Starfish Sisters (14 page)

Georgie spoke first. 'Did you find out what's wrong
with Micki's dad?'

'No,' I answered, 'but he's always in and out of
hospital.'

'He's got some sickness, hasn't he?'

'Something like that.' Georgie frowned at me. But
I didn't know. 'I've only met him a couple of times,' I
explained. 'And that was ages ago. I don't know much
about him.'

'But he's your dad's best friend.'

'Yeah, but Dad doesn't really talk about him. It's
Micki he mostly tells me about.'

'I just think it's a bit strange that you know virtually
nothing about your dad's best mate.'

'He does live five hours away,' I said. 'And I do know
Davo doesn't like having people to stay and he doesn't
like leaving home.'

'But you're always telling me your dad's going up
there to see him 'cause you hate it that he goes up there
so much.'

'Yeah, that's true.'

Again silence. I couldn't think of anything to stuff
it with. My mind was still going over the scout's
comments, tearing every line to pieces then studying it
from every angle.

'I, I' – carefully I began – 'I didn't think what they
said to Tahlia was that bad.'

'Are you kidding!' Georgie almost shouted. 'They
sucked.'

'Oh?' I stopped outside the newsagency. 'So you
think she got the worst report?'

'Her and Jaime, for sure,' Georgie said, pushing
open the door to the newsagency. 'How beautiful and
cool is it in here? Are you happy with what the scout
said?'

'Are you?'

'What? Happy with what she said to you or happy
with what she said to me? Which was about three
words in total.'

'Either,' I shrugged.

'I thought she was pretty nice to you.'

'When she finally remembered who I was,' I added.

'Don't worry about that.' Georgie rolled her eyeballs
and pulled her 'get over it' face. She so didn't understand
me. 'The only reason she knew me straight off
was because I was the one who couldn't handle their
nerves.'

'Yeah,' I said. 'What do you think that was about?'

Georgie went over to the card display. 'What was
what about?'

'You know.' I stood in front of the display shelf. 'The
way she was whispering behind her hand.'

Georgie gave me a gentle shove and started to flick
through the selection of birthday cards.

'Georgie?' I pressed.

'Huh?'

'What do you think the scout was saying to Jake?'

'Probably that I'm a big, fat loser,' she replied.

'I think they reserved that line for me.'

'What?' Georgie barked. 'You're sick in the head,
Kia.'

I made my throat gurgle a sound that resembled a
laugh. Then, like Georgie, I picked a card off the shelf
and buried my head in it.

'Look at this!' Trust Georgie to be reading the rude
ones. She held one up that was like a 'Where's Wally?'
but said 'Where's Dildo?'

'That is off!'

'What about "I've asked this naked guy to give you a
kiss"?'

'I don't think that's Micki somehow.'

Georgie started laughing as she passed me one that
had a ginormous naked man on it wearing a hat. It said
"Does this hat make me look fat?"

'Stop it.' Now I had the giggles. 'You're grossing me
out!'

'Maybe she'd like this?' Georgie chuckled. 'Didn't
Micki say she used to have guinea pigs?'

'Georgina Elwood Ross!' I wrestled that one out of
her hand and shoved it back into the stand. 'You are the
one who is sick in the head.'

Now we were killing ourselves. An old lady stacking
up the magazines gave us a greasy.

'Agghh!' I squealed as Georgie shoved another
guinea pig card in my face.

'Girls,' the old bag said, 'if you're not buying one
please move away from the display.'

'Hey, Kia?' Georgie's big wide eyes told me she was
up to something. 'Let's get a chocolate thickshake.'

'With double – no, triple ice-cream!' I schemed.

'Yeah!'

We settled for a really cute birthday card that had a
little cut-out crown and said 'Queen for a day'. We
agreed it was very Micki.

We sat outside the Coolina ice-cream parlour and
shared a double chocolate thickshake and an ice-cream
sundae with caramel sauce and nuts. It was awesome!

We didn't speak, apart from the odd grunt or one of
us mumbling through a mouthful, 'Swap,' then passing
the straw or the spoon, depending on whose turn it
was.

'Sorry I said that stuff to you last night, about Micki,'
Georgie began. 'But you must admit you haven't been
very . . . warm to her.'

'I know,' I admitted. 'I do feel bad about it. Honest.'

'So you're friends now?'

'Hey! Look.' I pointed to the back of a girl who was
running across the road with a guy. 'Is that Ace?'

