Shift (27 page)

Then a thought appeared from nowhere.
Why not just go to the gig? Toby’s asleep. He’ll be fine.
Once the idea had wormed its way into my head I couldn’t seem to lose it.
It grew stronger.
Why should you always miss out? You deserve some fun.

I crept to Toby’s room and peeked in. He looked so totally out of it that I felt sure he wouldn’t stir until morning. I checked the time on my phone. Ten to nine. I’d have to
hurry if I was going to make it to Miranda’s place on time.

Maybe it was the excitement that made me ride up the hill so fast that night. Or maybe it was guilt. Whatever the reason, I was pressing the buzzer outside Oona’s front
gate just a few minutes after nine. Nothing happened. The massive security gates didn’t budge and the front door didn’t open.

The disappointment sat like a rock in my stomach.
They’ve gone already.

Olive the Loser, missing out yet again. I was turning to head home when the front door swung open and the security lights flicked on, flooding the yard with an almost blinding light. Someone
came trotting across the front yard towards me. Not Miranda, though. Oona. I froze, unsure what to do.

At the gate she stopped and peered at me – eyes shiny and dark as a bird’s. ‘Are you the new one?’ she said. ‘Miranda’s latest friend?’

‘Hello, Miss Delaunay,’ I said, a little taken aback. ‘It’s Olive Corbett.’

Oona showed no sign of recognising me – either from the time I’d given her my umbrella or the countless occasions when I’d stood at her gates while Mum handed her vitamin pills
through the bars. I wished I’d called Miranda’s phone instead of ringing the buzzer. It didn’t look like Oona was planning to let me in.

‘Is – is Miranda around?’

Oona’s eyes darted around. ‘Luckily she’s still inside,’ she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘I must talk to you. Quickly.’

‘Is it about your vitamin order?’ I said. ‘Mum’s picking up some new supplies tomorrow. If you call her –’

‘It’s not about vitamins,’ Oona snapped at me. ‘It’s about Miranda. I’m very concerned. She’s in danger of – ’

‘Miranda’s OK, Miss Delaunay,’ I interrupted, trying to sound reassuring. ‘You don’t need to be so … protective of her.’
Like trying to breathe with a
pillow over your face.
That’s how Miranda had described life with Oona.

‘You’ve misunderstood me,’ said Oona tersely. ‘Miranda is in danger of hurting
others.
I’m trying to protect people
from
her. You in
particular.’

I stopped short and Oona smiled thinly.

‘You’re paying attention at last. I can see that you’re strong, which is good. But you are certainly still at risk.’ Her fingers gripped the bars of the gate and her
voice dropped until it was almost impossible to hear at all. ‘I should’ve taken her on earlier of course,’ she muttered. Was she talking to me or herself? ‘Things might have
been easier if I had. She’s so damaged now, and so stubborn. She ignores all my advice. Won’t wear gloves. Continues to befriend people even though I forbade it.’

When Oona looked to me again her eyes were clear and she suddenly didn’t look mad at all. ‘Go home, Olive,’ she commanded. ‘Do you understand me? You must go immediately.
Stay away from her. Keep everything you love away from her too. If you knew – if you saw what she did at that last place.’ Oona looked stricken then, like she was remembering something
awful. ‘That poor, poor boy,’ she whispered.

I gaped at her, not quite knowing what to do.

Oona was watching me. ‘You don’t believe me, do you?’ she sighed. ‘Of course not. I know what you all call me. I might be
loony
but I’m not deaf.’

There was a mechanical click then, and the gate began to swing open. A figure emerged through the glare of the security lights, storming towards us. ‘Oona,’ snarled Miranda.
‘What are you doing?’

Oona’s scrawny arm reached through the bars as the gate began to push her back. Her fingers clawed at me. ‘Don’t let her cut you off from your friends and family,’ she
whispered. ‘It’s
very
important.’

Miranda loomed up behind Oona. ‘Let go of her.’

