Fury (13 page)

“Can I please talk to you?”

I picked her up by the arm before she had a chance to reply.

“What?” replied Marianne, after I had dragged both of us into a corner.

“What’s up with
that?”
was all I could say.

“
Oh.
You mean Lincoln.”

“Lin—
ugh!
Gross! You mean Gauntly!”

“Yes,” said Marianne, looking impatient. “So what about it?”

“We hate Gauntly! What about the crap in English? What about all those times you complained about him being an ugly, skinny git?”

“No, hang on. You mean
you
hate Gauntly. I never said I did. And as for—”

Marianne stopped. She picked at a lock of her hair and twirled it with a smile on her face.

“Stop,” I said. “Spare me the details.”

“Lizzie—all I can say is that when boys pull girls’ pigtails, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s because they hate them.”

“Gauntly is friends with Biggins and Smalls! What do you expect us to do, hang around in one big happy family? Haven’t you even stopped once to think about me? Or is that too much to ask?”

“Cut it out,” said Marianne. And she was serious. “This is a party; try to loosen up. It’s one night, it doesn’t mean anything.”

She tried to get away from me then, but I kept her pinned in the corner. At that moment, I kind of hated her.

When I think hard about it, I find that I … actually don’t like many people. I must be such an angry person.

“Oh, by the way I think you must have forgotten something.” Marianne put a hand on her hip. “Gauntly is friends with Neil, too.”

She pushed past me. I let her go. Neil? What did Neil have to do with any of this? We were supposed to be talking about
her.
I hated how she tried to turn this back onto … ugh. I hated how she always thought she was so smart. I hated how she was so smart.

I was thinking I should probably go and check on Lexi, or find Jane Mutton and have a conversation about what to do with a little problem called Ellanoir, but at that moment the Jane that I really didn’t need came barrelling at me.

“Boans!”

Jane Ayres was dragging something along with her. A something that turned out to be Aardant. Jane pushed him in front of me. I gasped.

Aardant’s nose was purple. It looked huge. I notice he had a bruised eye and busted lip as well. Behind him, Jane’s face lit up with a look of satisfaction.

“I want you to explain this, Boans, as I have been unsuccessful in getting my boyfriend here to explain anything.”

“I—I don’t know anything.”

I frowned and shifted my eyes sideways so I didn’t have to look at him anymore. I couldn’t help it. Aardant’s injuries were freaking me out. It would have taken someone with a lot of strength to do something like that. Or someone with a lot of hate.

From the corners of my eyes I could see a small curious crowd build around us on the porch.

“Let’s go,” said Aardant. “You’re embarrassing us. I told you, I was playing football—”

“Don’t lie to me,” said Jane, “Boans here is going to tell me what happened.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” I replied and I looked her in the eye. “If boyfriend won’t tell you and you’re reduced to intimidating an innocent person that you just happen to hold a grudge against. That says a lot about your relationship, doesn’t it?”

I heard a few breaths being sucked in. Good. I ran
my eyes over the faces surrounding us and then turned back to Jane.

“You
scrag!”
exclaimed Jane. She looked as angry as hell. “Look at him! I know there’s only one person capable of something like this. That would be your scummy-excuse-for-a-human boyfriend, Fernandes!”

I laughed. “Neil? Neil is not my boyfriend. And if
your
boyfriend is too scared to say anything, then it’s really not my fault you’re dating such a pussy—”

“That’s it, Firecrotch!”

Jane pounced. I felt her take hold of my hair and pull hard. Pity. Marianne spent ages putting the curls in too. My arm thrashed around in the air until I felt the back of her neck. I dug my fingers in hard. I decided it was hard enough when I heard her scream.

I felt strong hands on my shoulders pulling me away. They didn’t hurt me like I expected them to. They were gentle and familiar.

“Neil!” I shouted, turning around.

“C’mon, Eliza, you don’t want to hurt her,” said Neil.

“What happened to your face?”

There was a pink bruise across it shaped like a palm.

“Got slapped playing touch rugby with girls.” Neil smiled and wiped his cheek.

The crowd around us had grown bigger. I could see people holding out their mobile phones. All of them just standing there, staring.

“Come with me,” said Neil and he held out his hand.

I looked at Jane, her hair blonde and her face red. Surrounded by all those people still filming. I turned back to Neil.

