Rev Girl (12 page)

‘There's something you need to know.'

He cocked his head to the side.

‘I love you, too.'

As soon as she'd spoken the words, Clover knew they were true. Her heart seemed to swell, mend itself, covering over all the wounds of regret, uncertainty, and shame. Fully healed.

Dallas pulled her up against his body, and kissed her hard.

If Clover had been thinking clearly, if she hadn't been subjected to Dallas in that tight T-shirt, if his hands hadn't been on her body, his tongue in her mouth, she might have remembered to tell him about Florida and the World's.

Clover was sound asleep when the blizzard hit during the night.

She only noticed the change in the weather the next morning. It wasn't severe enough a storm for school to be called off, so she was forced to make her morning trek from the house to the garage and to her truck. Snow was still blowing sideways at 8.00am as she hurried across the yard, Dallas's white and black jacket pulled tightly around her. By the time she made it to Silvertown High, fought her way through the wind and sharp snow into the warm building and tucked herself up at a desk in the English room, Clover had forgotten all about the weather. About most of everything, actually.

All the other kids in the room disappeared, her chest inflating with pride, as she stared at the bold, red ‘
95%
' in the top corner of the cover page of the assignment Mrs. Frost had just handed back. She looked up at her teacher, blinking with disbelief.

Mrs. Frost nodded. ‘Good work, Clover! It's nice to see you finally applying yourself.'

Clover laughed, feeling good about the fact that she'd actually come to enjoy school work while being grounded for those two months. She'd continued the routine in the Christmas break, and was even making it to school early some days, to make sure she was on top of things. Was Clover Kassedy actually getting her shit together?!

Clover was relieved and excited that things were looking up on the school front. There were only three weeks left of term, all she had to do was get through mid-terms and finish off a few more assignments.
Just sit down and do it
was a phrase she'd started telling herself any time she tried to procrastinate. It actually worked.

Her next class was math. She was in the ‘dumb kid' level, but was hoping to work her way up. She took her usual seat, next to Sera, who seemed even more abrasive than normal, and had a distant look in her eyes, too. It was obvious she was upset about something. But when Clover asked if she was alright, Sera shot back, ‘Fine!' so Clover didn't push the issue.

Sera didn't speak another word for the rest of the period. She just stared at the chalkboard, occasionally checking her phone. Clover was struggling to understand the problems in her textbook she was sure she was dyslexic with numbers so didn't pay much attention. With about ten minutes left of class, however, Clover's attention for algebra had dissipated. She turned to Sera, who was sitting next to the window, and was struck by the force of the blizzard outside. Mother Nature was going nuts on the other side of the thin glass. After math, Clover broke from Sera who mumbled something about having to go meet Chris and headed for the canteen.

Today, Clover felt not a hint of insecurity entering the hub of the school. She didn't feel the need to hurry, or keep her eyes on the floor. She was starting to feel comfortable in her new popularity, and appreciated how it made her feel. That she deserved to belong.

When she sensed someone standing across the table, she looked up.

‘Dallas?'

Her body went rigid at the sight of his face his eyes were as cold and as crazy as the blizzard. His jaw was set, lips pressed together. ‘What's wrong?'

He sat down across from her, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘Why didn't you tell me?'

Clover was suddenly aware of all the people around them, gawking. ‘Tell you what?'

‘You know what. I can't believe I had to hear it from someone else.'

‘Whoa, wait a second.' Clover jumped up and moved to sit next to him, ‘I have no idea … '

‘Florida. And … The Czech Republic! Why would you hide this?'

Because … I forgot!
She thought desperately.
Or, maybe, because, deep down, I knew you would react like this! And I need to have both you and racing in my life!

The only two people she had told about the races, apart from her family, were Sera and Sydney. She knew Sydney wouldn't have spoken a word of it to anyone. Sera, on the other hand, was getting weird and had been acting downright mean. She must've told Dallas.

Of all the annoying, hurtful things that Sera had ever said or done this was the worst. She'd been betrayed by her best friend, and within her lava was spitting hot flecks, smoke rising in a haze.

Clover became aware of Dallas staring at her, so she forced herself to adopt a softer tone, for the flames to die in her eyes. ‘I'm only going away for about a week to Florida and a few more for the World's. The race is six days long,' she said, trying to casually drape her arm around his shoulders, which remained stiff. ‘I won't be gone for more than a month!'

‘A month is a long time. But I'm mainly pissed because you kept it secret.'

‘I didn't mean to!'

‘I felt like an idiot when Sera started talking to me about it this morning. She kept saying that I should stop you, that I'd be the only one you'd listen to.'

‘Sorry, Dallas,' Clover said, a little too sharply. She took another breath and dug her nails into the palms of her hands. The pain was only mildly soothing. She suspected it would have felt better if she'd inflicted it upon Sera instead of herself. ‘I know I should have explained it. I would have, but Sera just had to beat me to it, the fu … ' But she stopped herself from carrying on.

‘Just a case of unfortunate timing.' She wriggled closer to him, and when he seemed to relax, hugged him tightly. ‘Can I please tell you now?'

Dallas bit his bottom lip. ‘I already know most of it. Sera told me about the tons of guys that will be there. All sleazy, dirt bike guys, like the one who tried to rape you.'

