She nodded as I stood up. “Is there anything else you want to ask me?”
I shook my head. “I can’t think of anything.”
“Remember, Audrey,” said Ida, her eyes looking straight into mine, “you can say whatever you want here. Nothing leaves this room, okay?”
I wanted to tell her about the lie right then and there, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Okay,” I said, looking down at my feet.
“I’ll see you again next week, honey. Same time? Gloria will send a text the day before to remind you.”
Five
I wasn’t in a celebratory mood when my birthday came round the following week. It fell on a school day, and my friends organized a short message that was broadcasted over the loudspeaker at school. That night, my parents presented me with a simple chocolate mud cake, and when I blew out the candles, I thought of Ana.
Later, Lucy and Candela came by and we drove out to Blues Point Park, a local hangout, with a bottle of Sailor Jerry vodka and a six-pack of Red Bull. “Swig and sip session,” Candela declared.
Lucy was the designated driver as usual. She was the responsible one among the three of us, and she also owned a car. It was a bottle-green Mini nicknamed Octopus One. Lucy had a habit of naming inanimate objects. After we left Octopus One parked on a quiet side street, we walked through a dense area of shrubbery and found our regular spot, under a large elm tree. Lucy spread out her old fraying tartan rug, and we sat down, breathing in the cool night air. Candela uncapped the vodka and took a long swig. She passed it to Lucy, who shook her head. “I hate vodka,” she said. “Besides, how do you think you’re getting home tonight?” She took out a Red Bull and flicked back the tab as Candela passed the vodka to me. I took a couple of gulps and waited for the liquid to warm me. The city lights of Sydney sparkled in the distance. We sat in silence for a time, lost in our own thoughts. Pretty soon the vodka was working its magic, and I began to feel buoyant and light, like nothing was really as bad as I thought.
I began telling Lucy and Candela about my meeting with Ida. “I heard she’s the best,” said Lucy, yawning and stretching herself out on the rug with my lap as her pillow.
“She gave me this rubber band.” I held my left wrist up, pulling the sleeve of my sweater back. “I’m supposed to snap it when I get anxious.”
“Seriously? No meds?” asked Candela. She gave me a disappointed look.
“Nope. Just this shitty rubber band.” For some reason, we all found this wildly funny and broke into hysterics. Then we took turns trying on the rubber band and flicking it against each other’s skin.
“Ow! That really hurts!” cried Lucy.
“Only because you’re sober,” I teased.
Still wincing, Lucy handed the rubber band to me, and I slipped it back onto my wrist.
“I’m still not talking to my mother,” Candela said suddenly. We knew at once what she was referring to, and the mood turned sober. “I can’t believe she couldn’t keep her goddamn mouth shut about Ana.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, and suddenly everything was bad again.
“Well, I’ve had enough. That was the last straw. I’m moving out next week.”
“You are?” Lucy sat up.
“Yeah. Honestly, I’m so over her shit. No wonder my dad walked out on her.” She reached into the side pocket of her backpack and pulled out a fresh pack of Marlboro Lights and a tin of Jelly Bellys. “I’m going to rent a place in Alexandria.”
“Alexandria,” said Lucy. “Isn’t it a bit dicey down there?”
“It’s fine,” said Candela with a shrug. “I met my flatmates yesterday. They seem nice.” She passed the Jelly Bellys to me. I shook out a handful and passed the tin on to Lucy.
“What are your roommates like?” I asked.
“Well,” said Candela, “there are two of them.” She pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “There’s Ramona, who is so punk. She works in a record shop and has a stack of piercings and tattoos.” Candela took a quick drag before shoving the pack of cigarettes back into her bag. Turning her head, she blew the smoke away from us. “And the other one is Ally. She’s kind of bookish and is studying business at Sydney U.” Candela must have caught the look I exchanged with Lucy because she quickly said, “As far as I can tell, the two do not get along. I peeked inside their fridge and half the stuff in there is labeled ‘Ally.’ How anal can you be?”
“Anal Ally,” I said, and we all burst into laughter.
“Are you going to have a housewarming party?” asked Lucy.
“Yes and you’re both coming to celebrate my emancipation.”
“Sure,” I said, “count us in.”
Lucy’s ringtone—which was set to the shower scene from Psycho—rang loudly from her purse.
“Jesus Christ, Lucy!” Candela jumped. “You’ve got to change your stupid ringtone.”
Lucy stuck her tongue out at Candela and fished the phone from her purse. “Babe?” She said, holding it up to her ear. There was a pause. “You’re breaking up; I can’t hear you . . .
Yeah, we’re at Blues Point. What? You’re almost here? Oh good. Okay. He is? Yeah.” She laughed. “Okay, see you soon.”
“Freddy’s on his way here,” Lucy said, tucking the phone back into her purse. “Also, Rad is coming too.”
“Rad?” I said, surprised.
“That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” I said, picking at a piece of cotton thread that had come loose from the picnic rug.
“Is Duck coming tonight?” Candela asked.
“No, his friend is sick, so Duck had to cover for him. But he’s taking me out somewhere tomorrow to make up for it.” Duck worked as a delivery driver at Kappys, the local pizzeria.
