Dexter Read online

  Ashley yawned. She’d been sure that she would lie awake the whole night, but the forty-seven minutes (she’d timed it) of crying had exhausted her. It was almost impossible to believe, but it felt like she was falling asleep.

  Just as her eyelids were drooping, Ashley had a thought that made them fly open again. What if Emma wasn’t the problem — what if she was the solution?

  She sat up in bed, forgetting the cold. Emma’s parents said yes to everything — they would have to say yes to this too. She would drive out with them to the kennels and they could pick up both the puppies tomorrow, just as planned. Puppy could stay at Emma’s house until Ashley’s dad got a job. It wouldn’t be long, surely? Ashley could go over every day after school and for weekend overnights to look after Puppy and train him, and make sure he knew he belonged to her.

  But with the mood her parents were in, they’d say no to the idea for sure. Better not to tell them until it was done. One thing was in her favour: although she and Emma were best friends, their parents didn’t really get on. Emma’s parents were older than hers. They were wealthy and both worked at the university. They lived in a big white house in Canada Bay near the water. Ashley and her parents lived in a tiny red-brick two-storey semi in Five Dock. Her mother was a nurse and her father worked in some kind of job that Ashley didn’t understand — ‘financial services’ he called it.

  Their parents had met a few times at school functions, but they didn’t really click. Which was good. Because she’d have to convince Emma’s parents not to tell — at least until they’d got Puppy home and it was too late to take him back. Emma would have to get them onside.

  She flipped open the cover of her phone and quickly scanned Emma’s texts, which all pretty much said the same thing as the first. She hit ‘reply’ and started typing.

  i’ve got a fantastic idea …

  She didn’t have to wait long for a response. Emma was thrilled with the plan and certain she could convince her parents. Ashley typed out the instructions. She’d get up early and wait outside for Emma and her parents to collect her. There’d be no chance for any of the parents to meet. They’d bring Puppy home and he’d stay at Emma’s.

  They shared six texts working out the details, and when Ashley lay down to go to sleep, she was smiling. She closed her eyes. She imagined Puppy snuggled up to her, with his doggy breath on her face, twitching as he dreamt of chasing rabbits.

  The wind comes as the moon is right overhead, striping them in black and white. Youngster and his mother both pause and stop chewing. The leaves of The Hungry whisper and clatter, surrounding them with a dry, rustling sound.

  Their home trees are spaced up the side of the hill, some with interlacing branches. Each tree has a name according to its qualities: The Tall, The Hidden, The Dry, The Hungry, The Safe, The Delicious, The Seeing, The Meeting Place. Youngster and his mother know every crook, every fork, every place to wedge themselves to sleep when the Bright comes, every high branch where new leaves will shoot, every place safe from the wind, every place dry in the rain, and where to climb to see further than their own home.

  From the next tree, The Meeting Place, a long guttural roar rises, followed by a series of short grunts. It’s Strong, the male who lives in the centre of the colony. Youngster’s mother straightens, cocks an ear and grunts back: Leave us alone.

  Strong is huge, and when he roars into the night, the leaves themselves shiver. Youngster is relieved when he hears him leap out of The Meeting Place into the next tree, heading back towards his own favourite sleeping fork.

  Another gust comes and Youngster’s mother scents the wind, taking long, slow sniffs. Youngster digs his claws into her back until she twitches her skin for him to stop. He clambers over her shoulder and falls into her lap and she nuzzles him. Rain coming. We go to The Dry.

  He buries himself into the warm fur of her chest, but the wind is picking up all around them and the whole tree is beginning to sway with it. He loves her lap, but she prefers him to be on her back now, away from the warm milk, which is only for every now and then, and the snug pouch that he still remembers, but which is closed to him. He sniffs his disappointment, clambers back over her shoulder and settles himself obediently.

  She begins to back smoothly down The Hungry, to the place in the lower branches where she can leap across to The Dry.

  He can hear the wind picking up, see it bending and whipping the branches down on the hill. It’s coming!

  I can’t see it.

  Listen!

  The sound of it is a roar across the valley. His mother swivels her ear, and when she hears it, she starts climbing down fast.

  A gust of wind hits The Hungry and their world rocks and moves and shifts, and the noise is all around. They’re too high, stuck in The Hungry as it dances and waves like a living thing.

  Wind. We go to The Safe.

  He hears a branch break above them and he shrinks down into her fur. The branch bounces down, glances off her shoulder. She rocks, slithers, and for a sickening moment he feels the empty space below them, feels them dangling, feels the sense of distance between them and the ground. Then she swings out an arm, hooks her claws into the bark and pulls them to safety.

