White Ute Dreaming Read Online Free PDF Page A

love?’
    â€˜Nothing.’
    â€˜Doesn’t look like it. How’s school going?’
    â€˜Good.’
    â€˜Did you take Ernie for a walk?’
    â€˜Yep.’
    â€˜How’s Kerry?’
    â€˜Good.’
    â€˜How long do we have to play the guessing game, Wayne? What’s bothering you? Sick of being grounded already?’
    â€˜Nah. Yeah. Sick of it but that’s not it.’
    â€˜What is it?’
    â€˜I dunno,’ I said and shrugged. ‘The Humes are looking at moving to New South Wales.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Yeah. Decided it’s time to move on. I think Barry wants to live in the bush.’
    She looked at the floor, deep in thought for a minute. ‘When’s all this going to happen?’
    â€˜Dunno, but they’re going to look at a house on the weekend.’
    â€˜Where?’
    â€˜Fishwood.’
    She frowned as though it was familiar. ‘Your dad goes fishing near there. What’s that place called? Starts with an “M” . . .’
    â€˜Bermagui?’
    â€˜Yeah. That’s it. Starts with an “M”,’ she grunted. ‘Goand have a look on the map in the back of the car. I’m sure it is.’
    She was right. Fishwood is only about thirty ks from Bermagui and that made it seem a whole lot closer. Weird. I didn’t feel like doing maths after that.
    Lying on my bed that night, drifting in and out of la la land, I remembered something that Kez had said when we were at Mars Cove. She’d told me that one of her uncles had sexually abused her mum. I sat up with the thought in my head that it was Uncle Al and if they shifted up there then she’d be right near him. That’s sick.
    I’m going to have to get video surveillance to catch this woman. I got to school half an hour before the bell and the note I found was downright horny.

    Wayne,
    I saw you at lunchtime, eating your food.
    Muscled body, you’re such a dude.
    I’d tell you my thoughts but they’re a bit lewd.
    Come with me baby, get down and get rude.
    Anon.
    I didn’t care what she looked like anymore. I just wanted to know who she was. In desperation I asked Hendo ifhe’d seen anybody putting stuff into my locker. He asked me when and I told him anytime. His locker was next to mine. He said that he hadn’t but got me to show him the letters anyway. He wolf-whistled after reading the first one and his mouth dropped open with the second and third.
    â€˜Mate, she’s hot. Who is it?’
    â€˜I just told you I don’t know.’
    â€˜Yeah, yeah but who do you reckon it is?’
    â€˜I dunno.’
    He said that he had a detention in C6 that evening and told me that he’d watch my locker like a hawk. Yeah, that’s comforting. Hendo watching like a blind hawk who’s stoned out of his tree.
    I saw Den at recess. He was having a smoke with Carlson and Shane Lee.
    â€˜It’s the drug lord! Can I buy some hashish from you, mister?’ he said in his best Colombian accent.
    â€˜Get stuffed.’
    â€˜Kez said you got grounded. Whoah. That’s harsh.’
    â€˜What’s this about some chick writing you love letters?’ Carlson asked.
    Good old Hendo. Should be working for News Corp or the BBC. Want the world to know? Tell Hendo.
    â€˜Nothing. Anonymous letters with sick poems.’
    â€˜Hendo said she’s hot for you, mate.’
    They jeered. Kez came around the corner and asked her brother for money. He fished in his pocket and my stomach leapt into my throat. Don’t mention it. Please let it be.
    â€˜I reckon I know who it is,’ Den said as he handed her some coin.
    â€˜Who?’ Carlson asked and ground the remains of his smoke into the concrete with the heel of his runner.
    â€˜Mambo Mandy, I reckon.’
    â€˜Masterson? You go, Wayne. Whoo!’
    Kerry looked at me, wide-eyed. ‘What?’
    I should have told her all about it right then