“That shitty flu is still going around,” said Candela. “I should drag my lazy ass to the doctor and get my shots.”
“Does Duck know you went to the cemetery with Rad the other night?” asked Lucy.
“You went to the cemetery with Rad?” Candela asked. “When did this happen?”
“A few nights ago.” Lucy was the only person I had told about that night, although I left out the part where Rad and I found Candela’s picture in Ana’s locket.
“Why didn’t you tell me you met up with him again?” said Candela. She looked hurt.
“I don’t know.” I wasn’t sure why I didn’t tell Candela about that night. I told her everything. Even more than Lucy. When I was a little girl, my dad and I had a code. The rule was if I said the words “yellow submarine,” he wasn’t allowed to get mad at me, no matter what I said next. It was like a safe zone, where I was free to confess anything without consequence. With Candela, that code was something unspoken between us. I could tell her anything, and I knew she would never judge me. But I couldn’t tell her about that night because her photo had been in Ana’s locket, which meant there was something she was keeping from me.
“So what happened?” Candela asked.
“They went to visit Ana in the dead of night to return her necklace,” said Lucy.
“The gold one with the heart-shaped locket?” said Candela. She had an odd look on her face.
I nodded. “Rad said she was really attached to it.”
“She was,” said Candela quietly. “I’m glad she got it back.”
“I still can’t believe you went into the cemetery at night,” Lucy shuddered.
“It was really creepy. Your eyes keep playing tricks on you.”
“I can imagine,” said Lucy.
My eyes were riveted to Candela’s face. She looked like she was lost in her own world. I knew my friend better than anyone. I could tell she knew her picture was in Ana’s locket. Lucy followed my gaze.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked Candela.
Candela’s head snapped up. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t
I be?”
“Just asking, jeez,” said Lucy, taken aback.
Candela quickly gathered herself. “Sorry, Lucy,” she said with a small shake of her head. She leaned in and gave her an apologetic peck on the cheek. Then she turned her attention to me. “So what else did you guys get up to?”
“We went to the lighthouse at Widow’s Cove and just talked for the rest of the night.”
“What did you talk about?” Candela probed.
I shrugged. “Don’t know—stuff.”
I couldn’t tell either Lucy or Candela that our conversation had centered around the locket. Rad said he suspected Ana had been involved with someone else before her death. Candela and Ana were always good friends, but they had grown especially close in the last year. Had their friendship blossomed into something more?
“So I’m guessing Duck doesn’t know anything about that night?” said Lucy.
I shook my head. “No, and it stays between the three of us. Okay?”
They nodded in agreement.
“Before we forget!” said Candela reaching into her backpack again. “We got you something.”
“You did?”
“Yes!” Lucy’s face was suddenly animated. “I almost forgot.”
After rummaging round in her bag, Candela pulled out a package wrapped in red cellophane and finished with a black ribbon bow.
“Thanks, guys!” I said, taking the present from her outstretched hands.
“It’s something Lucy and I came across at that store in Crows Nest—you know, the one that sells vintage stuff. As soon as we spotted it, we thought of you. It has your name on it—literally.”
I tore open the package to find a stunning cream-colored jacket made of the softest suede. It was lined in blood-red satin with a tag stitched into the neckline, bearing my name.
“See? It’s an Audrey jacket,” said Lucy. “Must be some old, obscure label.”
“The label pretty much sealed the deal,” said Candela. “I mean, how perfect is that?”
“It’s gorgeous!” I pulled off my sweater and put the jacket on.
“It fits like a glove,” said Lucy happily. “It was made for you.”
“I love it! I’m going to wear it all the time!”
In the distance, we heard voices, and then two figures emerged from behind the shrubbery.
“Freddy!” Lucy got up and raced over to him. She threw her arms around him, and he picked her up, swinging her through the air.
The trio walked toward us as Candela and I stood up.
“Happy birthday, Audrey,” said Freddy, putting his arm around my shoulders. “Rad decided to tag along; I hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
Rad smiled at me. “Happy birthday, Audrey.”
“Thanks.”
We proceeded to arrange ourselves awkwardly on the picnic rug like a game of Twister. I wound up sitting between Rad and Lucy.
“Sheesh, I can’t believe it’s already your birthday. That means our exams are just around the corner,” said Lucy.
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned. The thought of all the years of my education culminating in one crucial point was nothing short of terrifying.
“Hey, Rad, aren’t you studying journalism at Charles Sturt?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but I’ve decided to take the rest of this year off. I don’t go back until next February.”
Lucy turned to me. “Isn’t that the course you were looking at, Audrey? Wouldn’t it be funny if you both wound up at the same campus?”
“It’s in my top three, but it depends on how I score on my exams,” I said. “Plus, I’m still thinking about whether or not to take a gap year. We’ve always talked about the three of us traveling through Europe. Remember the pact we made about sunbathing topless in Ibiza?”
“Well, I’m definitely tagging along for that,” said Freddy as Lucy gave him a sharp jab in the ribs.
“That was before we had any concept of money,” said Candela with a sigh. “I sure don’t have the funds to travel anytime soon.”
