Launched! (9 page)

‘If I get off you, you won’t kick again, will you?’ Bryce eased himself off. The girl shot out the tunnel backwards. ‘Hey!’ said Bryce, swiping at her hair. But all he was left with were a few chestnut strands.

On top of the tower, Tong was doing some shouting of his own. ‘I find something!’ he called.

By the time Bryce struggled out of the tunnel Tong had made himself hoarse. ‘Find something!’ he rasped.

Still disoriented from the scuffle, Bryce staggered over, shaking his head to make sure he was hearing right. ‘Where’d she go? The girl?’

‘What girl?’

‘The one with brown hair.’

‘No girl. Here your key-ring,’ said Tong and he lifted it in the air above his shoulders like an Olympic athlete who’d won gold. The key-ring was Bryce’s alright: keys with a small metal cylinder.

‘How’d it get up there?’ asked Bryce.

‘Do not know.’

‘Who put it there? Was it that girl?’

‘Not know.’

‘And why’d they bring it back?’

Shrug. Tong couldn’t see the point of all the questions.

‘And you didn’t see a girl?’

Another shrug.

‘C’mon, then.’

Tong reached the ladder, then hesitated. He looked back at the flying-fox, eager to have a go. He wanted to feel that ‘rush’, that surge of adrenaline that made you feel like fire on the inside but ice on the outside.

‘Let’s go.’

With one last lingering look at the flying-fox Tong swung onto the ladder and slithered down. He handed the key-ring to Bryce.

‘Amazing,’ said Bryce, jiggling his keys.

‘
May m
n!
’

‘Huh?’

‘Lucky.’

‘Maybe. Maybe not.’ Bryce walked over to his bike and picked it up. ‘We’d better go,’ he said, but when he glanced at his watch he gasped, ‘Oh, no! Look at the time. The hospital tour. Dad’ll kill me.’

Tong settled himself on the top tube bar. But as Bryce slammed his foot down on the pedals Tong called, ‘Wait. Something to tell you.’

Bryce stopped, his movements jerky and his voice irritated. ‘What?’

‘Something else on top of tower.’

‘What?!’

‘Big word.’

Bryce groaned. Tong was being excruciating. ‘And the word was…’

‘PHREE.’

‘Bryce isn’t meeting us this afternoon,’ Clem announced to Tong as the kids met in The Van after school. ‘He’s been grounded.’

‘What grounded?’

‘Not allowed to go out. Mum and Dad sometimes do that to Darcy and me. It sucks, ‘cause being grounded also means they won’t let us watch TV.’

‘Any computer?’ asked Mio.

‘Nuh. And no phone.’

Mio wriggled in her seat. ‘That’s a bit harsh.’

‘Very.’

Tong frowned as he asked, ‘Why Bryce grounded?’

Darcy joined in, ‘Because he missed the hospital visit. Bryce’s dad was ropable and his step-mum
screamed so loud she gave herself tummy pain. For the next half-hour it was touch and go whether she was in labour or not.’

‘Lucky she wasn’t,’ said Mio, then she sighed adding, ‘Poor Bryce.’

‘He’s not going to be happy when he finds out what he’s missing,’ said Clem, reaching into her school backpack. ‘It’s Darcy’s turn but I’m doing it for him. Gorp.’

The frown on Tong’s face deepened. ‘What gorp?’

Clem smiled then said, ‘Gorp can be whatever you want it to be. It’s a real mishmash.’ Taking out some disposable cups and plastic spoons she handed them around. Bella sniffed in the direction of each cup, her sensitive nose seeking a scent. Clem pulled out various vacuum-sealed bags and placed them on top of the TV. There were sultanas and sesame seeds and oatmeal and dried apricots. Next came sunflower seeds and peanuts.

‘Muesli,’ said Mio, disappointed.

‘Not muesli,’ replied Clem as pretzels, chocolate chips, cheese puffs and candy-coated balls of chocolate were added to the pile. Clem grinned as she announced, ‘Last, but not least, some mini marshmallows.’ She turned to Tong. ‘Tip a bit of whatever you like into your cup, mix it up, then gorp to your heart’s delight.’

Bella gave a high-pitched whimper of delight as food scattered all over the floor.

‘It’s surprising,’ said Darcy, shovelling cupfuls into his mouth, ‘how good this tastes.’ Gorp flew out as he talked, oatmeal flakes and sesame seeds twirling in the air like dandelion parachutes.

‘Darcy Jacobs! Eat with your mouth shut.’

‘Yes’m.’

The kids settled back, chewing so hard they got jaw-ache, unlike Bella whose eager tongue licked back and forth, never seeming to get tongue-ache.

‘Anything to drink?’ asked Darcy. ‘I’m thirsty.’

‘Forgot.’

Darcy opened his mouth, his tongue lolling to show his desperation for a drop of moisture.

‘You look like a cow,’ said Clem, then she started to moo, making Bella jump with fright.

