Wednesday, May 19th 2004

Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

4:15 P.M.

Last week, Junie's school had announced that it was starting a class for gifted children. Students with the highest scores in the upcoming tests would qualify. There were twenty places in the class for each subject and Junie was determined to make into either Maths or Physics.

She knew she could it, because honestly, a good portion of the students at her school weren't too bright. Junie knew she could easily get in one of the gifted classes. All she had to do was study hard for the impending tests and she was in. Of course, that was easier said than done. She always had problems concentrating, especially a warm day like this. Junie flicked through her physics textbook, trying to find the page on electric currents. She sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow.

It was scorching hot in her bedroom, the air was humid and damp with the faint scent of cigarettes.  Too much of the afternoon light had flooded in, it drowned her in its blistering heat, making it hard to focus on anything. She would pass out if this heat continued. Junie slid off her bed and started to stretch her arms and legs and once the feeling in her limbs returned, she yanked the curtains shut. It killed all the burning sunlight that had flooded the room.

She slumped back down onto her bed, and went back to reading the textbook. Now, electric currents --

"Junie!" Audrey shouted from downstairs, making her jump. "Junie!"

She sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds before she answered. "Yeah?"

"Come down!" she ordered.

Junie slid off her bed and opened the door. She trudged down the creaky steps, wondering what Audrey could possibly want. In the kitchen, she found her mother leaning against the counter, a lit cigarette in her mouth and a glass filled to the brim with whisky in her hand. She pulled the cigarette from her mouth.

"Junie, my little darling," she said, blowing out a puff of smoke. "I need you to buy me a packet of cigs."

Junie fought an exasperated sigh. It was no secret that Audrey Bennett was an avid smoker and drinker. Junie would say her mother was an alcoholic but the last time she'd said that, she was given a look that meant she was five seconds from getting smacked if she didn't get out of her sight. She couldn't go a day without an alcoholic drink or her hourly dose of nicotine. If she didn't get it then she would snap and hiss at anyone who dared to come within three feet of her.

"Who's gonna sell me cigs? I'm underage," said Junie.

Audrey gave her a pointed look. She took a long gulp of the honey-coloured whiskey and let out a satisfied sigh. She said, "You know the charity shop next to the post office on Wickham Street?"

Junie nodded.

"There's a convenience store between the two," Audrey said, "just ask for a guy called Pete and tell him I sent you, he'll give you the cigs."

Junie frowned, "Audrey, I –"

Her mouth twisted into a scowl. "How many times do I have to tell you?" she snapped, "Stop calling me that. I'm your mum, so call me Mum."

Perhaps if she started acting like a mother, Junie might just consider it. Audrey pulled out a handful of cash from her purse and passed it to her daughter.

"There's eighty dollars," she said, sucking on her cigarette and letting out another cloud of smoke. "Buy three bottles of Lombard Whiskey, four packets of cigs, two packets of painkillers, and....a pack of apple ciders."

Junie glanced at the money, then back at her mother, "Can I buy some candy if there's change?"

"Knock yourself out," Audrey shrugged, "Go on then, what are you waiting for? Be quick, I have someone coming over in an hour."

Junie left the kitchen. She slipped on her dusty converses, and shrugging on her jacket she left the house. She skipped down the steps and hopped onto the cobbled ground. She paused, titling her head up to inspect the afternoon sky. The leaden clouds from this morning had floated away and left the sky a bright cerulean blue. Junie stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket and began her walk to Wickham Street.

"Junie!"

She turned around, expecting it to be her mother but was surprised to find it was the familiar blue-eyed boy running over to. When he finally caught up with her, he doubled over, breathing hard with his hands on knees.

"Dylan," she chided him, "why do you run when you know you've got asthma?"

 "No...I..." He shook his head, "No....my... my..."

Dylan dug his hand into his jean pockets. He yanked out his inhaler and popped it into his mouth. She waited with an impassive expression as he sucked in long deep breaths.

"My...my asthma is getting better," he coughed.

Junie rolled her eyes. "Sure it is."

"It is," he insisted. He had to let out another a string of coughs before he could speak, "W-where are you going?"

"Gotta go buy something for my mum," she replied. She turned and continue her walk down the street, "You coming?"

Dylan nodded and despite the fact he'd almost had an asthma attack he proceeded to run after her. "Junie!"

"What is it New Zealand?"

Dylan frowned, "Don't call me that."

"What? New Zealand?" Junie grinned, "What? Don't you like being called New Zealand, New Zealand?"

His grimace confirmed his dislike for the nickname. Junie couldn't help but laugh.

