picture,’ I say to Sam, as the photographer tries to edge him to the back behind Mum.
‘At least I’m in it,’ he grins. ‘And I don’t have to wear that dumb suit.’
‘That’s what you think,’ says Mum, overhearing him. ‘You can go home and change into your wedding suit. I want you to at least look human at the reception. Go and get in the wedding car.’
‘But …’
‘NOW.’
‘Shouldn’t we be asking him what happened?’ I go, as he disappears in the grey Mercedes with its sodden white wedding ribbons sagging.
‘Later,’ goes Mum, as all these people charge up to congratulate the happy couple. Danny grabs me on the church steps and we hug fiercely. Then I glare at him. ‘You didn’t answer my letters.’
‘Where I was there wasn’t any post boxes,’ he said. ‘A guy brought the mail in on horseback. And I didn’t trust him with my return mail, or to buy stamps. He wasn’t quite all there, out of it most of the time.’
He grabs me again and holds me close.
‘I didn’t think you’d come,’ I whisper against his shoulder.
‘And miss the wedding of the year? And what the hell’s your brother been up to, Leanne?’
‘It’s a long story, according to Sam.’
Fern tools up. She’s wearing a long black dress and she looks like Morticia Addams.
‘Leanne. You look gorgeous,’ she goes, giving me a hug.
‘So do you,’ I lie.
‘I was going to bring Darren or Lynton but they’re both playing basketball,’ she says. Her eyes light on Danny.
‘Hi, Fern,’ he goes and gives her a hug.
Then I notice the girl who arrived with Sam hanging uncertainly on the edge of the crowd. I grab Danny’s hand and drag him over. Fern tags too.
‘Hi, I’m Leanne, Sam’s sister. This is my boyfriend Danny and this is my best friend Fern.’
She scuffles the ground with one toe. ‘Hi. I’m Cola.’
‘Cola?’ goes Fern. ‘What a weird—’
I give her a swift kick.
‘Um, Cola, do you know what happened to Sam?’
‘He was asleep in the van when we nicked it,’ she says, still staring at the ground. Then she looks up. ‘I’m sorry, we didn’t know he was there, truly. And I didn’t know Macca and Zac were going to go crazyand drive all over the place. We were just going to have a short burn, okay? I didn’t really want to go, but they’re my friends and … well, you know how it is …’
The cops are standing behind us. I make a quick decision.
‘Could you please drive Cola to our home and let her have a shower and get changed into some of my clothes, then she can come to the reception.’
‘Well, I don’t know, she’s supposed to be—’
Steve comes up. ‘It’s okay, you guys can trust her with me. I’ll take responsibility. You’re welcome to come to the reception too if you want to.’
‘Yeah,’ I go. ‘Practically every other cop in the state’s there. It’s more like a cop convention than a wedding.’
Steve stares at me and I wink to let him know I’m only joking.
Cola climbs in a cop car with the cops and they drive off. I guess Sam will still be stuffing about getting dressed: he can show her the bathroom and my bedroom. As the wedding car’s still at our place and there’s only one Mercedes left, Mum, Steve, Danny and I pile in, and John goes with Aunty Paula and Grandpa.
The Scout Hall’s been decorated for the occasion by some of the scouts’ mothers and fathers. The tables are spread with white cloths and all the place cards we wrote are in the right places. I’m at the top table with Mum, Steve, Paul and Sam. I grab Danny’s card and put it on an end. He can sit with me, and this girl Cola can sit next to Sam.
The bridal party lines up to welcome the guests. Just as we’re shaking the last hand Sam arrives with Cola. She’s wearing my long black skirt with my white crop top and my best black shoes. Luckily we’re about the same size. If she’d been short and chunky like Fern we would’ve had a problem. The two cops have
‘At least I’m in it,’ he grins. ‘And I don’t have to wear that dumb suit.’
‘That’s what you think,’ says Mum, overhearing him. ‘You can go home and change into your wedding suit. I want you to at least look human at the reception. Go and get in the wedding car.’
‘But …’
‘NOW.’
‘Shouldn’t we be asking him what happened?’ I go, as he disappears in the grey Mercedes with its sodden white wedding ribbons sagging.
‘Later,’ goes Mum, as all these people charge up to congratulate the happy couple. Danny grabs me on the church steps and we hug fiercely. Then I glare at him. ‘You didn’t answer my letters.’
‘Where I was there wasn’t any post boxes,’ he said. ‘A guy brought the mail in on horseback. And I didn’t trust him with my return mail, or to buy stamps. He wasn’t quite all there, out of it most of the time.’
He grabs me again and holds me close.
‘I didn’t think you’d come,’ I whisper against his shoulder.
‘And miss the wedding of the year? And what the hell’s your brother been up to, Leanne?’
‘It’s a long story, according to Sam.’
Fern tools up. She’s wearing a long black dress and she looks like Morticia Addams.
‘Leanne. You look gorgeous,’ she goes, giving me a hug.
‘So do you,’ I lie.
‘I was going to bring Darren or Lynton but they’re both playing basketball,’ she says. Her eyes light on Danny.
‘Hi, Fern,’ he goes and gives her a hug.
Then I notice the girl who arrived with Sam hanging uncertainly on the edge of the crowd. I grab Danny’s hand and drag him over. Fern tags too.
‘Hi, I’m Leanne, Sam’s sister. This is my boyfriend Danny and this is my best friend Fern.’
She scuffles the ground with one toe. ‘Hi. I’m Cola.’
‘Cola?’ goes Fern. ‘What a weird—’
I give her a swift kick.
‘Um, Cola, do you know what happened to Sam?’
‘He was asleep in the van when we nicked it,’ she says, still staring at the ground. Then she looks up. ‘I’m sorry, we didn’t know he was there, truly. And I didn’t know Macca and Zac were going to go crazyand drive all over the place. We were just going to have a short burn, okay? I didn’t really want to go, but they’re my friends and … well, you know how it is …’
The cops are standing behind us. I make a quick decision.
‘Could you please drive Cola to our home and let her have a shower and get changed into some of my clothes, then she can come to the reception.’
‘Well, I don’t know, she’s supposed to be—’
Steve comes up. ‘It’s okay, you guys can trust her with me. I’ll take responsibility. You’re welcome to come to the reception too if you want to.’
‘Yeah,’ I go. ‘Practically every other cop in the state’s there. It’s more like a cop convention than a wedding.’
Steve stares at me and I wink to let him know I’m only joking.
Cola climbs in a cop car with the cops and they drive off. I guess Sam will still be stuffing about getting dressed: he can show her the bathroom and my bedroom. As the wedding car’s still at our place and there’s only one Mercedes left, Mum, Steve, Danny and I pile in, and John goes with Aunty Paula and Grandpa.
The Scout Hall’s been decorated for the occasion by some of the scouts’ mothers and fathers. The tables are spread with white cloths and all the place cards we wrote are in the right places. I’m at the top table with Mum, Steve, Paul and Sam. I grab Danny’s card and put it on an end. He can sit with me, and this girl Cola can sit next to Sam.
The bridal party lines up to welcome the guests. Just as we’re shaking the last hand Sam arrives with Cola. She’s wearing my long black skirt with my white crop top and my best black shoes. Luckily we’re about the same size. If she’d been short and chunky like Fern we would’ve had a problem. The two cops have
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