Three Words: A Novella Collection Read online

  “Please?”

  “Here,” he whispered, as he placed the doll in the palm of her hand. “I’m sorry, Georgie. I didn’t mean to make you cry. It was only a joke.”

  Georgie put the doll in her pocket and zipped it up where Nate couldn’t get it again. She pushed the tears away with her fingers and began to pull the pieces of Lego apart, putting them into the box. “It’s okay. I’ve had enough of this game, anyway.”

  Nate sat up, leaning his back against the laminate cupboard. “Georgie?”

  “Yes?” Georgie shifted to sit up beside him, her annoyance with him forgotten as she examined the serious look on his face. He was very quiet, which was a bit of a change. She hoped he wasn’t getting Chicken Pox again. One of the other kids had got it twice.

  “You know how we’re best friends?”

  “Yeah?”

  “When we grow up do you wanna get married to me? If we get married we can live in the same house and we’d never have to have sleepovers again.”

  Georgie thought about this for some time. It sounded like a good plan. She did like going for play dates at Nate’s place and she hated when her mother arrived to collect her. If they got married they could be together all the time. Imagine that.

  “Don’t people need to be in love to get married?” she asked. She was pretty sure that was how it happened with the Disney princesses.

  “I guess so but we love each other already, so it’d be okay.”

  “How do you know?”

  “My mum said when people are in love they want to be together all the time.”

  “I want to be with you.”

  “She said people who love each other be nice to each other.”

  “You’re nice to me. Mostly.”

  Nate leant very close. His shoulder grazed Georgie’s. His voice was small and soft as he put a hand to her ear and whispered, “People who love each other kiss all the time.”

  Georgie pulled away. “Eww. I’m not kissing you. You have boy germs.”

  “There’s no such thing.”

  “Jessica said there is.”

  “Jessica makes stuff up.”

  “Oh.” Georgie turned to face him. Thoughts ticked over in her mind. Then her hand reached out to his knee. “I saw Mummy and Daddy kissing!” she exclaimed, confirming his idea. “They were slobbering all over each other. It was in the bedroom. I was meant to be in bed but I had a bad dream.” She gave him a demonstration on the back of her hand.

  “Gross. They must really love each other if they were doing that.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, if we kiss that will mean we love each other and then we can get married, right? And you are the prettiest girl in the class by a long way. Even more than Jessica. Her big white teeth and ribbons are just plain ugly.” The logic was twisted but somewhere, in some parallel universe, it made sense.

  Georgie bit her lip. “What about the boy germs?”

  “There are no boy germs!”

  “Well, I guess it’ll be okay then. If you think it’s okay.”

  Nate peeked sideways around the classroom again. Nobody was watching them. He gave a slow, serious nod.

  Georgie puckered and closed her eyes. She felt the warmth of Nate’s breath as he leaned closer, placing a chaste kiss on her mouth. Her lips tingled and a funny feeling began to race around in her chest. Somewhere, she heard the sound of drums playing. Opening her eyes, Georgie frowned at Nate. His eyes were still closed. She moved slightly away.

  “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “Those drums. It sounded like Miss Simpson was doing that bongo song again. It was so loud in my ears.”

  Nate’s eyes were open now. He was nodding vigorously. “I think it was my heart. It was beating real hard.”

  “Mine was too. And my lips are all sparkly.”

  Nate peered at Georgie’s lips. He couldn’t see any sparkles, though the way he was feeling he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had some shooting out of her head. “You mean tingly.”

  “Yeah. Tingly.”

  “I guess that means we’re in love.”

  Neither of them had any idea what to do with this information but they knew it was important and very, very special.

  *****

  That weekend, when Georgie went for a play date at Nate’s house after her ballet class, he had a surprise for her. It was in the spare bedroom they used as a playroom, hidden away behind the large double doors of the built-in wardrobe. Georgie and Nate loved to play in there. It was huge and filled with all sorts of old junk his parents had forgotten. It was like being in a secret treasure cave where adults never came.

