Wednesday, 1st January

Last night was New Year’s Eve, and we all went to the concert at the Coroglen Tavern. We saw Jimmy Barnes. He’s been around for as long as I’ve been alive. As long as Mum and Dad have been alive actually.

“You have to go,” said Jess. “It’s a family tradition.”

“Okay.” I would watch him because Jess wanted to and that’s about it.

We all piled onto the tray of Denis’s ute. Well me and Logan and his mates did. Jess and Laura were in the cab with Denis.

I’d managed to avoid those mates for the last few days, but somehow this happens. That’s what comes of not having your own car.

But Logan surprised me. “Hey Coleman, what’s with Laura?” he asked, like suddenly we were friends. He was leaning back against the cab, hairy legs sticking out below his shorts, and jandals on his feet. He took a swig from the beer he was holding.

“What do you mean?” I was sitting at the other end of the tray, hanging onto the side, thinking bloody Denis had better not take any of the corners too fast. It felt like I could come off. The pine trees flashed by in the dark and the moon appeared flickering in the gaps.

Logan shrugged. “She might like the same stuff her sister does.”

“Haven’t seen any signs of that,” I said. I was pretty sure anything Jess liked, Laura would go the other way on principal.

“Lucky you, Loges,” said one of his mates. “Can’t see you in makeup.”

I expected them to start up with same shit they did at school, but I was saved. We arrived at Coroglen about then. Denis pulled into the paddock on the other side of the road from the pub where you’re meant to park.

As soon as he stopped, I leapt off the back, went to the passenger side and let Jess and Laura out.

“Thanks.” Jess put her hands on my shoulders and kissed my cheek.

“That’s the stuff you have to do, Loges,” said one of his mates. “Open the door for the ladies.”

Laura brushed past Jess and me with a huff. I’m not sure that’d work for Logan anyway.

“Lock that door.” Denis used his key on the driver’s side. “The central locking isn’t working.”

The car locked, we headed across the road to the lights and the people. A huge marquee had been erected outside the pub, and you could hear the music floating out from it. Logan hovered around Laura.

“I’ll get you something to drink,” he offered. Laura looked at him like he had two heads.

Jess’s mum had bought the tickets in town earlier, so we all went straight into the marquee. The lights were dim, and a spotlight lit up the band on the stage. Not Jimmy Barnes yet, but a group of young guys. They were pretty average.

“Do you want to go up near the front?” asked Jess.

“Yeah,” I said.

“We’ll get some beers,” said Denis.

“Do you want to come?” Logan asked Laura. He got that two-headed look again. Denis and his mates took off, and Laura was left hanging there on her own.

“Stick with us,” Jess said to her.

Laura gave a huff like that’s the last thing she wanted to do. I wasn’t any happier about the idea than she was. But she came with us anyway.

We worked our way through the crowd. Some of them were already so drunk they weren’t going to make it to New Year.

We watched the band. It could have been Stadium if we could figure out how to make this happen. But would we really want to headline Jimmy Barnes? I guess everyone has to start somewhere.

When the band finished, the lights dimmed and after a quick shifting of gear on and off the stage, a single spotlight followed a member of Jimmy’s band. He sat behind the drums, bent down and fiddled with the foot pedal. I’ve seen Cole do that, just the same. He set up a slow steady beat.

The buzz became a hush as another musician came on. He picked up a guitar and played a few chords.

Then Jimmy Barnes arrived. He took centre stage like he owned it.

“It’s great to be back.” He pumped his fist and paced from one side of the stage to the other. The marquee erupted, the crowd cheered and stamped. He took the microphone from the stand. The crowd erupted again as he introduced the first number, and again when he started.

We watched this old man on stage singing.

“That will be you soon,” said Jess.

“Not too soon, I hope.” I can’t even imagine being that old.

Saturday, 4^th January

“Can one of you kids go back into town this afternoon?” Jess’s mum asked. “Get some more groceries so we’ve got something to eat. I’ve got a list somewhere.”