Finally, they’d had their fill.

‘Lucky about key-ring,’ said Tong. ‘Make Bryce’s dad happy.’

‘Nothing makes Bryce’s dad happy,’ said Clem, resealing plastic bags and returning them to the backpack.

Darcy shook his head in wonder, saying, ‘Who’d’ve thought he’d get those keys back?’

‘Not me,’ said Mio. ‘He’s had great luck. I must ask him if he dreamt of the treasure ship.’

‘What treasure ship?’

‘In Japan, they have seven gods of luck who travel in the treasure ship. Hotei’s my favourite. Rub his belly and it brings you contentment and happiness.’ Mio smiled at the memory of the happy, jolly god. ‘When you dream of the treasure boat, good fortune comes your way.’

‘In Vietnam, red is colour of good luck and happiness.’

‘In Japan, too.’

‘Kids get red…’ Tong searched for the word, then gave up. He used his fingers to draw a rectangle in the air, then mimed opening a flap.

‘Envelopes?’ suggested Mio.

‘Yes, envelope with
li xi,
lucky money.’

‘Some Jewish people have these for luck,’ announced Clem. She held up a silver charm on a chain. It was of a hand with an inverted thumb and pinky pointing outwards. Inside was an eye. ‘The hand is God’s hand,’ explained Clem, ‘and the eye protects us from the evil eye. Dad and Mum gave it to me.’

‘So many ways to have good luck,’ said Mio. She turned to Tong and said, ‘Wonder how the key-ring got up there? It’s so strange because it was stolen at the station which is such a long way away.’

Tong lowered his eyes. How he wished it was his bike he’d found up there instead. Then he
could visit Mr Lark. He could imagine how Mr Lark’s eyes would twinkle at the news. Tong’s reverie was shattered when Darcy asked, ‘Was there anything else up on the tower, Tong?’

Tong dropped his eyes again and shifted in his seat. He didn’t want to get his friend into any more trouble. Because of
him
Bryce was in trouble enough. Tong told the others about the rope and the way it had been tied up, after they’d left it dangling the day before.

‘That doesn’t help,’ said Darcy.

‘It would if you could fingerprint a rope,’ said Mio.

Clem giggled. ‘You really should be on one of those TV detective shows, Mio.’

‘Anything else?’ asked Mio.

Tong inspected his hands in his lap. That Bryce was linked to the return of his own key-ring was an important fact. Or was it? What if PHREE had nothing to do with Bryce? Tong tried to convince himself that Bryce wasn’t linked to those thieves, but he couldn’t be sure. He sat there, watching the hands wringing in his lap as though they belonged to someone else.

Clem noticed his discomfort. ‘Tong, Mio asked you a question.’

Tong’s voice was barely a whisper and Clem had to lean forward to catch the words, ‘Something else.’

Mio grabbed Tong’s sleeve. ‘What, Tong? What else was up there on the tower?’

‘Word.’

‘What word?’

‘PHREE word.’

‘Free word?’ mimicked Mio.

Tong shook his head, and Clem flapped her hands in excitement. ‘You mean P H R E E?’ she asked.

Tong nodded.

Darcy let out a long, shrill whistle. Leaning back on his milk crate he said, ‘So Bryce’s at it again.’

‘Bryce wouldn’t,’ said Clem. At Darcy’s disbelieving face she added, ‘You thickhead. He was with us, remember?’

Darcy crossed his arms and glared at his sister. ‘Could’ve been one of his friends.’

Clem saw red. ‘We’re his friends, you big idiot. He doesn’t see his old friends now.’

Darcy hrrmphed. ‘That’s what he tells us.’

Clem’s face turned scarlet, then white. She slapped her brother’s shoulder, then using her finger as emphasis she rammed home each point. ‘Bryce wouldn’t go back to stealing and graf. He’s got too much to lose. He doesn’t want to ever go back inside a courtroom. Besides,’ she finished with just a hint of triumph, ‘we’re with Bryce nearly every waking hour.’

Darcy leant forward, in nose-to-nose combat with Clem. ‘He’s not with us now…’

Clem refused to pull away, saying, ‘I trust him.’

‘I don’t.’

Clem turned to Mio and Tong, trying to clear things in her head. ‘You trust Bryce, don’t you?’

The silence was resounding.

Clem felt gutted. ‘You call yourselves his friends? Big deal if Bryce has seen his old group. That’s no crime.’ She stood up, but in her haste to get out she tripped and fell against the door frame, cheek first. She was too angry for tears. Holding one hand to her throbbing face she turned and ordered, ‘Everybody out.’

‘Why?’ asked Darcy.

‘Because we’re going to see Bryce. We need to sort out this mess, once and for all.’ Clem yanked her helmet on, wincing when it pushed against her inflamed cheek. ‘Well?’ she asked when no-one moved. ‘You coming?’

