Frankie and Joely Read online

  That’s why it was so weird when Joely and Frankie became friends. Joely didn’t believe for ages that Frankie actually wanted to hang out with her. She spent months waiting for Frankie to wake up. But she never did. Instead, one day, Frankie started calling her Joel and they turned into those friends everybody assumes are joined. They were no longer two individuals: Frankie and Joely. They were ‘Frankie and Joely’. But not, Joely quickly realised, ever ‘Joely and Frankie’. At first it irritated her. Especially because she’d been at the high school since the beginning and Frankie was new. But after a while she accepted it. After all, Frankie was the first person to ever choose her. The other girls were a random collection and Joely was just making up their numbers. But Frankie wanted her.

  Joely starts texting one of the unimpressive friends, and notices that Frankie drops her book slightly. Joely keeps texting, but then worries that she won’t get a reply, and Frankie will know. But she can’t put her phone away because she’s already started and Frankie will think she’s sent a message anyway even if she doesn’t.

  So Joely does something she hopes nobody ever learns about; she texts herself.

  Have a great holiday J. I’ll miss you! X

  The beep of the message sounds a second later and she reads the text, laughing aloud. Frankie looks up, but then immediately looks back at her book. Joely feels ridiculous. She slips her phone back into her bag and tries to read the title of Frankie’s book. Before she can stop herself she asks, ‘What are you reading?’

  The cover is flashed and Frankie disappears again behind the old pages.

  Joely’s sure she’s seen this book before. It’s been around for ages. Either Frankie’s a slow reader, or she carries it as a prop and isn’t reading it at all. Joely likes the second idea best.

  Joely gives up and watches out the window, trying to work out where they are. It doesn’t look the same as last year. There’s no thick green grass or brown muddy dams. Just acres and acres of dust. No wonder Jill said they’d had a bad year.

  The first time Joely made this trip without her parents she was twelve. Her mum let her catch the train alone and she’d spent all summer with her cousins. Joely was so amazed that she was allowed to go by herself. It was just before her dad moved out. Joely knew they’d sent her away so they could fight without worrying she was listening, but she was so happy to be away from it all that she didn’t care. It was a good summer. Nobody made her do things or asked her to take sides. They just let her be. That was the year her aunt Jill started treating her like a grown-up, asking her opinion on things. Like how Joely thought Jill should get her hair cut, and whether Jill should buy the blue dress hanging in the window of the only clothes shop in the main street. Joely loved hanging around her aunt. She laughed all the time and wrapped Joely in hugs that lasted longer than any hugs she’d ever had before. And she always smelt like baked goods: bread or scones or something sweet. Joely’s mum never smelt like that.

  Ever since then, her mum has let her go alone for a week each summer. Really it suited her mum because she had to go interstate for a conference and preferred Joely being with family rather than staying in the city on her own.

  There’s a bump as Frankie’s head hits the window. She slumps down and Joely realises she’s asleep. Somehow Frankie’s managed to tuck her book close to her, so even when she’s sleeping Joely still can’t see what she’s reading. Frankie can sleep anywhere. She says it’s because she stays up late studying, but Joely thinks she stays up wondering where her mum is and if she’s okay.

  Joely watches Frankie sleep, her mouth slightly open, her face relaxed. She’s never seen anyone quite so beautiful. Not up close. She knows that’s why the other girls at school don’t like Frankie. They’re jealous of her perfect skin and her long brown hair and those brown eyes that make boys forget what they were doing. She just looks right, even when she’s asleep, dribbling with her head banging against a window.

  Staring at Frankie, Joely feels panicked for a second. She’s been imagining seeing the boy with the suntan all year and her skin prickles at the thought of not talking to him again this time. What ifs are rushing around her head. What if he’s moved away? What if he sees Frankie first? The thoughts make her nervous. She should’ve thought about it more. That’s the thing about being friends with Frankie. It makes her do things she’d normally be too cautious to consider. Like spontaneously inviting Frankie on a week’s holiday to her aunt and uncle’s farm in Payne because she was desperate for Frankie to explain the rumour Joely had heard at school. But even after Joely invited her, and even after Frankie said yes, her best friend still didn’t tell her what she had apparently done with Jamie Marks in the gym at school. It hurt to think Frankie didn’t consider she was up to hearing all the gory stuff about boys. She’d even invented a few stories about things she’d done herself, but Frankie didn’t confess anything in return.

