The questions are boring, all about levers and forces. I bet Mrs Jones won’t even look at our answers. What a waste of time.
James leans towards me. He’s got his hand in front of his mouth as though he’s rubbing his chin. His eye looks in danger of being poked out. ‘Hey Sticks,’ he says in a loud whisper.
O’Brien looks up instantly. ‘James,’ he says, ‘Be quiet! And get your hand away from your face. You don’t fool me for a second.’
He looks down at his marking again.
‘Sir! Sir!’
O’Brien looks up again. ‘What is it James?’
‘I need to go.’
‘Go? Go where?’ O’Brien’s forehead furrows.
James looks down at his legs and then up at O’Brien. He has a please don’t make me say any more look on his face. He does this little nod.
‘Of course! Of course!’ says Mr O’Brien.
‘Sir!’ James says, ‘Can someone come with me, to help?’
O’Brien looks startled, then worried. I can almost see the cogs of his brain grinding over as he tries to imagine what a person would have to do to help James. I can’t imagine anything myself, at least not anything that I care to think about. Finally he nods, ‘Who would you like?’
‘Can Ian come? He knows what to do.’
‘Certainly,’ says Mr O’Brien, looking slightly relieved.
As James turns his chair towards me, away from O’Brien, he gets the most excellently wicked smile on his face. ‘So long suckers,’ he whispers and he tries to wink.
I’m trying not to laugh as I follow James past Mr O’Brien who has a concerned look on his face. I hope he doesn’t decide he needs to help because then we’ll be busted. Tension! Then James just thanks him and we’re out. I feel like jumping and clicking my heels together as we walk down the verandah of the science wing. Freedom! But what are we going to do now? There are classes and teachers everywhere.
‘So what now?’ I say.
‘I don’t know. Anything was better than being stuck in there.’
I laugh. ‘That was cool. I didn’t think you would do something so bad.’
James looks sideways at me as he rolls down the corridor. ‘Like Ranga would.’
‘Yes,’ I agree. ‘But he’d get caught.’
James has that wicked look on his face again. ‘I’ve got an advantage.’ He pats the armrest of his chair and gives a bittersweet laugh.
We end up in the library reading magazines because all the computers are being used. There are a few skateboard magazines, but they’re old and falling apart, with pages cut out because there were pictures or articles the librarian didn’t want us to read. I’ve read them a few times, but Ranga has read them hundreds of times. I reckon his hands have done half the wear and tear on the pages of this one I’m holding. There’s nothing special about it: articles about a new compound for wheels that’s faster and has more grip, different trucks, photos of famous skaters doing tricks and millions of ads. For a kid who can’t concentrate to save his life, Ranga sure studies these. A bomb could go off when he’s reading them and he wouldn’t hear it.
I’m thinking about getting a book from the fiction section when James whacks me across the arm.
‘Sorry,’ he whispers, and then he slides his eyes sideways and tilts his head like a spy. ‘Over there.’
There’s another class where he wants me to look. They’re doing research skills with Mrs Dearle. She’s got the smart-board going. It’s something to do with the UN. We’ll be doing that on Thursday. One of the girls at the back gives us a little wave. It’s Jess. I wave back before I even think about it. She smiles. Shit!
James is grinning at me like an idiot.
‘What?’ I say.
‘She likes you.’
Lucky for me the siren goes.
James and I each head to our next class.
‘I’ll see you after school. Ranga is meeting me out the front by the bus stand,’ I say.
James nods.
When we’re nearly home, as we come around the corner at the bottom of the hill, he stops and calls back. ‘You’ve got a visitor.’ He points towards Ranga’s house. There’s a car in the driveway.
Ranga stares, frowning.
‘Is your dad visiting?’ I say.
He shakes his head, still frowning. ‘Dad’s still up north. He won’t have his access visit until next weekend.’
By the time we’re halfway up the hill we can see the writing on the side of the car — Department of Community Services.
‘I bet it’s that social worker from school,’ I say.
Ranga is freaking out. ‘Shit!’ he says. ‘Oh shit.’ He keeps repeating it, over and over again under his breath. I’ve got second-hand butterflies in my stomach.
We’re walking slower now but before we get to the house, two people come out and get in the car. One is that Ms Broadacre and the other person is in jeans that look wrong on him. He should be in a suit.
Ranga’s mum is standing in the doorway watching them leave. She looks angry and she’s been crying. Even from here, I can see her panda eyes. Ranga grabs his bag off the back of James’ chair. ‘See you guys,’ he says. He doesn’t even look at the social workers in the car as he walks up to his mum. She grabs him in her arms and hugs him, tight, like she’d just found him after he was lost.
They both stand there watching as the social workers drive off. When the car goes around the corner at the bottom of the hill, Ranga’s mum kind of shrivels up. Ranga turns her around and steers her into the house. He gives a little low wave as he shuts the door.
‘Do you wanna play my new computer game?’ James says. ‘It’s a skateboarding one.’
I look at Ranga’s house, and then mine. There’s nothing much else I can do so I nod and off we go.
The skateboard game is cool, but it’s not like the real thing. Nothing is as good as the real thing.
