Music From Standing Waves by Johanna Craven

rock
pool with a guy named Tasso. Isn’t that a funny name? I think he
was Greek or something. Maybe Spanish. I don’t know. Anyway, he was
very well endowed. Made my eyes water.”
    I knew late night swims would never be the
same again. I flung open the car door before it had stopped
moving.
    “Thanks for the lift,” I mumbled, stepping
out into the rain.
    “You’re welcome, sweetie. Don’t forget your
dress.”
     
    I wished I had been more selective about my
boring A-line, first-thing-that-fitted dress when Justin’s
glamorous Mia swanned onto the dance floor in a strapless silk gown
and pearl tiara.
    “I think she looks way too glitzy,” Rachel
offered as we waited at the back of the hall to be presented. The
festy redhead smacked out a few chords on the piano. “You look much
nicer. Plain and simple.” She squinted. “Besides, you couldn’t wear
a dress like that. You don’t have the tits to hold it up.”
    I could see Justin’s parents sitting on a
table with Simon’s family. When they had been asked to fill out a
seating preference form, my mum had written prefer to sit with
strangers and they had ended up on a table with a guy from the
prawn fishing fleet whose son was in year twelve.
    Sarah was watching with a forced smile, eyes
directed straight ahead to avoid exchanging glances with the people
she knew. Dad was beaming and holding his camera at the ready under
a big sign reading no flash photography, while Tim picked
wax off a candle in the centre of the table. Sarah had yelled at
Nick for not coming, despite his promise to grace the post-ball
piss-up.
    “I expected more from you,” she said. “This
is a big deal for your sister.”
    I replied that it wasn’t and Sarah had
proceeded to yell at both of us. I decided nothing good could come
of a day that had begun by poking myself in the eye with a mascara
brush.
     
    After the presentations, I plonked myself at
Andrew’s table. Hayley had drunk too much champagne and was
reciting the voice-over from Thriller .
    “Shh Hayles, that’ll do,” Andrew kept saying.
“So who pissed you off, Abs?” he asked. “You’ve got a face like a
busted arse.”
    I glanced across the room at Mia.
    Hayley dived across Andrew’s lap and grabbed
my elbow. “That Simon guy is hot like a fox!” she said. “You should
go for it!”
    On the other side of the dance floor, Simon
was hamming it up to a group of giggling year ten girls with a
spinning rendition of the YMCA . I felt a tap on my
shoulder.
    “Hey,” said Justin. He was buttoned into his
tuxedo jacket and waistcoat, a dark blue cravat at his neck.
    My voice came out brassy. “Hi.”
    He flashed me a smile so casual that I felt
for a second we could be at the rock pool in our bathers. “So I
think I owe you a dance,” he said. “If you still want one.”
    I hesitated. I ached to turn him down, to
watch him walk alone back across the hall. He offered me his hand.
“Okay,” I squeaked, placing my palm inside his. He squeezed my
fingers and led me onto the dance floor. The band launched into a
cringe-worthy Love Shack . Justin pulled me closer to speak
in my ear.
    “You look beautiful.” He caught my eye and I
felt myself blushing.
    “So does Mia,” I mumbled. Justin looked taken
aback for a second. He glanced down.
    “Are you having a good night?” I asked
hurriedly.
    “Yeah,” he said. “I’m having a good night.
What about you?” He paused. “How’s Simon?”
    “Simon’s great,” I yelled over the music.
“Really great… And he’s hot like a fox…”
    Justin hesitated. “Good.” He swung my hands
in his. “Listen Abby, I’m really sorry. I didn’t forget about that
promise we made. I just didn’t think that you… Anyway, I’m glad
you’re having fun.”
    “Of course I’m having fun,” I snapped,
instantly regretting my sharpness. Justin dropped my hands and our
eyes met for a second.
    “Are you going to the after party?” he
asked.
    “Are you?”
    “Of