Dare You Part 26

We were Khaden, Ruby and Sas.

Khaden *Left here,' said Khaden, turning down the side street that led to the main road.

Sas groaned.

*What's up?' asked Ruby.

She screwed up her face. *There's a queue. I hate queues more than anything.'

*More than The Fink?' asked Ruby.

*And Lyndal?' asked Khaden.

*Okay, so I don't hate them. Queues annoy me about as much as Dad.'

Khaden stood closer to her. She'd dropped enough hints that things weren't great with her dad, but it was the first time she'd come out and said it.

*Sas, is everything okay?' asked Ruby. *I don't mean to, you know ... I just...'

Sas's deep breath was loud and long. She stopped walking. *He has a new partner. It's ... complicated.'

Words tumbled from Ruby's mouth in a rush. *Don't I know it. Fathers are worse than complicated, mine is a complete idiot.'

Ruby looked freer, happier than she had in ages. Khaden glanced at Sas. Her face grew dark.

*I mean, at least yours are divorced, that's got to make it easier,' continued Ruby, without noticing the change in Sas's mood. *My dad has been-'

Sas cut her off. *Where are we meeting Taj?' she asked, her voice flat.

The lightness in Ruby's expression disappeared. She fiddled with her cardigan b.u.t.ton.

*I have to text him when we arrive.' Khaden crossed the road a couple of steps ahead of the silent girls.

Khaden just wanted to chill and enjoy the band, not referee their catfights. If they fought or became compet.i.tive tonight, he'd lose it at both of them, for sure.

Ruby What had I been thinking? For the few seconds I'd teetered on the edge of spilling my guts to them, I felt so light, but while I was pouring out my horrible secret, all Sas was worried about was where to meet Taj. I was over being laughed at, pushed around and ignored.

Sas fell in step with Khaden and their hands, hanging by their sides, brushed. Instead of pulling away like I did if I accidentally touched Khaden, Sas left her hand where it was. A chill slithered down my arms to my fingertips. They weren't even pretending any more.

They could stick their hints! No way was I coming out and asking what was going on.

*Hey, Khade.' I forced myself to sound light and bright. *Cool shoes-they new?'

*Yeah.' His voice was a little softer than before. *Sas helped me choose them.'

*Good choice, Sas.'

Sas just nodded.

As we drew close, I checked out The Bas.e.m.e.nt. Two bouncers the size of rugby players stood in front of the door, arms crossed, faces stern behind identical black sungla.s.ses. The queue, which snaked along the footpath and past the bottle shop, was full of people way older than us.

*May as well queue while we wait for Taj,' said Khaden. He took his phone from his pocket and sent a text.

Sas and Khaden strolled the length of the queue. I slunk behind them, feeling small under the stares.

*What the h.e.l.l?' said a gruff voice. *Someone left the kindy gates open.'

Other harsh voices buffeted us. The laughter was loud and grating.

*Go home to Mummy, kiddies,' crowed a voice.

I lowered my head further. Sas and Khaden didn't seem worried by the heckling or laughter.

*If I wanted to hang out with little kids, I'd have gone to a Hi5 concert.' This voice was slurred.

I lifted my head and glared. A girl shorter than me, wearing a striped T-shirt, fedora hat and mini skirt, leered. Equally cool people in dark skinny legs and T-shirts surrounded her.

*Problem, Princess?' she said, looking me up and down.

My laugh was more a scoff. *Are you asking me a question or introducing yourself?'

A couple of her friends laughed.

Sas, Khaden and I stood behind her in the queue. She stepped away from the brick wall and onto the footpath.

*This isn't play school.'

*Ignore her,' said Khaden.

*Like Ruby will take her on,' said Sas, leaning against the wall.

Ears buzzing, I faced the girl, hands on my hips. *What is your problem?'

The fedora girl grimaced. *My problem is you under-age tools.'

*Didn't know it was a gig for only old tools.'

Khaden groaned. *Leave it, Ruby.'

Sas clapped. *Go Ruby.'

The girl's eyes were so narrow they looked like black lines. *Watch your smart mouth.'

