Chapter 15

Heather and I were in my car, driving back to the beach. The radio was on, and the windows were open. It was hot, and I was confused with trying to sort things out while I drove. She interrupted my thoughts.

"They told you, didn't they?"

"Huh? Told me what?"

"Oh, don't start that. A little secret? Something they'd been hiding?"

"Shit. Yeah, alright." I looked across at her. "They told me you liked boys after all."

"Huh?"

"Oh ... that's not ... what little secret?"

"Paul, I have no idea what ... oh, hold on ... tell me what they said. Exactly."

"Shit, just that. They said you're not a lesbian."

"Those bitches!"

"Listen, it's alright, I can pretend they didn't say a word, if you want."

"Oh, I'll cut their tits off. Four tits!"

"Hey, steady on."

"The conniving little bitches!"

"You said that."

"Pull over. We need to talk."

The road was deserted, so I just pulled over to the side and stopped. I pulled on the handbrake and turned to her. "What is it?"

"Look, we're talking at cross purposes here. I thought they told you about my boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?"

"No, no. Had. Had a boyfriend. Marcus."

"Oh." I paused to think before continuing. "But what does that have to do with the lesbian thing? Other than of course you're not. You're not, right?"

"Right. I'm not. But I never knew those two sluts had told you I was!"

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. Paul, maybe I should explain?"

"Well, I sure hope someone is going to. I've never been so confused in my life."

"Yeah, I can understand that. Sorry."

"And what about ... what did you say his name was? Marcus?"

"Yeah, Marcus. You want to hear about him?"

"Yeah, sure. But ... if you're not a lesbian ... you don't like me?"

"Oh, no, I like you just fine." She reached across and kissed me on the cheek. "I do. Really I do."

"Oh. Then ... you don't want me? I can understand that."

She blushed then, and then pulled my face around and stared in my eyes. "I want you, too. It's just ... complicated."

"Because of the twins?"

"Oh, no, not at all. But I'm going to kill them next time I see them, just the same."

"So ... well, why has this gone the way it has? I'm not complaining, you understand, but we've had ... opportunities."

"Yeah. Listen Paul, I said it was complicated. And the twins don't know the whole story."

"Ah, okay. Well, there's no reason you should tell me, but if you want to I'm all ears."

"Yeah. You're a nice guy, you know?"

"Oh, now you start?" I grinned at Heather and she slapped my shoulder.

"Stop that. Tell you what, then. If you swear an oath to keep it to yourself, I'll tell you the whole sordid story."

"It's a deal. I never blab in any case."

"I know. Okay. Two more stipulations."

"Typical. You tell me what the rules are, I agree to them, and then you add some more. You could sell cars." That got me a grin and another slap.

"Alright, alright. What I want is this. You let me finish without interrupting, and you head down the coast rather than back to the beach. I need talking space."

"No problem. Now?"

"Uh huh. Listen, can we be friends? Really good friends?"

"I thought we already were."

"Good enough. Get moving then."

"Am I a friend or a slave?"

"You see why I usually get around in my car?"

"Yeah, but my car was getting jealous."

"Drive! I met Marcus at school..."

He was in the rugby team. I have no special fondness for sports guys though, and I first met him in the school library. I was a student librarian. This was a couple of years ago. He came in looking for some books on nutrition. We didn't have much to offer, but I'd been down to the public library a few months earlier looking for similar stuff, so I was able to offer some recommendations.

I didn't see him again for about a month. He walked past me outside at lunchtime, and stopped, with a grin on his face.

"Hey, you're the girl from the library, right?"

"Yeah. Heather. Mark?"

"Marcus. Close."

"Sorry. Marcus then."

"Yeah." He waved the guys on that he was walking with. "Listen, could I sit there for a minute?"

"Oh, sure." I shuffled over a little to give him room. He dropped down on the bench and his bag fell between his bare legs. I loved it when the boys wore summer uniforms. "Did you want something?"

