"It's Ash," I corrected.
"Please excuse her current attitude," my mother explained. "She's been moody the entire ride here."
It was true—I was in a foul mood. I had accepted my parents' divorce much more easily than they had; mostly because I had been expecting it. I had gotten used to the immature and incoherent fights about nothing in particular and if that wasn't a giveaway of their ending relationship, then I didn't know what was. But now that the papers were signed and the divorce was official, my parents had gone from outraged yelling to complete and utter silence.
I didn't appreciate being the messenger between them, especially now that my mother had dragged me half way across town to temporarily move in with her old friend from high school. I also entirely impressed of our new living arrangements; spending time with a couple of single middle-aged women wasn't something I was looking forward to.
But something my mother failed to mention was that it wouldn't just us girls. There was a touch of testosterone to the household and he seemed just as surprised to see me there.
I wasn't a huge fan of first impressions, and one thing I hated was the assumption that I was hot-headed just because of the shade of my hair. My current temper wasn't making it any better.
"Nice to meet you, Ash," Dust said, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile.
"Likewise." My voice came out sharper than I had intended.
"Oh, honey," Mum said, walking over to me and tucking me under her arm. "Brighten up, okay? Things won't be that bad."
I compressed a witty remark by biting my tongue.
"She's a bit upset about moving schools," my mother explained, giving me a squeeze. "She's going to miss her boyfriend too much."
"Mum," I groaned.
Dust's eyebrows rose, eyes slightly widened behind the frames of his glasses. Maura seemed amused. And I was completely and utterly mortified.
"You're quick to judge, Cathy. Don't you remember your high school boyfriend?" Maura teased. "You pulled the biggest tantrum when your own mother forbid you from seeing him."
Mum tipped her head back and laughed, swinging her arm off from me and following Maura into the house. "He had the best car though."
I stayed back as they walked in together, laughing about past memories. Dust lingered by the doorway, watching me with small smile dancing on his lips.
"Need any help?"
"No." I awkwardly half-rolled, half-lifted my suitcase towards the door. "I just have to put this inside. I have a couple more bags in the car."
Once my suitcase was next to my mother's in the foyer, I turned and headed back outside. Although I told Dust I didn't need any assistance, he was at the car, pulling out the last of the bags and placing them on the side of the road before he shut the boot. I picked up my gym bag.
"I would have been fine."
"I know." He didn't have to be smiling for his dimples to be showing.
"Thanks," I muttered as Dust picked up the rest of my things and followed me inside.
The Reed residence had a small, but homey interior. I made three further observations within the first sixty seconds of being in the house. First of all, the walls weren't cream, like in my old house. The pops of colour in each room made the space appear more open and welcoming. Secondly, there was no television. It wasn't that I was a couch potato—it was merely background sound throughout my daily routine—but I couldn't help but notice that there wasn't one in their living room. The last thing I couldn't ignore was that the Reeds were evident book lovers. There was minimal clutter within the household, but they had multiple towering bookshelves.
"Ash, would you like anything to drink? Dinner will be ready in just a moment," Maura said, popping her head out of the kitchen and giving me a warm smile.
I turned away from the coloured spines and nodded. "Water would be great. Thanks."
Maura lingered a moment longer, looking in the direction I had previously turned away from. "You're welcome to read anything that catches your eye."
I hadn't done any pleasure reading since I was about ten and after Maura's offer I was starting to wonder why. It wasn't as if my life had gotten that busy. Nevertheless, some of the titles in their collection did sound intriguing. Maybe it was time I picked up a good book or two.
"Thank you."
"Dust can recommend some good ones if you don't know where to start," Maura continued. "Right, honey?"
Dust, who had been standing by the entrance to the living room, nodded, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Then he started wheeling one of the suitcases down the hall.
He disappeared into one of the rooms and pulled my baggage in behind him. I lingered by the doorframe and dared to peek inside. A single bed rested against one of the walls and a desk was crammed into the corner. It was small, but it was only a temporary living arrangement. I expected to be bunking with the Reeds for three weeks maximum, and wasn't making any plans to get comfortable.
