The Other Side of Nowhere Read online

  With Nick out of earshot George turned on me, hands firmly planted on her hips. ‘Johnno, how could you?’ she said in a harsh whisper.

  ‘What?’ I replied blankly.

  ‘Well, I’m not exactly welcome here, am I?’

  ‘Don’t be stupid,’ I said dumbly. ‘Course you are. It was just … a prank.’

  She stared at me questioningly for a second. ‘Oh, don’t tell me,’ she said, scoffing. ‘Not the old “George/Georgina” prank? C’mon Johnno. What is this, The Famous Five?’

  I stared at the deck, feeling like a total loser. But George wasn’t finished.

  ‘So where’s the farm?’ she demanded. ‘Or was that just another little prank?’

  I knew it was time to man up and explain things with a calm confidence. Or at least do the next best thing – blame someone else. ‘We’ll still hang out at the farm, but Nick really wanted to go to this island.’

  ‘Island?’ George echoed. ‘What island?’

  ‘Crocodile Island. I mean, Lion Island. It’s not far,’ I said, with a sweep of my arm that pretty much took in the entire ocean. ‘He only mentioned it yesterday, honestly. And he really wanted to go so I didn’t really want to say anything.’

  ‘Like what? Like, tell him I was a girl?’

  ‘Huh?’ I said, knowing she was onto me.

  ‘If he’d known I was a girl he wouldn’t have let me come.’

  ‘Hey, that’s not what I said.’

  ‘But that’s what you –’

  ‘Awkward!’ Matt muttered, stepping up to us. He had a stupid grin on his face, which only got wider as he watched me squirm.

  ‘Shut up, moron!’ I snapped. ‘Mum telling you you’re adopted is awkward. This is not awkward.’

  George turned to Matt. ‘Where’s my backpack?’

  The bemused look on his face fell away. ‘I don’t know. Nick took it downstairs.’

  ‘Well, can you go get it? Please?’

  ‘How come?’

  ‘Because I’m leaving, that’s how come,’ George told him.

  Matt frowned. ‘But you just got here.’

  ‘Yes, thanks for reminding me of that,’ she said sharply. ‘For a moment I thought travelling halfway across the country trapped next to a big dude with BO was a figment of my imagination.’

  Matt watched George for a second, as if waiting for her to laugh and tell him she was only joking, but her intent stare clearly said that wasn’t happening.

  He shrugged, turned on his heel and headed below.

  It dawned on me that she wasn’t just trying to make a point and that she might actually be serious. I suddenly realised just how badly I wanted her to come along. I mean, the best thing about this whole summer holiday was that George was going to be a part of it, and now I’d stuffed everything up.

  ‘C’mon, George. Don’t be silly,’ I said.

  ‘Oh yeah, that’s right. I’m the silly one,’ she said folding her arms defiantly.

  I felt my shoulders sagging, as if a weight was pulling them down. ‘Look, I know I stuffed up and I’m sorry. I want you to come, but if you don’t, then I’ll stay with you at the farm.’

  ‘Don’t you dare,’ she hissed, prodding me hard in the chest. ‘If you don’t go, neither will Nick and it’ll be my fault. Why should I take the blame?’

  The question hung between us as we stood in stony silence. I shuffled my feet like a kid busting for a leak and George chewed her lip. When the silence became unbearable, I tried again.

  ‘George, you’re right. It is my fault. But it’s not like I meant any harm. I’m really sorry if you’re –’

  ‘Mad as hell?’ she finished.

  ‘Well, yeah. Anyway, I’m sorry.’

  We fell silent again. She wouldn’t look at me for a long time but when she finally did it seemed a little less intimidating. Matt reappeared from down below, struggling up the stairs with George’s bag.

  ‘Here you go,’ he said, dropping it at her feet.

  She stared at it for a moment, then gave a faint smile. ‘Well I guess I don’t really want to sit around on my own …’

  ‘Say what?’ asked Matt.

  She patted him gently on the shoulder. ‘Thanks Matt, but I won’t be needing it after all. Would you mind putting it back, please?’

  ‘Jeez, make up your mind,’ he groaned, hitching the bag back on his shoulder.

