Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
W hen they emerged from the path into the sunlight, the sight of the beach and sparkling ocean took her breath away. It was a different landscape from what she was used to, and because it was high tide, the sandy stretch was narrow and constricted, hemmed in by the dark green rainforest that almost touched the water’s edge. Tranquil and clear, the water gently ebbed and flowed, creating delicate ripples with small frothy crests that danced in and out.
Beyond the rainforest behind them was a line of mountains, their outline distinct against the clear blue sky. She took a deep breath and tried not to think how much Chris would love this place. ‘Forget him,’ her inner voice told her. ‘Forget everything about him’.
While they walked northwards, the others filled Evie in on interesting facts about the school and the place she was now going to call home. ‘The parties are the best,’ Sissy said. ‘Wait ‘til you hear the music. There’s a group called ‘Bong and Gang’. I sing with them at some of the local gigs. They’re the best.’
‘Sissy’s in love with the drummer, Stoner,’ Peace added, gently shoving her sister with her shoulder.
Sissy pushed her back and giggled. ‘He’s gorgeous, and he can sing. When it’s just the two of us, he writes beautiful lyrics and then he sings them for me. He writes poems on dried banana leaves, and then his brother delivers them to me. I love Stoner. He’s so cool.’ Sissy stared up at the sky and held her hands together as if she was praying. ‘It’s true love.’
‘Have you got a boyfriend?’ Peace asked Evie.
Her answer came out a bit quicker than she intended. ‘No.’
‘Are you sure?’ Peace screwed up her face and grabbed Evie’s hand.
‘No. No boyfriend.’
Thank goodness, at that moment Tim did a backflip on the sand and the conversation and questions were forgotten. He turned and yelled out to them. ‘Race you to the headland.’
Peace pulled on her hand, and Evie clutched her thongs tightly before getting her legs into action. She ran alongside the two girls and they pushed her playfully, making her shriek with delight as she stumbled, then regained her balance. The three of them giggled and raced each other, until they ran out of breath. The two boys sprinted ahead and waited on the rocks for the girls, making fun of them as they bent over, holding their sides, trying to get their breath back.
Tim stood on the highest rock, waves from the ocean splashing up behind him. ‘I beat the lot of you.’ He beat his bare chest like Tarzan. ‘Fastest runner in the world.’
Imposing boulders sculpted the headland, their shadows offering a welcome respite from the sun’s glare. Tim’s words about one day running at the Olympic Games were lost in the wind, and Evie looked at the seagulls that called out and circled above. Her gaze was drawn to the waves that pummelled the rocks, a fine mist of salt spray drifting up with each powerful surge. The headland’s crashing waves were a stark contrast to the calm waves of the beach they had just walked along, and she was reminded of the power of the ocean. Her thoughts wandered to memories of other headlands and lookouts she had walked to with Chris, on Stradbroke Island.
‘Oye,’ Peace called out. ‘Dreamboat.’
Evie dragged her mind back to the present, and she watched Sissy pull a small bag out of her pocket. She deftly made herself a cigarette and passed it to Tim. ‘He’s shit at rolling,’ Sissy said. ‘Wastes too much. Might be able to run, but can’t roll a joint to save himself.’
Tim grinned broadly as he took the smoke. ‘Thanks. You’d better light it for me too.’
Peace lit a match and held it to the smoke. The sharp, sweet smell of marijuana filled Evie’s nostrils, and she watched as Tim leaned back on a rock and closed his eyes. Before long, Peace had rolled them all a smoke. The last one she passed to Evie. ‘Welcome to North Queensland, where the birds sing and the weed grows tall.’
Although she had always steered clear of any drugs — worried what her father would do if he found out — now there was no one to discipline her. Mother had told her so this morning. ‘Make your own choices.’ And she would. Up here, she could be a free agent. Her father was thousands of miles away in Sydney, and Mother needed to sort out her own shit.
‘It’s good stuff,’ she said, drawing back gently, enjoying the taste swirling around her mouth. ‘Real good stuff.’
The others nodded, and she was pleased she had not told them about it being the first time she had tried marijuana. Layla would be proud of her. Her thoughts turned to her friend and then Chris. Drawing harder and deeper, she felt the smoke filling her lungs. It burned, yet she found pleasure in the pain that overshadowed other thoughts. It felt good.
By the time they finished the session and started to walk towards the waterholes, her entire body felt like it was floating. She linked arms with the other two girls, and the vivid colours of the trees and sunlight filtering through the branches formed patterns that made her stop and stare.
‘Wow. Check out the colours. The world is sparkling. Like a diamond.’ She started singing ‘Blinded by the Light,’ her voice sounding louder and louder as an echo seemed to bounce back from the trunks of the trees. What looked like a million birds flew up into the canopy, and she held her hand over her eyes, looking up at the small piece of sky visible through the trees. ‘Wow. I mean, wow. Look at that. It’s so bright.’
Peace and Sissy linked their arms through hers and sang with her, the strains of Manfred Mann’s song, loud and clear as they started to skip along the track.