Three's a Crowd (4 page)

“Remember to come straight home tonight and get dinner for yourself and Brett. I've got to work late.”

“I don't believe this,” I burst out. “I've arranged to go around to Julie's place tonight.” We had organized this on the way home last night. Now that Drew lived right next door to Julie, it seemed the logical place to do our homework. “You know we've got this test coming up.”

“No problem,” Mum assured me. “Just make sure that Brett is with you. Mrs. Gosford won't mind—”

“I can take my togs,” Brat interrupted. “Geordie doesn't mind if I swim in the pool.”

“Well, I do,” I burst out. “Julie and I can‘t study with that brat around.”

Brat would really cramp our style. I felt myself go clammy under my freshly ironed shirt. The one comfort I had all through the misery of the previous afternoon was that Drew wasn't aware that Brat was related to me.

“I should think that the amount of studying you and Julie do won't be affected by Brett,” Mum pointed out. “Just make sure that he's in bed before dark and this time check he washes his neck properly.”

“Check he washes his neck properly,” I mimicked. “Whose kid is he supposed to be anyway? Why am I always stuck with him?”

Mum raised an eyebrow. I could tell by the amused look on her face that I wasn't getting through. It didn't matter to her that my social life was being ruined by that little brat. My mother was the absolute pits.

I slammed out the back door as hard as possible. Three seconds later it opened and Brat skipped out. “Golliwog, golliwog,” he chanted, following at a safe distance behind me. His voice altered. “Hi, Jeebie.”

“Wait for me, golliwog,” called the hateful voice.

I looked back. Jeebie had vaulted the gate of the small single fronted place next to ours, bounced a ball to Brat and winked at me. He still wore the faded cut-off jeans, the worn thongs and raggy T-shirt.

Horrors! Had he become a new neighbour? I was in the middle of wondering if old Mrs Belano had moved before it dawned on me. John Belano must be staying with her. I sneaked another look at him. The height, skinniness and beaky nose were familiar, very familiar. Mrs Belano had passed on her genes. Jeebie grinned and caught up with me, leaving Brat behind with the ball.

“Is Mrs Belano your grandmother?” I asked.

“Who else,” he laughed. “Grandmothers only come in two issues and she's my favourite.”

“Are you staying with her?” I realized with a sinking heart that he was carrying an old, very torn airline bag and heading towards our high school. Surely he wasn't going to be attending high school if he was just visiting.

“Of course,” Jeebie said. He swung his bag in a wild arc, and I skipped out of the way.

“Why?” I demanded.

“Because, my beautiful golliwog, I have fallen madly in love with you. Your charms bring out the wolf in me.”

To my horror, he dropped to his haunches and howled, exactly like a wolf! Several of the neighbours turned and stared at him. I felt my face go red. I can't stand an exhibitionist. I walked on ahead, eyes front, pretending I didn't know him.

“Right on,” cheered Brat. “Can you teach me to do that please, Jeebie?”

“Or perhaps you bring out the devoted spaniel in me,” Jeebie continued.

I sneaked a look around. Jeebie was bouncing along like a frog, hands curled over in imitation of paws, and he had his tongue out, panting. I broke into a run.

Jeebie sprang to his feet and loped after me. “What are you doing after school tonight?” he asked. “I need someone kind to help me with my math assignment.” My silence seemed to spur him on. “My English assignment? My swimming? What about teaching me how to knit? You look like you should be into feminine activities.”

So much for getting dressed up on a Monday morning. I might have known that with my luck I would attract the district kook. What made it worse was that my little brother was skipping along beside us, both ears flapping as he listened to him.

“You just get lost, John Belano,” I snapped over my shoulder as I kept running. “Or you will regret it.”

We had reached the school gate and I skidded inside. All the crowd were lounging around. Louise, beside Drew, was the usual centre of attention. She wore a dress that was so mini she must have borrowed it from her little sister. She made Julie, who this morning wore her best jeans and off-the-shoulder T-shirt, and me look tizzy and overdressed. Trust Louise to get away with the shortest skirt in school.

Jeebie cringed back, arms theatrically protecting his head. “Ill-treated by my beloved,” he sang out. “Meet me after school or I'll throw myself off the diving board at the shallow end.”

