a protein bar.'

  'Peanut butter with chocolate-coating,' Charli says.

  In truth, she doesn't like the protein bars, but the peanut butter and chocolate at least makes them palatable. Zoe is nowhere to be seen when they return to the tent, but they don't have time to look for her before Charli's next race.

  'Hey check him out,' Ella says, nudging Charli with her elbow. 'There's that new guy; he just started playing football. I think he got a scholarship. What's his name?'

  Charli colours. 'I can't remember.'

  Ella frowns for a moment. 'I think it sounds something like jail.'

  'Jael,' Charli says.

  'Yeah, that's it.'

  'He's totally ripped,' Ella says. 'If it wasn't for Jake, I'd go after him.'

  'I ran into him on the way back from my race,' Charli says. 'He congratulated me.'

  'Ooohh,' Ella says. 'Think he'll ask you out?'

  'No, I acted like a complete idiot. I couldn't think of anything to say.'

  Ella squeezes Charli's arm and raises her brows.

  'Jocks don't need words, Charli. They're all about the physical.' She thrusts her hips forward, and Charli whacks her on the arm, her face burning. There's a crackly announcement overhead.

  'Gotta go, that's my race,' Charli says, taking off toward the starting line. Her mind is still on Jael and she wonders what it would be like to go out with him.

  The afternoon melts away, and soon they're all standing in their teams, waiting for the results. The blue team misses out on the win by two points and has to endure the green team's victory chant all the way to Tom's Hideaway, the local cafe.

  Charli notices Zoe is quiet at Tom's and slides into the booth beside her.

  'I forgive you, Zoe,' she says, sliding an arm around her shoulders. 'Even if we didn't win.'

  Zoe smiles and nods.

  'I know,' she says quietly.

  'Was Harry rough on you?' she asks.

  She shakes her head as a single tear slides down her cheek.

  'He was good about it. Even wants to stay friends,' she says. 'I don't deserve it.'

  'Then what's the matter? Isn't that what you want? Did you see Ethan today?'

  She nods.

  'And?'

  Zoe's face lights up into
a genuine smile.

  'He's calling tonight, which reminds me,' she checks her watch, 'I'm babysitting for my sister, and I've gotta go.'

  She turns to hug Charli.

  'Thanks for still being my friend. You mean the world to me.'

  'I know,' Charli says, hugging her back. 'Want some company tonight?'

  'Nah, I have homework to do, besides Ethan might want to come over. See ya tomorrow.'

  Charli watches her go and turns back to the table. Ella's in the middle of a joke about sheep and kangaroos. Where does she get them? She sips her milkshake, and her eyes find the tall, African boy across the room.

  Chapter Three

  Zoe stares at the television, not taking in any of the action. Her three-year-old niece, Madelyn, sprawls on the couch beside her, eyes closed, and limbs twitching in early sleep. Baby Joe is tucked in his cot with his music box playing and a pacifier plugged into his mouth. Zoe is distracted. She can't stop thinking about Harry and Ethan.

  Harry was so nice to her today, even though he was hurt and humiliated. He'd kept his cool and was even concerned for her, asking if she really wanted to hook up with Ethan long-term. He hadn't heard good things about him, and he didn't want her to get hurt. She stopped listening. She's too struck by Ethan's looks to hear anything bad about him. She remembers seeing him at school and the way her heart fluttered when he looked at her. He was a little distant, but she put that down to him wanting to do well today. He did ask her for her number and said he'd call her tonight.

  Zoe checks her phone for the hundredth time. She keeps it in her hand and fiddles with the volume so she doesn't miss his call. She smiles in anticipation of his visit and imagines kissing him again.

  Even though Ethan dominates her thoughts, Harry keeps popping up. She misses him. He used to babysit with her so the time went by faster. Zoe imagines Ethan babysitting, and the thought makes her giggle. Madelyn stirs beside her, and she covers her mouth with her hand. She hefts the little girl into her arms and carries her, feet dangling, to her bed. She's breathing hard by the time she lays her down and swipes a curl behind her ear. Her niece is growing up.