A long way south

Chapter 5

...

Kodi wasn't normally one for funerals, but considering the hot day and that his parents wanted the funeral to be half 'formal', she was in a dress.

The guys were all in jeans and dress shirts, most of the girls in dresses.

"Well, who would've thought you clean up nicely" Kodi said, walking over to Colten at the burial, eyes slightly red rimmed from crying. 

"How are ya holding up?" He asked quietly.

She wasn't. The last funeral she had been to was Savannah's. She wasn't holding up well at all.

"Same old same old" She muttered with a small shrug, giving him the best smile she could.

"You look pretty" Colten said, changing the subject for her sake with a teasing smile as he looked down at her black just above knee high dress and denim jacket, paired with her boots of course. That was the thing. All the girls were in dresses but their boots were still there.

"Shut up" She muttered, rolling her eyes slightly at his teasing smile.

"I'm serious though" He added with a kind smile, his eyes warm.

"Thankyou" She said with a small smile before the rest of the service got underway.

...

In the end she did catch a ride home with Colten, the two stopping in at the new Cafe in town on the way through as Colten declared 'a hot chocolate will ought to cheer you up', so there they were.

"Well aren't you two the cutest couple!" The middle aged lady who owned the place said with a warm smile. She was new.

"Oh No-"

"We're not together-"

They said at the same time, both taking a step away from each other before they awkwardly glanced at each other.

"Hmm.. Ok then kids" The lady said with a knowing look. "Now. What can i get yous?".

They both went and sat down at a table in the corner, starting a small aimless conversation just to fill in the time as they waited, talking about everything from her last year of school to the cattle prices going around at the moment. 

Their town was pretty much a middle stop between two of the 'main' towns, Being between Broken Hill and Tibooburra, so although small there was quite a bit there.

"Here you go kids" The lady said, placing their food they had ordered down and Kodi's hot chocolate, Colten having opted for a Coke.

"Thankyou" Kodi said with a kind smile, the two digging into their food. 

...

"So, What happened with Katrina?" She asked, not even hiding the disgusted look on her face when she said the girls name. Katrina was one of the only real 'city girls' in the area. Kodi would give it to her, she was gorgeous, but she didn't like her. Mainly because she had insulted Savannah more than once, she didn't even apologise or come to the girls funeral. She'd also said some stuff to Kodi. For some reason, she just had hated Savannah and Kodi. Matthew had a hunch it was cause Kodi talked to Colten, but they'd never know.

"Oh, She cheated on me. Then came to me like I was the one who did something then she left" He said, shrugging his shoulders. Sure he was upset, they had been together for over a year, but there wasn't much that could be done.

"Oh.. I'm sorry" She said quietly, giving him a kind smile before she looked up, seeing the other duo of Colten and Matthew's friend group amble on in. 

"If it isn't Colten on a Date with a girly girl. Hold on, is that our little Kodi myers?!" Gunna asked, walking over to the two.

"What happened to our little tomboy?! Who is this girl" Klay added, making a fuss over it.

"You two piss me off." She said with a bored expression on her face, shaking the two's hands.

"Look at you two having a little moment. Almost brings a tear to my eye" Klay said, pretending to wipe a tear away as he pinched one of Kodi's fries.

"Oh fuck off ya tosser" Colten said with a grin, shaking his head.

"What are you two in town for?" Kodi asked with a raised brow.

"Just passing through" Gunna said with a shrug, pulling a chair over.

"Yeah welcome yourself to our table nevermind" Colten said like he was offended by it.

"Shut the fuck up." Kodi said with an eye roll, the four of them getting into a good chat.

"Wheres ya brother?" Klay asked, raising a brow.

"Who knows, Probably off with Jess somewhere" She replied, not actually knowing herself.

"And Tyler?" Gunna asked, asking Klay's next question.

Kodi gave them a 'are you guys dumb or dumber?' Kinda look, rolling her eyes.

"With Macie" She said with a shrug.

"How's it feel to be the only single one in the family" Colten asked with a cheeky grin. The three made a whole act outta it to tease her for being single.

"One more of you mention I'm single and yous wont even be considered men anymore." She warned, dead serious.

"Ooh... Touchy subject ok-" Klay said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, which was fake, but the boys were to daft to know that. She wasn't really mad at them, she was just upset over everything.

...

It wasn't to long later that Colten and Kodi got on the road, and only 30 minutes later were they back home.

"Thanks for getting me Lunch and bringing me back" She said, grabbing her purse.

"No problem.. Mum, dad and Tessa are back home, I promised I'd go see them So i better head off" He said, offering her a smile. Whilst he came to live out here for a while, mainly due to Matthew forcing him to, his parents headed to one of the properties down the road, aka Colten's Dads family's place.

"Righto.. Tell Tessa she's gotta come over here sometime" She said with a smile, which this time Colten realised was forced.

"Hey you ok-?" He asked, putting the ute in neutral as he put the handbreak on.

"Yeah, fine. Have fun" She said, walking up the steps of the house with no other words.

"If you say so.." He muttered, heading out the drive.

...

It was safe to say, even when Matthew and Tyler got home, she spent her whole evening hiding in her room, the two brothers going out to do work, both of them just guessing it was because of the funeral.

Which it mostly was.

She missed Savannah more than anyone could even ever understand, she just wanted her best friend back. She felt alone. Sure she had her brothers and their friends but she had no friends to call her own. She was pretty and she was kind and she just wished some of the girls around the area could actually like her, instead of bully her, still. I mean, they were all adults now, so she didn't understand why people couldn't just grow up.

That wasn't the only thing that was bugging her though. What the boys said about her being single kinda did to. She knew it was stupid, but here her brothers were happy with their girlfriends, here all her brothers friends were happy and loving their life, then there was her. She'd never had a boyfriend. She didn't have a best friend. She had no one. 

Hell she was 18 and the only boys hands she had held was her dad and her brothers. All she wanted was something and someone to love in her life, and for someone to love her to.

...