Between Now and Goodbye (15 page)

With the two of them finally brave enough to join us, suddenly the ocean doesn't seem big enough. Especially when they all start swimming over to me.

Instinctively, my glance drifts to the shoreline, but I can't start swimming. It's too far and it would be stupid and childish.

'You don't like answering questions about yourself, do you?' Carly gives me a look like she's got me all sussed out. Congratulations to her, she figured it out from the very vague clue of me jumping off of a boat to avoid their questions.

'I've been answering questions about myself for the past hour. I don't not like it, it's just not the only thing I want to do with my afternoon.' I reply, trying to be as calm and light as possible. If they think I'm really just bored, that there's nothing to tell, then they might back off.

'We're just trying to get to know you a little better.' Xavier replies, 'You're so...mysterious.'

'Me?' I choke out a laugh, 'Trust me, I'm not mysterious.'

'You are.' Carly nods enthusiastically. 'You're like...oh my goodness.' Her eyes expand and a wide grin takes over her perfectly tanned face. 'Are you like...' she lowers her voice to a whisper, loud enough for us all to still here. I'm not sure who she thinks is listening to this conversation, since we're in the water with nobody within listening distance, 'are you like in the witness protection program or something? Because I saw this show once about people in it, and they never wanted to answer questions about their past, and they move around a lot.'

'No.' I shake my head, 'I'm not in the witness protection program or something.'

'But then she wouldn't say she was if she really was in the program.' Xavier points out, 'I bet her real name isn't even Libby.'

'It's not.' I say which receives a gasp from Carly, a narrowing of the eyes from Xavier and a curious glance from Julie. 'It's Elizabeth, Libby is a nickname.'

'That's not what he meant.' Julie laughs and splashes some water up towards my face. I start to wonder why it is that when she's around her school friends, it seems like she forgets that I'm not a complete idiot, and she had no problem allowing her friends to think I don't have a clue what's going on, 'he meant that you've been given a new identity.'

'Oh.' I play dumb, 'Well, I haven't.'

'I think she looks like a Kate.' Carly says, carefully scrutinizing every inch of my face.

'Or Jane.' Xavier supplies.

'No,' Julie shakes her head, 'I think she looks more like a Louisa.'

'Yes.' Carly shrieks, 'I bet her name was Louisa, and she's always pretty pale, even now that it's summer she's only just barely sun kissed. I bet she's got some like...Norwegian in her.'

'You're right.' Xavier starts evaluating my features now. Way too close for my comfort. 'I reckon her dad was Norwegian, and he probably died when she was a baby.'

'No,' Julie again shakes her head, 'she has a fifteen year old sister and they have the same dad.'

'Can we not do this.' I say, the calmness starting to become harder to force.

'So maybe her dad died when her sister was a baby, and he was murdered and they saw it happen so they had to go into witness protection, and she became Elizabeth and that's why she moves around so much.' Xavier looks triumphant.

'Libby, was your dad murdered? Is that why you don't talk about him, because you have to keep quiet or you'll blow your cover.' Julie watches me with a seriousness that tells me she actually believes this story. I have to choke back a laugh.
'You can totally trust us.'

'Julie, my name isn't Louisa, I'm not part Norwegian and my dad wasn't murdered. I'm not in the witness protection program, and I really don't want to be talking about this anymore.'

'You're very defensive.' Carly replies, 'I read somewhere that after witnessing acts of extreme violence, people often resort to defensive behavior.'

'They also resort to it when they people they're with are too stupid to realize that they don't want to talk.' I snap. I cringe at my own words and how harsh they sound. I didn't mean to let myself get so riled up by this.

'Whoa.' Julie watches me carefully, 'You don't have to be such a brat about it.'

'Oh my goodness.' Carly screams and swims a little away from me.

'What is it?' Julie starts splashing around, 'Did something bite you?'

'No, no, it's not the water, it's... what if the reason she doesn't want to talk about her past, and the reason she's travelled around so much is because... what if she's the one who killed her dad.
I've seen shows about this, kids who lash out and kill their parents for like...no readon.' Carly looks physically sick. I'm really starting to wonder if there's anything Carly won't watch a show about.

I'm getting seriously annoyed now.
They think my life is a plaything that they can sculpt into entertainment for themselves, and I've had enough. I let my anger take over, but instead of yelling at them to back off, I decide to play it cool. Have a little fun with them.

I let my eyes widen a bit, and look around me like I'm scared someone is watching.

'Shut up.' I say quickly, eyes darting, 'You don't know what you're talking about...it wasn't like that...I was young and...I didn't know...and...just shut up.' I'm proud of my acting skills. I sound just the right balance of freaked out, angry and crazy.

'Oh my goodness.' Julie slaps a hand to her mouth. 'Libby...are you like...on the run?'

'This always happens, someone always pushes and pushes until it comes out and then we have to leave. It wasn't supposed to happen again, I wasn't supposed to have to leave this time.' I make my voice just a touch more desperate. They all back off a bit. Are they seriously falling for this?

'Look, we won't say anything.' Xavier says, 'You don't have to... you know keep us quiet.'

'Pippa's going to hate me. She made friends here and now...we'll have to go, we'll have to leave.' I close my eyes briefly, and I'm just about to start laughing, unable to keep up the act any longer, when Julie starts swimming back to the boat. Fast.

The others don't waste any time either, they swim after her and so I figure I'll let them all talk it over for a bit, before I point out how crazy they are for believing this. That is if they don't figure out that I'm joking first, which they should. They must realize I'm joking. They wouldn't really believe that I killed my dad when I was a kid and now I'm on the run, using a fake name. Would they?