  Joely reminds herself that Frankie’s her best friend and remembers how her skin tingled when Frankie agreed to come. She couldn’t believe anyone could make such a quick decision. Joely would have thought about it for a few days, changed her mind a couple of times, then persuaded her mum to let her go and, only then, said yes. But she’d probably still worry about her decision for weeks wondering if it were too late to back out. But Frankie didn’t even think twice.

  Chapter 3

  Frankie opens her eyes. The train’s passing a small dam. She wonders if the drought has dried it out because it’s just a cracked circle with a tiny puddle of water dotting the centre.

  ‘Good sleep?’ says Joely.

  ‘I didn’t sleep.’ Frankie wipes away the dried spit around her mouth.

  Joely smiles.

  ‘Tell me again about Payne,’ yawns Frankie. She slides her book into her bag and fixes her sunglasses on her head.

  ‘There’s not much to tell,’ says Joely. ‘It’s a small town. There’s a few shops, a dam and there’s a pool.’

  ‘And the farm?’

  ‘It’s a big old house on land. They have cattle, potato fields and a shed.’

  Something zigzags past the train window.

  ‘Look, Frank! That’s Mack and Thommo.’ Joely starts waving madly.

  Frankie swings around thinking how nice it must feel to be so excited about seeing your cousins. Two boys on motorbikes are chasing the train. They have no helmets and she can see their faces clearly as they pull up close to the window. She smiles, liking their tanned bodies and silly grins. One turns to look at her and then the other does too. Frankie feels a flutter of excitement and has to turn away for a second.

  ‘Which one’s which?’

  ‘The one with the red hair, that’s Thommo.’

  As if he heard Joely, Thommo tries to wave, but his wheel wobbles as he steers with one hand. Then Mack passes him and Frankie sees them yelling at each other. She wishes she could hear what they were saying.

  ‘And that’s Mack.’

  Frankie takes in Mack’s bare brown shoulders. He’s big. Bigger than the boys she’s used to. She looks at his face. He’s looking straight at her and lifts both hands in the air, a crazy look on his face. Then he disappears.

  ‘Where did he go?’ Frankie looks back down the track but she can’t see either boy. ‘Are they okay?’

  Frankie’s surprised when Joely laughs at her. ‘They’re fine. They’re just showing off. They’ve been riding like that for years.’

  ‘Yeah course,’ says Frankie, disappointed they aren’t showing off just for her.

  In the carriage, a few people are standing up. Joely grabs their rubbish and pulls her bag onto her shoulder. She looks confident and Frankie wonders when that change happened. She doesn’t look like the girl who tripped at the station, or the girl Frankie hangs out with at school. She looks like someone who knows her way. Frankie feels a bit out of sorts. What if Joely leaves her?

  ‘Come on, Fran
k.’

  Frankie doesn’t want to get up. She’s not sure about this holiday anymore. But Joely is already walking towards the doors, so Frankie grabs her bag and follows.

  There’s an awful screech of metal wheels dragging along the tracks. As the train slows Frankie tenses, expecting it to speed off again and take her away from Payne.

  But then the train stops, the doors open and people push through in front of them. Normally Frankie would push back, but today she’s happy to take as long as she can to reach Joely’s cousins.

  ‘Joely,’ says Frankie. ‘Before it starts … This holiday … It’s about us. Right?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Come on!’ Joely jumps onto the platform and walks off without looking back to check if Frankie’s following.

  Stepping off the train, Frankie swallows, feeling the sting of the hot air drag down her throat. Joely warned her about the heat, but she didn’t think it would be this bad. It’s so fierce she almost feels like she’ll burn where she stands. She tugs at her skirt and sees the two boys waiting. Frankie watches Joely reach them, expecting her to kiss them or something, but instead her friend stops and wheels around, pointing at Frankie.