  George grinned at me and I laughed, so relieved that she’d forgiven me. I was about to give her a hug when Nick’s dad called us over. Nick scrambled back on deck while his dad stood on the pier, his eyes scanning each of us in turn as he spoke.

  ‘Now listen up, you lot. I’ve already said this to Nick, but of course he’s bulletproof. According to this morning’s forecast there’s a good chance of a storm later today. Strong winds and possible rain and –’

  ‘Fat chance,’ interrupted Nick.

  ‘So,’ his dad continued, ignoring him, ‘I want you to sail straight to the island, no skylarking or mucking about, and get yourself tucked into the main bay by no later than two.’

  I glanced at my watch. It was about nine-thirty. Last night Nick had said the boat trip should take us no more than three hours. So I figured we’d definitely make it well inside his dad’s curfew, even if the weather got a bit rough. As if on cue, a wind flurry ruffled the water in the harbour, making the ropes beat like a drumroll against the mast.

  Nick’s dad squinted into the sun, trying to see the unseeable over the horizon. ‘Maybe you should go tomorrow instead …’

  ‘No way,’ said Nick quickly. ‘Dad, the weather’s fine and we’ll be there in a few hours max. We’ll be set up before any rain comes, which, if the last month or three has been any indication, is mighty unlikely.’

  Before his dad could argue the point, Nick pushed past me and jumped back into the cockpit, barking instructions. ‘Righto, let’s get a move on. Dad, can you throw off the bow line?’

  Nick turned the key in the ignition and the engine started with a wracking cough, before settling into a gentle gurgle. A plume of blue exhaust hung in the air above the back of the boat, and the smell of diesel wafted through the cockpit.

  Defeated, his dad shook his head and bent down to untie the rope that held The Dolphin to the pier. As he handed it over to Nick he said, ‘You’ve got the Sat phone, right? Call me as soon as you get settled. And Nick, you’re in charge, bud. No messing about.’

  Nick grinned at his dad. ‘Relax. We’ll be fine. See you in a couple of days. Unless the fishing’s awesome, then we might stay for the week.’

  Then he said something that struck me as odd. As they stood close, hands almost touching as the rope passed between them, Nick leant towards his father, his face softening. ‘Take care, Dad. Keep yourself tidy.’ He said it quietly, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

  His dad just nodded solemnly, without saying a word. It was a fleeting connection that severed as Nick dropped the rope to the deck.

  ‘Give us a push,’ Nick called.

  His dad gave the hull a shove with his foot and The Dolphin peeled away from the jetty. He waved briefly and then tucked his hands into his trouser pockets and headed back down the pier.

  I had a weird sensation as we sailed away from the pier. No-one was even looking in our direction. Not the fishermen tending their catch, not the handful of people on the main street, not the lady from the kiosk sitting out the back chatting on the phone, not even the cloud of circling gulls above us. As far as Shell Harbour was concerned, we might not have been there at all.

  The sun beat down from a cloudless sky onto a sparkling carpet of iridescent blue, and a gentle westerly breeze filled the sails. We heeled over and gathered speed. Gliding across the rolling swells with power and grace, The Dolphin was in her element.

  And Nick was in his.

  Perched in the rear of the cockpit with one arm lightly resting on the steering wheel, he could barely keep the grin from his face as he rolled out instructions to Ma
tt and me. Hoist this, pull that in, let that out, sit here, sit there, get your hand out or you’ll lose it. After she showed me how to hoist the sail, George sat down across from Nick with her eyes closed and head tilted towards the sun. Occasionally she’d take a peek and grin at our not-quite-right execution of the skipper’s regular commands.

  The island lay dead ahead.

  According to Nick, there were plenty of safe moorings in any number of sheltered bays on the side of the island we were heading to. That side was a popular place for tourists and campers because it was a great fishing spot. Often in summer, three or four boats might be moored there.

  Between barking instructions, Nick told us about the crystal clear water where you could see the sandy bottom more than a dozen metres below. According to Nick, we’d be able to see rays gliding along the sea floor and turtles that would nibble our toes if we dangled them over the stern.

