Everything We Keep Di Walker (free ebook novel .txt) 📖

they stepped of the train at Sandy Vale station, Katherine and Celeste were both there, standing a few feet apart. Katherine had her hands clasped in front of her and as soon as she saw Agatha, smiled. Celeste was not so welcoming. With her arms folded, she glared at Agatha and then stepped forward to meet Tully.

‘I’m relieved to see that you are alright, that you’re safe,’ she said to Tully, holding out her hand to take Tully’s backpack. ‘I’m really, really disappointed Tully, but we’ll talk about it at home. Your father is waiting for us.’ She turned and walked past Katherine without a word, leaving Agatha and Katherine alone on the platform.

‘Well?’ asked Katherine. ‘How did it go?’

‘She looks mad. Mad at me,’ said Agatha, looking past Katherine to the empty doorway Tully and her mum had disappeared through.

‘Mad yes. At you and me. What about we go to that café next to the pier and have a bite to eat. You can tell me all about it.’

Agatha nodded. She wasn’t really feeling hungry, and despite feeling hot from the midday sun beating down on them, Agatha put her arm around Katherine’s waist as they walked from the station.

The midday Saturday traffic moved slowly along the main road, and it took a couple of laps of the car park near the pier before they found a spot. Once inside the café the cool air and the sight of freshly cooked burgers, soon made Agatha’s appetite return. They found a table near the window that gave them a view along the pier and out to the bay.

With a tall glass of iced water already half gone, and their order placed for lunch, Agatha told Katherine every detail of the trip. Katherine listened without interrupting.

When she was finished Agatha asked, ‘So what did Tully’s mum say? At the station?’

‘Well, she came to the house first, looking for Tully. She wasn’t happy about the two of you going, or with me for knowing about it and not telling her. She had tried to call Tully, but she didn’t answer.’

‘I told her to have her phone on silent. They scare Mum, mobile phones.’

‘Hmm, well, it didn’t help when Tully didn’t answer. She was really worried. I know I’m not a parent, but I know how she feels, when you’re out of contact with someone.’ Katherine looked out to the bay. After a moment, she took a deep breath and looked back at Agatha.

‘I think Tully’s in big trouble, and it’s all my fault,’ Agatha said.

‘Her mum said something about being grounded, but I think Tully will be okay. We’ll have to wait and see.’

‘Did she say anything about me?’

‘Yes. But it’s not . . . ’

‘Tell me, Katherine. I want to know.’ Agatha’s fingers moved slowly along the edge of the table, one hand in one direction and back then the other, in the opposite direction. Her eyes followed each hand. She repeated the motion over and over.

‘Agatha, I think you need to remember that . . . ’

‘Just tell me.’

‘She doesn’t want you and Tully to be friends. She thinks you’re a bad influence on her, that this trip you did today was all your idea, without you, Tully would never have done such a thing.’

‘Is that all?’

‘That’s the gist of it.’

Agatha’s hands stopped moving. She folded them on the table and looked at Katherine. ‘Is that what you think?’

Without hesitation Katherine replied, ‘No. Not even close to what I think.’

Agatha nodded and sat back in her chair. Before their conversation could continue their orders arrived.

‘Can I get you anything else?’ the waiter asked.

‘No thanks, we’re fine,’ Katherine replied.

The café was a buzz with the sound of people enjoying a Saturday lunch. Laughter wafted over the room, from various tables and food continued to stream out of the busy kitchen.

‘What happens next? What about school?’ Agatha asked.

‘Well, I think we should enjoy the rest of the weekend and see what happens.’

‘I don’t know if I can do that, enjoy the weekend.’

‘Sweetheart, sometimes you have no choice. You can’t change anything now.’

And that, Agatha thought, was the real problem. She could never change things, the things that really needed changing. She looked out to the bay, the blue summer’s sky and colourful wind surfers dotting the waters. She wished it was grey, bleak and raining, just like she felt inside.

33

Sunday started slowly. As usual, Katherine and Agatha had taken Chief down to the beach for his morning walk. Unlike Saturday mornings, the path, early on a Sunday was nearly deserted. There were a few morning joggers, the other regular morning dog walkers but it seemed like the rest of the suburb was having a sleep in.

The night before, Katherine and Agatha had ventured out to the cinema, and even though it was a comedy, and they had popcorn, Agatha found it hard to find enjoy herself. The face of Tully’s mother, glaring at her kept popping back into her mind. In the evening, Katherine’s mobile phone had rung couple of times, each time, Agatha thought it might be Tully, but it wasn’t.

With the cool morning breeze coming off the bay and Chief trotting along in front of them, Agatha wished that there was a way to stop Monday morning from arriving.

‘I don’t want to go to school tomorrow, Katherine,’ she said.

‘I know.’

‘Really . . . I don’t. Everyone will find out everything and it will be just like the last school.’

‘Phew! Can you smell that? Agatha must be here.’

‘Hey Agatha, why do you stink so much? Oh yeah, cos you live in a garbage can . . . ’

‘We don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, but I tell you what. If it does get like that, you just go straight to Mrs Sloane and tell her to call me. I’ll come straight away. Got it?’

Agatha walked on beside Katherine, watching Chief zig zag across the path, from one interesting smell to another. The sun was now above the