Oona’s fingers dropped from my arm. Then she fled back into the house. I stood still as Miranda stepped through the gap in the gate, seething. ‘She’s got no right to
interfere,’ she stormed. ‘What does she know?
Nothing
.’

‘Don’t worry,’ I said, laughing nervously. ‘I didn’t take it seriously. It was funny.’ I was trying to calm Miranda down of course, but I also didn’t
want to admit to myself just how unnerved Oona had left me.

There was a sudden rumble of an engine and a car pulled into the driveway, stopping right where we were standing. The anger lifted from Miranda’s face immediately.
‘Dallas!’

I felt hugely relieved too when I saw his friendly face through the windscreen.

Dallas rolled down the driver’s seat window and poked his head through. ‘Hi!’ he said cheerfully. ‘Climb aboard. I’ve got some killer tunes to play along the way.
And I’ve got a surprise for you too.’

Miranda skipped around to sit in front with Dallas. I opened the back door and almost climbed into someone’s lap. Lachlan’s.

Miranda took one look at him and glared at Dallas. ‘Why is he here?’

‘Surprise!’ said Dallas, oblivious to Miranda’s anger. ‘I invited him, although I think he only came to keep an eye on me. It’s that lifesaver instinct coming
out.’

Lachlan laughed. ‘I’m off-duty tonight,’ he said. ‘You can look after yourself, Dal.’

He shuffled over then, giving me room to get in. The car had a dry, sweetish smell, like hay, and the cracked vinyl seats snagged on my clothes as I slid into the car. I groped around for the
seatbelt.

‘No seatbelt, sorry,’ said Lachlan. ‘Better hang on. Dallas drives like a fiend.’

Sure enough, as we swung around a bend I found myself sliding across the seat until I was pressed against Lachlan. ‘Sorry,’ I said, moving back to my side as fast as I could.

‘No problem,’ said Lachlan softly.

‘Hey, little Ol,’ called Dallas from the front. ‘Do you know this band?’

‘The Ben-Day Dots,’ I said, listening. ‘First album.’

Dallas chuckled. ‘How does a kid like you know about The Ben-Day Dots?’

‘Well, because of Magenta Men,’ I said. ‘I read this interview where they mentioned –’

‘Hey, Dal,’ said Miranda suddenly. ‘Did I tell you that story about the secret Boxers gig I saw in Paris?’

‘You saw the
Boxers?’
said Dallas, turning back to her.

Instantly I was forgotten. And with no other distractions – except to hang on as we screeched around corners – I found myself wondering over and over what Lachlan Ford was doing
there. I tried to feed myself the obvious answers.
He’s here to spend time with his brother. It’s nothing to do with you.
But my mind kept shooting off in sideways directions,
imagining what would happen if I let my fingers slip out of the door handle so that I’d slide over and crash into him again. And if instead of apologising and moving away, I stayed where I
was. Would he put his arm around me? Would he pull me closer?

By the time we pulled up outside the Vault, my nerves were jangling like wind chimes. I stumbled getting out of the car and almost landed in the gutter.

Miranda pulled me up, laughing. ‘What’s wrong with you, wonk-brain?’ she said.

‘Car sick,’ I mumbled, and began walking over to join the end of the queue outside the Vault.

‘What are you doing?’ asked Miranda. ‘We’re guests of the band.’ As the bouncer waved us through, she whispered in my ear, ‘You’ll be treated like a
nobody if you act like one.’

The Vault was already pretty full and people were crowding into the main bar. ‘Let’s go in,’ said Dallas. ‘Wrangle our way up the front.’

‘We’re going to the toilets first,’ said Miranda, grabbing my hand.

‘Don’t be long,’ called Dallas.

In the brightly lit bathroom, I noticed something different about Miranda. ‘You’ve had a haircut.’

Miranda ran her fingers lightly across her fringe. ‘I did it myself. It’s a bit zig-zaggy, like yours. Do you like it?’

I nodded, and then saw the top she was wearing. ‘Hang on, isn’t that
mine
?’