“That’s right!” said Jane loudly. “Go with that psycho monster! If you’re stupid enough to trust him!”

I looked at Neil. I wanted to say
thanks for helping me,
but instead I said:

“Is it true? Did you beat Aardant up?”

“Yes,” he replied.

Behind me I could hear Jane Ayres triumphant snort.

I looked at the hand Neil still held out to me, so gentle, so familiar. The same hand that apparently could become a stranger’s fist. I turned away from him and pushed past the crowd and back into the house.

The triumphant snort of Jane Ayres followed and wouldn’t let me go.

I found Lexi hanging out the back, where a huge TV screen the size of the wall was blaring out a noisy video clip.

“I don’t feel very good,” Lexi said and tried to put her arms around me. I pushed her gently away.

“Have you seen Jane Mutton? I need to talk to her—Lexi, what have you been drinking?”

I took the cup from her and sniffed it.

“Who gave you this?” I demanded.

“Oh, Ronnie did,” replied Lexi and she rubbed her eyes. “You know, that girl you handed me to?”

Ronnie Wood was standing nearby, talking to some other random Art student.

“…the graffiti here is so boring. In Melbourne graffiti is, like, art. What do you think Erica? Is it, like, art or vandalism?”

I coughed through the weed smoke and fanned it away.
Bloody hell,
I thought.
My outfit is dry-clean only.

“I thought I told you to get Lexi a drink?” I said to Ronnie and I held the plastic cup up to her face.

“I did,” she replied.

“I meant, as in getting her some frickin’
water.
Can’t you see she’s sick?”

“What is your problem?”

“Nothing,” I replied and I threw the alcohol, plastic cup and all, on her. “There you go. You figure out if that is art or vandalism. Jane!”

I grabbed a stumbling Lexi and ran after the bright pink bubble.

Jane Mutton stopped and looked at me.

“Lexi is … tired. Is there somewhere she can lie down for a bit?”

Jane stared at Lexi and then back at me.

“She can go upstairs to my bedroom.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “Lexi? Did you hear that? Go up to Jane’s room and I’ll come and see you in a little bit.
Me and Jane need to have
talk.”

Lexi nodded and untangled herself from me. Shakily, she headed for the staircase.

“Well,” muttered Jane. “Congratulations on roughing up the birthday girl and almost destroying my party. By the way, you’ll get your fifteen minutes of fame on the net tomorrow.”

“Just cut the crap, Jane,” I replied. “I didn’t decide to stay to hear you have a go at me. I’ve thought about what you said before and you’re right. We have to do something about this.”

“Well, do you have a plan?”

“No,” I replied. “I haven’t had time to think. You might not believe it, but I actually have had a lot to deal with tonight already.”

“And you think you’re the only one?” Jane said mockingly, with a fake look of surprise. “Look at me. I planned this entire party just for Janey. I had to lie to my parents, who trust me, and I have spent God knows how many hours making frickin’ rocket and goats cheese mini-pizzas, and has she even bothered to say thanks? If you’re going to come up with something Boans, you better come up with it fast!”

“Jane Ayres is right behind you; just shut up and smile.” I spun her around quickly.

The birthday girl, looking a little worse for wear, came marching toward us with Aardant in tow.

“Well, well—still here, huh?” She spat at me.

I stared at Aardant. Even though he was holding hands
with Jane he looked like he couldn’t wait to get away. I almost felt sorry for him.

“That’s right,” I said loudly back. “I couldn’t resist, er … Jane’s beautiful mini-pizzas. Which she made
herself.”

Jane Mutton nodded and stared at Jane Ayres with big, hopeful eyes.

“Right…” said Jane and she frowned. “Whatever. But then I want to see you gone. This is my birthday and I am officially bouncing you out. And if I see your scummy boyfriend show his face here, I’ll see to it he gets as good as he dishes out.”

“Actually, this is Jane’s party.” I slapped my hands onto Jane Mutton’s shoulders and plastered a wide smile across my face. “If Jane was my best friend, I would tell her exactly how grateful I was. Like,
now.”

“Jane. It was very nice of you to organise this party for me,” replied Jane. “You didn’t have to. In fact, I didn’t ask you to. Please consider this the very last time that your name is attached to mine. After this party is finished, I want you to know that our friendship is as well.”