  Mack and Thommo stare at her. It’s a look Frankie’s used to, but not like this. Not with Joely’s relatives. She glances at Joely, seeking comfort, but even she has a strange look on her face, and it makes Frankie want to run in the other direction.

  Instead, she decides that this is just like starting at another school; she can charm her way into this town and be fine. As Frankie walks along the platform, she feels her city skin shedding and feels relieved that she’s finally free from her mum’s boyfriend with his sleazy smiles and hands, free in a place where nobody knows her and she can be whoever she likes. She smiles as she steps up to Mack and Thommo, ready now to be part of whatever this summer is going to be.

  ‘Can I take your bag?’ says the taller one.

  ‘No thanks,’ says Frankie. ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘That’s Mack,’ says Joely.

  Frankie looks up. Mack isn’t just tall, he’s broad. His shoulders are thick and strong, like a Mack Truck, and Frankie wonders if Mack’s his nickname. Her eyes settle on his face. The rest of him feels too big for her to take in. His eyes are a dirty-blue and his skin looks like the dust has settled on it and he’s given up trying to keep it clean. He’s handsome, Frankie thinks. But the way he stares at her without talking makes her uncomfortable. Then she notices a tiny smudge of freckles across his nose and cheeks, like the freckles that Joely hates so much and, suddenly, Frankie isn’t scared of him anymore.

  ‘Hi Mack,’ she says in her sweetest voice.

  ‘Hi Frankie.’ Mack’s glad he wore his best blue singlet to meet the train. He’s pretty sure it brings out the colour of his eyes. Wanting the first impression to be a good one, he moves his shoulders back and tries to stand even taller. Poor Thommo. He didn’t even have a shower this morning, and Mack’s pretty sure Thommo slept in the shorts he’s wearing. There’s no way his little brother looks his best. Besides, Mack knows girls never go for red hair.

  Mack edges forward a bit. He wasn’t expecting this girl. He can’t quite work out how Frankie could be a friend of Joely’s. It just doesn’t fit. Not that there’s anything wrong with Joely, but compared to the girl who is standing in front of him, it’s like Joely’s from another universe. Within seconds, Mack decides she might be a good way to make Anna jealous, and he smiles.

  ‘And that’s Thommo,’ says Joely.

  ‘Hi Thommo,’ says Frankie.

  ‘Yeah, um, hi,’ says Thommo.

  Frankie smiles, wondering how long it will take her to crack Thommo. He’s nearly as tall as Mack and his hair is bright, carroty red. She only got a glimpse of his green-grey eyes before he looked away at his feet, but she can see the freckles on his skin. They are thick like he’s been flicked with spots of dirt. His arms have threads of muscles, but he’s not like his older brother. Not as big and not as male. He’s nothing to be afraid of.

  ‘And this is my best friend, Frankie,’ says Joely. It always surprises Frankie to hear those words. It’s not something she’s ever had said about her before meeting Joely. Hearing it now makes Frankie feel like she’s being claimed. And she’s not sure how she feels about that.

  ‘Hi again,’ says Frankie.

  Joely grabs Frankie’s hand and starts leading her out of the station. ‘We might walk through town and get the bus back.’

  ‘Righto,’ says Thommo.

  ‘You could come with us on the bikes,’ says Mack.

  Joely laughs. ‘I’ve seen you ride. No way.’

  Frankie turns her head to watch the cousins walk to their bikes. She wonders if they’ll look back at her. As they climb on, Mack looks up, and then so does Thommo. Pleased, she waves, wanting them to know that she isn’t unfriendly. Then she lets Joely drag her across the narrow road towards town.

  Chapter 4

  ‘So this is the town,’ says Joely.

  ‘One street?’ asks Frankie. A dry breath catches in her throat like the asthmatic gasps that plagued her when she was young. How was she going to cope with this heat for a week? How does anyone actually do anything here?

  ‘Well, sort of. There’s a few other council buildings and the primary school, but pretty much all the shops and stuff are here,’ says Joely, randomly waving her hand.