‘Well yeah,’ laughed Miranda. ‘You lent it to me.’

‘I didn’t lend you that one,’ I said.

Miranda inspected herself in the mirror. ‘Does it matter? We’re friends, right?’ Then she sighed. ‘God. I look like such a wreck. I’ve had no sleep at
all.’

‘You look amazing, Miranda,’ I said. And it was true. I would never be able to wear that top again now I’d seen how good it looked on her.

‘That’s because I’m in love,’ said Miranda, stretching her arms up above her head. ‘
Love, love, love
.’ The dreamy look on her face worried me.

‘Um … Miranda?’ I said. ‘You do know that Dallas won’t be staying in Jubilee Park forever, don’t you? Maybe you should – you know – try not to get
in too deep too quickly.’

Miranda threw me a pitying look. ‘You’re
so
jealous.’

‘It’s not that,’ I said, feeling annoyed. ‘I just think you should be careful. Protect yourself. Otherwise your heart will be broken when he goes.’

Miranda shook her head. ‘He’s not going anywhere,’ she said. ‘I’m going to make him stay.’ She opened her bag and took out a lipstick.

‘You’re joking, right?’ I said. ‘He can’t stay here.’

‘Why not?’ said Miranda, her mouth the shape of a kiss as she leant forward to colour it in. ‘There’s a studio near us he can hire out by the hour. Dallas has a bunch of
new songs he can record there. I know some industry people. Once they hear the new songs, they’ll be fighting over who gets to sign Luxe up.’

Miranda seemed so confident. Like she
could
actually make these things happen. She clicked the lipstick closed and smiled at me, her lips slick. ‘Ready?’

I swallowed, trying to squash down the uneasiness. ‘Sure.’

Dallas beamed at Miranda when we returned. He and Lachlan were standing together. Miranda went straight up to Dallas and wrapped her arms tightly around him. I stared at the space beside
Lachlan, heart quickening. I could just walk up beside him, über casual. Like it was no big deal. Stand next to him for the entire gig – the warmth of his arm near mine in the dark, our
fingers almost touching.

‘Olive!’ Miranda said impatiently. ‘What are you doing standing over there?’ She pulled me over, away from Lachlan. I glanced at him – I don’t know why. Maybe
I was hoping he’d say or do something to intervene. But he didn’t.
Admit it, Olive,
I told myself.
He’s over you.

As the band came on stage, Miranda flung one arm around me and the other around Dallas, pulling us in tightly towards her and away from Lachlan, who was left standing on his own. ‘I am so
glad we’ve found each other,’ she said. ‘The three of us are going to have
so
much fun together. I can just feel it.’

That night was the start of it, I guess – that crazy, weird, scary time. It began fairly slowly – every few nights I’d wait until Mum and Toby had gone to bed
and then I’d sneak out my window to find a taxi or Dallas’s car waiting around the corner. I’d climb in and we’d head off. Me, Dallas and Miranda, ready for anything.

Dallas always seemed pleased to see me and never made me feel like I was in the way. In the early days he and I would chat a lot – about music mostly – but as the weeks passed our
conversations became shorter and shorter. Although she never actually said anything, it was clear Miranda didn’t like it when Dallas and I talked too much to each other. We became like
‘dive buddies’ then, me and Dallas. Not speaking, but waving occasionally, or giving each other the thumbs-up. We each had our roles – I was Best Friend, Dallas was Boyfriend
– and we were both working towards the same thing: keeping Miranda happy.

In the beginning, we’d just go to one place per night – always in town – specifically to see gigs. But soon we started going to more and more places each night, every night,
and we seemed to travel for longer distances each time. The venues changed, but certain things about those nights were always the same. I’d lend Miranda clothes, which she’d change into
in the car and forget to return. Door men, ticket girls and bouncers waved us through unquestioningly – sometimes, it seemed, unseeingly. Bar staff handed over drinks, which we never seemed
to pay for, and although I only drank soft drinks I often felt dizzy, stumbling and tripping over nothing.