Dismissed Read online

  ‘Next weekend maybe?’

  ‘Sounds good. Are you still free to help me out here this morning?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘Great. How about you grab some breakfast and then we can tackle the weeding together after I’m done with the grass?’

  ‘Cool.’

  Robert turned back to the mower. Lizzie went inside to make herself a coffee and a piece of toast with peanut butter.

  She’d become addicted to caffeine at fourteen when her dad had given up trying to ban it. Since she was sleeping so well these days, she found she didn’t really need it during the day anymore, but it was such a comfortable habit that she didn’t see any point in quitting.

  She put a heaped teaspoon of instant and a large serving of sugar into a mug, and then topped it up with boiling water. She didn’t like polluting her drinks with milk, so she gulped it down black, burning her tongue and throat in the process.

  She carried her piece of toast out into the garden and watched as her dad finished up with the lawn. She looked around at the plants. Her gaze was drawn as always, to the frangipani tree. It was in full bloom right now, and its flowers emitted a lovely tropical perfume. Robert told Lizzie that her mum had been a huge fan of frangipanis and had helped plant that exact tree. So every year when the first buds appeared, Lizzie pretended it was her mum saying hello. She knew it was cheesy, but it was her way of maintaining a connection.

  Jenny White had died from ovarian cancer at the age of thirty. Lizzie’s dad didn’t talk about it very often, but he was always willing to answer questions about their life together and all the memories they shared. This helped Lizzie build a picture of the woman who had given birth to her.

  She knew that her mum had loved movies, and that her favourites were Pretty Woman and Titanic. She had listened to a lot of eighties music, but she also had a thing for R & B and boy bands. And she enjoyed playing video games, especially near the end of her illness when she was always tired. Her favourite game was Donkey Kong Country.

  Lizzie had adopted all of these things into her own list of favourites, and even occasionally dug out the old Super Nintendo. She tried to imagine her mum sitting in front of the TV with the same game, her fingers deftly manipulating the controller. Lizzie always experienced a strange combination of sadness and happiness whenever she played, like her brain couldn’t decide how she should feel.

  Robert switched off the mower again and wiped his sweat-beaded forehead. Despite the early hour, it was already quite hot.

  ‘How about you start in the corner over there, and I’ll start at the other end?’

  ‘Great.’

  Lizzie shoved the last bite of toast in her mouth and brushed away a few stray crumbs on her shorts.

  She headed over to the left back corner and started pulling out all the weeds trying to take up residence around the cycads and agaves.

  Lizzie didn’t mind gardening. Apart from the fact that she knew her mum enjoyed it, she liked being outside and getting her hands dirty. And she wanted to help her dad out wherever possible. He did a lot for her.

  ‘Got any plans for tonight?’ he called from the other side of the yard.

  ‘Um, I might be staying at Taylor’s house,’ she said vaguely. Tonight was the Orion’s Head gig, so she wasn’t sure what Taylor had planned, but she was certain her friend would do everything in her power to get them in.

  ‘Another movie marathon, huh?’

  Lizzie and Taylor did in fact organise a lot of all-night movie marathons, but she was pretty sure they wouldn’t be having one tonight.

  ‘Maybe. I’ll find out later today.’

  ‘You’re not working this weekend?’

  ‘No. But I do have to work most nights next week.’

  ‘OK. Well just make sure you keep on top of your homework. School is more important than McDonald’s.’

  Lizzie wanted to agree, but she didn’t get paid to go to school, and things like petrol and clothes were expensive. She didn’t know what she wanted to do next year, but she did know that she wanted to study something that would get her a high paying job down the line.

  She worked her way around the garden, piling all the weeds together on the grass.

  Her phone rang from her pocket, so she pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.

  Taylor.

  ‘It’s on!’ Taylor squealed as Lizzie answered. ‘Get your butt over here at five, and make sure you bring some clubbing clothes!’

  CHAPTER 7

  ‘OK, so explain to me what the plan is again?’