  Nick explained that he would swim ashore after we had anchored to collect a small dinghy he kept tied to a tree on the beach, then we’d ferry our gear across to the beach where we would set up camp under a fringe of trees only metres from the water’s edge.

  I had to admit I was warming to the idea of Lion Island and, by the rapt look on George’s face, I could tell she was too. I wondered if maybe this would be okay after all.

  ‘I’m hungry,’ Matt announced to no-one in particular, probably thinking that without Mum around to wait on him it was best to cast the net wide.

  ‘There’s biscuits in the cupboard, and while you’re at it, put the kettle on,’ Nick said. ‘Tea, white with one.’

  ‘Me too, but no sugar,’ I added, with zero expectation of actually getting one.

  George laughed at Matt’s bewildered expression. ‘I’ll give you a hand,’ she said, ruffling his hair.

  Matt turned to give me the finger and then trotted off behind her like an obedient puppy.

  I leant forward to take a look under the sail. As clear as it was, the island still seemed a long way off. ‘How long do you reckon?’

  Nick shrugged. ‘If this breeze keeps up maybe a couple of hours. We’ll be there by two no worries, and long before that lot arrives.’

  Following his gaze I noticed that a line of fluffy white clouds had built up on the horizon.

  ‘Will we get a storm?’

  Nick shrugged as if it didn’t really matter. ‘Maybe, the barometer’s dropping a bit. But it’s been that long since we’ve had any rain, who can tell? Bet we get a bit of a sound and light show, but no waterworks.’

  ‘All foreplay, no action, huh?’

  He chuckled, ‘Exactly. No fun in that!’

  I took advantage of the moment. ‘Hey, Nick. Look, sorry about the thing with George. I guess I thought you might have canned the trip if you knew she was, you know, a girl.’

  He stiffened. For a second I thought he was building up to give me a serve, but then he slumped forward again, the tension easing. ‘Look, Johnno, it’s good to see you, really, it is. But things change, you know what I mean?’

  He paused and scratched the side of his nose. ‘The farm … it’s hard, you know, just really hard.’ The creases of his frown darkened into deep trenches on his forehead. It was like he was searching for the right words, but then he just gave up trying to explain. ‘Anyway, just … no more surprises. Okay?’

  I had no idea what he was talking about. It was like he was a total stranger.

  If there was one thing I’d always admired in Nick it was the way he took control of his life in a way that I found impossible to do in my own. Nick was never afraid to tackle things head on, to make big decisions and act on them. He always seemed full of purpose, whereas I just kind of got swept along by things. But what he was saying now just didn’t sound like him at all.

  ‘Yeah. Sure, of course. I totally get it,’ I lied. ‘Like I said, sorry.’

  But I didn’t get it. As Nick momentarily turned away to fiddle with the rope at his feet I stared at him and my mind filled with a thousand images of our friendship.

  For the longest time Nick and I had been inseparable. We’d lived in the same street, gone to the same school, done everything together. Then he’d moved away and things changed. Not big things and not fast. For the first year or so we talked all the time. I told him about the usual stuff at home and he had heaps of new things going on at the farm. He sounded like he was having the coolest time. Then we kind of dropped off a bit, I guess, just calling on birthdays and stuff like that. It wasn’t deliberate or anything, it just kind of happened that way. And of course we still spent the summer holidays together. But when we’d come to the farm last year Nick was different. He didn’t talk much or do much except work on fixing up his yacht. Half the time Matt and I ended up doing stuff around the farm on our own.

  Over the past year Nick and I had hardly been in contact at all. I was kind of surprised to get an invite from him. For the past couple of days things had been good. Almost like old times. But right now, more than ever, I felt like I hardly knew him at all.

  We fell back into an awkward silence that was only broken when George came up the steps with the tea and a packet of shortbread biscuits.

  ‘Here we go,’ she said, passing them around before sitting down next to Nick. ‘Nice photo of you two down there. Who caught the fish?’

  ‘Me,’ said Nick and I in unison.

  ‘Okay …’ She raised her eyebrows at us.

  ‘Couldn’t have been Johnno,’ said Matt through a mouthful of biscuit. ‘He’s never caught a thing.’

