Darkhaven

The last week of any term in school had always felt pointless, with assessments done and teachers grumbling about being babysitters. The final weeks of Year 12 were pretty much the same, except for a charged current of tension about the impending exams. Those who didn’t care how their ATAR went could taste the freedom after twelve years of formal education and their brains had already checked out. The students who were deeply invested in exam scores were frustrated with pointless lessons that took up valuable revision time. And then there were a few like me, too distracted by other things to be in either camp.

Regardless, no one wanted to be in fifth-period English on our final Friday afternoon. I absently scratched my fingernail at a chip in the desk surface as I re-read Witches Abroad. Cecelia and I had finished the classwork – in pairs, analyse and discuss one of the poems that might come up in mock exams – and she’d moved on to her chemistry notes. In front of us, Michaela had a stack of books from her philosophy class. Mrs Johnsen was in her usual position, reading a novel at her desk. I had the distinct impression that the teacher had set a talkative group activity so she wouldn’t have to worry about keeping the class quiet. Todd and Martin were engaged in a lively discussion about a photo of a nude woman that one of them had stuffed into their poetry book. Two girls sitting behind them, Leila and Samantha, had seen it too, and noticed that the woman was touching herself. Samantha’s obnoxious cackle burst across the room, and I scowled in her direction.

‘She’s quite hot,’ Todd was saying. ‘I’d do her.’

Leila scoffed. ‘She’d want a man with experience. She can probably show herself a better time in five minutes than you could in a night.’

Martin sniggered. ‘I bet she’d take it up the –’

At that moment, Samantha caught my scowl. ‘Hey Gabby!’ she called, cutting Martin off. ‘Do you masturbate?’

The whole class fell silent. I stared at her, my face burning, wishing that one of the powers granted to Eventers was the ability to turn back time, or at least skip past the mortifying parts. Even Cecelia had looked up to see what had happened. I didn’t know how to answer. If I said no, they’d assume I was lying and taunt me, and if I said yes, they’d tease me for the rest of the lesson, which still had a good forty minutes left. I teetered in the lose-lose scenario. ‘I don’t know,’ I said, sinking lower in my chair as if it could hide me.

Samantha hooted.

‘What, you don’t know if you’re doing it right?’ Leila asked, voice dripping with sweet sarcasm.

The whole class burst out laughing. Mrs Johnsen finally looked up. While my face burned hotter than a lightning bolt, she set her book aside and stood, placing her hands on her desk.

‘Does someone have a question for me?’ she asked. She didn’t need an obnoxious voice for it to command the whole room. Her eyes darted around, seeking a guilty student to pin with their power.

Todd, fool that he was, rose to the challenge. ‘Yeah, miss. Do you masturbate?’

Mrs Johnsen stared at him, unflinching. ‘Yes.’

The class was shocked for just a moment, either unable to decide if she meant it, or not wanting to picture their teacher pleasuring herself. But Martin wouldn’t be outdone for idiot of the year. ‘Miss, I’ve got one too,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you wear a bra?’

Mrs Johnsen released Todd and fixed her gaze on Martin. Then she shrugged. ‘Because they restrict lymphatic flow.’

The class tittered. Mrs Johnsen straightened up. ‘You must all be done with your poetry discussions if you have moved on to other topics. Leila, please share what you and Samantha talked about.’

‘Ah, I, umm…’ Leila’s smirk faded.

‘Perhaps Samantha can remember more of your conversation.’ The teacher’s voice was ice-sharp.

Samantha shifted in her chair. ‘We were discussing something else, miss.’ She couldn’t contain her snicker as she flashed a glance at me.

‘I see.’ Mrs Johnsen peered around at everyone, taking in Cecelia’s chemistry notes, Michaela’s philosophy essay, Todd’s pornography, my lack of schoolwork altogether and every other offence to her final class with us. An evil gleam suffused her face. ‘There is a new assignment for you all. You have half an hour to write a five-hundred-word essay analysing a poem of your choice from the reading list. It is worth ten per cent of your mark. You will hand your essays to me at the end of class. Make sure your handwriting is legible.’

The class erupted in groans and complaints.

‘Your time starts now.’ Mrs Johnsen said, as if that would prompt everyone to work. The indignation only grew louder.

‘But miss, you can’t do that.’

‘I can’t write that many words!’

‘You can’t change the marks now! Can you?’

‘You can’t DO that!’

‘Do I have to count them?’

Mrs Johnsen’s eyes glittered and the outbursts trailed off. ‘Now,’ she said, sitting back at her desk and picking up her book, ’there will be silence.′

Except for the furious shuffling of pages and scratching of pens, there was.

***

Nancy did create a Milo cake, throwing a dinner party for me that evening. Alex even broke his health nut regime to sample the cake before he had to leave for the airport. Cecelia stopped studying for a solid three hours, Zenna made a chirpy appearance and Fiona recited her entire book report on the collected works of Elyne Mitchell to me.