'No,' Georgie replied, not even lifting her head from
the thickshake.

'I swear it is,' I said. 'Wasn't she wearing those
shorts?'

'No.'

'Stop feeding your face and have a look.'

Only Georgie's eyes moved. 'Ace's hair is longer.'

'Yeah, maybe.' I went back to the ice-cream. 'And
that girl's with a guy.'

Today I turned thirteen. It was exactly two weeks since
we'd arrived at camp. Only one week left and the days
seemed to be going faster and faster.

I lay in bed wondering if Dad remembered it was
my birthday. I'd only spoken to him once since he'd
been in hospital and he was pretty quiet. Not that I'd
expected him to be anything else. He was always quiet
after he'd busted.

When I was little and didn't really understand what
was going on with Dad, I used to think I'd made him
sad. I used to think that's why he'd stopped talking
and playing with me and went away to hospital or the
clinic, and I had to go to the neighbours.

Rosie, my counsellor, was the one who helped me
understand that it had nothing to do with me, that Dad
had an illness just like any other illness. It took me a
while to believe her but eventually I realised that what
she was saying was true. Also, it's what Reg used to say
and I knew he wouldn't lie to me.

There was another thing Rosie told me: 'When
your dad says that's the last time, that he's never
going to do it again, he does mean it at that moment.
He really does.'

'So why does he always do it again?' I asked.

'He can't help it,' Rosie answered.

'I won't do it again,' Kia whispered to me that night.
'I promise.'

But I knew better, and that was making it hard to
sleep at night.

Friday 19 January: My birfday!!! 13 – hip hip hooray.

2.21 am (so it's really Saturday the 20th) but who
cares!!!

Today was the best birthday eva, eva, eva. I
remember word for word what Georgie and Ace said.

'Happy birthday Micki,' Georgie waved from her bed.
'Welcome to teenage–dom.'

'Yeah, happy birthday,' Ace said to o. 'Fasten your
seatbelt, baby. Life begins at thirteen.'

'Good times,' Georgie sang.

'Good times,' Ace echoed.

Kia was off having a surf and the girls started
saying how she was disappointed with what the scouts
said about her performance. I wasn't really listening
coz I was wondering if Dad'd ring me today but then
I heard Georgie say 'I can tell when Kia's upset. She
goes . . .' Georgie looked like she was thinking for
the right word. 'Strange.'

'How do you mean, strange?' I made it sound like I
was just curious.

But then Georgie did a HUGE fart and we all
burst out laughing and Georgie started doing the worm
on the floor and acting like an idiot and I knew then
that Georgie definitely DIDN'T know about Kia.

The next thing that happened had to be the
BIGGEST HUGEST shock I've eva had. Ha ha!

Kia walked in with a pressie for meeeeeee.

'Happy birthday, Micki.' She actually smiled at me,
like genuinely smiled at me for the first time in
fourteen days.

I could see a tiny bit of black peeking out as I
unwrapped my present. What? My fingers felt rubbery
material. No, it couldn't be. Could it?

It was a FULLY SEALED WETSUIT.

AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH.

The second most wanted thing on my savings list.

I screamed sooooooo loud!

Then Kia said, 'I wanted you to have it. It's yours now.'

I hugged Kia. I just had to. Her back went all
stiff but that was okay.

When I walked into yoga all the girls started
singing 'Happy birthday to you.' Megan was the only one
to continue with the 'Why was she born so ugly, why
was she born at all?' song. That got Georgie calling,
'Hey, who's calling who ugly?' Megan yelled back, 'You
can talk, Princess Fiona!'

It went on and on until we were in stitches on
the floor and Shyan decided to make it a stretch
class as we were too 'excitable' for yoga.

I found myself sitting on the floor of the bathroom, hugging
my diary, laughing like it was all still happening.

But how that mood changed at breakfast-time when
the scouts walked into the dining room. I even forgot
about my birthday.

'What do you think they've got planned for us
today?' Kia whispered over the table.

'Yeah, white shorts has already got an evil look on
her face,' Megan spat.

'I bet I know what it'll be,' Ace told us. 'Tag teams.'

'But the surf 's crap,' Kia whined. 'As my dad'd say,
it's like my grandma's washing machine.'

I laughed 'cause that's what Reg said to me too. Kia
looked at me and smiled. She looked quite pretty when
she did that.

'So, Micki, did your oldies give you anything?'
Megan asked.