A guy wearing a grey cardigan and white T-shirt pulled her back into the queue. Whatever he said to her made her laugh. She looked over her shoulder at me, shaking her head. I swear she mouthed s.k.a.n.k at me.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

*Oi, Khade,' bellowed Taj from the corner. *What are you doing in the queue?' He beckoned us forward. *It's all squared with Mal and Deck. Come in.'

I frowned. *Who are Mal and Deck?'

*The bouncers,' said Khaden. *Let's go.'

A rumble rolled through the queuers around us.

*You're kidding,' said fedora girl.

*Hey! No queue jumping,' growled the guy in the grey cardigan.

I nodded at Taj. *We kiddies are with the band.' I pulled my sweetest smile. *See you in there.'

Fedora girl lunged forward and pushed me. After all the stuff from the last few months-Dad, Khaden and Sas, Mojo's death-I wasn't putting up with this. My body swelled. I was strong, unbeatable, and so b.l.o.o.d.y angry.

The girl stood toe to toe with me. *Get back in line.'

I shoved her as hard as I could, the smack of my hands against her arms, loud.

Fedora righted herself and slapped me across the face.

Bright sparks of pain exploded in my cheek and jaw. I staggered, hand to my face. Tears stung my eyes.

*Not such a smart a.r.s.e now, are we, kitty cat?' She leered.

*p.i.s.s off, loser' I said, blinking away the tears.

She raised her hand to strike me, but I was faster and blocked it with my arm.

A deeper rumble pa.s.sed through the crowd. People surged around us. Movement and noise pressed against my skin.

A tangle of arms wrapped around me. I elbowed fedora girl hard and air rushed from her with an ooooof. She grabbed my hair and pulled. I screamed. Hands around my waist dragged me backwards and a gap in the crowd opened up.

*Enough,' yelled Khaden, standing between fedora girl and me, his arms outstretched like a boxing referee.

*This has nothing to do with you,' snarled the girl.

*Look, I'm sorry about the queue thing.' Khaden sounded so calm and reasonable. *My brother's mixing and-'

*I don't give a s.h.i.t.' She pushed Khaden aside. He cannoned into her mates, who pushed him back towards us.

Sas yelled, *Stop it!'

The circle of bodies closed in on us, herding Khaden, fedora girl and me closer together.

Fedora girl's lip twisted. She reached behind her back and lunged at me.

Khaden stepped between us.

Fedora girl kept coming. She thrust out her arm.

A glint of silver.

A scream.

*Knife!'

The crush of bodies eased back.

I tumbled to the ground. Khaden landed beside me, curled into a ball.

*Khaden?' I crawled towards him.

He clutched his chest, face twisted in pain. *She punched me,' he gasped. *Hurts. Bad.'

I eased his hands away from his body. A dark stain spread across his white Ramones T-shirt.

My skin turned icy. *Khaden!' I fumbled in my bag for my phone and dialed 000.

Khaden Khaden moaned and fought to catch his breath.

Ruby's face floated in front of him.

*Hurts. Bad.'

She lifted his hands and howled.

Khaden grimaced. Not another Ramones T-shirt ruined.

Sas, Taj and the bigger bouncer, Deck, were kneeling beside him.

Hands rolled him onto his back, sparking fresh waves of pain.

Deck pressed his hand below Khaden's ribs, where it hurt. Khaden gasped and tried to push Deck away, but Deck pressed harder and spoke slow, gentle words.

*I know it hurts mate, but it'll stop the bleeding.

Bleeding? What bleeding?

Deck pressed harder.

Khaden was too tired to fight. Everything was distorted and fuzzy.

Ruby In the hospital waiting room, I paced, sat on the vinyl chair, then paced again. Sas, and Taj had gone through swinging doors with a nurse ages ago. A different nurse had taken Mike through the same doors when he arrived. Lou had run in, her hair wild and slippers on her feet. Another nurse had whisked her away.

There were people in the waiting room, but I was too wound up to notice them. When Mum rushed in, it was like she snapped me back to reality. The room was brighter, people spoke in hushed voices, the air conditioner hummed and a cop show played on the TV on the wall.

*Ruby!' Mum knelt in front of the chair I'd collapsed in and held my hands. Tears filled her red eyes.

My throat was tight, as if someone was trying to choke me. *Khaden...'