Everyone laughed at that and I heard Drew's hearty chuckle above everyone else's. Fortunately, at that moment, the school siren blared out. Brat ran off to his section of the primary school yard, still with Jeebie's ball.

Jeebie raised a casual hand to everyone, blew me a lingering kiss and strolled over to the office block. I pretended not to notice. I was very aware of Drew's amused eyes going from Jeebie to me. I gave him a cheerful smile and hoped he was admiring the new feminine me. I didn't feel cheerful underneath though. Not only was Jeebie a first class kook, but he was dangerous too. His stupid act had probably convinced Drew and the rest of the crowd that we had something going between us.

“I see you've made a hit with Jeebie,” Julie whispered as we lined up for assembly.

I shushed her. The headmaster was starting his Monday morning drone, and I couldn't trust myself to answer anyway. Hit was the operative word I raged to myself. Before I could concentrate on Drew I had to discourage that guy hard and stop him pestering me. He made Murray the Murk look like an amateur when it came to embarrassing people.

 

 

“I'll be glad to get home for a swim to cool off,” Julie said with a sigh.

I nodded agreement. Monday was the worst day of the week to go to school. You'd think some reformer would start a crusade for a three day weekend, especially when the weather was hot. Today had been hot, but not nicely like it had been yesterday. It was a cloudy, humid sort of day that made concentration impossible, and somehow stretched time like chewing gum so classes seemed to go on and on interminably.

We were hanging around after school waiting for Brat who, of course, had been kept in again. I watched enviously as the others left the school for more pleasant and cooler places. The school yard was deserted, and one by one the teachers were backing their cars out and leaving.

Still Julie and I waited. My shirt and skirt were wilted, and my heels were sore where my new shoes had rubbed. More of my hair had worked out of the ponytail and clung around my hot face. I didn't need Jeebie's whispered, “Hi golliwog” during library period to remind me of how dreadful I looked.

Jeebie was playing basketball with some of the younger kids over in the primary school yard, and I was careful not to look in his direction. I had a run-in with him at the library when he sat beside me and had had to walk away at lunch time to escape his attentions. When we came out after school he was waiting for me. I had yelled loud enough to be heard all over the school that I didn't need him to carry my books home or anywhere else for me and to please get lost and stay lost.

“I got kept in ‘cause the teacher said I cheeked her,” Brat complained as he catapulted down the steps towards us.

“Good for her,” Julie murmured.

“Look! There's Jeebie.” Brat raised his voice and I pounced on him as he tried to escape. “Hi, Jeebie.” His high pitched yell resounded around the empty yard. “Did you get your ball back? Can I play too?”

“Don't you want to have a swim in Geordie's pool?” I hissed.

“I wanna stay and play with Jeebie,” Brat objected.

“You'll miss out on afternoon tea,” Julie tempted. “Nothing left to eat after Geordie gets home.”

This argument worked. Brat looked skinny and a bit delicate, but eating was one of his hobbies. He relaxed and waved goodbye to Jeebie, who stopped playing long enough to wave back. I released Brat and he ran on ahead.

“We should really hurry,” Julie warned, knowing Brat almost as well as I did. “I bet he knocks off all the soft drinks.”

By the time we reached Julie's place, however, Brat was splashing around the pool, a soggy doughnut in one hand and an opened tin of soft drink in the other.

“You should see the goodies in the fridge,” he yelled at us.

Mrs. Gosford waved at us as we came in and I waved back, feeling better already. Mrs. Gosford was my very favourite person. She was stretched out beside the pool drinking tea, a large plate of doughnuts beside her. I always wished my mother had a nature like Mrs. Gosford, who never got upset or nagged about anything.

“Plenty of cool drinks in the fridge,” she called. “And Geordie dropped in some afternoon tea.”

“Wow!” I drooled as I picked out some lamingtons and cheesecake slices to have with my cola. “Where'd all the goodies come from?”

“Geordie's latest,” Julie giggled. “She works in a cake shop, and plies him with cakes. He manages to forget about Louise for days at a time when the fridge is full of lamingtons.”