It must have been a week or two after her tenth birthday, when Junie was called to the principal's office. She thought the school had figured out she was the one who had triggered the fire alarm – only because she had not studied for her physics test that day and there was no way in hell she was getting a C. Junie prepared her excuse, she had a whole speech planned out on why expelling her would reflect poorly on the school and how she would most definitely sue them if they did.

She was surprised upon entering the principal's office to find the blue-eyed boy she'd saved from Benja and Lucas sitting by the desk. The principal had assigned Junie the task of taking care of Dylan until he was used to life at the school. Apparently she was the best person for the job, which Junie thought was very poor judgment on his part. She had reluctantly agreed but it wasn't as if she had a choice on the matter. Junie had forgotten the boy's name and so she'd referred to him as New Zealand for a week.

He hadn't liked it and was very vocal about the fact. This only encouraged Junie to call him New Zealand more often. She liked the way his blue eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened each time. It would be endearing if it wasn't so funny. 

It had been a year since and Dylan hadn't left her side. Somehow and somewhere along the line, she couldn't even begin to fathom why, Junie had grown quite attached to the blue-eyed boy from New Zealand.

"What are you doing for your birthday?" he asked.

Junie blinked. That was it. That was what had been nagging all day. It was her birthday. Her eleventh birthday. She glared at Dylan, mouth pressing into a frown. Why did he have to remind her? She was having a perfectly pleasant day until he brought it up.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Nothing?" he repeated. He looked absolutely scandalised, "Why not? It's your birthday!"

Junie threw him a glare. "I don't care, New Zealand."

"But–"

"Just drop it." Junie snapped.

4:29 P.M.

Junie and Dylan paused outside the door of the convenience store, the stared up at the flashing neon sign that read Wickham Street Dailies. Dylan pushed the door and entered the store with Junie trailing behind. Inside, a waft of cool air washed over them, it carried the sweet scent of roses and fairy cakes. Junie glanced around the shop for a few seconds before marching towards to the counter. Dylan wandered off, probably because he'd spotted the comic book aisle. It was all he talked about these days, Iron Man this, Captain America that. It would be annoying if it wasn't so endearing.

The woman stood behind the counter was short and stout with unruly dark hair and a mole the size of Sydney Opera House.

"Uhm...is..."Junie began, trying to remember the name her mother had told her, "is...Pete here?"

The mole-woman swivelled round in her chair. "Pete!" she bellowed, startling Junie, "Pete! There's some kid here for you!"

Junie wanted to protest to that. She wasn't a kid. She was five foot two, the tallest girl in her year and she was eleven today. She heard heavy footsteps and caught sight of a chubby balding man walked through the door behind the counter.

"What?" the man called Pete asked grouchily. He looked like he had just been woken up from a rather enjoyable slumber.

The mole-woman nodded her head towards Junie, "This ankle-biter wants to see ya."

Pete's dark beady eyes instantly flew to Junie, "What is it?"

"Uhm...my mum wanted me to buy her some cigs and whiskey," she said.

Pete stared at her, his eyes narrowing. He suddenly grinned, revealing a row of blackened teeth. "You must be Audrey's little sprog. Bloody hell, you're the spitting image of her."

"Right," Junie drawled, "she wanted me to get three bottles of Lombard Whiskey, four packets of cigs, two packets of painkillers, and a pack of apple ciders!"

She felt quite proud of herself for remembering such an extensive list. God knows her mother would snap at her, if she missed just one item. In a less than a minute Pete had located the items and the mole-woman was shoving them into a plastic bag as Junie paid. She was sad to find there was no spare change. Junie sullenly turned to leave. She stopped, surprised to see Dylan standing before her and holding a basket full of junk food and comic books.

Junie's eyebrows furrowed. "Dylan," she said, "I'm not paying for that."

"Don't worry, you're not," he said, setting the basket on the counter. He pulled out some cash from the front pockets of his jeans and handed it to the mole-woman. Pete stuffed the items in a blue plastic bag and the mole-woman thanked Dylan for coming to the shop.

"Why did you buy all that stuff?" Junie asked as they left the store. 

Dylan was grinning like he knew a secret. He tapped his nose and winked.

Junie rolled her eyes. This boy.  

4:49 P.M.

Audrey wasn't in the kitchen when Junie and Dylan returned to her house. She pushed the door to the living room open. Her mother sat on the sofa with a lit cigarette in hand, as she chatted to a strange man beside her. They looked up when they heard the door creak.

"I've got what you wanted," Junie said. She scurried forward, pulling the items out from the plastic and setting them on the table.

"Thanks, love," her mother gave her a curt nod.

"This is your daughter?" the man with the scruffy beard and scruffier eyebrows asked. He stared at Junie, wearing an intense look of fascination that made her want to hide.

"Yeah," said Audrey, blowing clouds of smoke past her scarlet lips.

