eighteenth, I might have trouble not having a drink. All I'm asking is that if you do, Anna comes home in a taxi.'
'I'll take care of her.'
I don't believe this. What am I, some Jane Austen heroine to be handed over from father to prospective husband? 'Would someone around here give me a little credit for taking care of myself?'
'Of course we do,' chorus the three liars.
I calm down when I'm in the car. No collar, no stick, a boyfriend and a partyâtonight I'm nothing but Anna, a normal seventeen-year-old, and I'm going to have normal seventeen-year-old fun. Hayden even decides against explaining why my parents worry about me and starts to relax. He and Mark have been working all day, cleaning out the garage. 'It looks really good,' he says modestly, 'and the band's unbelievable. It's going to be a great night.'
A few people are there already; I give Mark a birthday kiss and present; he tells me I look fantastic and a look that says he means it. I start to believe Hayden: it's going to be a great night. Someone I don't know is coming up to Mark now; Hayden's organising drinks, but Jess from karate has just arrived and I'm really glad to see her, it's been ages. I have to sit down. I find a chair as she comes over.
'I wondered if you'd be here! So are all you better now?'
'Nearly.'
'I heard you were giving up karate.'
'News to me!'
'So why did Hayden quit? I'd heard it was because of you.'
'You heard wrong. I'll be back in a couple of months; Hayden's a big boyâhe can make up his own mind.'
'Heyâdid you really break your neck?'
'Really,' I mimic.
'Jeezâyou sure were lucky!'
She's bored now; looking around for someone more interesting to talk to. I shouldn't have been such a bitchâI'm not ready to stand up yet. I'll look like an idiot sitting here on my own.
'Have you been to any tournaments lately?' I ask desperately. 'You were doing really well with kata, last time I saw you.'
'Yeah . . . Oh look, there's Dave! Catch you later!'
Hayden runs out from behind the bar to bring me a lemon squash. 'Having a good time?'
'I'd rather have a beer. Are you going to be bartender all night?' (God! I sound so peevish! Try again.) 'You did a great job on the shed.'
'Thanks. Pasquali's taking over the bar at nine. Here's the band! I was beginning to think they'd got lost.' He rushes over to them and starts lugging black boxes down to the end of the shed.
Legs are working again; there's Jodie; Jodie and Paul, we went to primary school together; go over and see them.
'Anna! Haven't seen you for ages; what've you been up to?'
'Nothing much.' (They don't know! I thought the whole world knew about Anna Duncan's accident. I feel so free!)
'What about you?'
Jodie grins, swinging Paul's hand. 'That'd be telling.'
'I'll get us a drink,' Paul says. 'You want one, Anna?'
'I'd love a beer.' I'm going to have to sit down again before I fall; try and look casual, 'Might as well have a seat, it'll be a while before the band's ready.'
Jodie's wearing white jeans; she glances at the concrete floor. 'No thanks.' Her eyes are already flicking around the room to see who else she knows. Paul arrives with three beers. The band plugs in the amplifier; an electronic screech spears through my head as I reach for my glass and I tip over like a wobbly-doll, pouring beer all over my shirt.
Jodie giggles. 'How much did you have before we got here?'
They wander off. So do I, once my balance trickles backâoutside, behind the shed, where I can hide and wring out my sleeve. I'm leaning against the wall crying when Hayden finds me. He puts his arms around me. 'You okay?'
Better now that I'm with him. I press myself against his chest.
'Shit, you're soaked! What happened?'
'It's okay; I just spilled something.'
'We'll see if you can borrow a jumper from Mark's mum.'
I can't argue; I'm too cold and too miserable to even try, and he's dragged me over to the house already. If it wasn't his best friend's party I'd just
'I'll take care of her.'
I don't believe this. What am I, some Jane Austen heroine to be handed over from father to prospective husband? 'Would someone around here give me a little credit for taking care of myself?'
'Of course we do,' chorus the three liars.
I calm down when I'm in the car. No collar, no stick, a boyfriend and a partyâtonight I'm nothing but Anna, a normal seventeen-year-old, and I'm going to have normal seventeen-year-old fun. Hayden even decides against explaining why my parents worry about me and starts to relax. He and Mark have been working all day, cleaning out the garage. 'It looks really good,' he says modestly, 'and the band's unbelievable. It's going to be a great night.'
A few people are there already; I give Mark a birthday kiss and present; he tells me I look fantastic and a look that says he means it. I start to believe Hayden: it's going to be a great night. Someone I don't know is coming up to Mark now; Hayden's organising drinks, but Jess from karate has just arrived and I'm really glad to see her, it's been ages. I have to sit down. I find a chair as she comes over.
'I wondered if you'd be here! So are all you better now?'
'Nearly.'
'I heard you were giving up karate.'
'News to me!'
'So why did Hayden quit? I'd heard it was because of you.'
'You heard wrong. I'll be back in a couple of months; Hayden's a big boyâhe can make up his own mind.'
'Heyâdid you really break your neck?'
'Really,' I mimic.
'Jeezâyou sure were lucky!'
She's bored now; looking around for someone more interesting to talk to. I shouldn't have been such a bitchâI'm not ready to stand up yet. I'll look like an idiot sitting here on my own.
'Have you been to any tournaments lately?' I ask desperately. 'You were doing really well with kata, last time I saw you.'
'Yeah . . . Oh look, there's Dave! Catch you later!'
Hayden runs out from behind the bar to bring me a lemon squash. 'Having a good time?'
'I'd rather have a beer. Are you going to be bartender all night?' (God! I sound so peevish! Try again.) 'You did a great job on the shed.'
'Thanks. Pasquali's taking over the bar at nine. Here's the band! I was beginning to think they'd got lost.' He rushes over to them and starts lugging black boxes down to the end of the shed.
Legs are working again; there's Jodie; Jodie and Paul, we went to primary school together; go over and see them.
'Anna! Haven't seen you for ages; what've you been up to?'
'Nothing much.' (They don't know! I thought the whole world knew about Anna Duncan's accident. I feel so free!)
'What about you?'
Jodie grins, swinging Paul's hand. 'That'd be telling.'
'I'll get us a drink,' Paul says. 'You want one, Anna?'
'I'd love a beer.' I'm going to have to sit down again before I fall; try and look casual, 'Might as well have a seat, it'll be a while before the band's ready.'
Jodie's wearing white jeans; she glances at the concrete floor. 'No thanks.' Her eyes are already flicking around the room to see who else she knows. Paul arrives with three beers. The band plugs in the amplifier; an electronic screech spears through my head as I reach for my glass and I tip over like a wobbly-doll, pouring beer all over my shirt.
Jodie giggles. 'How much did you have before we got here?'
They wander off. So do I, once my balance trickles backâoutside, behind the shed, where I can hide and wring out my sleeve. I'm leaning against the wall crying when Hayden finds me. He puts his arms around me. 'You okay?'
Better now that I'm with him. I press myself against his chest.
'Shit, you're soaked! What happened?'
'It's okay; I just spilled something.'
'We'll see if you can borrow a jumper from Mark's mum.'
I can't argue; I'm too cold and too miserable to even try, and he's dragged me over to the house already. If it wasn't his best friend's party I'd just
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