I was still giggling at that when we changed and got into the pool. After a few laps I started to relax and feel more like myself. Mrs. Gosford was coaching Brat on how to duck dive properly so I didn't have to watch him all the time. The pool was sparkling clean and cold and I felt the freshness washing all the unpleasantness of my day away.

I plaited my hair out of the way and settled to enjoyment. Julie's oldest one- piece costume was comfortable for serious swimming, and I beat her first up and then down the length of the pool. Julie swam well, but she didn't have her heart in it. Mrs. Gosford had been a professional swimmer and was really keen that her three kids did well at it, but Geordie was the only one who took the swimming seriously. Julie and her other brother Ian said swimming all the time was boring. I often wished my mother had concentrated on professional swimming instead of maths.

“You're beating me ‘cause you're wearing my old Speedos,” Julie accused as she bobbed up, clutching at the straps of her bikini. “I have to pull my top back on every second stroke.”

“Told you they were silly togs for proper swimming,” her mother called.

“My bikini hasn't got anything to do with my swimming ability,” Julie retorted. “Amanda's one of these instant winners. I can beat her over a distance.”

“Done,” I retorted.

It was a real endurance test. After a while I lost count of how many laps we had done. Julie was a lot better than me at long distance swimming. My arms and legs were aching the way they never did in the surf. Then there were splashes as two other swimmers joined us. I had to blink water out of my eyes as I waited for them to surface. It was Ian and Drew. Drew gave us his nice flashing smile. Julie shrieked as her brother dove for her legs and pulled her under. Drew just swam closer and said, “Hi.”

“You girls come on out and have some afternoon tea,” Mrs. Gosford called. “Let the boys have the pool to themselves for a while.”

Julie and I looked at each other and shrugged. We would have preferred to stay in the pool with the boys, but they didn't set up an outcry for us to stay, just trod water and waited. We both swam over to the steps and climbed out.

“I didn't know Ian was friendly with Drew,” I said to Mrs. Gosford after we had settled ourselves with hot coffee.

“They played a few tournaments together,” Mrs. Gosford said in her vague manner.

“Ah,” I said thoughtfully.

Ian played tennis with an obsessive devotion, and actually preferred playing tennis to swimming. He was always in tournaments. Drew Jamison must be a good player to get picked to play with him.

I decided I was pleased to be out of the pool and drinking something hot. It hadn‘t looked like I was going to win the endurance race with Julie, and I was shivering with cold. Brat padded inside for a towering tray of cakes, which Julie and I helped him eat.

After a while Geordie's van arrived home. Geordie grunted something in our direction, and then changed and dove into the pool to plough up and down like a machine, ignoring the other two boys. The light under the overhanging trees lessened and everything became shadowy. An early evening started to close in under the lowering grey clouds. It was really time for Brat and me to head homewards.

”I suppose we could have a barbecue,” Mrs. Gosford said. “Are you and Brett allowed to stay?”

“Mum's working late and we would love to,” I said gratefully.

“Amanda and I'll do the salads,” Julie offered. “Do you want us to light the barbie too?”

“The boys can do that when they come out of the water,” Mrs. Gosford decided. “Drew likes barbies, doesn't he?”

Julie and I waited in anxious silence. Mrs. Gosford called the invitation to Drew to stay for a barbie. Drew flicked his hair out of his eyes, trod water and called back his acceptance. Julie and I relaxed again. We were going to have Drew to ourselves for the evening.

I grinned at Julie. I had just had my two evening chores disposed of. I didn't have to cook dinner for Brat and his swim could double up as his evening bath. I remembered another bonus. I was going to have the chance to become better acquainted with Drew Jamison. My day which had started out so badly looked like ending on a real high.

Of course the drawback to all of my plans sat peacefully by the side of the pool eating his way through a towering pile of lamingtons. Once again I wondered at the thoughtlessness of my mother in producing Brat and wished I could wave a wand to dematerialize him or something.

After a while my mind started to move along more practical lines. Would Geordie have any DVDs Brat could be bribed into watching, while I concentrated on regaining my lost ground with Drew? This was another chance that had been handed to me on a plate and I wasn't going to muff it this time.