I slip beneath the water again. I'll have to go back onto the boat and tell them I was kidding, and then they'll get mad at me for messing with them, but they deserved it. If they wouldn't let it drop, then why shouldn't I have a bit of fun with them?

I swim down low again, almost reaching the floor of the ocean this time,
because we aren't out all that deep, and then I kick back up. When I break the surface I look for the boat, and see them sailing away from me.

'Wait.' I shout. 'Julie wait.' They don't hear me, or if they do they don't listen. So I do the only thing I can do, and I start swimming back to shore.

Twenty – Charles

I press down on the car horn twice and watch as Libby jumps a good couple of feet to the side. She's just walked up from the beach into the parking lot, presumably to cross it to start walking home. She turns to the sound of the horn, spots my car which is pretty easy considering it's my mom's minivan, that she decorated with large daisies. The kids are all in the back, even Katie, who asked me to come pick her up from the beach after we left the hospital.

Libby walks over and pokes her head through the window. She's breathing hard and dripping wet.

'So,' I smile at her and try not to laugh, 'I hear you killed your father and you're on the run from the cops.'

'Julie called you?' She groans loudly.

'Nope, she came round to my place and started ranting about how we'd been lied to, how we weren't safe and stuff like that. Did she really leave you to swim back?'

'Uh huh.'

'Hop in.' I lean over and unlatch the door.

'You're not worried I'll murder you all?' She raises an eyebrow.

'Eh,' I shrug, 'I'll take my chances.' I grin and she steps back and opens the door.

'I don't want to get your seat wet.' She indicates the soaking wet bathing suit.

'Libs, I have five younger siblings. This car has seen worse than a little sea water.' I promise her, and she slides into the seat beside me. 'Julie dropped your purse off to me, but she said that your clothes fell overboard.' I raise my eyebrow to show her exactly how much I don't believe that, 'Oh, and don't worry, I managed to convince Julie and her friends that you're almost definitely not a crazy murderer.'

'Thanks for that. I didn't really think that would be something I'd ever need to convince someone of, but thanks.' She lays her head against the headrest as I pull away.

'Some people are way too gullible.' Katie says, leaning between my seat and Libby's.

'Aren't they just.' Libby agrees.

'So, want to talk about how they wound up thinking you were a murderer?' I ask, passing her a coffee that I picked up for her on the way over. Iced and full of caffeine and sugar, just like she likes.

'They asked too many questions. I got annoyed.' She shrugs, it's the shortened version of a story I know I'll get out of her later. 'Thanks for this.' She holds up the cup and smiles warmly.

'Seems fair enough.' I reply, knowing she doesn't want to stay on the subject, 'Ok, so who wants to head home, and who wants to go grab a late lunch?'

'Lunch.' All of the kids yell, minus Katie, who responds quietly that she's hungry and could eat the entire left side of the menu at the diner.

'Libs, you want to join us at the diner?' I smile.

'Uh, hello.' She motions to the fact that she's in nothing but her bathing suit.

'Beach town, I'm sure you won't be the first or last.' I reply. She doesn't look amused which makes me smile even more, 'Ok, fine, look in the bag by your feet.'

She bends and opens up the plastic bag that I'd stashed in the car after Julie and her friends left. Inside there's a pair of pale blue shorts with tiny light pink and white flowers on them, and a white camisole (Julie taught me what it was) top.

'How did you get these?' She asks, immediately pulling them on and slipping her feet into the white sandals I picked up.

'You left your window open. I went across the roof.'

'You broke into my house and took my clothes?'

'Uh...Yes.'

'Thank you.' She beams at me brightly. 'You even managed to get things that match together.'

'I didn't date Julie for eight months and pick up nothing about clothes.' I reply. A pang runs through me at my use of the word date instead of saying dating.

Today gave me hope, because even though she was way off base and just a touch crazy. When she was worried about something, she came to me. That means something, it has to mean something.

'Julie's style looks like the French Renaissance got warped into the modern day and then thrown onto her body. Anything you learn style wise from her is best forgotten instantly.' Katie says, leaning forward between the seats, 'Your outfit is cute and casual, and with your hair wavy from the sea you look fantastic. Also, you don't have to plaster on the makeup because you're naturally beautiful and you're happy in your own skin. That's the kind of role model that girls should have, that I'm happy I have.'

'Wow, that's... really nice of you.' Libby smiles at my sister and then looks at me, we're both thinking the same thing.

'A little too nice.' I say instantly.

'No such thing big brother.'

'There is with you.' I shoot back, 'What do you want?'

'Nothing,' she says, her voice rising in defense, her back going just a little straighter and then she slumps back down, 'well... nothing much.' She smiles innocently. Libby laughs as she attempts to squeeze some of the water out of her hair, while leaning out of the car window.

'What do you need?' Libby asks.

'Remember Libs, you don't have to feel in any way obligated to do what she asks you to do.'

'Hey don't try and sway her before you even know what it is.' Katie swats at my arm, and then she twists her body round so that she's fully facing Libby. 'I was wondering...well Pippa and I were wondering if you'd maybe take us to a gig. It's in a warehouse three towns over, and it's specifically been put on for under twenty ones. I've already cleared it with my mom that it's ok that I go, and Pippa said she'd asked your mom and got the ok as well. Only...well my mom said she doesn't want us going on our own, because we'd have to take the bus and she doesn't want us coming back late at night on our own, so...well she suggested that I ask Charles to take us, but going to a gig with your older brother is completely lame. Pippa said she'd be happy for you to take us though, because even though you're her big sister, you guys are close and she says you're really cool. It's on Sunday evening and if you say yes, then I'll do anything you want.'