  The two girls were walking around the back streets of Newstead looking for The Den. It wasn’t an obviously marked venue, so they’d resorted to using Lizzie’s GPS on her phone to guide them. Taylor was wearing a tight black leather dress with peep-toe boots, and Lizzie was wearing dark skinny jeans with a sheer top and bandeau underneath.

  Taylor sighed. ‘It’s not that hard. Just follow my lead, but you’ll have to wait for a few minutes before you copy what I do, otherwise it will look suspicious.’

  ‘We’re not going to get arrested, are we?’

  ‘No! I considered getting fake IDs but it was too hard. We’re doing this the old fashioned way.’

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘To act like we belong there and cruise on through. You just have to relax.’

  ‘I don’t think I can.’

  ‘I knew this would happen. Which is why I brought this. Here.’ She handed Lizzie a hip flask.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘Vodka.’

  ‘Straight?’

  ‘Yes. Have some.’

  Lizzie unscrewed the lid and held the flask to her lips. Taylor lifted up the bottom so that it poured into Lizzie’s mouth faster than she could swallow. She coughed, and spat half of it onto the pavement.

  ‘Hey! What did you do that for?’ Lizzie yelped.

  ‘Because you were taking too long. Come on. Drink some more.’

  Lizzie was annoyed. ‘You do realise I probably won’t be able to drive us home now?’

  ‘It will be out of your system by then. But if you’re that worried, we’ll catch a cab and then come back for the car tomorrow.’

  Lizzie grimaced and downed a huge mouthful of vodka. She wasn’t normally a big drinker because she didn’t like feeling out of control. But tonight definitely required something to take the edge off.

  ‘Alright. Let’s do this before I chicken out!’ Lizzie said, now energised.

  They arrived out the front of The Den and held back for a moment to get a feel for the crowd and security.

  There were two entrances, one that led directly inside, and one that opened up to a beer garden that presumably connected to the venue internally.

  ‘OK, so I think our best bet is to go through the beer garden. The entry is quite wide, so it’s harder for them to protect. I’m going to go in first. Follow me in about five minutes.’ She handed Lizzie a ticket. ‘Take this.’

  ‘You actually bought tickets?’

  ‘Of course. You owe me thirty dollars too, by the way. You can give it to me inside.’ She started to walk away.

  ‘Wait up! What if the bouncer stops me?’

  ‘Fake it. Say you’ve already been in and you had to leave for a minute.’

  ‘I feel like we haven’t really thought this through properly.’

  ‘There’s nothing to think through! Look, watch me.’

  Taylor strutted over to the beer garden entry. Lizzie watched, her heart hammering on her friend’s behalf.

  Taylor timed it so that she blended seamlessly with a group of four people all going in at the same time. The bouncer didn’t even look twice, more concerned with someone talking through his earpiece.

  Was that it? Lizzie thought. She felt strangely disappointed, like it should have been more of a challenge. Of course she didn’t know whether there was another checkpoint inside, but so far, so good.

  Lizzie took a deep breath and forced herself to
calm down. She was sure the bouncer would be able hear her heart beating, and she didn’t want to give the game away.

  After a few minutes, she started walking up to the beer garden entry. She tried to appear confident, holding a hand on her hip and marching determinedly inside. The bouncer half looked at her, but then got distracted by two guys who had started yelling at each near the other entry.

  She hurried in, and out of the bouncer’s line of vision.

  She’d made it!

  Taylor was nowhere to be seen, so Lizzie assumed she’d already gone in search of the stage.

  She cut across the beer garden and over to a door that other people were disappearing through. She strode up and almost didn’t see the woman collecting tickets. She was quite tall and looked like Pam from True Blood.

  Lizzie recoiled slightly.

  ‘Ticket please,’ the woman said in a bored voice.

  ‘Oh right. Yes, of course.’ Lizzie nervously handed over her ticket.

  The woman took it and then narrowed her eyes at Lizzie.

  ‘Can I see your ID?’ she asked.

  ‘Uh, yeah, sure.’ Lizzie pretended to shuffle through her purse, acting like she’d misplaced her licence. She was stalling for time, wondering if she should make a run for it. Would they look for her all night if she tried to make a break through the door? She didn’t want to risk it. She’d just have to leave.

