well. They just didn’t “apply” themselves like we do. We got those scholarships ’cos our dads were VDI and ’cos we’re young Einsteins. End of story. And we’re doing the families proud, aren’t we, E? Our parents have big dreams about us being the first in our families to go to uni and then becoming lawyers and doctors. Never mind the fact that I actually want to be in a rock band.’
‘And I would rather die than be a lawyer,’ added Erin. ‘I’m going to be a comic book artist. And you don’t need a diploma from Cascade Falls to be one of those. What are you gonna be when you finish school, Tessa?’
I shook my head. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I was now, let alone what I would be when I was older.
I was Tessa. I was tough. I was brave. I liked waffles. That was all I knew.
My voice didn’t listen to my brain, though, because it suddenly blurted out, ‘I will be the leader.’
‘ A leader, you mean?’ asked Laurel. ‘Like, the Prime Minister?’
‘Yeah, I can see it,’ said Erin, nodding. ‘Tessa Connolly. Australia’s second female Prime Minister.’
‘Or third or fourth,’ Laurel retorted. ‘I reckon now they’ve seen a chick can do it just as well – better – than a bloke, they’re never gonna let a bloke do it again.’
Prime Minister? Australia had a Prime Minister? And it was a woman? That all seemed very strange to me, but I resolved to find out more about it when my head did not feel as though it were about to collapse in upon itself. Besides, they were wrong. I did not mean the leader. I just meant leader of … of …
I sighed. I couldn’t think. My brain was too befuddled. ‘I need to go back to my room now,’ I said.
‘Okay, see ya,’ said Erin, looking at me curiously.
‘I’m just tired,’ I added.
‘No worries,’ said Laurel.
As I walked away, Erin called out, ‘Hey, Tessa. If you want to be a leader, do it! Don’t let anything get in your way.’
‘Thanks,’ I called back.
‘And Tessa, one more thing!’ Laurel yelled.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘If you’re feeling better, can I’ve my hat back?’ she called.
I reached in my bag and pulled out Laurel’s woollen beanie, the beanie I never got to wear.
Because I can’t leap walls.
I flung it over to her and it whacked Laurel in the face with an audible thwap .
‘Ow!’ she exclaimed, but she was giggling, and I don’t know how a woollen hat could really have hurt her. ‘You should join the softball team, with an arm like that.’
She looked down at the hat and screwed up her nose, then threw it back to me. I caught it with one hand.
‘You don’t want it back?’ I asked.
‘Nah, don’t worry about it,’ said Laurel. ‘You might need it again. Next time you break curfew.’
‘Thanks,’ I said again.
I wondered when that time would be. Would I get another chance to follow Rhiannah and Harriet and Sara? Or a chance to learn more about the bushwalk that took Cat.
As I reached the door of Cascade Falls, I looked back at Laurel and Erin, and then up at the moon. It was nearly full – just a fingernail sliver away from perfect roundness.
I walked softly down the hallway and opened the door to Casa Rhiannah Tessa. The first thing I noticed was Rhiannah’s open drawer. I closed it gingerly, then I changed into my pyjamas and lay down on my bed.
My head was brimming with images of girls leaping over walls.
I closed my eyes.
I knew I would not sleep.
I was still awake when Rhiannah came in.
She opened the door with a soft click and padded barefoot over to her bed, boots in hand. She sat down and quietly pulled her top drawer open. I knew without looking what she was reaching for. The metal tapped against the side of the drawer, and then I heard a faint rubbing noise as she pushed the bangle back on her wrist.
I remembered the jolt that the bangle had given me. It didn’t seem to be doing the same thing to her. If it was, she was being very brave and quiet.
I opened
‘And I would rather die than be a lawyer,’ added Erin. ‘I’m going to be a comic book artist. And you don’t need a diploma from Cascade Falls to be one of those. What are you gonna be when you finish school, Tessa?’
I shook my head. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I was now, let alone what I would be when I was older.
I was Tessa. I was tough. I was brave. I liked waffles. That was all I knew.
My voice didn’t listen to my brain, though, because it suddenly blurted out, ‘I will be the leader.’
‘ A leader, you mean?’ asked Laurel. ‘Like, the Prime Minister?’
‘Yeah, I can see it,’ said Erin, nodding. ‘Tessa Connolly. Australia’s second female Prime Minister.’
‘Or third or fourth,’ Laurel retorted. ‘I reckon now they’ve seen a chick can do it just as well – better – than a bloke, they’re never gonna let a bloke do it again.’
Prime Minister? Australia had a Prime Minister? And it was a woman? That all seemed very strange to me, but I resolved to find out more about it when my head did not feel as though it were about to collapse in upon itself. Besides, they were wrong. I did not mean the leader. I just meant leader of … of …
I sighed. I couldn’t think. My brain was too befuddled. ‘I need to go back to my room now,’ I said.
‘Okay, see ya,’ said Erin, looking at me curiously.
‘I’m just tired,’ I added.
‘No worries,’ said Laurel.
As I walked away, Erin called out, ‘Hey, Tessa. If you want to be a leader, do it! Don’t let anything get in your way.’
‘Thanks,’ I called back.
‘And Tessa, one more thing!’ Laurel yelled.
‘What?’ I asked.
‘If you’re feeling better, can I’ve my hat back?’ she called.
I reached in my bag and pulled out Laurel’s woollen beanie, the beanie I never got to wear.
Because I can’t leap walls.
I flung it over to her and it whacked Laurel in the face with an audible thwap .
‘Ow!’ she exclaimed, but she was giggling, and I don’t know how a woollen hat could really have hurt her. ‘You should join the softball team, with an arm like that.’
She looked down at the hat and screwed up her nose, then threw it back to me. I caught it with one hand.
‘You don’t want it back?’ I asked.
‘Nah, don’t worry about it,’ said Laurel. ‘You might need it again. Next time you break curfew.’
‘Thanks,’ I said again.
I wondered when that time would be. Would I get another chance to follow Rhiannah and Harriet and Sara? Or a chance to learn more about the bushwalk that took Cat.
As I reached the door of Cascade Falls, I looked back at Laurel and Erin, and then up at the moon. It was nearly full – just a fingernail sliver away from perfect roundness.
I walked softly down the hallway and opened the door to Casa Rhiannah Tessa. The first thing I noticed was Rhiannah’s open drawer. I closed it gingerly, then I changed into my pyjamas and lay down on my bed.
My head was brimming with images of girls leaping over walls.
I closed my eyes.
I knew I would not sleep.
I was still awake when Rhiannah came in.
She opened the door with a soft click and padded barefoot over to her bed, boots in hand. She sat down and quietly pulled her top drawer open. I knew without looking what she was reaching for. The metal tapped against the side of the drawer, and then I heard a faint rubbing noise as she pushed the bangle back on her wrist.
I remembered the jolt that the bangle had given me. It didn’t seem to be doing the same thing to her. If it was, she was being very brave and quiet.
I opened
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