  “Close your eyes,” Nate said, tying an old pillowcase around Georgie’s head, to make sure she wasn’t peeking.

  Georgie was so excited she could hardly speak. She loved surprises, especially Nate’s. The other week he’d caught a butterfly for her and brought it to school in a plastic storage container. He’d given it lots of leaves and grass to eat, so it was a bit hard to spot but when Georgie had flipped the lid, it had walked onto her hand, it’s orange and black wings opening and closing. Georgie adored butterflies.

  “They are closed,” Georgie said. “You just can’t see because you’re smothering me with the pillowcase.”

  Nate took her soft hand in his and led her to the double doors. She heard the squeak of the hinges as he pushed the door back, then sound of clothes hangers sliding along the rack and the flick of the light switch. It was like going into Narnia.

  Nate let go of her hand. “Open your eyes.”

  “You mean, take off the pillowcase.” Georgie pulled the material from her head, letting it fall to the floor. Nate was on his knees in front of her. He had a ring in his hand. A yellow, plastic ring he’d gotten from a packet of Wizz Fizz they’d bought at the shops the other weekend.

  “You know how we’re in love?” he said.

  Georgie looked around the closet. Nate had decorated one end of the room as a makeshift altar. There was a cloth and a candle sitting on the upturned side of an old milk crate, even though they both knew they were not allowed to have lighted candles. Paper chains hung from the lights and Nate’s teddies and Batman collection lined the walls acting as witnesses. Despite the obvious clues, Georgie wasn’t fully aware of where her friend was going with this.

  “Yeesss?”

  “Well, I thought we could get married.”

  “But we’re too young to get married. You have to be a grown-up or ask your mum and dad. My parents would never let me get married, yet. I have to go to Nooniversity and be a vet like they want.” It was actually Georgie who wanted to be a vet but she didn’t want to sound like she was smarter than Nate. He wanted to be a fireman or a World Championship Wrestler. Both were really important jobs but she didn’t think you needed to be clever to put out fires.

  “But I love you, Georgie. Please marry me. It can be a secret.” He bit his lip uncertainly and held the plastic ring out for her to inspect. It was very pretty. It had a red stone in the center.

  “You won’t tell?” she asked.

  “Cross my heart.”

  “Well, I do love you, so, yes. Let’s get married.”

  Nate jumped to his feet. “Coolaphonic.”

  He took her to the other end of the closet, where a bunch of boxes were stacked. His mother kept all kinds of old clothes in them and when they went to fancy dress parties, she dug them out. Nate’s family always had the best costumes.

  “Here.” He handed Georgie a white frilly petticoat and a piece of lace that had been a tablecloth in a former life.

  “What will you wear?”

  Nate pointed to a black suit jacket and blue spotted tie that belonged to his father. He’d put a yellow silk rose in the buttonhole on the collar. Carefully, he took it from the hanger and put his arms into the sleeves. It was miles too big, the hem reached his knees and Georgie had to roll the sleeves up so his hands could be seen but it m
ade him look handsome. It made Georgie happy that she was marrying him.

  “I got this for you, too.” Nate handed over a bunch of fake flowers he’d found in the box and tied with some curling ribbon left over from the Christmas wrapping.

  By this time, Georgie had slipped the petticoat over her clothes and discreetly removed her jeans and top. The petticoat had a sticky-out skirt that hung down to her ankles like a real wedding dress but it was very baggy at the top and she had to keep pushing the strap back onto her shoulder. She’d taken two hairclips from her ponytail and used them to secure the lace to her head in the form of a veil.

  Nate beamed when he saw her. “You’re so beautiful, Georgie.”

  “Thank you, Nate.”

  Then Nate turned on the CD player and as the music played his Mum’s favorite song, Dream A Little Dream, he walked Georgie up the makeshift aisle of old red towels. Urged on by the audience of teddies and toys, he slipped the ring on her finger and said, “I do.”

  She placed a tender kiss on his lips. “I do, too.”

