Rev Girl (8 page)

Jasmine whined, punched her sister on the arm, then stomped off towards the stairs.

Clover smoothed a hand over her hair as the door opened.

Dallas smiled, kissed Clover on the cheek and pulled her into a hug. ‘Hey sexy,' he whispered.

A shudder of excitement built in her stomach, ready to race through her. But she held it back, out of fear. Being grounded had helped to stall things with Dallas. To keep out of his bed. Now they'd been together for over two months, it was like the expectation for them to be doing it kicked in to top gear. She was delighted to be free, and dizzy with excitement about the coming week and what she had planned. But it felt just as nerve-wracking as being on the start line of a big race.

Leslie surged forward. ‘Dallas, dear, so good to see you again!'

Dallas let go of Clover and held out a box of chocolates. ‘These are for you and Mr. Kassedy.'

Clover rolled her eyes as her mother beamed.

‘Please, no more presents for us!' Leslie gave him a hug, blushing slightly, before breaking away and heading for the living room. ‘Dinner will be ready in an hour. Roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, all the trimmings! Best Christmas Eve dinner I've ever made.'

‘Sounds great, Mrs. Kassedy,' Dallas said.

Leslie smiled at him from the living room, then took a few steps and glanced out the front windows. ‘Looks like Ernie and Jazz will be ready for you soon.'

Dallas swung his arms back and forth, as if to loosen up, and looked around the corner, towards the bedrooms. ‘Would it be okay if Clover showed me her room?'

‘Keep the door open, Clover.'

‘Okay, whatever,' Clover said under her breath, but she was too excited to feel embarrassed by her mom's lame rule. She pulled her door to behind them, leaving a gap, to allow her light to shine through into the living room.

Clover watched as Dallas scoped out her bedroom. Remembering the meticulous order of his truck, she was glad she'd taken time during being grounded to tidy her room. She'd even found her makeup kit, and favourite cardigan which she was wearing now buried deep under her bed. She was glad she hadn't accused Jasmine of stealing anything. She'd also cleaned her favourite sneakers, the ones she'd thought were ruined after Camp Shitty. Even her bed had enjoyed a transformation, with her old My Little Pony duvet replaced by a new, fluffy zebra-print blanket Sydney had picked up for her on sale. Clover had hid the old one in her closet. She stole a look at Dallas's face, keen to guess what he thought of her room. He was seemingly mesmerised by the glossy pages from dirt bike magazines that she'd used to make a border around the top of her walls, shortly after moving in.

‘You like my pictures?'

‘Pretty cool.'

‘I bet your room is like a shrine to the hockey gods!'

‘Hopefully I'll get to show you soon.' He reached forward and cupped the back of her neck with his hand. He moved it slowly, down the centre of her back and to the waist of her jeans. His fingers crept down, beneath the denim and below her undies, tracing down …

Clover jumped back.

He shook his head and laughed. ‘Do I scare you, or something?'

‘No!' Clover yelped. ‘I've just, never had a guy in my room before … I'm glad you like it. It's a lot about dirt bikes, I guess they've pretty much been my life.' She was starting to ramble, but let it flow. At least if she was talking they wouldn't be racing closer to having sex.

‘I'm supposed to be going senior next year, into the pro class, but it costs a lot more with more races on the calendar and higher entry fees and Dad couldn't get me a sponsor because I crashed out of my last race in juniors. He told me to try and figure out a way to convince Mom that I should be allowed to keep going, but I've got no idea what I can do to make either of them happy. I miss riding, though. It's always like this; the winter seems so long. At least I'm having fun this winter, not just missing my bike. It's a big mess, I guess. How do you deal with the pressure of hockey?'

‘Pressure?'

‘Yeah.'

‘You're very serious tonight,' Dallas said, ruffling her hair. ‘Don't worry! Maybe you need a distraction?' He leaned forward, and kissed her gently.