  The town is even smaller than Frankie expected. It’s really just a line, a punctuation of shops among dry paddocks and slow cattle. Frankie scans the street, trying to see what’s there. She can see an ice-cream shop. The word ‘shop’ is spelt with ‘pp’ and an ‘e’, ‘Shoppe’, like it’s trying to be old-fashioned or posh or both. Frankie guesses it’s neither. There’s a supermarket, a newsagency, a clothes shop, a chemist, a hamburger place, a coffee shop and something that looks like it says op shop, but Frankie can’t be sure from where she stands. She hopes it is. The country ones are always the best. There are also pubs at either end of the street, like they’re daring the locals to make a choice.

  ‘We can walk this way to the bus stop,’ says Joely.

  They step into a line of shade, where dogs lie on the footpath panting, buckets of water beside them.

  ‘Is there anything to do?’ says Frankie, crankier than she means to. She knows Joely will probably take it the wrong way, but she’s too hot to apologise.

  ‘There’s a pool,’ says Joely in a terse voice.

  ‘Can we go?’

  ‘No. Not now.’

  ‘But I’m hot,’ says Frankie.

  ‘Told you,’ says Joely.

  ‘Yeah. You did.’ Frankie rubs the sweat away from her face. She can feel her skirt riding up and she wonders if she’s flashing her undies. She catches a look from a group of teenagers staring at them. Girls mostly. Frankie knows they’re checking her out, the strangers from the city who they won’t say anything nice about. But Frankie doesn’t care. She didn’t come here to make friends. She certainly didn’t come here to be polite to the local girls, or to try to change their minds. She’s happy to be judged, and she’s even happier if they leave her alone.

  ‘God, everyone is looking at us.’

  Joely smiles. ‘Cos your skirt’s too short.’

  ‘No, it’s not.’ Frankie tugs at it again.

  ‘Should have worn shorts. Told you.’

  ‘Shut up, Joely.’

  ‘Come on, there’s the bus.’

  Frankie and Joely rush past the Ice-cream Shoppe. Inside Rory is waiting for Anna to scoop ice-creams for a bunch of little kids so she can sneak off with him for a five-minute break around the back. He looks out the window and sees Joely walk past. He remembers her from last summer as Mack’s skinny cousin from the city who was always smiling at him whenever he looked up. Rory could never get close because Mack was always around. Not that he really wanted to. She�
�s not really his type: too freckly.

  Then Frankie runs past. Rory can’t see her eyes because she’s wearing big frame sunglasses, but he can see her hair, and her short skirt, and her laugh. He wonders if Mack’s already met her and what he thinks of his cousin’s friend. Rory smiles as he imagines the perfect way to mess even more with Mack and get him back for taking the job at the servo.

  ‘Want a cone?’ says Anna, dragging Rory’s attention back from the window.

  He looks up at Mack’s ex-girlfriend with her dyed blonde hair and small teeth and shakes his head.

  ‘Nah. I’ve gotta go.’

  ‘But I thought—’ Anna starts in that voice that used to make Rory excited but now just bores him.

  ‘Not today, Anna. In fact, probably not tomorrow either.’ He turns to walk out, thinking he’ll jump on the bus.

  ‘You’re not dumping me?’ she calls. The kids look up from their ice-creams.

  ‘Nah,’ he says, enjoying the fact that Mack’s ex-girlfriend is about to hate him even more than she hates Mack. He can see Anna start to relax, thinking she’s safe, and adds, ‘Cos we were never going out.’

  Rory swipes at the plastic strings hanging in the doorway and bashes his way through, just in time to see the bus pull out. Now what’s he going to do? Maybe he was a bit hasty dumping Anna after all. He turns and walks back through the plastic strings, smiling at Anna like it was all one big joke.

  Chapter 5

  Of course there’s no air-conditioning in the bus, thinks Frankie as she slumps down in the first empty chair. Joely squeezes past her and Frankie wishes she’d sit somewhere else. She wants to spread out on the vinyl seat, not be squashed up against her sweaty friend.

  ‘The pool is open, isn’t it? It’s not just decoration,’ says Frankie.

  ‘Yes, they open it every summer.’