A noise that sounded like Jane Mutton’s little designer-dog made me block my ears. I realised the sound was coming from Jane Mutton herself.

“Why, Janey? After all these years, what have I done to make you hate me?”

Jane’s expression said she couldn’t be bothered explaining, but then a look passed over her face that said that the opportunity was too good.

“Jane … I don’t know what to say, so I will try and be as nice as possible. You bore me. You’re stupid and a horrible dresser. Did you think you were ever anywhere near my league, let alone in it?”

Jane Mutton’s mouth popped like a goldfish. Jane Ayres turned around and reached out for her boyfriend’s hand, but the other Jane was not ready to give up yet.

“Jaaaaney!” she wailed and she stumbled forward with her arms out.

Aardant put his arm protectively around his girlfriend and looked at Jane Mutton.

“Leave her alone—don’t you understand anything, fatty?”

Jane Mutton might have stood for being called boring, stupid and a horrible dresser, but she wasn’t going to stand being called fat. She heaved up her short frame and punched Aardant in the face.

There was a scream and Jane Ayres had Jane Mutton by the hair. Aardant was making groaning noises, his hand over his nose, blood trickling over his fingers. I made a mental note to shave my head next time I planned to get in the ring with Jane Ayres.

“How dare you!” Jane was screaming.

“I don’t regret that one tiny bit!” Jane was screaming back. “I’m glad Neil kicked the crap out of him as well!”

It took me, hauling Jane Mutton backwards, and Marianne hauling Jane Ayres in the opposite direction, to break up the fight.

“Where have you been?” I asked Marianne. Her hair was all messed up.

“Nowhere,” she snapped, too quickly. “I think I should ask you the same question.”

“Nowhere myself.” I stared at her, refusing to be the first to look away.

I let go of Jane Mutton. Across from me, Marianne dumped Jane Ayres from her arms as well. We all stared at Aardant. Blood was dripping off his chin and onto the tiles. Marianne stuck her hand down the front of her dress and extracted a linen hanky.

“Feel free to keep it,” she said as Aardant looked at it suspiciously and then pressed it against his nostrils. Blood roses bloomed on the fabric.

“Alistair,” said Jane Ayres, brushing hair from her face and stumbling in her high heels. “You are a disgusting mess. As if you didn’t look bad enough already. Go clean yourself up.”

“Yeah,” chirped Jane Mutton. “Do as she says. ’Cos how can any other girl possibly be jealous of her when you look like that? In front of so many people.”

I could see Aardant’s fist clench itself into a ball. I put my hands on Jane Mutton’s shoulders. As we’re not friends, I’m not going to say “protectively”.

Aardant was staring at Jane Mutton in such an intense way that I started to get scared. I mean, sure, the insults, scratching and the hair-pulling was not exactly earning anyone halos, but…

His eyes were the same as Neil’s: dark in colour, but while Neil had the eyes of a languid baby deer, Aardant’s looked like they belonged to the hunter on the other side of the gun.

I tightened my hand on Jane’s shoulder.

“Let’s just go now,” said Aardant and he grabbed Jane Ayres’ hand.

Jane drew her hand sharply away. “I would leave right now if I could. But this is
my
party.”

She turned toward me and Jane Mutton.

“Since you’ve ruined my entrance, Boans, and you’ve ruined my boyfriend, Mutton, then I suggest you both stay out of the way and don’t ruin the rest of the night for me.”

She pushed past Marianne and stormed off alone.

Jane Mutton didn’t reply. She glared at Aardant and pointed upstairs.

“Powder room up and to the right. Go clean yourself up, you pig.”

She stomped off in her ex-friend’s wake. Aardant followed, slowly steaming.

“Fun party, isn’t it?” commented Marianne.

“Oh, I’ll remember it for years to come,” I replied.

“So what now?”

I looked at the hair all fluffed up at the back of her head.

“Maybe you should go back and continue what you were doing before,” I said coldly. “I’m going to go upstairs too and check on Lexi. One of your friends got her drunk.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Marianne undeterred.
She followed me through to the foyer and then stopped. She bent over and picked up something next to her feet. “But first, I think someone wants our attention.”

She stretched her hand out toward me. Sitting in her palm was a rock. Another one came scuttling across the marble floor and bounced off my leg.