Reprise

Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

When Julian and Findlay arrive at Watson's house, they are both in a shitty mood. Julian is driving and smoking and he parks half on the footpath and half on the road and slams the door of his car when he gets out. Findlay says something smartly to him and Julian just gives him a look. The boys walk towards the house, where I'm sitting with Watson on his front steps. Watson offers both of them a beer straight away, but Julian refuses.

'I'm driving,' he explains. 'This is all part of my make-it-up-to-Findlay thing because his stupid girlfriend had sex with me.'

'Jules!' I exclaim.

'Maybe you should have thought of this before you went and fucked her then,' Findlay snaps.

'Okay, boys,' Watson says. 'Chill. We're going to have a good night tonight, okay? Starting now.'

'Sorry,' Findlay says. 'Mum has been yelling at us all afternoon.'

Julian sucks in the last of his cigarette and then stamps it out in the garden. I give him a look but he just scowls.

'You've never known true fear until you've had a mad woman yelling at you in both English and Italian,' Julian says.

'She just found out about the Lexington thing,' Findlay explains.

'She took it really strangely though,' Julian says, looking at his brother. 'Like she wasn't even mad at me for going behind your back or anything.'

'Yeah like seriously,' Findlay says, nodding. 'Somehow she got mad at me?' He puts on a strong Italian accent and says, 'You have to focus on your school work! No time for dating. You do not let girls get between you! You are brothers! This Lexington girl is off limits!'

'Seemed to think Lex was this crazy slut and that Findlay had no business dating her in the first place,' Julian says.

'Honestly, Mum just goes crazy sometimes,' Findlay says. 'Like when your Dad gave her that book,' he points to me. 'She went off after that, about how she wouldn't have it in her house.'

'Because, dude, she hates anything that reminds her of her past,' Julian says.

'Yeah, and now we know it's because of George,' Findlay says. 'I can't believe that Mum was dating George all through high school and everything.'

'And then he got with that stupid Clara chick,' Julian says. 'You know that this is what that's about, don't you?'

Findlay frowns. 'What do you mean?'

'Her name was Clarice Davids,' Julian says. 'Davids is such a common name. She started getting angry as soon as you mentioned Lexington's last name was Davids. It was like this thing triggered in her head and she just went crazy and started telling us we weren't allowed to date anyone. Just because Lex happens to have the same name as some chick who stole her man in the eighties.'

'Lexington's last name is Davids?' I say.

Julian shrugs. 'Yeah, well I'm pretty sure there are at least six people with that surname at our school.'

'What are Lexington's parents like?' I ask Findlay.

Findlay shrugs. 'Can we not talk about my ex-girlfriend? I'm already going to have to spend the whole night avoiding her.'

'Yeah, welcome to the club,' Watson says.

'No but just quickly, did you ever meet her parents?' I ask Findlay.

He shakes his head. 'She doesn't have a dad. I mean she obviously did but her parents were divorced or whatever, I don't know. And her mum works really weird hours and she was never home, and I kind of got the impression Lex never wanted me to meet her mum. Hey, is Blazon coming to the party tonight?' He directs this question to Watson.