  “Will we be friends forever, now?” Georgie asked, when the ceremony was over. She was feeling very solemn, like something important had happened.

  “Forever,” Nate replied.”

  Chapter 3

  Standing in front of Nate, who was looking at her as if he’d lost his memory or she’d lost her mind, Georgie felt hurt and small, like the first day of school all over again. A stab of pain twisted in her chest, replacing the euphoric feeling of only moments before. It wasn’t the embarrassment of having stopped him in the middle of the jogging track that made it so bad, or the fact that she was wearing one shoe and jogging tights with a great rip in the crotch, it was the fact that Nate truly had no idea who she was. It was as if their past never existed, that it had meant more to her than it had to him. But that couldn’t be right, could it? Nate had cried the day they broke it off.

  “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  Nate peered at her closely. He was struggling for recognition but she could see it wasn’t coming.

  Georgie removed her sunglasses and cap. Her ponytail swung carelessly and flopped over her shoulder as she looked into his eyes, trying to trigger his memory. He had to remember her. It would be soul destroying if he didn’t. Not to mention, more humiliating than having her name and some rather untrue accusations plastered on the boys’ toilet wall in her last year of school. One of the male teachers had seen it first. When he’d confronted her, Georgie didn’t know whether to be embarrassed about the fact that it was there, or that she had no idea what the lewd action mentioned was. Georgie and Nate had been together a long time. He’d kept her sheltered.

  “It’s me,” Georgie said, hoping that if she stared straight into Nate’s eyes he’d remember. It was either that or run. If she did that, his only memory would be of the kooky chick that’d stopped him on the bike track thinking they knew each other. She’d be an amusing story to recall at dinner parties.

  Nate looked again. Then visibly, his face began to soften. It was a small glimmering hint of recognition and he was trying to hide it but Georgie saw it. She’d always been good at reading his expressions.

  “Georgie?”

  Georgie almost collapsed with relief. “Yes.”

  Nate’s face burst into the grin she remembered so well. He flicked his sunglasses to the top of his head and rubbed his hand over his face in disbelief. Mischief wrestled in his eyes, just as it had when they were young. Apart from the more angular jaw, he hadn’t changed at all. He still looked the larrikin.

  “I can’t believe it. Jesus, how long’s it been?”

  Georgie could see him mentally calculating the time.

  “Twelve years.”

  If you rounded off the three months, five days and oh, two hours.

  Nate’s grin broadened, as he looked her up and down, taking in her soggy, ripped leggings, sweaty tank top and missing shoe.

  “You’re still a fashion plate, then?”

  “Don’t be smart. I stepped in dog poop.”

  “I wondered what that smell was. I, sort of, remember your perfume being a heap nicer than that.”

  “Sorry. I was trying to get rid of that when I saw you.”

  “By taking a dip in the river? I gather that’s how you got so wet or do you sweat a lot when you run?”

  Georgie glared at him, remembering how he’d always had an answer for everything. Once upon a time it used to be endearing, funny even. Now, it was plain annoying. Sort of. God, Nate was here. Here. This was unbelievable.

  Georgie dangled the offending accessory in front of Nate’s nose. “I was trying to wash my shoe.”

  “Enough said.”

  A moment of shared memories exploded between them. When Nate and Georgie had been friends, she’d always been getting into scrapes and he’d always saved her. It was how things had worked. Funny that the intervening years had made her forget the reliance she’d had on him. She’d become quite independent without him.

  “Do you want to walk?” Nate asked, stretching his arm out in the direction of the city.

  “Sure.”

  Technically, Georgie was meant to be getting ready for a river cruise later that evening but with her run being cut short by a dip in the river, she had the time. What harm would a couple of minutes with Nate do? It had been so long, the pain he’d left after they split was healed. All she felt now was excitement, and a bit of a heart flutter, at seeing her old beau again.

