`Dilly-dally= a waste of time **Brisbane Broncos- Brisbane’s rugby league team, our mascot are our cheerleaders
Looking around the lobby of the Hesler-Noble Field airport, her search seemed hopeless. Where the hell were these people?
“Excuse me, but you seem lost,” a voice from behind her. “Are you August Summers?”
She turned her wheelchair and looked over the tall gorgeous blonde man with green eyes. “Yes,” she choked out. This guy was amazing! A natural sparkle of free spirit that could drive any girl crazy.
“I’m James your cousin,” he said putting his hand out for her to shake.
Say it ain’t so, she thought to herself in disgust. “That’s nice, where’s your mum?” she asked watching him pick up her suitcase and walk with it. She struggled to keep up with him.
“Working,” he said ahead of her, not slowing down for her, even though he knew she was struggling.
“Stuff you, dumb bloke,” she mumbled to herself slowing right down to a stop, waiting a few seconds to calm herself and let her muscles rest and continued her way out to the wheelchair accessible car.
“Did you say something?” he asked as she wheeled herself into the van.
“No,” she said noticing other people in the van, otherwise she would have finished off their last conversation, her with the last word in. “Hey, I’m August,” she said to the other people in the van. “I’m the black sheep in the family. And if anyone could get me out of this state I’d really appreciate it.”
By now the door had been closed, her luggage in and they were driving away.
“August, do you want me to tell your mother you were blackmailing my best friends?” James called over to her over the radio.
“Beats being here,” she mumbled to herself. “This trip isn’t going to do me any good, you might as well not bother. I mean I don’t even want to be here. I want to be partying with my best friend because school is out forever. I don’t want to be making up for lost times with my cousin and building the confidence I don’t apparently have. Do you know what James, I hate this chair and that’s the only reason I miss out on the million and one things my best friend does and I don’t. Don’t you realize that’s why my parents are shipping me here to the states for college and for the holidays. I’m a pest, you might as well have left me at the airport.”
“For gods sake,” James screamed, “stop feeling sorry for yourself. I don’t want you to be here either, I hate the way you treat your family, including your parents and me.”
“You know what I am? A `dilly-dally,” she called to him.
“I’m not going to listen to you,” he called and the conversation was dead from then on.
By the time they’d reached the farm, August was in James’ bad books, and he in hers.
The other young men had introduced themselves as JC, Joey, Justin who’d she’d spoken to on the phone and Chris.
James had her suitcase as she followed them into the house and into the kitchen, where Chris made some tea.
“How was your last day of school? You had a half day, didn’t you?” Justin asked when they were seated at the kitchen table with their tea.
“We had a half day, the boys got dressed into the girl’s dresses, the girls stayed in their uniforms, we got a huge lecture from our principle, we went onto the hockey fields and did the whole crying thing, and a cheerleader tried to pick a fight with me,” she said tapping her finger on her cup.
“A cheerleader? I thought they didn’t have them in Australia,” JC said smiling, “And she tried to pick a fight with probably the most popular school in school?”
“You can’t say the most popular,” she said looking at the table, “you can say quite the opposite, actually. It’s because I’m one of the smartest girls, my teachers prefer me to the cheers quad and I’m in a wheelchair.”
“I’d expect you to be the most popular.”
“The most hated, sorry.”
The guys looked at each other nodding their heads, as if having a conversation through telepathic communication.
“Look, August, why don’t we get you unpacked and then we can go and check out the horses,” James suggested.
“Can I have a nap, I’m kind of experiencing jetlag?” she asked moving her wheelchair away from the table, from her untouched tea.
“Sure, get changed into your pajama’s and we’ll wash those clothes,” he said standing up and offered to push her, but of course she declined. She followed him up the hallway to a room next to the bottom of the stairs. “Here’s your room,” he said showing her in and put her suitcase next to the tall wooden wardrobe. “Do you need any help?”
“Please,” she said and he helped her out and put her onto the bed. “Thank you, can you get my pajamas out?”
“Yeah,” he said and started looking through her suitcase, not paying attention to her ‘personal’ belongings. He brought over a pair of blue pants and **‘Brisbane Broncos’ jersey. “If you need anything give us a shout.”
“Thanks,” she said as he left the room, closing the door behind himself.
She got changed and fell straight asleep.
(Five hours later)
BANG!
August sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes to see JC picking up the chair he’d obviously ran into to.
“Sorry I woke you,” he said looking at her. “Don’t mind me, Lance sent me in to put your clean washing and clothes away and send you some clean sheets. You can go back to sleep.”
“No, I’m up, can’t go back to sleep,” she said rubbing her hair.
“Would you like to get back into your wheelchair?” he asked coming closer. “Mrs Bass is home, and can’t wait to see you.”
“Thanks,” she said and he helped her back into her chair. “Where is she?”
“The kitchen,” he said and followed her into the kitchen.
“Aunty Diane!” August cried hugging her aunt. “It’s so nice to see you.”
“Hey sweety,” her aunt said looking her over, “my you’ve grown into a beautiful young women.”
“Try telling that to my parents,” she said.