Clover coughed instead of choking on the words. ‘They're not all sleazy like he was! And it wasn't as bad as you make it sound. But all of that's beside the point I'm with you, okay?'

Dallas took a deep breath, then nodded. ‘Let's go get sumthin' to eat.'

All Clover could think about was finding Sera.

Clover spotted Sera as she entered the bio lab. Her ex-best friend was hunched over her desk, her nose in her mobile. The curtains were open. The wind was blowing with such force now, the glass was actually shivering.

The teacher was waiting patiently, watching the clock on the front wall of the room, waiting to close the door in preparation for the learning to begin. The only lesson Miss Sera Gordon will be taking away from this class, however, Clover thought, was not to screw with Clover Kassedy's boyfriend.

Sera looked up, sensing Clover's arrival. For a second, Clover saw a sheen of regret dull Sera's eyes, but the flame quickly returned. And the petulant expression on the little traitor's face made Clover's head spin. She clenched her fists and marched down the middle row of desks.

‘You're a real bitch, Sera, you know that?' Clover spat, slamming her fists down on the desktop.

‘What's gotten your panties in a twist?'

‘You know freaking well what's up!' Clover noticed that Sera's hands were shaking. But Sera didn't lean back. ‘You went too far this time. Just had to say something, didn't you?'

‘He deserved to know,' Sera said. ‘Especially after you slept with him.'

Mr. Aspley's timid voice cut in, ‘Now, now, girls. Can you save this for after class, please?'

Clover glared Sera down. ‘I can't believe you've been such a backstabbing bitch!'

‘I'm sick of you acting like you're better than me!'

‘What the hell are you talking about? I've always been there for you, and just when my life's starting to go right, you have to try and screw it up!'

Sera stood, pushing the desk back against Clover. ‘You're the idiot who doesn't realise you can't have it all!'

‘That's enough!' Mr. Aspley stepped around Clover and grabbed Sera by the arm.

‘It's fine, Mr. A,' Clover said, eyeing Sera with disgust. ‘We're done.' She shook her head, and then spun on her sneaker. She ignored the whispers starting up all around her, and the crowd of students who had packed into the doorway from the hall, marched up to the front of the lab, and picked a desk front and centre.

After school, Clover stopped by Sera's to drop off her things that had been in her truck, including the black velour hoodie and heeled boots that were behind her seat. She'd been meaning to return them anyway. They just weren't her. She'd also found some textbooks, makeup, a hairbrush and a pack of gum. She left the items on the doorstep of Sera's unit, then bolted back to her truck.

As Clover pulled away from Sera's, however, the tears started to fall. Mourning the friendship that once was. Sobs took control of her, and she insisted on listening to her and Sera's favourite song. But only for the length of a few repeats. After that, she switched CDs and forced herself to think about Florida and the World's for the rest of the drive home.

As soon as Clover made it into her bedroom, she shut the door behind her and went about erasing all proof that she and Sera had ever been friends. She tore the pictures off her mirror and ripped them into tiny pieces. Grabbed her mobile, erased Sera's name from ‘Favourites' and ‘Contacts'. Blocked her as a friend on Facebook and removed any pics of them together.

That was it. Sera had hurt her deeply, her words had been harsh for too long, and at the very worst, she'd seriously jeopardised the best things that had ever happened to her. From that moment on, as far as Clover was concerned, Sera Gordon could no longer exist.

Until Wednesday afternoon, that was.

The home-time bell had just gone and Clover and Sydney were in high spirits, laughing their way down the hallway about how Travis had been made to wear purple girls' spandex shorts and a pink tank top after the assistant gym teacher had heard him call someone the c-word. The normal gym teacher didn't care when any of ‘his boys' did anything reprehensible, but this sub didn't take any crap. Everyone had laughed at Travis because he didn't fill out the front of the shorts. His face had actually gone red for the first time in his life.

Sera came around the corner.

Her expression was smug and Clover felt like slapping her.

‘Hey, Syd,' Sera said.

Clover stepped back and looked up at the ceiling, then to the wall and pretended to be reading one of the boring posters tacked to it.

‘So, Syd we still on for shopping?' Sera asked.

Clover was surprised. She hadn't considered what would happen with her other friends and Sera. Sydney looked at Clover, than back at Sera.

‘Actually, no,' Clover said without looking up. ‘Sydney and I have plans.' They didn't. She was just driving her home, then going for a jog and working on her bike for the first ice race.

Clover felt guilty the second she lied. But she didn't know how to take it back. Sydney's glare hurt worse because her eyes were usually so kind.

‘Whatever,' Sera said, pushing past and tapping off down the hallway.

‘Wait!' Sydney said. ‘Ser I'll call ya later!' Then she narrowed her eyes at Clover, as Sera disappeared around the corner.

‘
What?
' Clover said.

‘When are you gonna forgive her?'

‘You can't be serious? Using my boyfriend to try and manipulate me is hardly acting with good intentions.'

‘She just wants you two together. She thought if Dallas told you to stay, you would. It was stupid, I know, and I'm mad about it, too. You deserve this and of course you can make it all work! But you guys need to talk about it and there's no way she's gonna be the bigger person.'