"Yeah, sort of. I got a couple of those books out that you mentioned. I'm really keen to get into some sort of programme to see if I can speed myself up on the field. It's tough out there."

"Well, good for you."

"Yeah. But ... well I don't really understand them, basically. You look pretty clever. Is there any chance you could go through some of this stuff with me?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess. I don't know too much about it though."

"Well, you'll still be well ahead of me. Could you?"

"Okay. Just come into the library tomorrow at lunchtime. I'm on duty, but if it's quiet I'll see if we can figure it out."

"Yeah, ah ... Heather, right? Heather, there's this thing. I don't really want to do it here."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He blushed. "Look, I just don't want the other guys to know, okay?"

"I see."

"Yeah. Heather, it's not ... I'm not ... It's not a line or anything, but could we look at the books at my place?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Look, Mum will be home, and we can sit in the dining room. She wouldn't allow us to sit anywhere else anyway."

"Yeah, well..." I looked at him. He seemed completely legitimate, and I nodded. "Yeah, alright."

"Great. Listen, do you have a boyfriend I need to clear this with, or something?"

"No, no need."

"So you don't have one?"

"I never said that."

"So you do?" He was grinning at me now. "I'm just teasing. So does tomorrow work?"

"Ah ... nope. Shopping. Thursday?"

"Good for me. Could we walk from here? I just live a couple of blocks away."

"Alright. Meet you here?"

"Three-thirty."

"Done. Nice to meet you, Marcus."

"And you, Heather. See you Thursday."

I was nervous. He seemed a nice honest guy, but how could I tell? And to be completely honest, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted him to be quite that nice.

Thursday rolled around fast enough in any case, and Marcus showed up at the agreed time and place. I grabbed my bag, and we headed out the gate, trying to sort out what sort of mutual friends we might have. The list was pretty short, but the chatter was pleasant.

Marcus lived in a nice house. Not huge, but certainly a better class of home than our place. True to his word his mother was there. Mrs West was a nice lady, and made me feel very welcome. We sat in the dining room at the table, orange juice and chocolate biscuits at the ready, and attacked the books.

Marcus wasn't really having too much trouble, I don't think, though he had some of the basics a little mixed up. We got it straightened out and then went through the process of working out what might be the best diet to achieve what he wanted.

It turned out his mother was a nurse, and when she came back in we ran the plan past her, and she said she didn't see anything there that might be a problem. Then she picked up the biscuits and moved them to our side of the table, away from Marcus. His protests were ignored as we helped ourselves to another one each, and she told him about how he might have some trouble with temptations along the way, but that she would try to help him out wherever she could. The two of us were laughing at the look on his face.

Marcus insisted when we finished that he should walk me home, despite my objections, and I didn't mind at all. He seemed a nice guy still, and also seemed totally focused on his diet. I was convinced that his intentions were entirely innocent. I still believe they were, at that point.

The walk home wasn't anything strange either. Marcus refused to come in, claiming that he had some things he had to do. He thanked me again, turned, and walked away, waving carelessly in my direction as he left.

And that was that. At least until the following Tuesday, when he phoned me at home.

"Heather? It's Marcus."

"Oh, hey."

"Yeah. Listen, I'm not good at this ... but you know Lucy, right? I think you said you do?"

"Yeah, sure do. She used to live down the street."

"Yeah. So you know she's having a party at her place this weekend?"

"Oh, Mum said I was supposed to phone her. That might be why, I guess."

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, it's going to be pretty civilised, I think. Her parents..."

"Yeah, they won't let anything get out of hand."

"No?"

"Uh uh. No alcohol, betcha."

"Oh. Well that's not important really, I guess. Not that I'd mind."

I covered the receiver with my hand and whispered. "Nor would Lucy. I could tell stories."

Marcus laughed. "Yeah, well I've heard a few myself. We can swap."

"Oh, cool."

"Yeah, so ... well, listen we need to be able to tell these stories in person, right?"

"I guess so."

"Yeah. So, would you come with me?"

"Come where?"

"To the party."

"Oh! Like... with you?"