Alice Henderson On Debut

Seventeen

By the time Charlie's bought presents for her family and dragged me around the shopping centre twice, it's almost time to meet Oona out the front. We managed to get a quick bite to eat at a place called Phat Burgers which was in the main street, where I just had to order one called the Tandulkar which was basically a chicken burger but spicy. Charlie laughed at me when I begged to drink the rest of her orange juice just to cool my mouth down.

We sit down on the seats at the bus stop to wait for Oona. Charlie hugs her bags in her lap and watches people as they walk past. She nods at a couple a few metres away and asks, "Brother and sister or girlfriend/boyfriend?"

"I don't know," I reply. "I've never had a boyfriend, so I have no idea what having one looks like."

"Really?" Charlie asks.

I nod in reply.

Charlie doesn't ask me any more questions. Instead, she says, "Just guess then."

I watch as the couple Charlie's talking about look at something on the boy's phone as they walk along. They both slow their walk and then crack up laughing. "Brother and sister," I say, though I really have no idea.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend," Charlie says. As the couple gets closer to the shopping centre doors, the boy shoves the phone in his back pocket and then puts his arm around the girl's shoulder. Charlie says, "Ooh, could go either way."

And then the boy kisses the girl on top of the head. "Yes!" Charlie says, fist-pumping.

"How did you know?" I ask.

Charlie shrugs. "Hours of people watching."

"On your farm?"

"On the internet." Charlie smiles and I shove her with my free hand.

We both sit in silence for a while, watching people stream in and out of the McDonald's across the road. Charlie seems lost in her own little world and my mind starts to wander to my family. Mum will probably be at work at the nursing home and Adam's probably sitting at home on the playstation. He'll be loving not having to share turns with me while I'm away. I wonder what Dad's doing in head office this week? He said something about getting in some training while he's in Brisbane. "Do you miss you family?" I ask Charlie.

She snorts. "It's only the first day."

"So you don't miss them?"

Charlie shakes her head. "Not yet. My place is pretty hectic over the holidays, so it's nice to have some space to myself. Do you miss your family?'

I nod. "Yeah. This is the first time I've been away by myself."

Charlie looks stunned. "You're kidding?"

I shake my head. "Nope."

Charlie whistles. "Wow. You must be really close."

I think about that. "Not really. We don't get to go away on holidays that much."

"Me neither," Charlie replies. "That's why I apply for grants to go on things like this. My little brothers drive me nuts sometimes. It's good to get away."

"Yeah," I nod in agreement, thinking about how good it's going to be without Adam for the week.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Charlie asks.

"An older brother, Adam."

"Is he overprotective of you, you being his little sister and that?"

I laugh. "No. Adam and I are super competitive. He's always trying to prove he's better than me at things."

Charlie laughs. "My younger brother, Jack is a bit like that. He's two years younger than me and has to try to copy everything I do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Soon as Dad started teaching me to drive the old Holden around the farm, Jack wanted in as well. Dad told him he had to wait til he was older, but he stole the keys and nearly put the ute in the dam because he couldn't reach the brake properly." Charlie laughs and so do I.

"You can drive already?"

Charlie looks at me funny. "Can't you?"

"I haven't got my learner's yet."

Charlie swats her hand in the air. "No need for a learner's. Dad started teaching me to drive when I was twelve so I could help out around the farm. You should come out and visit one day. I could teach you how to drive easy."

She grins at me and I smile back. "Maybe," I reply, thinking about the heart attack Mum would have if I drove without getting my licence first. A horn blares up the road and Charlie says, "Probably could drive better than half this lot."

Oona pulls the car up right out front and Charlie and I grab our bags and jump in. "Did you have a good day, girls?"

"Got all my Chrissy shopping done," Charlie replies. "And we saw some of the Brisbane squad in the centre today at a signing session. Are they staying at camp too?"

Oona nods. "We've got some more arriving this afternoon. Some of the older players I think. You might get to meet them tonight at dinner."

Charlie doesn't even try to hide her excitement.I lean over to her and whisper, "You might be able to get Jules Livingstone's autograph." She pokes her tongue out in reply.