“You were always so negative,” she laughed. “Want a cup of tea?”
“Thanks,” she said wheeling over to the table, where the five young men sat. “Where’s Uncle Jim?”
“Out of town on business,” her aunt said making the tea.
“Shame, I wanted to show him this year’s yearbook.”
“I’ve seen it, James got it out for us.”
August shot a glare at James, who looked away sheepishly but looked straight at her again, “I hate you,” she mouthed.
“So, what was your prom like?”
“I couldn’t exactly do anything there, but it was okay, we had our pictures taken, but I’m sure James has already got them out of my suitcase.”
“Sorry,” he said trying not to grin.
“You looked so beautiful, and boy was your date a babe,” Mrs Bass said.
“Mum!” James snapped.
“Sorry, but he was,” she grinned coming over with the cups and then went over to get the teapot. “When do you get your exam results?”
“December the eighteenth, the day of my birthday,” August sighed.
“From what I’ve seen from your school reports and heard your parents say, you’ll pass with flying colours.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Anyway, what are you planning to do for you birthday?” Joey asked.
“Like every other birthday, open my presents, give my regards and spend the day away from any human life-force.”
“Child, you need to lighten up,” her aunt snapped, “you’re so negative. Smile, you’re always so pretty when you do that grin/blush thing.”
“Please aunt, I don’t have a negative personality. My parents have a negative personality, what I am is inheriting, slowly, the family disease.”
“You sound like Daria,” Chris laughed and the other men joined in.
“You know what, if I had a sister I’d be Daria,” she said sadly.
“Sweety, I heard about the science competition. Congratulations, are you going to be a scientist?” her aunt asked changing the subject, noticing the tension of the subject of parents.
“No, psychologist,” she said, “well, I want to be a musician and a writer. My parents want me to be a psychologist or a lawyer.”
“You know what, I promised a friend I’d have dinner with her, so why don’t you order out pizza and get some movies out or something,” her aunt said getting up, sick of listening to her niece’s self-pity. “I’ll be back around ten. Don’t wait up. If your father rings tell him I’m out.”
“Bye,” the group of six at the table called as the women left the house with her coat and bag.
“So, seeing as you’re the guest August, you can choose the movie,” Justin said getting up.
“Um, well…” she said and trailed off.
“Oh, right, your parents are tough about which movies you watch. You’re eighteen and still have to watch Bambi. Well, seeing as you’re over at Lance’s, you can watch whatever you want to.”
“Justin!” James snapped. He turned to his cousin and said, “We can play some board games if you want. We have Clue, Backgammon or Chess.”
“Actually we don’t have chess,” Justin said, “Joey and I got a bit too competitive and threw it into the garbage.”
“We have Nintendo 64,” he continued turning away from Justin and Joey, “and I hope we still have Playstation.”
“Or we have the basketball courts,” JC said.
“I’m there,” Justin said pulling Joey and dragged him out to the courts.
“Okay, but I’ll watch,” August said wheeling herself out after Justin and Joey.
Chris and James or Lance as they all called him ran on ahead.
She looked over the many bumps as she stopped outside the door.
“Would you like my to help?” she heard a voice from behind, and she nodded. JC came around to face her and picked her up. She put her arms around his neck for support.
He carried her over to the courts, leaving the wheelchair. He put her down on the miniature bleachers.
“Thanks,” she said moving her arms from around his neck.
He sat down next to her and watched as the four guys argued who would be the captains.
“Why aren’t you going to play? You don’t have to stay here on my account,” she said looking over his face. There was something so mysterious about his perfect complexion and cheekbones.
“I’m not, I’ve been pulling too many muscles playing basketball lately, and I can’t have any problems with the tour coming up,” he said watching as Justin ran off with the ball, the other guys chasing him.
“Oh, you tour?” she asked.
“You don’t know who we are, do you?” he asked looking at her as if she was from another planet.
“I know James is my perfect cousin and you’re his perfect friend,” she said, “that’s all I know.”
“Okay, well have you ever heard NSYNC?”
“My friend has spoken of them, I actually hadn’t heard of them until last Friday.”
“Do your parent’s keep you under a shell or something?” he asked.
“If you must know, James being the apple of their eyes, they’ve told me he’s a singer, and makes millions, and I should be more like him. That’s about it. Got a problem with that? Am I now a freak because I’ve never heard of NSYNC?” she screamed throwing her arms around in frustration.
He grabbed her arms and looked into the child’s wild eyes. Something in his look made her stop.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, “I’d get up and run right now, but as you can see, I can’t.”
He laughed and let go of her hands, “I should apologize. I shouldn’t have laughed at you like that. If you don’t know who NSYNC are, look around you.”
“You’re NSYNC, I’m related to an NSYNC member?”
“Yeah,” he smiled, “so you’ve never heard us sing, seen any of our posters, seen us on TV?”
“We only have the Discovery, Geographic and History channel, but I never watch TV,” she explained, “I’m either studying or practising.”
“You really enjoy music don’t you?” he asked in concern.
“I’m the best French horn player under twenty-one in Oz, and I’ve been to four International Music Camp tours,” she said.