Apart from not having heard from Keraun for almost two weeks – I’d wanted to invite him, just to see how he responded – the party was great until Dad arrived. He’d planned to pick me up, and it should have been fine, but Alex was late leaving, and they ran into each other at the door. I hadn’t noticed until my sharpened hearing picked up angry voices. I ventured down the hall, not really wanting to get involved, but also not wanting them to spoil the night for everyone else.

’…back off.′ Alex’s voice was a low growl.

I paused, hidden in the shadows.

‘She’s fine, Alex,’ Dad said. ‘Perhaps you’re the one who needs to back off.’

‘She’s my niece! Too many kids break in this system, and I won’t let it happen to her.’

‘I know you have issues, Alex.’

‘This isn’t about me.’

A pause. ‘Is it about Toby?’

I’d never heard of any Toby. I crept close enough to see them, shadowed silhouettes squared off against each other on the porch.

Alex sagged. ‘He was too young.’

Dad reached out and squeezed Alex’s shoulder. After a moment, Alex leaned against his brother. Dad patted his back.

‘We shouldn’t have done it,’ Alex muttered, his voice rough.

Dad stiffened and pulled away, holding Alex by the shoulders in front of him. ‘Done what?’

‘The program.’

Dad reached for his briefcase. My ears prickled. “Program” couldn’t be the Praegressus, surely – Dad had said Alex wasn’t involved…

‘The curriculum they put these kids through is too much,’ Alex continued. ‘Children need time to play and’ – he heaved a breath – ‘be kids.’

Dad’s posture relaxed. ‘Don’t worry, Alex. I’m looking out for her.’

‘Are you sure? Because –’

‘Stop questioning me!’ Dad snarled. Alex shrank back. Even I started at his tone.

‘You’ll be late for your flight,’ Dad added, turning to the door.

I scurried back to help clean up the kitchen before he spotted me, wondering what had him so on edge.

***

With school over, exams pressed with increasing weight, building o the horizon like tomorrow’s thunderstorm. I had no time to think about the strange argument between Dad and Alex. It was Saturday morning, one week before mocks and less than eight weeks until ATAR. Cecelia was studying and Zenna had a driving lesson, so we’d postponed our milkshakes at the Shack. I resigned myself to the fact that the only way I had any hope of passing Economics was if I put in some serious reading and just tried to commit as much to memory as possible. I settled onto my bed at Dad’s with my textbook open in front of me.

My phone rang. I glanced over, thinking maybe Cecelia had an English question. It was Keraun. My stomach fluttered, although that could have been the leftover Milo cake I’d had for breakfast.

‘Hey,’ I said.

‘Hey.’

I broke the silence. ‘What’s up?’

‘I, ah, have to go out of town for a bit.’

‘Okay.’

‘I thought I should tell you.’

That was odd. We didn’t owe each other anything. But somehow, I was glad he had called. God, or rather Husa, forbid I should miss him randomly showing up in the library or at my house. ‘Thanks,’ I replied.

‘Sure.’

I broke the silence again. ‘Where are you going?’

‘There’s a weather anomaly happening in Europe that I have to sort out. My system seems to have broken down there. All that carbon dioxide.’

‘I don’t recall you driving a hybrid.’

I could hear his grin over the phone. ‘Maybe I’ll get one of those next.’

‘When…’ I began, then stopped. Was it presumptuous to think he was coming back? For me? He must have things happening all over the world. Or the universe.

He pulled the words from my head anyway. ‘I’ll be back soon. Good luck with the exams.’

‘Ugh.’

‘Well, buckle down, or whatever it is you say, and I’ll be back to help you celebrate when you’re done. Assuming you pass,’ he added. I could almost hear the cheeky grin.

‘I will definitely pass,’ I replied, with more confidence than I felt. ‘Well, probably.’

There was a more comfortable pause.

‘Gabby, how are you going with your decision? About Darkhaven?’

Terrible. Anguished. No idea what I was going to do. Steal his spaceship or whatever it was and fly away. ‘Fine.’

‘Liar.’

I sighed. No point arguing.

‘You’ll figure it out,’ he said.

‘Helpful,’ I replied, with only a hint of sarcasm.

‘Sorry, I have to go,’ he said suddenly. ‘I’ll see you later, Gabby.’

‘Yeah. See you,’ I said, feeling a pang of something I’d only ever experienced reading books. The phone beeped, and he was gone. The sensible part of me suggested I get on with my studying, forget all about Keraun and assume he wasn’t likely to land in Perth again, since he’d probably forget about me. The less sensible part started imagining what kind of weather anomaly I could create to bring him back and how I could perhaps answer all my life questions by dedicating a career to such an experiment.

I ended up in the pantry looking for chocolate.