  ‘Isn’t that your ID there?’ the woman asked, pointing to Lizzie’s real licence in her purse.

  ‘How silly of me. Yes!’ She started pulling it out, but made a great show of acting like it was stuck.

  ‘I can’t seem to…’

  ‘I have all night, honey.’

  Damn. Lizzie’s options were fast running out.

  ‘Jason, darling! I haven’t seen you for ages!’

  The woman was distracted by someone coming up behind Lizzie. Lizzie turned around and saw Brandon’s brother Jason heading in her direction. Great. He would blow her cover for sure.

  He glanced down at Lizzie and did a double take.

  ‘I know you…’ he started, and then trailed off, obviously struggling to remember exactly where from.

  ‘This little chicky seems to be having trouble with her ID,’ the woman explained dryly.

  Jason smiled knowingly.

  ‘Ah, of course.’ He looked at the woman. ‘She’s fine. She’s with me.’

  The woman pouted. ‘I need to see her ID.’

  ‘She’s nineteen. My brother dragged me along to her birthday a few weeks ago. It took me a second to remember how I knew her, but only because I was so smashed.’

  ‘Then she won’t mind showing me her licence.’

  Jason leaned over and whispered something in the woman’s ear.

  ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Go on,’ she spat at Lizzie. ‘But don’t you dare let me catch you at the bar.’

  ‘No problem,’ she said gratefully.

  Jason wrapped his arm around Lizzie’s shoulder and pulled her towards the inner sanctum.

  ‘Who’s been a naughty girl then?’ he teased.

  ‘It was Taylor’s idea,’ she clarified.

  ‘Ah. The cheeky one. Excellent.’

  Lizzie wasn’t happy to be at Jason’s mercy, but she was glad that he’d helped her out. She saw Taylor sitting on a bar stool in the corner, close to the stage. She was sipping on a Mojito.

  ‘You look relaxed,’ Lizzie commented as she made her way over.

  ‘It was easy,’ she said, shrugging.

  ‘How did you get past the chick?’

  ‘I don’t know. She barely looked at me.’

  ‘She wanted to see my ID,’ Lizzie confessed.

  ‘So what did you do?’

  ‘I rescued her,’ Jason deadpanned as he materialised beside Lizzie.

  Taylor screamed. ‘Jason!’

  He laughed, pleased. ‘It’s good to see you too, sweetheart. But I’m curious as to how two of my dear brother’s students happen to be at the same club as us on the night of one of our gigs.’

  ‘That’s why we’re here,’ she said. ‘We wanted to see you play.’

  ‘Yes, but did Brandon tell you he was in a band? He told me he didn’t want anyone at school knowing.’

  ‘Google is an amazing thing,’ Taylor shot back.

  ‘Oh, this is awesome,’ he said, rubbing his hands together gleefully. ‘Then how about we don’t tell him you’re here until a bit later? Otherwise he might have you kicked out before you’ve had a chance to see us in action.’

  ‘Fine with me,’ Taylor said, grinning.

  ‘You two ladies relax. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.’

  Jason wandered off, and Lizzie sat down beside Taylor.

  ‘So, is this what a nightclub looks like?’ Lizzie asked. She’d never tried sneaking in anywhere before, but Taylor had. Many times.

  ‘Kind of. When I was going out with Frank, that waiter last year, he took me to a few different places, but most of them were crap. More like bars than clubs. The only one that was kind of cool, and I think it was only because they had an international DJ on that night, was Family.’

  ‘How does this place compare?’

  ‘It’s OK. I wouldn’t get too excited about turning eighteen just so you can start nightclubbing though.’

  ‘I’m not. But it will be nice to be able to do everything without worrying about the consequences. Like going into a bottle shop and legally buying a bottle of champagne. Or gambling at the casino.’

  ‘Casinos are overrated too. Full of pokies and old people.’

  ‘Listen to you. You sound like you’re already over the whole scene.’

