Keryn thought of herself as the most stupid person in existence. Why had she even thought about coming back? She knew nothing good could come of it and she had proven herself right. When she’d found out that Margo was lying, she imagined she would have a chance, as if everything neatly slipped back into place. But that chance had disappeared now.
Kayla was going to go nuts when she heard the full story. Keryn picked herself up off the
ground and with as much dignity as she could pull together she attempted to leave the
house with some of her pride intact.
“You know what, Charlie the lifeguard?”
“What, Kayla the student?”
“Don’t be so patronizing.”
“You asked for it.”
“Oh did I now? Well then I just wont tell you what I was going to tell you,” Charlie put down the wooden stirring spoon and gave Kayla an unimpressed stare.
“Okay fine then, seeing you are being kicked out of your flat for inappropriate behavior why don’t you live here, Kezza is leaving so why not?”
Charlie looked thoughtful.
“You mean you are asking someone you hardly know to move in with you even with the knowledge that he has been kicked out of his old place for random acts of badness?” “Badness? I would call it porno.”
“Porno?”
“Well being so loud at such acts for the neighbours to hear is like the soundtrack to a porno.”
“You didn’t meet my ex-girlfriend.”
“I don’t think I want to.”
“Anyways Kayla if you want me to I will... I need to live somewhere.”
“And I need to pay the bills. So I think that as long as we don’t have random badness we will be fine.”
“Totally.”
“Welcome to your new house Charlie, the lifeguard.”
“Welcome to the house of random badness Kayla the landlord.”
“Can I re-think the offer?”
“Nope... too late.”
“Kayla?”
“Fine, don’t give me time to say Hello.”
“I’m not in the mood Kayla.”
Catching on quickly Kayla was quick to calm her mood and listen to the outpour of grief she was almost certain would come.
“What happened?”
“The worst.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
“Keryn...”
“He went off at me cause I didn’t trust him.”
“Trust him... he has a baby on its way with Margo.”
“He doesn’t.”
“What?”
“Zac got it wrong.”
“And he blamed you for not trusting him... Oh Keryn I am so sorry, I was the messenger... Keryn. Jesus what can I say?”
“Its not your fault. It is just a mess-up.”
“But it’s fine now right?”
“Far from it, he left me when I went to speak to him and then I left the house.”
“And now?”
“And now I am packing, I’m on the next flight back to L.A and then tomorrow, Sydney.”
“You sure about this?”
“Beyond sure.”
“It was my fault, really.” Admitted Zac.
“She believed it.” Taylor pounced back.
“Why wouldn’t she? It was Zac and Kayla who broke the news... are you telling me that she double think everything they say to her?” Ike reasoned. Taylor sat for a second, and furrowed his brow.
“I don’t know.”
“Yeah... don’t we all.”
As the car rolled away Kayla clambered back into the town house and on every light possible and looked around for her Live from Albertane CD. Finding it she tossed it in the player and welcomed the screams. It was always a great album to listen to when things just weren’t quite right. Hearing the boys talked she smiled, they sounded so carefree, it had only been a year ago as well. Scary. They were so grown up now. So in control. Messing around in their cars. The baggy tops thrown out for the new tight numbers that made the girls scream even harder. It felt weird to know that Ike was hers. Especially since he was so far away. It annoyed her. She had her own ideas about flying to Tulsa but really it wasn’t possible. Someone had to look after the house. Maybe when Charlie moved in.
“Keryn. Don’t leave on bad terms. Sorry.”
She left the door open and began to pick up her backpack.
“Sure Taylor... aren’t you always? Heck, aren’t I always? Doesn’t that say something for the both of us?”
“Look what can I say... it was an awful situation... it was a mess I don’t know how I can dig myself out of this hole. I am so sorry it was a mistake. An awful one. I jumped to as many conclusions as you did. It was just a misunderstanding.”
“Just a misunderstanding? Jesus Taylor it was more than that. It was a sign. A sign to tell us that we are fooling ourselves and that this is all a joke. How can this possibly work? We cant even trust each other. I am being pathetic and traveling across the country just to see you or watch you. I am pathetic... I need to find myself Taylor. Understand who I am.”
“You watch too much Dawson’s.”
“This isn’t funny Taylor. This is the truth. This is real life and it’s happening and there is nothing you can do about it. Nothing.”
“So what are you trying to say?” He looked at her. The shimmer from the lamp was reflecting on her hair. It was shining through the frizzy bits that always escaped on a hot day.