I was about to pipe up and say 'No' when Ace came
in with, 'She got a sealed wettie.'

'Good work,' Megan said. 'I surf in mine almost all
year round but then that's Tassie for you.'

'Kia gave it to me.'

'Are you kidding!' Megan bellowed. 'Do you know
how much they cost?'

The colour started rising in my cheeks. I was still in
shock that Kia had given it to me, though I was almost
sure I understood why.

But now something else was bothering me. Did Reg
know she'd given it to me? When he asked her to be
nice to me I don't think he meant to go that far.

'That is awesome, Kia. Wow! I think I'll work on
being better friends with you.' Megan was still raving.
'I wouldn't mind one of those boards Ace has got.
How much do they set you back, Ace, or does Ocean
Pearl just give them to you 'cause you flutter your
eyelashes?'

There was a touch of silence around the table and I
noticed Ace give Megan one of her 'drop dead' freeze-out
looks.

Ace ignored the comment and said, 'Actually,
Megan, Kia gave Micki her own wettie. Off her own
back.'

'Cool!' Megan bellowed again. 'But you're not going
out there in one of those trashy bikinis now, are you,
Kia? The real surfers don't do that, just the show
ponies.'

Now there was thunder-cracking silence at the table.

Ace stood up, collected her bowl and plate, and
walked away. A second later, Kia followed.

When I got back to the bungalow after breakfast there
seemed to be a bit of a commotion going on. Ace's
hands were flying all over the place as she spoke.
Georgie was half-dressed, sitting on her bed listening,
and Kia was standing there rocking back and forth on
the soles of her feet.

'It's the only way to get her back,' Ace was saying.
'Solidarity. The Starfish Sisters, hey?'

'I don't want to.' Kia's voice was soft. Probably
because her head was hanging so low it was almost
tucked up under her chin. 'I'm sorry, Ace.'

'Why don't you want to?' Ace replied. 'I mean, you
can't just say "I don't want to" without giving a
reason.'

'I said I'd wear one, and no one wants to see my tree
trunks,' Georgie piped up. 'C'mon, Kia. It's for Ace.'

'I mean, Micki'll wear one.' Ace turned to me. 'Won't
you, Micki?'

I wasn't quite sure what they were on about. 'Wear
what?'

'A bikini,' Ace said. 'For the tag team this morning.'

'Ace wants to shove it up Megan's you know what,'
Georgie told me.

'She deserves it too!' Ace spat. 'So will you wear one,
Micki?'

'Sure,' I replied.

Now Ace spun around to face Kia, who hadn't
moved. 'You have to wear one, Kia, or you'll let the side
down.'

Suddenly the picture was clear.

'Micki will be picked as team captain for sure, 'cause
she's the birthday girl and it's probably her turn
anyway. So Micki' – Ace was directing us like we were
about to go out and perform in the school play – 'you
say, "As it's my birthday could I pick the Starfish girls
for my team?" Then we'll all step up in bikinis, give
Megan the biggest greasy and go out there and turn
it up!'

'Go the Starfish Sisters!' Georgie whistled.

'Please, Kia?' Ace whined. 'Please say you'll do it.
Just for me. Pretty please? I'll give you my photo of
Tim. You know, the one I have in my wallet that you
really like.'

With each of Ace's words Kia's body seemed to
freeze even more, like a rabbit caught by its hunter. It
was horrible to watch and I knew I was the only one
who could see it.

'She can't,' I heard myself say. Kia's face jerked up
to look at mine. 'She can't wear a bikini today, Ace. Kia
has to wear her sealed wetsuit 'cause Reg, her dad, is
coming up this morning to wish me a happy birthday.'
The lie was spilling through my teeth faster than I
could control it. 'And he'll spew if he knows she's given
it to me and Megan's probably already blabbed to
everyone that she has. So, so – that's why Kia can't do
the bikini thing today.'

'Hey, I've got the best idea.' Thank goodness for
Georgie. 'Why doesn't Kia wear a bikini over her
wetsuit! That's really taking the piss out of Megan.'

'You must be really scared of your dad,' Ace said, taking
a photo of the three of us in bikinis and Kia wearing
one over the top of her wettie, 'because I cannot believe
you're doing this.'

'Well, there we go, Ace,' Georgie said. 'Kia has put
her reputation on the line. All for the sake of the
Starfish Sisters.'

