On Friday, between classes is filled with planning and costs and how much everyone is putting into the night. Jem and I are getting excited but we still need to tell our parents about what is happening. Considering at school, we have to act as if we have the same parents, it's a bit hard when Michael or someone asks us what our parents think we're doing because we haven't sorted anything out yet.
Among the Australia Day plans the girls are talking about their prom plans. They're discussing who they want to ask them and what colour dress they want. Personally it makes me a bit sick. I don't understand what's so great about a prom. It won't really be like in the movies and the night is filled with crappy music and dancing. I mean I don't dance, like I really don't dance. In saying that though, I wouldn't say no if a particular girl asks me.
“So who are you girls going to ask then?”I say on that Friday at lunchtime. They take one look at each other and laugh.
“You're kidding me right?”Asks Kirsty, and Jem looks at me and all the other guys confused. Their faces seem to mirror ours. “Girls don't ask the guys, unless that's the theme. What do guys learn from movies?”She continues. Oh no. That means I have to ask someone. I know what I learnt from movies, that guys are given this stereotypical thing about having bravery and always making the first move. I didn't know that that was what girls expected from us in real life! Real life, is not a movie! Movies aren't like real life! I wish girls would use their head sometimes.
Australia Day was officially sorted. We were all putting in a hundred dollars for food, alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks and we were all meeting at the train station at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Two o'clock because we were buying all our stuff from the Woolys in the city. We would sort out together what we were buying and there was even talk about buying a champagne. Kirk and Michael were the only two who were eighteen so we would give twenty dollars each to them so they could buy the booze. All we had to do now was tell our parents what was happening.
“Jem, can I see you for a minute?”I ask. It's after school and everyone's leaving. There's no way any of our friends will barge in on us. They leave as soon as the bell goes every single day.
“Yes, oh my God, I have to talk to you too.”Ok, so maybe he just left the crazy, freak out Jeremy until they were gone. “How are you telling your mum?”This is good. We are both on the same subject.
“Well I'm not telling her! I'm just going to tell her I'm going with you!”This is a completely made-up-on-the-spot plan but I know it'll work. He nods.
“That's a good idea, I'll tell my mum I'm going with you then.”I'm getting a bad feeling about tomorrow. I think something big is going to go down and I'm not talking about a firework exploding.
I get home and my mum is baking. After she had that operation she is completely cancer free. I feel guilty everyday for not being there with her but she's ok and that's all that matters.
“Hey mum,”I say, and she turns around and smiles. She seems so happy that it's contagious and I sit on the counter to talk to her.
“Hello gorgeous, how was your day?”She asks me. Sometimes I think she sounds like my girlfriend or something. Just the way she talks to me, but it's just the way she is so it's ok.
“Uh, yeah it was great, what are you baking?”The smell is amazing.
“Just some lamingtons for Australia Day tomorrow.”And there it is. Lamingtons are my favourite and mum only makes them on really special occasions - plus they're one of the only things she can actually cook.
“Mum, about that. Jeremy's invited me to go with him. Miranda isn't going with us but can I please go?”I know that I'm begging but most of the time it adds the extra touch. Mum looks at me disapprovingly for a second and I worry that she knows about my new group of friends and the drugs and the alcohol. Then she smiles and I can't help but sigh aloud in relief. If she knew about all this it would all be over like that.
“Of course you can,”she says. “Will you just be catching the train in?”
“Yeah, at two so we can go to woolys beforehand to get some food. We'll only be getting a ton of snacky type food.”I am so excited that this is working and I have a massive smile on my face. My mum has never been one to let her son go into the city with no adults before.
“Sure, and it's just you and Jeremy going?”She eyes me off suspiciously.
“Yeah, no one else. It's only been the first week of school mum,”I say as if it's absolutely impossible to make new friends in just one week. What she doesn't know though is that I've been posing as a new student. She laughs and says I can go. I run to room to pick out what I'm going to wear, do my homework then go to bed.