  ‘Come on, that’s not fair,’ said Nick, straight-faced. ‘What about a bus? Or a cold?’

  I flicked some biscuit crumbs into his tea. ‘Bet those cows on the farm are just loving your jokes.’

  ‘What’s it like? Living on a farm?’ asked George.

  ‘All right,’ Nick said, sitting back with his tea. ‘I don’t have to see Johnno’s ugly mug every day, so that’s a plus.’

  ‘Just all right?’ she asked. ‘I think it’d be awesome. You know, fresh air, starry skies and all that. And horses. I love horses.’

  ‘Don’t forget the cow dung, flies and blisters,’ Nick replied dryly.

  George rolled her eyes.

  Then Nick smiled at her. ‘It has its moments, I guess. I like the amazing sunsets. That’s something you don’t have in the city. But I really prefer it out here, on the water.’

  George watched him closely as he spoke, her head slightly tilted to one side. George had this way of figuring things out before anyone else did. Like last year, when she’d pushed me into joining the school band when they needed a drummer. I was always banging on things with my ruler and she reckoned I had rhythm. I thought I was just fooling around but the band teacher said I had ‘great potential’. George could see more in me than I saw in myself, and it was one of the reasons I liked to be around her so much. I wondered what she was seeing in Nick that maybe I couldn’t.

  ‘She’s a beautiful yacht, Nick.’

  ‘Yeah, she is. Want to steer for a bit?’

  ‘Sure.’

  I watched George shuffle along the seat and take over from Nick, her fingers resting lightly on the wheel next to his. It was stupid, but I couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable about their closeness.

  ‘You’ve got the touch,’ Nick said, admiring the way The Dolphin responded to her steering. ‘Most people try to choke her. She hates that.’

  ‘It’s like riding a horse. You can feel it when they’re happy.’

  Nick nodded as if he knew exactly what she meant. To say The Dolphin was his pride and joy would be an understatement. I remembered the first time I had seen her. Nick had sent me a picture of the yacht as he and his dad were towing it to Shell Harbour. Under the photo his text said: What a beauty! It looked like a piece of junk to me.

  He and his dad had been out fishing up one of the rivers and found it abandoned on a muddy bank. By some miracle when they tugged it off the bank it still floated, so they broug
ht it back to the harbour and Nick started fixing it up. He didn’t have much money so he used old ship parts and worked on it every chance he got. I remembered thinking he was nuts to even try, but the end result was unbelievable. That was Nick for you. When he set his mind to something there was no stopping him.

  The sun was now almost directly overhead and starting to burn. I lathered on more sunscreen and settled back against a life buoy tied to the rail.

  Matt sat picking at a scab on his knee. He was always covered in them. After a minute of fruitless picking, he got up and asked Nick to show him how to tie a reef knot.

  ‘Sailing is kind of boring,’ I heard him declare.

  ‘Ha,’ said Nick. ‘This isn’t real sailing. You wait until I get you out on a real sail, when there’s a bit more wind.’

  Matt shrugged. ‘Bet it’s still boring.’

  George kept steering for a bit, but I could see she was getting tired. After stifling a huge yawn she passed me the wheel and went over to lie down on the deck in the shade of the sail.

  Our tack to the island was so straight and the ride so smooth that I hardly needed to steer at all, so I stretched out across the stern seat and hooked a toe through the wheel. The sun and rhythm of the ocean were as soothing as a lullaby.

  Soon even Matt started to conk out. He lay down in the cockpit using his rolled up shirt as a pillow and went to sleep. Nick came back and took over the wheel and I tucked myself in the corner of the seat where I sat listening to the gentle splash of water that came each time The Dolphin’s bow sliced through a wave. At some point the hypnotic combination of warm sun and rolling sea got the better of me and I nodded off.

  I came to with a start. George was kneeling over me, her hand rocking my shoulder.

  ‘What’s up?’ I said groggily.

  ‘Looks like we’ve all been asleep, including the skipper,’ she said, nodding towards Nick. He was slumped on the bench beside me, and was clearly sound asleep. His head was tilted back and mouth wide open like a carnival clown.

  ‘Major fail,’ I said, laughing. ‘The things you see when you don’t have a camera.’