"She's pretty," he commented, his eyes scanned her lanky frame, "You're going to be very beautiful when you're older. Have you ever thought about modelling?"

Junie didn't like the way he was staring at her. He was practically leering, as if he was sizing her up. Junie shook her head, "Nah, not really my thing."

He cocked a bushy eyebrow, "Not really your thing? Y'know your mother was a model before she had you. The best in Queensland."

Audrey smiled and waved a hand dismissively in the air. "Oh, stop filling her head with stories," she smirked at him, "anyway, that was years ago."

"Stories?" the man grinned, "you were absolutely beautiful. You still are."

Audrey laughed in a way Junie had never heard, the sound reminded her of wind chimes in the summer air. Audrey pulled the cigarette from her lips and stubbed it out on the coffee table. She smiled tightly at her daughter, "Junie, be a dear, get me and Craig some glass cups."

Junie more than eagerly left the room and walked into the kitchen, where Dylan was perched on the counter, munching on some of the potato chips he'd bought from the shop.

"Don't get any crumbs on the floor," Junie said as she reached up into the cupboard and grabbed two glass cups. She hated messy places. Her mother never bothered to clean and so the task was left to her. Junie went back into the living room, where Audrey was cackling at something the bearded man had said.

"Pour us some whiskey will you love," Audrey said and Junie did as she was told. She passed the drink to the man named Craig, and then one to her mother.

"Thanks," Craig said, still leering at her.

"Why don't you go play out for a bit?" Audrey suggested with another tight smile.

"I can't...I have homework to do." Junie said but as soon as she saw Audrey's warning glare, she nodded feebly and left the room once more. As she passed the kitchen, she called Dylan, "New Zealand, let's go!"

Dylan picked up his bag of goods and quickly followed her out.

5:26 P.M.

"It's so hot." Dylan whined.

"Yeah well," Junie sighed, "what're you gonna do?"

Junie and Dylan were sat by the Brisbane River. Junie had her feet immersed in the cool water. She had urged Dylan to do the same but the idiot was convinced there were flesh-eating creatures lurking in the river. Behind them, lay a dense forest, engraved with a long winding path that lead back to civilisation.

The stoic willow tree next Dylan, rained hundreds of its green tendrils down, shading the two friends from the pounding sunshine. Downstream, she noticed several sail boats and yachts drifting with the current. She briefly wondered what it was like to be rich and own a yacht as impressive as the one she saw. She wondered what it is was like, to live in a world where money was not a problem.

Junie breathed in the pungent smell of wildflowers and the salty scent of the river and smiled. She loved this place. She had discovered it two years ago on a detour from school. It had this serene essence that shrouded her with an odd yet welcoming sense of tranquillity. If she could, she would stay here for the rest of her days.

She glanced at Dylan. He was busy setting out all the things he had bought from the convenience store. There was an array of candy, potato chips, tea cakes, chocolate bars and two large bottles of coke.

Junie said, "Dylan."

He held up a rectangular pink box and grinned widely at her, "Here!"

"What is it?"

"It's your birthday present," he said eagerly, "just open it."

Junie took the box, she turned it around in her hand. When she saw the front she almost burst out laughing.

"Barbie?" she chuckled. 

Dylan's wide grin faltered, "Don't you like it?"

"No," she laughed, "Why the hell would I want a Barbie doll?"

He shrugged, "I-I thought that's what all girls liked."

Junie sniggered, "Yeah, girls like Helen Torres but... I hate Barbie."

Perhaps hate was a strong word, she just never found any joy in play dress up with a plastic toy.

"Oh right..."he said. He glanced away, a tight frown pressed his lips together. 

Junie sighed, feeling a spike of guilty strike her for hurting his feelings. She smiled softly at him. "But thank you for buying it, you're awesome."

The grin was back in a flash and it made her stomach knot.

Junie looked at the display he'd laid out. "What's this for?"

"For you," he said, "It's your birthday after all."

She pulled her eyebrows together. "I don't understand," she said, "Why did you do this?"

"Well...because you're my best friend," he said with a sheepish smile. "And, well, it's your birthday."

Junie blinked, not sure what to say. Most of the kids at school, either ignored or hated Junie because they thought she was stuck up. Something Junie found to be too funny to even take seriously. Were they blind? Could they not see her hand-me-down clothes? If they just took one look at her rundown house they would understand the last thing Junie Bennett was, was stuck up. Despite all the rude and untruthful things the other children said about her, Dylan still chose to hang out with her, which wasn't very good for his social status but he didn't seem to notice, let alone care. He was so odd she couldn't help but love him for it.

Junie stared at him. "Really?"

He nodded and Junie felt her smile grow into a bright grin because, well, because he was her best friend too. He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. "Happy birthday Junie!"