Neands 2 by Dan Salmon

Author:Dan Salmon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: OneTree House Publishers
Published: 2022-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

charlie

TWENTY-TWO

It wasn’t yet seven in the morning, but outside, everything was already bright and hot. Inside, it was still cool and dark. We were being sent away again.

‘How long will it take you to get there?’ Bill asked Pru.

The windows were open, a light breeze shifting the curtains, ghosting through the room like a cool-lipped kiss, bringing with it the sound of cicadas hidden in nearby trees. They were the same summer sounds I’d always known but with none of the summer joy.

Pru studied the map on the living room wall, calculating, measuring distances with her fingers, counting in her head, moving her lips as she did the maths.

‘Pressure,’ needled Ivy.

‘A good day,’ said Pru, finally. ‘Two to be safe.’

‘If you leave tomorrow,’ said Annie, ‘that gives you two days and one night. Is that enough?’

Pru nodded slowly, still looking at the map.

‘Tomorrow morning?’ asked Ivy.

‘Early,’ said Pru.

Ivy crossed her arms. ‘Have a great trip.’

‘You’re not coming?’

‘I think you should go, Ivy,’ said Bill.

‘I’m not abandoning Ngaire,’ said Ivy. ‘Even if I have to read Jane Austen at the top of my voice to get her attention, I’m not leaving her. Charlie and Pru can be the couriers. I’m staying.’

‘Why don’t the three of you head up to the waterfall for a while? Take a break,’ said Annie. ‘Be kids for a day.’

‘Be kids?’ Ivy crossed the dark room and jerked open the door to stare, blinking in the sunlight. ‘Jesus, if you’re making me go on a trip, I’m going to spend today with Ngaire. It feels like we’re getting somewhere.’

‘Come with us for a bit, Ivy,’ Pru pleaded. ‘I miss you.’

‘Do you?’ Ivy turned, looking accusingly between Pru and me.

I remembered an image from the day I’d met them. Two girls who couldn’t be more different in their personalities and looks, and yet they’d been closer than sisters, busting down the stairs to introduce themselves, testing me, pushing me, finally accepting me into their friendship.

‘Why don’t you two go and I’ll come a bit later.’ I said. ‘I’ve got some things I want to do here.’

‘Don’t stay back for my sake,’ said Ivy.

‘No, I could use some time to myself,’ I said. ‘I haven’t written anything up since we left the city and I want to get my head back into my notes.’

‘Charlie’s save the world notes,’ said Ivy, raising her eyebrows.

It felt like she’d punched me in the chest. I’d been researching and writing notes since Dad died. It was one of the things that kept me going. Even if it didn’t change the world, it was how I made sense of everything.

‘Ivy!’ said Pru.

‘Well, it’s not like he’s doing anything with them.’

‘I’d like to see those notes,’ said Bill, resting his hand on my shoulder. ‘And I could use an assistant this morning. Why don’t you stay and help me out, Charlie? You can take lunch up to those two later.’

I shrugged off his hand.

We watched Pru and Ivy disappear up the track into the hills, their chatter following them like bird song.

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