“Isaac and I can do it,” said Jess. “We’re going to the movies.”

I didn’t know anything about that.

“You happy with that Isaac?” asked her mum.

“Yeah, fine.”

So, me and Jess took her Mum’s car and drove to Ferry Landing. The bottom car park was packed. We drove around and had to park at the top and walk down the hill to the ferry. Our shadows walked in front of us. Toes touching, those long legs and a little skirt shape on Jess’s shadow.

“What movie are we going to?” I asked her.

She hugged my arm then looked at me sideways. “We’re not going to a movie. I’m just sick of being surrounded by people.”

Now considering a crowd had just got off the ferry and were swarming up the hill towards us, and there was at least another fifty lined up on the old wharf ready to go to Whitianga, Whitianga was going to be packed. It wasn’t like we were headed for a desert island.

“So, we come to town where the people are shoulder to shoulder?”

“Don’t be thick. Come on, let’s get this grocery shopping over and done with.” She dragged me into the queue.

We got on the ferry and went across to Whitianga. Like I thought: people shoulder to shoulder, sunburn, grizzly kids, honking horns. We bought the groceries, hauled them back on the ferry then to the car and started for the bach.

“Turn off here,” said Jess when we were about half way.

“Where are we going?”

“Wait and see.” We slowly bounced along this real narrow track. It started out scrubby bush each side. Then we got further in and the bush got thicker. We hit another rut, and Jess was thrown against the door.

“The car won’t take much more of this,” I said as her arm hit the door handle.

She rubbed at another future bruise. “Stop here. We’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“But what about the ice cream?”

“It would have melted while we were at the movies anyway.”

We got out, locked the car, then pushed through more bush. The track was so narrow now you could just see it. I pushed through past the last bit, and we came out at this creek. There were ferns and trees overhanging the banks and the water was falling over a rock into a pool the colour of Jess’s eyes. The pool wasn’t much bigger than a spa pool, but it looked deep.

“Wow,” I said.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jess hugged my arm and looked around like this was paradise.

“Where are we?”

“At the back of some retreat. No one else is ever here.” She let go of my arm, grabbed the bottom of my T-shirt and lifted it over my head. “Let’s go swimming.”

“Is that really what you want to do?” Because this was the first time we’d been alone together since I arrived at the bach. I helped her with her T-shirt. It was not her bikini top underneath. She was wearing a little white bra.

Jess laughed. A brilliant sound, like creek water over stones. She stepped back and unzipped her skirt. It hit the stones with the T-shirt.

“Beat you in.” And her bra was off like lightning, and so were her undies. She ran at the pool stark naked, jumped and came up treading water, her hair streaming wet and over her face.

I moved a little slower, because honestly the water gave Jess’s body a glow of dull gold. It looked like she wasn’t real, and it was beautiful.

After the swim we stretched out on the grass. “It’s the only way to dry out. I forgot to bring a towel.” Jess’s fingers touched my lips. They traced the shape.

“How long can we stay here?” My hand shaped her hip. If I thought she was beautiful in the water, she was perfect out of it. Legs, breasts and hips, all where they’re meant to be.

“I don’t know. How long is a film?”

“Two hours?”

“Two hours then.” Jess slid closer and wrapped her arms around me. Our skin was cold from the water, but the sun warmed us gently as we moved and touched and tasted. We made love. We’re good at it now. We’ve had two months practice.

My mouth moved to her breast and I felt the nipple harden. Her fingers stroked me. Even finding condoms didn’t interrupt us. Jess ripped the packet and rolled it on like it was part of it all. Then we moved together going higher and higher until we tumbled over the edge.

It was magic. And you know how sometimes one of you gets the giggles or someone falls off the bed? None of that happened.

We got back to the bach way later than if we’d been to a movie, but no one even noticed.

So much for strict house rules.