Kia didn't say a thing. She'd hardly uttered a word
since she'd agreed to do it. She hadn't even mentioned
Ace's promise of giving her the photo of Tim from her
wallet.

I think what just happened had totally freaked
Kia out.

Apart from Megan, everyone started hooting and
whistling when they saw us coming down the beach.
Obviously, it was Kia who was the amusement.

'Good look, Kia,' Natasha called.

'What the hell, Kia?' Jaime clapped. 'Are you due for
a Brazilian?'

Kia laughed – we all laughed – but I couldn't help
notice Kia twist and bend her fingers as though they
weren't actually attached to her body.

'Do you like the tree trunks?' Georgie's hands
rubbed up and down her thighs. 'Who wants a feel?'

'Your psych-out trick's not working!' Megan
bellowed.

'You're brave girls wearing bikinis,' Taylor said.
'There's a big chance you'll lose your bottoms out there
today.'

'Oh, didn't you know, Taylor, we're just a dumb
bunch of show ponies?' Ace smirked in Megan's direction.
'Girls who wear bikinis can't actually surf.'

'I see.' Taylor nodded. 'Obviously there's a bit of
something going down here. If it makes you hungry, go
for it, Ace. You'll need all the help you can get out
there.'

'Girls, it's serious now. This is your last chance to
show the scouts what you can do. Focus, please,' Jake
told us. 'Our birthday girl has asked if she can captain
her Starfish team. So to make it easy I think you can
surf in your bungalow groups for this contest.'

'Great!' Ace jumped up and down. 'Go Team
Starfish!'

'Ace, I said focus, please.'

Ace rolled her eyes.

'Thank you,' Jake continued. 'You'll all be surfing
two twenty-minute heats. If you want to free surf in
between, that's fine but surfing near the competition
area will be instant disqualification, like in a real contest.'

'Is it individual or team scores?' Megan barked.

'I'm getting to that, Megan.' Jake was watching the
scouts come down the beach with Shyan. 'The scouts
will be concerned with your individual scores but
Shyan, Taylor and myself will be looking at teamwork
today. And by the way, we realised we haven't told you
yet that on the last day there's a trophy for the highest-scoring
team.'

I put up my hand. 'Will the points we get now as a
team count towards the trophy?'

'No, that's a completely separate competition on the
last day.'

'But our individual scores count today?'

'Yes,' answered Jake. 'Everything you do here
counts, Micki. Everything.'

The strange thing was, Jake didn't look at me when
he answered. He looked at Ace.

I was the captain so I was up first for Team Starfish. It
was shifty and bumpy and the take-off point was full of
seaweed. Paddling out was hard as it was closing out
top to bottom and I had to keep duck-diving. Each
time I emerged there was another piece of seaweed
wrapped around my leg-rope or sticking out of my
bikini bottoms. Taylor was right. Today, a bikini was
only going to add to the challenge.

Two high-scoring waves were what I needed in the
twenty minutes I was out here. The only problem was
that there wasn't a lot of choice.

Find the sucky wave
, I told myself.
That's your best
chance
.

There wasn't much time to collect my breath. A set
came rolling in that had the best shape I was likely to see.

I began paddling, but not hard enough, and blew
my take-off. Natasha was up, made a turn then was
face first into the mush and trapped on the inside.

Second attempt at the take-off and I was up. It was a
fun drop 'cause it really was like falling into the soapy,
churning suds of a washing machine.

I executed a bottom turn and even managed to
get back up near the lip, if that's what you'd call it,
although it looked more like a moustache today. Five
seconds later I was head first into the mush too.

Georgie did better than most of us. Patiently, she
waited for the right waves even if they did come at the
very last minute, which made the rest of Team Starfish
very jumpy.

'Go, Georgie!' Kia shouted.

'It's okay,' Ace said, even though she was pacing the
sand, 'she's being patient.'

'It's already past ten minutes into the heat,' Kia said,
and groaned. 'C'mon!'

'Hey, where's your dad?' Ace asked Kia. 'I haven't
spotted him yet.'

Again Georgie saved the day. At that exact second
she started paddling and was up.

'Yeah!' Ace jumped up and down. 'Show them what
you can do, Georgie! Go Team Starfish!'

The last few minutes of Georgie's session, Kia
shook her legs and arms then began to roll back and
forth, back and forth on the soles of her feet. She was
next.

Georgie came charging out of the surf. One arm
carried her board while the other held on to the bikini
top that was only just hanging in there.