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wake. And it wasn’t just the accident. That was just a little splash in my pond, you know, but the ripples went out in every direction like one of those big tidal waves in Japan. ‘Souvalaki’, they’re called, or something like that. First Mum and Dad started getting their shit together. Then Mandy and me started looking hard at each other, then that got too hard. Out of the rubble roseKerry and for a while it was awesome. Then Mum got all hot about Richo (or maybe it was the other way around) and Kerry . . . oh, I dunno. Just seemed so frigging messy. My whole life was a frigging mess. I wished everybody would piss off and leave me alone.

Chapter Five

    I DIDN’T GO TO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY . M UM DIDN’T HASSLE me. The cartoons were still going at half past eleven and I realised it was Saturday. I hate that. Felt like I was being the total rebel having a big sleep in on a school day and Mum was so wrapped up in her own shit that she hadn’t noticed, so instead I wasted half a Saturday. I had a shower and a huge breakfast-at-lunchtime, grabbed Ernie’s lead and rode my bike out to Dad’s caravan. The telly was on but the ute wasn’t there. He’d left the door open but he usually does—there’s nothing much to steal, just the telly that you have to bash-start in the morning and his clothes and that. All his tools live in the back of his ute. I wondered where he might be and in a flash-of-where’s-your-grandmother, I knew. Not just a guess, I knew. Could have phoned up the TAB if they were running a book on where he was and made a small fortune. When I pulled my bike into Auntie Pat’s driveway, I smiled at the rusty old tailgate poking out from the carport. I had to touch it, good old ute. I chucked my bike in the back and knocked on the front door. Carolyn answered it. I wasn’t ready forthat. Not the girl who had been writing the notes for Fitsy to put in my locker. She had half a smile on her face and that spooked me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like blondes or even that I didn’t like Carolyn—she’s all right—it’s just that I didn’t fantasise about her, you know.
    She invited me in and when I asked her about Ernie she said it would be fine to bring him in. Ernie didn’t think it was a good idea. He sat there like a rock tied to his lead and he wouldn’t budge.
    It’s all right mate, I thought. She’ll keep her hands to herself. Don’t worry.
    Dad came to the door to see what was going on and Ernie changed his mind. He waltzed up to Dad like he was his long-lost owner and clubbed Carolyn and me with his tail.
    â€˜It’s my boys!’ Dad said, but he only patted Ernie. He took Ernie’s lead from me and led him through the house to the kitchen where Pat was cooking.
    â€˜Hey Pat,’ Dad said. ‘Here’s Ernie. What do you reckon?’
    â€˜God, you’re right, Mick. Dingo all right. What a gorgeous-looking animal. Who’s the other stray? Wayne! He’s pretty gorgeous too,’ Pat said and her daughter laughed.
    Dad got close to Pat and asked if I could come with them.
    â€˜Yeah. Sure. We’ve got another life jacket.’
    â€˜How about it, Wayne? Come fishing out from Mordialloc this arvo?’
    â€˜Yeah. Cool.’
    Dad smiled.
    â€˜What about Ernie?’ Carolyn asked. ‘Can he come too?’
    Dad looked at Pat.
    â€˜Yeah. I bet he can swim,’ she said. ‘We haven’t got a life jacket small enough. Oh, yes we have. Carolyn’s old one would fit him.’
    Dad grunted and handed me the lead. Pat gave him a plate and he pushed the sliding door open so they could get onto the back deck.
    â€˜Do you want something to eat, Wayne?’ Pat asked politely.
    â€˜Nah. I just had brekky. Smells good though.’
    Pat shrugged and took her seat at a plastic table on a rickety plastic chair. I leant against the handrail and it wobbled.