Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 27

'Two minutes,' I cry, slapping the table enthusiastically. We have all piled into my room and I'm sitting at my computer, watching the countdown on the screen. I'm swinging in my desk chair, anxious about what's going to happen in the next few minutes.

Julian has brought his laptop to my house and he's sitting on my bed, watching the same countdown. Watson is leaning over my shoulder, while Ainsley is sitting at the edge of my bed, picking at the black nail polish on her fingernails. Harrison is lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. We've been like this for half an hour, waiting for the Two Soap Dolls tickets to come on sale.

'If I don't get tickets for Findlay then I'll just give my ticket to him,' Julian is saying. I glance over at him. He is tapping his fingers under his chin nervously.

'You're not missing out on tickets, Jules. We're going to get them,' I say.

'Em, watch the screen,' Watson says impatiently.

I glance back down at the ticking countdown clock. I'm tapping my Mum's credit card on the desk restlessly, ready to enter her details and pay for the tickets. Usually I would have asked for Dad's credit card, but I've been avoiding him recently.

'Okay, almost there,' Julian says. He's squirming on the bed.

Harrison stands up to look over my shoulder at the screen. The minutes turn to seconds. Ainsley crawls across the bed and sits next to Julian.

I clutch the mouse impatiently.

'Five seconds,' Harrison says hesitantly.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The screen turns black. A guitar riff plays.

'Go!' Watson yells.

I scroll through the booking process hastily, selecting six tickets and slamming in card details as fast as I can. When I've entered all payment details my phone buzzes with a new email notification. Watson grabs my phone and reads the email.

'Six tickets, bought!'

'Jules, did you get them?' I say, looking over at Julian. He's hastily clicking away, but then he lets out an exhausted sigh and leans back. He grins. 'Got tickets for Findlay. Augie Porters, come at me!'

Watson cracks open a beer. It froths over the lip and he drinks it quickly so it doesn't spill on my floor.

'Okay, kids,' I say, standing up. 'Let's get drunk!' I pick up my glass of vodka and juice and take a huge sip, feeling a shiver down my spine.

A graduated Landor guy is having a "Christmas in July" themed party, so we've all dressed up for it. I'm wearing a dress with a bright blue tessellating snowflake pattern that somehow makes me look even more flat chested than normal, but it also manages to make me look like I have a waist so I'm not complaining. I've paired it with tights and a jacket, because it's freezing outside. Julian, Harrison, and Watson have all bought green skinny jeans. They're wearing white shirts with red suspenders and they all have little elf hats on. Ainsley is wearing black jeans, a black top and jacket, but I've convinced her to wear reindeer antlers for the night. Well, she hasn't put them on yet, but I'm pretty sure I've convinced her.

'Okay, cab is booked for eight,' Harrison says.

'Should we play a quick drinking game?' Watson suggests.

We play a round of Kings Cup and Harrison pulls the final King, meaning he has to drink a large glass full of a combination of our drinks. By the time the cab arrives to take us to the party, Harrison is significantly drunker than the rest of us. He takes the front seat of the car and changes the radio station without asking the driver's permission. I lean over the seat and give the cab driver the address of the party.

'Em,' Ainsley says to me, flicking me on the shoulder and handing me her phone. On the screen I see Taylor's post on Instagram. It's a photo of her and Duncan on a couch, cuddled up together. I shoot a worried glance at Watson. He sees me looking so I quit out of the app, hiding the photo of Taylor. A dog with a lopsided grin stares up at me from Ainsley's phone – it's her wallpaper.

I look up at Ainsley and say, 'Who's this?'

'Just a cute dog,' she says. 'He's a shelter dog. He's been in the adoption centre for a long time and if no one adopts him soon he'll have to be put down.'

'You want this dog?' I ask her.

Ainsley shrugs. 'I think he's adorable and sounds really sweet. But I just don't want him to get put down.'

'I'm sure someone will adopt him,' I tell her. She's not wearing her reindeer antlers yet, and they're just sitting on her lap, so I grab them and shove them on her head. She gives me a look and tries to pull them off.

'Ah, ah!' I say. 'They are staying on all night. You look cute.'

Moving away from the inner city the streetlights get further apart and as we drive past trees and large properties there's only blackness outside the window. Then the cab rounds a corner I see a huge blaze of light from a bonfire. The fire lights up the smoke that billows up into the black sky. We're heading to a house on a massive property, and the whole yard is full of Hilverton students in costume. The house has a blow up Santa on the roof, and Christmas lights are strewn haphazardly. Huge speakers have been set up on the front veranda of the house, and Christmas pop songs are playing loudly.

'It's actually Christmas in July,' I say, impressed.

We pile out of the cab and step carefully over Christmas lights which are draped over the fence and running along the footpath (Harrison trips), and make our way around the house towards the bonfire. There are at least a dozen mismatched, moth-eaten couches across the yard. They're set up in a huge circle facing in towards the bonfire. So far the party atmosphere is still quite relaxed. Everyone is sitting on couches or standing around the bonfire, drinking and talking. We make our way over to an empty couch.

'Any year elevens invited tonight?' I ask Julian because he might know through his younger brother.

'Not that I'm really aware of, thankfully,' Julian says, shrugging. He opens a cider and takes a big swig of it.

Watson says to Julian. 'There are so many hot girls in grade eleven.'

I roll my eyes at Watson and kick him in the shin. 'Obviously because he doesn't want Findlay here,' I say.

'Yeah, partying with your brother can be awkward,' Julian says, and he shoots me a look.

'Yeah,' I say. 'But don't worry. Your brother will forgive you eventually.'

'Forgive you for what?' Watson says.

I glance between Julian and Watson.

'Jules, you still haven't told anyone?' I ask. I look guiltily at him. I didn't mean to try to reveal his secret, but I had thought given it's been a week since it happened, Julian would have told the rest of the group he got with Lexington.

Harrison is taking a huge sip of his drink, but when he finishes he says, 'Tell us what, Jules?'

Julian looks around at the group and then looks at me desperately. I sigh. 'Julian got into a bit of trouble,' I say.

Harrison smirks. 'What did you do this time?'

I shoot Harrison a look, but he misses it. 'Look, guys, it's nothing to laugh about,' I say pointedly, looking at Harrison and hoping he'll understand. 'Julian was really drunk, okay? Findlay was asleep, so Julian and Lexington got together.'

Watson doesn't speak and just stares at Julian. Ainsley lets out a little gasp and places her hand over her mouth.

I look over at Harrison, worried he's going to burst into laughter, but he doesn't. He's just staring at Julian. 'Is this true?' he asks. I'm not used to the sombre expression on Harrison's usually joyful face.

Julian puts his head in his hands, and it's all the confirmation Harrison needs. He stands up, takes his drink with him, and walks away.