Clover kissed him back, then sat still, and stared him in the eye. She wasn't going to let him off that easy. She wanted to know the answer to her question. It felt wonderful to open up to someone Sera hated to talk about racing and she hadn't had enough time with Sydney for the topic to come up. ‘Seriously,' she said.

Dallas ran a hand over his hair, and shifted, so he was again sitting right next to her. She was drawn by his heat. Like a moth to flame. A skittish moth which didn't know whether it was going to get burned, or find salvation.

‘You're in control of what you feel,' Dallas said. ‘Me? I want to play well for my team, and for coach and Dad, but I don't let their expectations stress me out. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I try to channel it and use it when I need it to pump me up and to perform.'

‘You make it sound so easy.'

‘We've had a few sessions with sport shrinks, and that helped me a lot. Once you realise that you're in control of how you feel and react, it makes it a lot easier to stay calm in your mind, focus, and block out the noise from the people around you.'

‘Wow,' Clover said, feeling her shoulders hunch. Dallas kissed her again, but a sound from the kitchen, a chair scraping across the tiles, cut through the gap in her bedroom door, and they pushed apart. Dallas squinted his eyes, seeming to focus on her huge poster, of a grinning guy in riding gear, which covered most of the back of her bedroom door. He stiffened. ‘Who's that?'

‘The current world champion, Ryder Black,' Clover said. ‘He's Australian, like the poster says; his hometown is Brisbane. He's an idol of mine.'

‘Right.'

‘Oh, and … ' Clover jumped off the bed and nodded at a picture high on the wall, of a huge man doing a wheelie through a creek, ‘And that's Nick Mann, the ten-time Canadian champion he's awesome, too.' She whipped around, and pointed to a small poster, stuck next to her dresser. ‘This is Steph Gibbs. She rides motocross and is so fast. I wish I could ride like her.'

It took at least a minute for Dallas to look away from Ryder. Clover watched him study the picture of Steph Gibbs, who was a super hot blonde, in her bikini, sitting astride her race bike. Dallas seemed to relax and suddenly smiled.

‘I think they're probably ready for us, down at the pond,' Clover said, keen to get her boyfriend's attention away from Steph. ‘Ready to be taken down by a girl?'

Dallas tilted his head, clearly confused.

‘On the pond, Dallas. Hockey?'

‘Oh, yeah.' He smiled. ‘My skates are in the truck.'

Leslie's voice rang out from the kitchen, yelling something about the rink. They hurried out to his truck and down to the pond.

Clover thought one game and dinner with her family should keep Ernie happy. Then she and Dallas would be free to leave.

It started to snow just as Dallas parked the truck under a streetlight a few doors down from the party. Heavy, soft flakes that coated the windscreen in a film of white.

Dallas slid a box from under his seat and rested it in Clover's lap. ‘I think you'll like it.'

‘Wow!' She held up the silver-wrapped package. ‘Thanks, Dallas, you didn't have to.'

‘Sure I did.' He pointed at the front of the black, knitted sweater, which she'd given him during the drive she'd been way too excited to wait until they stopped. It had taken her hours of online shopping to find the gift, and the week to receive it in the mail had been painstaking. Even more so than the stress she'd endured stealing her mother's credit card numbers, and waiting for her to notice the charge. Which, thankfully, she hadn't. Not yet, anyway.

As Clover examined the small box with its big, shiny bow, she had a sinking feeling she should have gotten him something flashier maybe a watch?

She plucked off the bow and pulled off the paper to reveal a Tiffany's-style chain bracelet. A little heart, dangling from the clasp, glinted in the light.

‘It's beautiful!'

The metal felt cool against her skin as he wrapped it around her wrist.

‘Dude! Awesome to see you!' Sera thrust a red Cruiser into Clover's hand, and then stood on the toes of her platform heels to fling her arms around her best friend's neck.

The party was going off all around them. The music was loud and packed with attitude and base, the air thick with smoke and the smell of weed. Above them, in what Clover assumed was the living room, people were mingling, drinking and talking, their faces taking on demonic qualities in the dingy haze. Shadows lingered around eyes, cheeks were dramatically hollowed, and everyone's teeth looked really white.