“Wow, that’s amazing. I also heard you gave up the piano.”
“I’ve always wanted to play the horn, and my parents bought a piano and I started taking lessons. When I was seven, my music teacher’s brother was selling his French horn, so I begged my parents to let me play it. By the time I’d turned eight I was doing really well and I started to grow apart from the piano, and stopped practising, and then my parent’s sold it. And I’ve been really attached to my horn, I say it’s the only communication I have with the outside world.”
“That’s cool,” he said and looked over her long strawberry blonde hair. “I heard you’re a really good cook.”
“After some practice and being banned in the eighth grade from Home Economics, I learned my lesson about using too much Baking Soda,” she smiled.
“Do you want to help me cook some dinner? It’d be more healthier than pizza, and the guys would really appreciate it?”
“Depends what we’re cooking.”
“Stir-fry.”
“Chinese?”
“Sounds like a cuisine,” he smiled and picked her up and they made their way back to the house.
“They look like an old-married couple,” Chris said, “one minute they’re fighting, the next it’s chemistry and fireworks.”
“Yeah, you’re like that, the old part anyway,” Joey smiled and high-fived Justin and Lance.
“Funny,” Chris said. “So where were we? Oh right, Justin and I were busy kicking your butts.”
“Is that a challenge?” Joey asked coming forward.
“You got it.”
Back in the kitchen August was in the walk-in-cupboard looking for the food.
“Do you need a cooking book?” JC called to her.
“No thanks, can you start cooking the meat?” she called.
“Yeah.”
She came out two minutes later with a box of vegetables and a packet of Chinese noodles.
“Can you go into the cupboard and reach the sauce?” she asked putting the vegetables onto the kitchen table and went over to get a sharp knife, two bowls and a chopping board.
“Yeah, which one?”
“Sweet and sour,” she called as he went into the cupboard and came back out with the jar. “Thanks,” she said as he put it in front of her.
“How should the meat be cut?”
“Strips, long ones,” she said.
Within half and hour the meal was cooking and ready as the other men came in.
“Dinner is served,” JC said putting the last plate on the table.
“Oh wow, who cooked this?” Justin asked sitting down and started eating.
“We both did,” JC said proudly looking over at August who was picking up her chopsticks.
“You both did?” Joey asked in concern. “Just forty or so minutes ago, you looked like you were going to kill each other.”
“Yeah well, times change,” August said picking up a piece of carrot.
“This is beautiful,” James said.
“You’re welcome, James,” his cousin said.
“Call me Lance.”
“You’re my cousin, if I wanted I’d call you Bob,” she smiled.
“Not Uncle Bob.”
“Hey, don’t knock Uncle Bob, he’s a good Aussie. The only one that’ll take me fishing and riding horses on the beach.”
“Do you do that back home? I reckon that’d be awesome.” Joey said. “Are the girls good looking?”
“The snobby ones, you don’t want to mix with them. Although my very human friend is gorgeous.”
“What’s her name?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“She’s a fan, I’m a fan, and that’s good chemistry.”
“You saw her photo, well her name’s Joan and I’ve known her since the eighth grade.”
“Your age?”
“Yeah, and good at sports, she’s a B grade student.”
“She doesn’t have to be smart. What’s she going to study?”
“Archaeology.”
“Like, digging up bones?”
“Not only bones, remains of buildings and primary historic resources.”
“What’s that?”
“Pots and pans, and those sort of things. Not writing material, but the normal things. You never listened in Social Studies?”
“Can’t say I did.”
“Okay,” she smiled and stuck a piece of meat into her mouth.
“Can I speak to her when you call her?”
“Well, I was going to ring her tonight.”
“Do it now,” he demanded jumping up and grabbed the cordless phone and gave it to her.
“Pushy,” she smiled and dialed the number. “Hi, g’day, is Joan there? Bonza!”
“What the hell does bonza mean?” Chris asked.
“Really good,” she smiled. “Hey sweety, how are you? I’m good. I’ll talk to you in private about that subject. I actually have someone waiting to talk to you. Yeah, one of James’ friends. I don’t know, I’ll tell you more later. It’s cold. Here he is.”
Joey snatched the phone off her and ran out of the room.
“Okay, I take it he does this a lot when he speaks to women on the phone?” she asked.
“And you’d be correct,” James said. “So, how our the old folks?”
“ ‘Your cousin James is on the phone. You really should look up to him’,” she mimicked.
“They’re not like that.”
“They are, they still don’t realize I won a competition for my French horn last week, and they didn’t come to my final school recital.”
“They must be pretty, I don’t know. They must really want you to not take French horn on as your professional career.”
“They don’t. I haven’t been to a single school dance, I could just go to my semi prom and prom.”
“Really?” JC asked. “Wow, well we’ll change you.”
“Don’t,” she said moving away from the table, “you have to practice for your tour. I don’t need your help. I really don’t care anymore what happens to me.”
“Why?” Justin asked.
“The doctors say, because my spine’s decreasing in volume, it’ll snap and I won’t live to thirty…”
Email: keldra_86@yahoo.com.au
