Ramona the cupcake as the second bell rang, then grabbed her free hand as they rushed toward the main school building.
“I can’t believe you got molested,” Kirsty said as she stopped in front of her locker, out of breath. “I feel so bad for you.”
“Thanks.” Ramona spun the dial on her combination lock. She felt so happy she didn’t even care that she was on her way to a double period of maths.
—
Dowling Boys finished fifteen minutes after Kenley, so Ramona was waiting out front when the guys started coming through the gates. Adil kissed her on the cheek when he found her.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey. Hey Jules.” She reached over and gave Adil’s best friend an awkward hug, one arm around the back of his neck. He was red-faced when she pulled away.
“Miss MacKenzie,” he said. “What are you doing here? Didn’t know you were moonlighting as a safety monitor.”
“Yeah, LOLsies,” she said. Jules could be a smartass but, Ramona had noticed, he never looked her in the eyes when he spoke to her.
“Should we go?” Adil put an arm around her, and the three of them headed to the station.
On the train, the guys talked about something that had happened at school. A substitute teacher had told the class about a brief stint he’d done in a Malaysian jail for drug possession. He’d ignored the teacher’s lesson plan and answered their questions for the entire period.
“He didn’t even ask us not to tell the principal or the other teachers or anything,” Jules said. “Some people have a death wish, I guess.”
Adil shrugged. “Maybe he just trusts us.”
Jules got off at Clifton Hill, and Ramona and Adil rode on together.
“How was your day?” he asked as they stepped onto the platform at Northcote. “Anything special happen?”
“Nothing at all.” She shook her head. “Same old same as.”
—
His mum was in the living room, spoon-feeding baby Zahra, when they came in.
“Hey, guys.” She smiled up at them. “Please don’t tell me you’re hungry. All I’ve got in the fridge is baby food and baby formula. Don’s gonna do a shop on his way home.”
“I’m fine,” Ramona told her, stroking baby Zahra’s head. It felt like a warm coconut.
“Me too,” Adil said.
“You’re never not hungry.” His mum laughed. “Take heed, Ramona. He has two settings: starving and ravenous. Just pray he’s grown out of this stage before you two get married.”
“Umi!” he said. “You’re gonna scare her off. It was hard enough just getting her number.”
Ramona smiled at Adil’s mum, then followed him to his room. Once inside, she closed the door, raised her hands up to his shoulders, and pushed him against the wall, standing on tiptoe until she could reach his mouth with hers.
“Geez, girl,” he said. “You gonna at least let me get my jacket off first?” He pulled it off and they lay down. Adil had a double bed—Ramona still had her old single—and she loved the feeling of being able to open her legs and still have both feet on the mattress.
Adil was her second boyfriend, and not as big as her first. They’d been sleeping together for a month now but she still wasn’t used to the difference. She lay there, arched her back, and concentrated on his scent. He worked weekends boxing pastries at his uncle’s bakery, and she could swear he smelled like cinnamon all through the week.
“Oh God,” she whispered after a few minutes. “I love that.”
“Wait. Wait.” He stopped moving and closed his eyes in concentration. She held herself as still as she could. A slick of his hair was stuck to his forehead and she brushed it aside with a finger. “Wait,” he said. She pulled her hand away. After another minute he opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
He leaned his forearms on either side of her head and started to move again. “Can you say something?” Ramona whispered.
“Like what?”
“I dunno. Something sexy.”
“You’re so sexy and beautiful,” he
“I can’t believe you got molested,” Kirsty said as she stopped in front of her locker, out of breath. “I feel so bad for you.”
“Thanks.” Ramona spun the dial on her combination lock. She felt so happy she didn’t even care that she was on her way to a double period of maths.
—
Dowling Boys finished fifteen minutes after Kenley, so Ramona was waiting out front when the guys started coming through the gates. Adil kissed her on the cheek when he found her.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey. Hey Jules.” She reached over and gave Adil’s best friend an awkward hug, one arm around the back of his neck. He was red-faced when she pulled away.
“Miss MacKenzie,” he said. “What are you doing here? Didn’t know you were moonlighting as a safety monitor.”
“Yeah, LOLsies,” she said. Jules could be a smartass but, Ramona had noticed, he never looked her in the eyes when he spoke to her.
“Should we go?” Adil put an arm around her, and the three of them headed to the station.
On the train, the guys talked about something that had happened at school. A substitute teacher had told the class about a brief stint he’d done in a Malaysian jail for drug possession. He’d ignored the teacher’s lesson plan and answered their questions for the entire period.
“He didn’t even ask us not to tell the principal or the other teachers or anything,” Jules said. “Some people have a death wish, I guess.”
Adil shrugged. “Maybe he just trusts us.”
Jules got off at Clifton Hill, and Ramona and Adil rode on together.
“How was your day?” he asked as they stepped onto the platform at Northcote. “Anything special happen?”
“Nothing at all.” She shook her head. “Same old same as.”
—
His mum was in the living room, spoon-feeding baby Zahra, when they came in.
“Hey, guys.” She smiled up at them. “Please don’t tell me you’re hungry. All I’ve got in the fridge is baby food and baby formula. Don’s gonna do a shop on his way home.”
“I’m fine,” Ramona told her, stroking baby Zahra’s head. It felt like a warm coconut.
“Me too,” Adil said.
“You’re never not hungry.” His mum laughed. “Take heed, Ramona. He has two settings: starving and ravenous. Just pray he’s grown out of this stage before you two get married.”
“Umi!” he said. “You’re gonna scare her off. It was hard enough just getting her number.”
Ramona smiled at Adil’s mum, then followed him to his room. Once inside, she closed the door, raised her hands up to his shoulders, and pushed him against the wall, standing on tiptoe until she could reach his mouth with hers.
“Geez, girl,” he said. “You gonna at least let me get my jacket off first?” He pulled it off and they lay down. Adil had a double bed—Ramona still had her old single—and she loved the feeling of being able to open her legs and still have both feet on the mattress.
Adil was her second boyfriend, and not as big as her first. They’d been sleeping together for a month now but she still wasn’t used to the difference. She lay there, arched her back, and concentrated on his scent. He worked weekends boxing pastries at his uncle’s bakery, and she could swear he smelled like cinnamon all through the week.
“Oh God,” she whispered after a few minutes. “I love that.”
“Wait. Wait.” He stopped moving and closed his eyes in concentration. She held herself as still as she could. A slick of his hair was stuck to his forehead and she brushed it aside with a finger. “Wait,” he said. She pulled her hand away. After another minute he opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”
He leaned his forearms on either side of her head and started to move again. “Can you say something?” Ramona whispered.
“Like what?”
“I dunno. Something sexy.”
“You’re so sexy and beautiful,” he
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