Twenty-four
Beth woke and squinted at her watch. Eventually, she worked out it was just coming up to 9 a.m. Her head ached from the vodka.
She tried to remember what Lisa had done the night before. Unfortunately, it would seem that, if she’d been drinking when Lisa took over her body, it was absolutely impossible to recall anything. Unlike the one and only time she’d agreed to the swap, the fact was, when her body was hijacked by her sister, Beth was unable to watch the goings on. All she could recollect from the last few hours was time spent in Lisa’s place, and that had been a living hell. It’d been like a horrible dream, dark and quiet. She hadn’t been able to get a handle on her actual whereabouts, and no matter how much she had wanted to, she’d been powerless to see what Lisa was up to.
She knew James planned to leave at about ten, and desperately hoped she had time to go and find him before his flight.
Michelle’s bunk was empty, her sheet thrown back, as if in a hurry. Beth could’ve done with some assistance from her friend. A memory nudge would’ve been most helpful.
As she brushed her teeth, she tried to work out what to say. She decided to play it by ear, be vague, try to suss out what her bitch of a sister had done. That seemed to be the best plan.
Walking towards James’s room, Beth fought the nausea. She couldn’t wait to see his handsome face.
Once outside his room, she impatiently knocked on the door.
Miles called out, ‘Come in, if you’re good looking.’
Not entirely sure she qualified, but desperate to be with James, Beth pushed the door.
James’s bed was stripped. His rucksack was gone. All his possessions from around the room were missing.
‘Where is he?’ She knew the answer even as she asked the pointless question.
Miles’s expression revealed his pity. ‘He went early.’
‘NO!’
‘Sorry.’ The poor bloke had clearly been left in an awkward position.
‘Why?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I’ll get the bus.’ She started to leave.
‘Wait …’ Miles jumped down from his bunk. ‘He said … well, he said he’s going to go straight through to departures. You won’t be able to follow him without a ticket.’
‘But …?’
‘Perhaps he couldn’t face an emotional goodbye. You know what us men are like.’ He gave a shrug.
Maybe he believed that, he was a gullible bloke. But she didn’t. She knew it was something Lisa had done that had made James choose to leave this way.
She ran back to her room, anxiously hoping Michelle would be there to offer advice. She had to be able to shine some light on what had gone on the night before.
Rushing into their room, Beth found Michelle throwing random possessions into her rucksack. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘I have to go.’
‘Go where? I need to ask you something, and ‒’
‘I have to go home.’
What’s going on? Why is everyone of importance running out on me? ‘What are you on about, Michelle?’
‘I got called to the office. My mum’s had a fall. It’s bad. Her pelvis is all messed up.’
‘A fall?’
‘Yeah, well, more of a trip actually. She tripped on a bloody kerb, can you believe it?’
‘But … can’t someone else take care of her. You have aunties, cousins …’
Michelle ceased her frantic packing. ‘Beth, she’s my mum.’
‘Yeah, but she’s …’
‘I know what she is. She’s an old cow. She’s a battle-axe. She’s stuck-up. I know she’s all of those things. But she’s also my mum, and she’s broken her pelvis. I should go to her. You do understand?’
‘Of course.’ If Beth was honest, if that was her mum or nanna, she’d be packing with just as much haste.
Michelle began to cry. ‘She’ll be giving those nurses hell. I’ll bet the entire hospital staff hate her already.’
‘I’m sure that’s not true.’ Beth tried her hardest to sound convincing.
‘She slipped on an icy kerb, just outside our house. It’s weird to think it’s cold back in England, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Your mum helped her. They might not be best mates, but thankfully your parents drove past and saw her lying on the pavement. They came to her rescue.’
‘Really?’ Beth experienced a surge of pride.
‘Yes. Apparently, your dad kicked our front door in.’
‘Bloody hell! Why? Didn’t your mum have a key?’
‘Of course. But your dad got a bit carried away. You know how he panics. Then your mum said she mustn’t be moved anyway, and made her comfortable in the street while they waited for the ambulance.’
Beth couldn’t help wondering just how many ambulances were going to be called to Tennison Avenue. ‘I hope Dad fixed the door?’
‘I’m sure he did.’
It took less than a second for Beth to reach a decision. ‘I’ll come with you.’
Michelle shook her head. ‘No way. You still have the rest of the trip to do.’
‘Sod that!’
‘I mean it. We were going to visit the Gold Coast and the Reef, then there’s Cairns. You have to see it all, for both of us.’
‘I can’t do it on my own.’
‘Of course, you can. Look at how much you’ve changed since you got with James.’
At the mention of James’s name, Beth’s stomach flipped. ‘Oh God!’
‘What?’
‘He’s gone, Michelle.’
‘Gone?’
‘Left early for the airport.’
‘Why the hell would he do that?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What happened between you two last night?’
Beth shook her head. ‘I kind of don’t know that either.’
‘How can you not know that? Beth, you’re not making any sense.’
Deciding there was no point in them both stressing about James, Beth chose to leave that subject. Once she was alone she could interrogate Lisa, but for now, she needed to focus on Michelle. ‘Look, don’t worry about him, OK? I’ll catch up with him in England, like you said. For now, we need to decide if I’m coming or going.’
‘So, you swapped addresses?’
‘I … um.’ Her heart sank as she realised she had absolutely no idea if James knew her address. Lisa, if I could get my hands on you! ‘Yeah. I think so.’
‘You think so?’
‘Michelle!’ She held her hand up to halt the conversation. ‘Am I coming home with you or not?’
‘Not.’
‘Are you sure? You’ll be OK on the journey?’
‘Of course. I just need to be with Mum.’
‘I understand. But I can’t imagine being in Australia without you. You made it special.’
‘Just me?’
‘Well, you and …’ She didn’t want to give James the acknowledgement. ‘Anyway, I’ll see you as soon as I get back. We’ll always have our memories of Bondi, won’t we?’
‘Yes, of course. We’ve been through so much.’ Michelle laughed quietly to herself.
‘What are you laughing at?’
‘Your face. Right back at the beginning. Your poor face!’
‘Yeah, I know!’
‘You looked horrific. It was a full-time job not to show you how scared I was.’
‘Well, you did OK. I never worked out at the time that it was serious.’
‘Well, it was …’ Michelle hesitated. ‘Beth?’
‘Uh huh?’
‘Are you sure you gave James your address?’
Beth clutched the edge of the bunk beds. ‘I’m positive I would’ve done.’
‘What does that even mean?’
‘It means I can’t entirely remember. I don’t honestly know where I stand with him.’
‘He loves you. I know he does.’
‘Michelle, he left me.’
‘Yes, but …’
The receptionist from the hostel poked her head around the door. ‘Sorry girls. The airline are on the phone for you, Michelle. They need to speak to you to confirm your change of flight for today.’
‘Thanks. I’ll be right there.’
As Michelle made to leave, Beth grabbed her. ‘I can’t be in Australia without you. I don’t know where to go, what to do next, I can’t be in charge!’
‘You’ll be fine. Just take all the paperwork and my guidebook.’
‘I’m not brave enough to ‒’
‘You are. You really are. You’re all grown up.’ Michelle kissed the top of her friend’s head before dashing towards reception.