  She sits still, breathing heavily, and he doesn’t dare say anything. She said they were going to The Safe, but she doesn’t move, just rubs her eyes over and over again.

  He tucks his head down, burying his face in her fur, as The Hungry whooshes and dances around them, roaring. He will be safe on her back.

  Won’t he?

  Chapter 3

  Ashley opened her eyes. Her head was still aching from all the crying the night before and her eyes felt swollen and sore. She blinked.

  It felt late. Suddenly she was wide awake. Why hadn’t her alarm gone off?

  She looked around for her phone. She’d left it right beside her on the bedside table the night before, with the alarm set for six am, but it was gone.

  Emma’s parents were due to pick her up at seven. She had no idea what time it was. She threw back the covers, leapt out of bed and dressed in world-record time. She didn’t want to leave without her phone, but the plan stood the best chance of working if she sneaked out without her parents knowing.

  She scribbled a note telling them she was going to another friend’s house, then slung her pack over one shoulder, crept to the door and opened it a crack. The smells of toast and coffee were strong in the corridor, but everything was quiet. Her parents were probably having breakfast in bed, as they liked to do on the weekends.

  Ashley propped the note against her door and tiptoed down the stairs, avoiding the two squeaky ones. From the staircase, it was only a few steps to the door and she took the first one.

  ‘Good morning.’

  She jumped in fright. She hadn’t seen her mother sitting there in the little lounge room.

  ‘Where are you off to?’ her mother asked, taking a sip of coffee as though it was an ordinary day and nothing was wrong.

  ‘Er — Brianna’s house.’ Ashley knew her voice sounded lame, but she hadn’t prepared for this.

  Her mother lifted the non-coffee-cup hand and waggled Ashley’s phone. ‘That’s not what it says here, Ash.’

  Ashley’s stomach, which was growling with hunger to start with, suddenly felt a whole lot worse. ‘That’s private! You stole my phone!’

  ‘Just as well,’ her mother said. ‘That was quite some plan you were hatching.’

  Ashley stared at her mother. She’d used up all of her outrage the night before and now she just felt heartbroken. She was hardly even aware of the tears that started to run down her face.

  ‘Oh, honey pie.’ Her mother’s expression changed to one of pity and she held out her arms. ‘Come here.’

  More than anything, Ashley wanted to storm out. She’d never forgive her parents for this. But her mother’s arms had always been such a comforting place, and she desperately needed some comfort. Unwillingly she crossed the room to her mother, who took
her hand and drew her down into a hug.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Ash,’ her mother whispered as she cuddled her. ‘Your dad feels absolutely awful. He knows how much this meant to you. But we have to be strong, OK? We have to pull together as a family and get through this.’

  Ashley sniffed. ‘But he’ll get another job eventually, won’t he? Even if it’s hard?’

  Her mother was quiet for so long that Ashley raised her face. ‘Well, won’t he?’

  ‘I hope so,’ her mother said. She tried to smile, but Ashley could see her lips wobble. ‘But Ash, the whole company closed down. All of them are out of work, and they’re all looking for new jobs. There just isn’t enough work.’

  Ashley didn’t really understand the way grown-ups went on about jobs all the time, and she didn’t really understand what her father’s job even was. There wasn’t anything she could do to help.

  ‘Can’t I just go with Emma? At least I can meet Puppy.’

  Her mother stroked her head. ‘Emma’s gone. She came to the door, but I told her the plan was off.’

  Ashley pulled away from her mother, her head spinning. Was there still time to reach Emma? Could she storm out the back door, run around the corner and text Emma? There had to be some way she could still get to Puppy.

  She took a big breath. ‘Please, Mum. I know Emma’s parents wouldn’t mind having Puppy at their house until Dad gets a job. I want Puppy more than anything in the world. Please!’

  Her mother was shaking her head. ‘Look, I don’t want to worry you, Ash, and don’t say anything to your father. But the truth is, if he doesn’t get a job soon, we can’t afford to stay in this house. We might have to move. And it’s very hard to find a house where you’re allowed to have a dog.’

  Ashley felt her first moment of real fear and suddenly she understood why her mother looked so worried. She’d never thought of them having to leave their home! Where would they go? She shivered.

  ‘So, you see — you can’t have this puppy at the moment. As soon as Dad has work and we know what the future holds, you can choose another one. You can choose the same breed again. You never know — Dad might find another job next week and the same puppy might still be available. But we can’t bank on it. I’m sorry.’