James can’t play this game that well, but he keeps trying and trying, even when his avatar gets injured almost straightaway every time. He’s never going to get any good. He just can’t work the controls properly. His hands won’t do it.
‘Why’d you get this game?’ I ask. ‘All your other games are puzzle ones.’
‘I like skateboarding,’ he says.
Then I put my foot in it. ‘Yes, but you can’t skateboard. And this game doesn’t work for you either.’
As soon as the words are out of my mouth I want to take them back. I meant to point out that this game didn’t suit him, because it was a reflex, handling sort of game, but I know that’s not what James hears. Just for a second he looks like I’ve slapped him, but then he gets this determined look on his face. ‘I just want to do it, that’s all.’
‘But it’s too hard,’ I say. I’m trying to explain what I meant.
‘Everything is too hard,’ James says. ‘If I didn’t just try stuff anyway, I’d never do anything.’
I try to change the subject. ‘What do you reckon will happen to Ranga and his mum?’
‘Some things you can’t do anything about. You’ve just got to keep going and see what happens.’
He looks sad and I wonder who he’s talking about: Ranga or himself.
10
Outside, the street looks just the same as it did last term but it’s not. It’s different. Then again, maybe it’s not the street that’s changed — it’s my life. I’m the same as always, but everything else about my life is getting too hard and I just don’t know how to sort it out.
Ranga first: he’s my oldest friend and he needs help, but I don’t know what to do. Nothing that I can do would be useful anyway.
James is my friend now too, but he takes up so much of my time that I can’t hang with Ranga as much as I used to. Besides, he can’t do a lot of the stuff Ranga and I like to do, which sucks for him. I can’t do anything about that either. Being friends isn’t something you choose. It just happens.
Then there’s Jess. One after the other, her friends keep telling me that she likes me and she wants to go out with me. I think I like her. I mean, I like it that she likes me, and I think she looks pretty hot but I haven’t really talked to her. If I do ask her out, where am I supposed to take her and what are we supposed to do? I haven’t got much money — any really. I spent most of the money I did have on new skate shoes. Loser!
I want everything to be like it was. Ranga and I think of something fun to do, then we do it and it’s fun. We get busted, but it’s worth it. Simple!
Outside, sunlight is belting down. It’s already glaring off the windows of Dad’s car. The sky is electric blue like summer, except the lawn is green and I know that if I walk outside it will be cold. I love winter days like this, so what am I doing sitting around here? Maybe Ranga’s mum will let him out today. We could ride down the skate park. Yes, today feels like the sort of day where I could finally get some serious air and land one or two of them too.
I should go, but I’m still sitting here, looking out of the window, wondering what it would be like to kiss Jess.
‘Why aren’t you out getting some exercise?’
I nearly have a heart attack.
It’s Mum. She’s standing right behind me. ‘Why aren’t you doing something with Warren or James? Are you feeling sick?’
‘Why should I be feeling sick?’ I ask.
‘Well, let me see,’ says Mum, pretending to think for a while. ‘It’s a sunny Saturday and you’re in the house, sitting still and looking out of the window.’ She puts her hand on my forehead, pretending to take my temperature. ‘Oww!’ she cries, blowing on her fingers.
‘Ha-ha!’ I say as sarcastically as I can. It doesn’t work on her any better than it does on Ranga.
‘Well?’ she says.
‘I don’t think Ranga can come out at the moment,’ I say.
‘What’s he done this time?’ Mum asks.
‘Nothing!’ I say, maybe a bit louder than I need to. ‘What makes you think he’s done something?’
‘Well,’ says Mum, twice as sarcastic as I was, ‘let me see. Perhaps it’s because every other time he’s been grounded, he did something.’
‘Well he didn’t this time,’ I say.
‘So why is he grounded?’
‘He isn’t,’ I say.
‘Then why can’t he play? Is he sick?’
‘No.’ I don’t want to have to tell Mum about the social worker and Ranga’s bruises. It feels like Ranga’s secret. Besides, Mum will find out that I knew something and didn’t tell her, but Mum’s like one of those detectives on television. She always knows if I’m trying to hide something and she gets it out of me in the end. ‘Maybe he can go out,’ I say. ‘I’ll ask him.’
As I head out the front door James yells from his house, ‘Hey Sticks, whatcha doing?’
‘I’m gunna see if Ranga wants to go to the skate park,’ I say.
‘Can I come?’ James asks.
‘Sure,’ I say, ‘but what are you going to do down there?’
‘Just watch.’
Fair enough. I spend half my time watching Ranga do his stuff anyway, trying to figure out how he does it. I wait at the end of James’ driveway while he tells his mum where he’s going and then we head on down to Ranga’s house. James’ chair must be fully charged because it’s a long way to the skate park. We have to go down a big hill and through an underpass and then it’s still a fair way up to the shops and around behind them where the skate park is.
Ranga’s mum opens the door. She looks tired but she gives us this big beaming smile. ‘Hi boys,’ she says. She turns around and yells back into the house. ‘Warren, it’s Ian and James.’
Ranga comes bounding up the passageway. It’s the old Ranga back again. He’s been inside too long and he’s overcharged. Energy is sparking out of him. He’s ready to go — now.