To the left of the room was another door. At first, I thought it was a bathroom, which would have been a pleasant surprise; my own space where I wasn't battling anyone for the mirror. But when I turned the knob and pushed the door opened, I found myself in another bedroom.
A hand came from behind me, taking the handle and shutting it before I could have another look. I turned to look at Dust who was rubbing his neck in what seemed to be embarrassment.
"Conjoined bedrooms," he explained. "Your room was my study, that's why it's a little smaller."
"Won't be staying long, so it doesn't really matter," I answered, stepping to the side. "Is there a lock on that door?"
"You sound pretty confident about that. And yeah, but it's on my side. I'll keep it locked to avoid any privacy issues." He leaned against the closed door.
"Well, my mother can't expect to permanently move into another family's home; best friend or not. We'll probably find a flat, hopefully near home. She just needs some space from my dad after the divorce."
"Parents, huh?"
With another quick smile, he disappeared out the door and walked back into the kitchen. My mother and Maura were sitting at the table, wine glasses already out, a bottle sitting between them as they laughed. I knew my mother was a cheap drunk, but I wondered if Maura was any better at holding down her liquor. By the expression on Dust's face when he saw the beverage, I guessed Maura was equally as bad.
I definitely wasn't looking forward to a late night with two middle-aged, drunk women.
Directing my attention towards the glass of water Maura had poured for me, I took a drink. Dust was standing in front of the open fridge, a bottle of water in one hand and his phone in the other. Maura noticed that the device had captured her son's attention and smiled.
"What are you looking at, honey?"
"Just got a text from Jackson," he answered, kicking the fridge closed as he typed back a reply. "There's a bonfire down at the beach tonight."
"Oh, you should take Ash," my mother suggested. "Show her around; let her meet a few people. It'll be good to familiarise her with the kids she'll be going to school with."
Dust looked at me for confirmation.
I wasn't really in a beach kind of mood. Well, I was never in a beach kind of mood considering my dislike for sand. But the bonfire part did sound good and escaping from a girls' night in with my mother and her best friend sounded even better.
"What time should we leave?"
I only lived an hour from the beach, but regular trips were still a struggle. However, it only took a ten minute drive from Dust's house before I could see the rolling waves of the sea. As soon as the car slowed to a stop, I frowned.
"So, are we early or something?"
"No," Dust answered, pulling out his keys.
"Then where is everyone?"
He gave me a sideways glance and pointed towards a small cluster of about fifteen other teenagers at the end of the beach. I, admittedly, had not been to many bonfires before, but honestly, I had imagined there being more people.
In fact, I had imagined my first bonfire experience to be the total opposite to what Dust had invited me to. As we neared the small group, I realised that there wasn't any music. The only sound that filled the night air was cheerful chatter. The next thing I noticed was the lack of booze. I supposed there wouldn't be a lot since there weren't many people, but the only evidence of alcohol were the two untouched six packs of beer that sat near the esky.
"Dust!" one of the guys yelled. "Weren't expecting you to turn up until ten."
Dust spun his keys between his fingers and smiled easily. "Guess they were enthusiastic to catch up."
A couple of guys came into view, both with their jeans rolled up.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" one asked, with a grin. He had chin-length hair that seemed much more effortlessly styled than mine. I refused to be envious.
"Guys, this is Ash; Cathy's daughter. Ash, this is Sam." He pointed to the guy with the longer hair. "And this is Jackson." He gestured towards the one with a buzz cut. "My friends."
"The hot mum has a hot daughter," Sam answered, grinning mischievously.
Dust placed his hand over his friend's face and pushed him away. "He's a pervert. Stay clear from him."
"Will do."
"Other than the constant flirting and dirty references, he's harmless," Jackson assured. "But don't be afraid to slap him. He really does deserve it sometimes."
Despite my shitty night, I couldn't help but laugh.