  After Georgie squished her foot into the other shoe, they began to walk along the path towards Barrack Street Jetty. Up in the sky, puffs of cloud moved swiftly, sending out shadows that stretched and merged onto the path in front of them. On the river, a group of jet skiers zoomed past, leaving trails of white water in their wake. The ferry to South Perth bobbed through the middle of it taking people to the other side. Georgie was silent. She didn’t feel uncomfortable as she walked with Nate by her side. She just didn’t know where to begin. It had been such a long time. How did one go about filling in the missing pieces?

  “Remember that day we went to the zoo?” Nate asked. Clearly, the sight of the ferry was stirring up memories for him, too. “We had our photo taken in the booth with the green screen. I turned to kiss you …”

  “But in the picture it looked like you were kissing the hippo.” Georgie let out a laugh. “I still have that photo.”

  “Do you? I’d love to see it.”

  Was that a hint? Did Nate want to come over, like in the old days?

  “Maybe. One day.”

  Georgie wouldn’t admit it, but she had a whole box of stuff from that time. She’d carried it with her all over Australia, to Melbourne where she went to Uni, to Sydney when she’d been given her first job as an interior designer. That was where she’d met her fiancé, Matt. Now the box was under her bed, back in her old bedroom in West Leederville while she waited for the sale of her flat to be finalized. She wasn’t happy about having to live with her parents again, but it was preferable to the streets. And it wasn’t going to be forever.

  They reached the jetty and Nate stopped in front of a coffee shop. “Got time for a drink?” he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket and checking the time.

  “As long as you can put up with the smell of my shoes.”

  “Can’t smell a thing.”

  Georgie leant over to see the time, too. A waft of cologne, fresh and woody, filled the air between them. Her pulse started to race as her mind went back to the other times she’d smelled that smell. When they were seventeen, though, Nate’s scent hadn’t been quite as expensive. Usually, it had involved soap and salt, remnants from an afternoon at the beach, and a shower. Once, she’d bought him a bottle of Old Spice from a discount shop, thinking it was very grown-up. The smell had been closer to rancid bananas than aftershave but he’d worn it for weeks, regardless, until she’d finally begged him to throw it in the bin. Nate had such a soft, gentle interior. It was nothing like his big, manly body. Ge
orgie closed her eyes trying to block the thought. She shouldn’t do it. Past loves couldn’t be rekindled. No, shouldn’t be rekindled. Memories were best left as memories. But that didn’t mean that they couldn’t be friends again, did it?

  Georgie followed Nate through the maze of diners, until he came to a secluded table, under a large patio umbrella. He pulled out a chair for her and sat opposite, watching as she arranged her cap, sunglasses and iPod in a neat pile on the table beside her.

  “So,” he said.

  “So.”

  “Here we are.”

  “Yes. Here we are.”

  A waitress arrived to take their order and having decided on freshly squeezed juices, they sat and stared at each other. And stared. Then Nate said, “Is that the ring I gave you?” His eyes indicated the garnet ring Georgie wore on her middle finger. She’d had it since they were eleven. When it had gotten too small, her mother had taken it to the jewelers and had and extra piece of silver inserted into the back of the band.

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t believe you still have it.”

  “I wear it every day. Not because of you, though. I’m not, like, living in the past or anything,” she clarified. “I just think it’s pretty.”

  Nate was silent for a moment. “Remember that time at the movies when you thought you’d lost it?”

  How could she forget? She’d made him crawl around on the floor in the dark, looking for it. He’d banged his head on the metal of the seat during the search and ended up with an eggshaped lump near his hairline. Then, they’d almost got kicked out when he stuck his hand under the seat in front and inadvertently felt up the woman’s foot who was sitting there. She accused him of being a pervert.

  “That lady screamed blue murder,” Georgie giggled. “She thought you had one of those foot-sniffing fetishes.”

  “All I had was a lump on my head and a bruised ego. I was trying so hard to impress you with my search and rescue skills.”

  “And it was in the cuff of my shorts, the whole time. God knows how it got there.” Georgie remembered the incident well. She also remembered another day at the movies with Nate. Did he remember that?