Mio, Tong and Bryce stepped outside The Van, shielding their eyes from the sinking sun.

Clem jerked the bike lock open and unthreaded the chain. Still the others did not move.

Darcy’s voice was like flint as he asked, ‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’

‘What?’

‘That Bryce asked us never to visit his house?’

Clem hesitated. When Bryce first came to The Metropolitan School he’d been perfectly happy to visit other people’s homes but had shown a huge reluctance to reciprocate. ‘What’s the problem?’ Clem had asked one day. ‘Why don’t you ever have us over?’

‘I just don’t,’ was Bryce’s reply. ‘No problem.’

‘There must be a problem,’ Clem had replied, to which she got, ‘Your place is heaps bigger, and so’s Mr Lark’s. It’s better we go there.’ It was said with such finality that Clem knew she should drop it. And that had been the end of it. Till now.

‘We need to talk to him,’ said Clem. ‘Face to face. Not on the phone.’

‘Let’s talk on Monday at school,’ said Darcy.

‘Monday’s too far away. We should go now.’

‘I come,’ said Tong, reaching for his helmet.

Mio and Darcy didn’t move.

The group were at a stand-off. Bella sat quietly at Clem’s feet, not her usual mischievous self.

Clem cleared her throat. She raised her hand and her voice rang out, ‘Freewheelers!’

‘Freewheeler!’ Tong’s hand clasped over Clem’s.

Mio added hers to the pile. ‘Freewheelers.’

Darcy kicked at a stone, his hands shoved in his pockets. All eyes were on him.

Part of Darcy wanted to believe them, but pride made him hang back. Apologising wasn’t his strong suit. He hated the defiance that shone from those three sets of eyes. Even Bella was looking defiant. ‘Oh, okay.’ He slouched forward and held his hand out, ‘Freewheelers.’

Even though he was dinking Tong, Darcy decided to let off steam.

‘Race you to Bryce’s,’ he said. ‘He lives on Arterial Road, number 678. Beside the butcher. Last one there’s a baked potato.’

‘Don’t you mean rotten egg?’

Darcy grinned. ‘How ‘bout, last one there’s a couch potato?’ And he took off. If Tong hadn’t been holding on to the saddle he would’ve gone flying.

Clem felt awash with relief. This was the Darcy she knew and loved. That aggro Darcy was someone she rarely met, except when his anger was justified—when Jonas hung around and whinged too much, or Bruno broke something of his, or Tim went through his private drawers
looking for blankie.
That aggro she understood.

The kids powered along, glad to be outside and on the move. Happily perched in Clem’s basket, Bella lifted her face into the breeze, snuffling now and again when the air went up her nostrils, culminating in a giant sneeze.

‘Bella!’ cried Clem, now covered in a fine spray.

Bella ignored her, content to let her ears flap in the air currents and watch the world whizz past.

‘She looks like Batdog,’ said Darcy, as Bella’s ears splayed out.

Clem lifted her hands to cover Bella’s ears, but kept pedalling as she said, ‘Don’t listen, little one. He’s just jealous.’

‘I don’t want bat ears.’

‘Too bad. You’ve already got them.’ Before Darcy could reply she dropped her hands to the handlebars and sped away.

It wasn’t far to Bryce’s house and as they got closer, Clem felt a sense of foreboding. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe they shouldn’t have come after all.

They pulled up outside a tumbledown house, walls spackled with moss. The latch on the front gate was broken, so that the gate hung down, gouging an arc in the path and making a harsh grating noise as they walked through.

‘Maybe he’s not home,’ said Clem.

‘Blinds are down,’ said Darcy. ‘Hard to tell.’

‘Maybe we should come back another day?’ suggested Clem.

‘No, you don’t,’ said Darcy, and he grabbed Clem by the waist and propelled her to the front
door. ‘This was your brilliant idea and you’re going to follow it through. Now knock.’

Before her hand met the door a shout could be heard from inside, then a man’s voice, closely followed by a boy’s.

‘Please, Dad.’

Bryce!

Clem’s hand dropped.

‘Back to your old tricks, aren’t you?!’

‘No.’

Clem knew she should leave but she was riveted to the path.

The kids looked at each other, all of them thinking,
We shouldn’t be here. We should go.

‘You deceitful little scumbag.’

‘I’m not, Dad. Honest.’

‘You lied to Cara and me.’

About what?
wondered Clem.

Seconds ticked past.

‘You have my word.’

‘Sod on your word.’

The cry rang out like a frightened goose. ‘Da-a-a-!’

Then nothing.

Nothing but the thumping in the kids’ heads and hearts. Clem fought for air, Tong stiffened and Mio felt faint. What to do?

Everything was eerily silent.

Clem reached for the doorbell but Darcy tugged her arm away. ‘We should go,’ he hissed.

But still they hesitated. Bryce needed them.

They were like moths, pinned in space and time.

Silence had never sounded so loud.