“I probably would have taken a gap year if I could do things over,” said Rad. “I mean, I like the course I’m doing so far, but I don’t know if I want to be a journalist.”
“That’s the crazy thing. How can they just expect us to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives when we’re fresh out of school? I mean, it’s not like flicking a switch,” I said.
“Well, I’m sure enjoying my gap year so far,” said Freddy, a Cheshire cat grin on his face. “Other than the fact my parents are going a bit nuts and I still have no idea what I’m going to do next year.”
“How about clown college?” Lucy suggested.
Candela snorted.
Freddy grinned at Lucy. “Only if you want to be my assistant, babe.”
“You’re thinking about magicians; clowns don’t have assistants.”
“That’s not true. What about Sideshow Bob?”
“Hey! I’m no sidekick!” Lucy protested. “I want us to be a power couple like Bill and Melinda. You know, that ‘us against the world’ mentality.”
Lucy and Freddy continued their back and forth exchange for the next few minutes as we looked on with a mixture of amusement and envy. When they got started like this, it was as though there was no one else in the world.
“Hey, it looks like someone’s coming over,” Candela said suddenly. We turned our heads in unison to see a light shining through the shrubbery. A few moments later, a figure appeared, holding a pizza bag in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
“It’s Duck,” I said, getting up and walking over to meet him. “Hey, I thought you had to work tonight.”
He grinned. “I managed to sneak away for a bit. Couldn’t miss seeing my girl on her special night.” He switched off his flashlight and latched it to his belt before taking my hand in his. We began strolling back to the group when he stopped abruptly. “Who’s that guy sitting near Lucy?”
“That’s Rad,” I said, biting down on my lip. This wasn’t going to go down well.
“Rad? What the fuck is he doing here?”
“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” I said truthfully. “Freddy brought him.”
He gave me a dubious look. “Well, it’s your party. You can invite anyone you want.”
“I didn’t invite him. He came with Freddy!”
“Sure, Audrey,” he said, looking unconvinced.
“Look, everyone’s staring at us, Duck. It’s my birthday—can’t we just drop it?”
“Fine,” he said, resignation in his voice.
Freddy stood up to greet Duck when we reached the group. They locked their palms together the way boys do, playfully combative.
Freddy asked, “Have you met my friend Rad?”
Rad stood up and stuck out his hand. “Hey, man,” he said.
“Hey,” said Duck, shaking Rad’s hand with reluctance.
“Did you bring pizza?” asked Lucy. “I’m starving!” She was perpetually hungry.
“It’s Audrey’s birthday cake, actually,” said Duck, smiling shyly. With a practiced motion, he withdrew the pizza box from the red bag and passed it to me. I opened it to find a pepperoni pizza crudely fashioned into the shape of a heart. “Extra cheese, just how you like it.”
“I love it!” I exclaimed.
“Aw, that’s cute,” said Lucy, peering over my shoulder.
Duck fished around in his pockets and came up with a handful of candles. I carefully laid the opened pizza box on the picnic rug as he stuck the candles arbitrarily into the fleshy dough.
“Anyone got a light?” asked Duck. Candela passed one to him, and he lit up my makeshift birthday cake.
“Happy birthday to you,” started Lucy, and everyone else chimed in, singing off-k
ey with their own different renditions about monkeys and zoos.
“Hip, hip, hooray!” they chorused as I blew out the candles.
“Did you make a wish?” asked Lucy.
Without meaning to, my eyes shot involuntarily to Rad—it was like a knee-jerk reaction. I looked away quickly, hoping no one had noticed.
“Yeah,” I said to Lucy, “but the wish only comes true if you keep it a secret.”
“Okay, everyone, dig in!” said Duck.
We all took turns grabbing a slice of pizza.
“Mmmm,” Lucy moaned as she took her first bite. “You make the best pizzas, Duck.”
“Thanks, Lucy.”
We ate the rest largely in silence.
“I have an idea. Let’s play truth or dare,” said Candela.
“Yes!” said Lucy.
I groaned. “Really, Candela?”
Duck glanced at his watch. “Good thing I have to get back to work.”
“Already?” I said.
“Uh-huh. Everyone’s sick with the flu, so we’re really understaffed tonight.”
“Oh. I’ll walk you to the car.”
“No, you stay here. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“See you,” he said and gave a mock salute to the group as we all called out goodbyes. He picked up the red bag, tucked it under his arm, and strolled away into the night.
Candela turned to Freddy, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Okay, run up to Duck and give him a goodbye kiss. Quick, before he disappears.”
We laughed as Freddy sprung to his feet.
“On the lips!” Lucy called out as Freddy raced over to Duck.
We watched as Freddy ambushed Duck in the distance and pounced on him.
“What the—” we heard Duck cry, as Freddy planted a firm kiss on his lips, while we fell over ourselves laughing. Duck turned and shook his head at us, as Freddy gave him another peck on the cheek before walking back looking victorious.
“Well done, babe!” said Lucy.
“He’s a great kisser, Audrey. You’re a lucky girl.”
I laughed. “Did you get any tongue action?”