Sera released Clover, just as two boozed-up football players came stumbling down the stairs, yelling something about a keg.

Sydney materialised from a doorway on their right.

‘Jesus, Syd!' Clover grasped her chest.

Sera was laughing. She smelled like whisky.

‘You always sneaking around places?'

‘Sorry, Clove. Comin' to find you, this place is outta control.' Sydney threaded an arm through Clover's. ‘Gotta get some air.' She did look pale and a bit shaky. Clover turned to Dallas. ‘Mind if I go outside with Syd for a bit?'

‘Just to my car,' Sydney said. ‘Don't worry, I won't let anyone steal her.'

At that moment, Chris appeared from the doorway, grabbed Sera and hoisted her over his shoulder, slapped a can of Budweiser in Dallas's hand and pushed him towards the staircase.

Dallas looked back, his forehead strained with worry. Clover jumped forward and pecked him on the cheek. ‘I'll be fine. See ya in a bit.'

‘Whew,' Clover said as they broke out into the clean, crisp night. ‘Easier to breathe out here!'

Sydney pulled her towards her car.

It was cold inside; they could see their breath. Sydney turned the key in the ignition and cranked up the heater. It made a funny whirring sound, but it was expelling air. Clover was sure she smelled cigarettes. Sydney twisted the top off a bottle of beer, then hesitated, eyeing the Cruiser that Clover was clutching.

Clover took a sip of her drink and held it up to Sydney's. ‘Here's to freedom! Man, does it ever taste good.'

‘Just, don't take it for granted.'

‘C'mon! What are you, like fifty?'

Sydney smiled, and took another swig.

‘I'm only gonna have a few,' Clover said. ‘Getting back into it slowly, you know. I've got something to work up to, some plans for New Year's. I think you'll like them.'

Sydney narrowed her eyes.

‘It's not another one at Camp Shitty,' Clover said. ‘Or a house party.'

‘What, then?'

‘A party.'

Sydney nodded with anticipation.

‘At a bar!'

‘What?'

‘It's the perfect plan.' Clover took a swig, then leaned forward, close to her friend. ‘Sera knows of this place in the city, one of Chris's friends is a bouncer there and he said if we slip him some cash he'll let us all in! It's called Players on 17th I'm sure you've heard of it? Only thing is, I'll have to be home by curfew I'm still not allowed any sleepovers, but I'll be able to push it till one, they never wait up, anyway.'

‘Taking a bit of a risk, aren't you?'

‘C'mon, it's the best idea ever! No riskier than coming here tonight! Just think, everyone from school. Dee and them all have fake IDs, and all the older kids from town, coming to our party, at a nightclub! Sera's going to spread the word. I've been locked up for ages. I deserve a break.'

Sydney pursed her lips, and then said, reluctantly, ‘You are a dangerous person when left to ponder.'

Clover watched Chris slip the muscle-bound bouncer a roll of twenty-dollar bills.

‘How many?' the bouncer asked, not even trying to hide the transaction.

‘Five, six including me,' Chris said, slapping hands with him. ‘And make sure to let everyone else from Silvertown in they'll have cash, too. Cool, man?'

‘Yeah, bro,' the bouncer said, opening the red rope to admit the group to PLAYERS ON 17th. He nodded, and Chris pulled Sera inside. Sydney and her boyfriend, Spencer who looked out of place already in his wire-framed glasses and collared golf shirt followed.

Dallas tugged at Clover's hand. She walked as casually as possible in heeled boots, with her cleavage on display, in the black low-cut top she'd scored with the girls for five bucks from Kmart.

The group filed through the back entry, down a dark corridor, checking their jackets at the coat check, and out into the main cavern of the dimly lit club. The club turned out to be dingier than Clover had expected. The crowd was less than exciting, too. No ‘Alisters', no super-tall models. Apparently, Clover had watched too many movies and vodka ads.