  ‘I kind of am. I really think I will look into going to the UK next year. I need to get out of this city.’

  ‘You should do it then.’

  ‘Want to come with me?’

  ‘Maybe. I was thinking about going to uni.’

  ‘Defer it. Do you know I read a study that proved you were more likely to finish your course if you took a gap year first?’

  ‘Really? You didn’t read that in one of your trashy magazines, did you?’

  ‘No! It was in a proper newspaper.’ She pretended to look hurt at the implication she didn’t read anything reputable.

  ‘I’ll think about it.’

  Lizzie did kind of like the idea of travelling next year, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to go with Taylor. It would be exhausting, and they would never end up doing anything Lizzie wanted.

  ‘Do you want a cocktail?’ Taylor asked, only just noticing that Lizzie didn’t have a drink.

  ‘No thanks. The chick at the door suspects I’m not eighteen and said I’m not allowed to go near the bar. If she sees me drinking, she’ll probably kick me out.’

  ‘Harsh. Oh well. I guess that means you still might be able to drive us home later.’

  Lizzie couldn’t help but smile. Of course Taylor would find the benefit for her in that situation.

  ‘Oh look!’ Taylor screeched. ‘They’re starting!’

  The lights went down and the crowd began cheering. Everyone gravitated towards the stage. Lizzie felt Taylor pulling on her arm so they could get a better view. She didn’t resist.

  A rocky song played as the band members walked onto the stage. Actually, swaggered would probably be a more appropriate word than walked. First up was the drummer, who Lizzie knew from Taylor was called Ethan. Ethan sat down at his drum kit and started playing a solo, whipping the audience into a frenzy.

  Jason was up next. He had a bass slung over his shoulder and flicked his hands upwards to encourage louder cheering. It worked.

  Alex followed third. He was the lead guitarist, and he had a huge afro with a comb stuck in the top. He reminded Lizzie of Andre 3000.

  And lastly, Brandon came out. The cheering reached fever pitch. Lizzie forgot she was in a small Brisbane music venue, and suddenly felt like she was at a stadium watching Muse play.

  The band kicked off with a song Lizzi
e recognised as Venus the 2nd. She started tapping her foot to the heavy intro. Taylor was already throwing herself around. Lizzie expected her to climb up on the stage at any moment and start crowd surfing.

  The place was packed and it quickly heated up. Soon, everyone was sweating.

  Taylor pushed her way through to the front barrier. Lizzie hung back slightly. She wasn’t used to being aggressive, and she was also scared what Brandon might do if he spotted them.

  But Brandon seemed focused on the song, at least for the first few minutes. Lizzie couldn’t get over how much sexier he was here on stage than in the classroom. And he was already pretty sexy in the classroom. Tonight he was wearing faded black jeans and a fitted leather jacket over a loose singlet that showed off half his chest. Lizzie had to stop herself from physically drooling.

  She quietly mouthed the lyrics as Brandon sang. She knew all the songs now off by heart, which was kind of strange, seeing as she usually fell asleep soon after putting on one of their albums. She figured she must have absorbed the words subconsciously.

  Interstellar came on next, and Lizzie had to stop herself from screaming along with everyone else.

  She closed her eyes and sang along, getting lost in Brandon’s soulful tone.

  When she opened them again, she noticed two things.

  Brandon was staring at her in confusion.

  And Taylor was too.

  Crap.

  CHAPTER 8

  Lizzie felt her face heating up.

  She didn’t know who to focus on first.

  Brandon kept looking at her as if he couldn’t believe she was actually there. Then he saw Taylor, and his mouth twisted into an angry scowl.

  Lizzie was horrified.

  Taylor stomped back to Lizzie.

  ‘How do you know the words?’ she demanded.

  ‘I’ll explain later. But first, we should probably leave. Brandon is pissed at us.’

  Taylor glanced back at the stage and saw his expression.

  ‘He’ll get over it. He can’t exactly do anything about it while he’s playing. So tell me. How come you know this song so well?’

  ‘I looked them up after you showed me. I thought they sounded cool.’