Rickola

Rickola | Chapter One

Rickola | Chapter One

© Katelyn Moore

 

If there was one thing in life I adored more than life its self, it was freedom. What could be better than breathing easily, sleeping peacefully and running freely? I could safely say that a free life was a good life. It was the key to happiness. And in this moment, I was pretty darn happy, and finally free. Well, for six weeks at least.

Bring on the summer holidays!

I couldn’t wait to go to the beach and hang with friends without the constant hassle of school work sitting in the back of my mind. There would be no studying or assignments—nothing. I was on holiday and I wasn’t going to think about the future for one second in the next six weeks, not one. This summer was all about me, and nothing could spoil it.

All right, almost nothing. Things were about to get fanatical… literally.

As I jogged slowly into Slushie Station and up to the counter, an all too familiar voice called out to me. “Nikki! Over here!” My back was to her, so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This was just what I wanted on my first day of freedom—my crazy best friend on the best day of her life.

“Great!” I sighed harshly. I really didn’t want to deal with this.

“Here you go,” a heavy voice said. “The usual.” I opened my eyes to see the owner, George, dressed in an apron and conductor hat to fit the décor of his small business, holding a bottle of chilled water out to me.

I handed him two dollars and took the water, “Thanks, George.”

“Big day today, huh,” he chuckled, nodding to his outdoor seating area.

Glancing behind me, I noticed his shop was full of wound up girls ogling over trashy magazines and miniature posters, and in the far corner was Kylie, waving at me like a jackrabbit on crack. “If by big you mean a massive pain in my arse, then yes, it is.” George laughed as he went back to making salad rolls and I had no choice but to go over to Kylie and sit with her.

Why did she have to be here, at this specific lunch shop? There were a million other places in the city she could have gone. It was just my luck.

Smiling widely, I greeted her. Keeping up this charade was hard because truthfully, I wasn’t too excited to see her. I’d escaped her flighty spirit when school ended. All I wanted now was a day free from everyone, but it seemed the world thought otherwise. “How are you, Kylie?” I asked before realising what I was doing.  

Instantly, her hands went up. She waved them about as if she was trying to cool herself down. “I am so excited! Today’s the day!” she squeaked. I knew this was coming; I should have run when I had the chance. And just as Kylie was getting herself worked up, someone called out to the entire shop and pointed like a loony at the flat-screen above the counter where George was serving a startled customer.

This was punishment for my incompetence. I should have gone to the beach for a run instead of the Harbour. I could have avoided all of this. How stupid of me.

On the screen was a reporter for Behind the Star. I couldn’t remember her name, but she was the usual reporter type who spoke with a deep and completely uninteresting tone. A voice like that would usually put teenage girls to sleep, but not this time. There was no escaping him.

 

          Hollywood’s current golden boy, Rick Avery, will land in Sydney later this evening for a well-earned vacation. Avery’s plans remain unknown and closely guarded, with the superstar saying he just needs ‘a little time off from the chaotic world of Hollywood’. He will, however, make a scheduled appearance at Sydney’s prestigious New Years Eve celebrations.