11
When we roll up to the skate park all the usual guys are sitting around watching while a couple of the older guys are flying all over the ramps doing tricks I can only dream about. Even if I had the guts I wouldn’t be able to do that stuff, ever. It used to annoy me, but now I guess I’ve just got used to it. Ranga is a bit of a hero here. The older guys treat him like he’s one of them, knuckles and stuff. I’m lucky to get a grunt.
James though, they’re interested in him. What happened to you? Can you move your legs? Can I have a go of your chair? He handles it well, answering their questions and not getting angry, even when they grab the controls of his chair and make it jerk back and forth. He won’t let them have a go on it though.
I’m just about to step in and try to stop them before they break something when Ranga speaks up. He tells them to leave James alone, that James is his friend and they actually do leave him alone. I’m relieved because I’m scared; really scared. It doesn’t take much for them to turn on you, and then one of them figures he needs to beat you up — especially if you’re a small kid, or weak or a bit fat, or you’re wearing green. It doesn’t matter what it is, one of them will shove you around to prove how tough they are. All the others laugh like you’re a waste of skin and you don’t matter.
They might be leaving James alone, but this tall kid with long, greasy hair, who used to go to school a few years ago, decides that I need to be picked on. He walks across and sticks his face right next to mine. ‘What are you looking at?’
I know where this is heading. If I say, ‘Nothing,’ then he’ll get mad and say, ‘Who are you calling nothing?’ Then he’ll beat me up.
I don’t want that to happen so I say, ‘My hero.’
He looks confused and all his mates laugh. That makes him embarrassed and mad — at me. He glares and I realise that I’m in deep trouble but then Ranga steps between us.
‘Leave him alone,’ Ranga says. ‘He’s just a kid. Pick on someone your own size.’
‘Yeah Luke, leave him alone. He’s funny,’ says one of the big guys.
He still wants to get me but his mates will think he’s weak if he picks on me. I can see him trying to decide if it’s worth it anyway. Then he gives this fake laugh and says, ‘Yeah, he’s funny.’ But his stare says, ‘Watch your back,’ before he swaggers over to the other guys.
Ranga puts on a show that day. He’s upside down in the air half the time, spinning like a top as well. I’ve seen him do the same moves before but now he’s linking them together and each one seems to give him more speed into the next one. I almost feel like not skating myself because Ranga is so good and I’m so bad. I’m sitting down to watch when he flies up the wall, flips his board into his hand, and lands lightly on his feet next to James and me.
‘Come on, Sticks,’ he says. ‘Get into it. Today’s the day.’
I’m pulling my knee and elbow pads from my bag when I hear a hiss.
‘Sticks!’
It’s Ranga. He’s using his eyes to signal towards the others. ‘Don’t put those on. Not with those guys here.’
I glance across. They’re looking towards us. Ranga’s right. If I put this stuff on I’ll make myself a target, but I know that if I don’t I’ll lose skin.
‘Just play safe, at least until they’re gone,’ Ranga whispers. ‘Don’t do anything hard.’
It’s easy for him to say. For me, everything is hard. Even on a slow hill I’ll find a way to get speed wobbles and fall off. When I do, I land hard. Not like Ranga. The big guys are still watching. What’s worse, getting picked on by those guys or skinning my elbows or knees? I can’t win. I wish I’d never come!
I’m trying to decide when I hear wheels crunching loose stones on the cement next to me. It’s James.
‘Do you reckon my chair
would handle that section over there?’
There is absolutely no way his chair could handle even the first section of the ramp and, even if he somehow made it to the bottom, he’d stack it so badly that we’d have to call an ambulance. I look at him and I can’t believe it. His eyes are shining and he’s ready to give it a go.
‘You’re nuts,’ I say. ‘If you try you’ll find out the true meaning of pain.’
‘I already know what pain is,’ James says.
I glance at his legs. They’re even more twisted up than they were at the start of the term. I guess he pretty much lives with pain, but why add to it?
‘You’ll lose metres of skin for sure,’ I tell him and for once he seems to listen.
He nods. ‘Yes, I guess so. I don’t want to get injured before the operation.’
‘Operation? What operation?’
‘I’m having a pump implanted next week, to relax the muscles in my legs.’
‘You never said anything about this,’ I say. I’m almost accusing him, like he has to tell me everything he’s doing.
James just shrugs and goes back to watching Ranga getting pretty close to flying. It’s probably five minutes before he says, ‘I’ve had operations before. They had to lengthen the tendons in my legs so I could straighten them a bit.’
‘How? Did they cut them?’ It’s such a horrible idea.
James nods. ‘But the last few years they’ve given me botox injections.’
He sees me smirking. ‘Yes,’ he says. ‘I look young.’
‘So why don’t they keep doing that?’
‘It only works for a while and the amount I need isn’t good for me. The pump is supposed to be much better.’
‘Are you afraid?’
James shrugs. ‘I’ve got no choice.’
We sit a while and then he says, ‘You know what my friend and I told the nurses at hospital once, when we were getting botox?’
‘What?’ I ask. It could be anything.