“That we need a break and that for the moment I need so time and a lot of space.” “And Australia has all that space?” Taylor closed his eyes. Maybe he needed space as well.
“Australia has more than enough space.” Keryn winced as the words slipped from her mouth. There was no bone in her body telling her she was doing the right thing, she was just deliriously pointing her words at Taylor.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say bye Taylor.” Keryn winced again, hurt by her words.
She picked up her bags and Taylor just faintly registered a whiff of her perfume as she flew past.
“Bye Keryn.” He sighed and sat on the bed, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper from his
pocket and began to scribble on it.
“What the hell is all this junk?”
“Important FBI papers.”
“Honestly Charlie.”
“Probably books.”
“Well they weigh a ton so they better be important.”
“Even if they weren’t it wouldn’t stop me making you drag that lot up here. I must admit I’m finding this quite amusing.”
“Shut Up Charlie”
Kayla stopped halfway up the driveway, let the box she was dragging go and checked her watch.
“Oh geez, Charlie what am I going to say? I have to go, gotta go meet Keryn.”
Charlie raised his eyebrow in disbelief.
“No way, not four hours early.”
“Why not... I need to take a shower... grab a cup of coffee, reeeeellllax.”
Kayla began dusting her hand off on her jeans and walking into the house. Charlie followed her in disbelief.
“You promised you would help me move in. You said...”
“I helped... hehe... this is fun.”
“Kayla...”
“No Charlie, I have to go anyways, I’ll drag that one in then leave ya. I’ll help you with your room after Keryn leaves, okay?”
Seeing her obviously upset about Keryn’s departure Charlie caved.
“Okay... actually don’t worry about that last box, I’ll grab that while you have your shower.”
“Thanks Charlie”
“No problem.”
It seemed that just when things were getting back on track for Kayla her life fell down and vice-versa. Could they never be happy at the same time? They seemed cursed. Maybe this break from each other would be good. Give them time to have life without each other. Who am I kidding? thought Keryn. We do everything together, we wont survive without telling each other every bit of our lives.
Keryn slammed down the laptop in frustration. She wasn’t going to let Taylor break
her friendship with Kayla.
He heard the door slam and smiled. If this was his own flat he would be off to her room to check it out. But this was different. Kayla was different. She actually trusted him.
He went to the fridge pulled out a beer and sat on the sofa trying to chill out from all this moving crap. It was a hell job. As he sat on the sofa he stared at the photos that were plastered all over the room. Obvious pictures of Keryn and Kayla, them with the Hanson’s, who he was almost sick of hearing about; Dan, who he had also heard about in bits and pieces. Kayla never talked about him in long spurts but never the less, his photo hung along with the rest. There was a black and white collection of photos of the girls along the hallway taken when they were younger, early teens maybe swinging on some swings. They looked different. So different. Almost unrecognizable. The smile was more, well, real. As Charlie sat contemplating the phone rang.
“Charlie here.”
“Oh, Hi, I think I have the wrong number... I’m ringing for a Kayla.”
“Yeah, well she lives here but she’s out.”
“And you are?”
“Charlie. I live here.”
Isaac jolted with surprise at the other end of the phone.
“Live there?”
“Yeah... well as of tonight I will. And who are you?”
“Isaac.”
“Oh, Ike, heard about you. Sorry your girlfriend is out picking up Keryn, who by the way is crazy in grief.”
“Is she?”
“Yeah.”
“Look I hate to ask, but how do you know the girls?”
Now it was Charlie’s turn to feel confused. Kayla hadn’t told him?
“Kayla hasn’t told you?”
“No.”
“Well she has had a lot to deal with lately.”
“And their phone has been off the hook,” Ike cut in.
“And that. We meet at a coffee shop and Keryn’s moving to Sydney so she needed a new roommate.”
“Oh, Keryn’s going to Sydney?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Jesus!”
“Wow, hearing a Hanson swear... scary.”
“Well this sort of calls for it. How’s Kayla?”
“Okay, she isn’t really dealing with it yet.”
Isaac was feeling more and more out of place as the conversation went on.
“Oh, okay then.”
“Look Ike, nice to speak to you but really I have stuff to move into my room. Ring back tonight. I’m sure she’ll want to speak to you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Ike hung up and felt his insides collapse. She hadn’t told him. Why? Something was up. And this Charlie business was not sitting right in his mind. Something was definitely wrong.