  Ashley gulped. The school holidays, which she’d been longing for, suddenly stretched ahead as a long, lonely two weeks, a time in which Emma would have Bella, and Ashley would have nothing. ‘What am I going to do for the holidays?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ve got a surprise for you,’ her mother said. ‘Here, blow your nose.’

  When Ashley had mopped her face and blown her nose, her mother smiled. ‘Remember Micky? My half-sister?’

  Ashley shrugged. She’d met her aunt — or should she call her a ‘half-aunt’? — a long time ago, but hadn’t seen her for years. She couldn’t even remember the last time her mother had mentioned her.

  ‘She’s the one who looks after koalas up on the North Coast. I called her last night and told her you needed some cheering up. And guess what? She’s invited you to come and stay for the holidays. Isn’t that great?’

  ‘Without you?’ Ashley asked.

  Her mother nodded. ‘I’ve taken some extra shifts to help us get through, and your dad has to start looking for a new job straight away. Neither of us will be here much in the holidays, and we wanted you to have a treat to make up for — well, you know.’

  Ashley wanted to start crying again, but she forced herself to swallow. Being sent to the middle of nowhere meant there was even less hope that she’d still be able to have Puppy, and she wasn’t giving up on him yet. ‘Do I have to go?’

  ‘Yes. And you’ll need to get packing now. Your flight goes at eleven am.’

  Ashley blinked in shock, and her mother stroked her head again. ‘You’ll be able to make friends with Micky’s koalas. How cool will that be?’

  Ashley’s head was still spinning. She didn’t know anything about koalas, except they were fluffy and sat in gum trees. And they weren’t Puppy.

  ‘Let’s get you packed,’ her mother said.

  Ashley cast a longing glance at her phone. If she had it, she could text Emma. If Emma could persuade her parents to come back for her, Ashley could run out the door and they could do a drive-by swoop to rescue her. Emma’s parents would love that kind of thing, she thought. It would be like a scene from a movie. She was sure she could get them to agree to look after Puppy. At the very least, if she could text Emma, she could ask them to secretly collect Puppy for her.

  ‘I’ll hang on to that till we get to the airport,’ her mother said firmly, putting the phone in her pocket. She glanced at her watch. ‘We need to hurry, Ash.’

  Ashley bit her lip and got to her feet. She still really wanted to chuck the biggest tantrum of her life. But now that she knew how worried her mother was, it didn’t seem like such a great idea.

  ‘Good girl,’ her mother said, and patted her on the shoulder. ‘Your dad and I really appreciate you being grown up about this. I know how hard it is for you to give him up.’

  Oh no you don’t, Ashley thought. You have no idea, or you wouldn’t make me do it. But she turned to follow her mother upstairs without a word.

  Chapter 4

  Ashley’s stomach felt like it had leapt into her chest. She grabbed the armrest. Around her, the other passengers gasped and some made ‘ooh’ noises. Even the flight attendant staggered in the aisle at the sudden jolt.

  The plane bounced again, sending the weird feeling in Ashley’s belly the other way. The seatbelt light pinged on as the loudspeaker blared into life.

  ‘Fasten your seatbelts, folks, we’ve hit some turbulence. All electronic devices off. Flight attendants, take your seats, please.’ The captain’s voice sounded tinny and strange.

  Ashley’s belt was already done up, but the man and woman sitting next to her, who both looked a bit shaken, quickly reached for their buckles. The plane dipped again and Ashley couldn’t help gasping: the fall lasted several seconds.

  ‘You OK, love?’ the woman asked.

  Ashley nodded, though in fact she was starting to get really scared. She looked out the window. The view was just the grey inside of the clouds and small drops of water streaked across the outside of the window. It had gone very quiet as the cabin shook around them.

  The loudspeaker came back on. ‘No need to worry, folks, we’re just running into a bit of a weather pattern,’ the captain said cheerfully. ‘Hopefully we can land at the Gold Coast as planned. Sit tight and keep those seatbelts on.’

  Ashley jiggled her knee. Her mother had only given her the phone back just as she was boarding the plane — and the battery was completely flat. She wished it was working so she could play a game, anything to take her mind off the way the plane was tossing around, and from thinking about Puppy. She knew if she thought about him for long, she’d start crying again.

  ‘If you feel sick, lovey, there’s a bag in the seat pocket,’ the woman said. ‘You’ve gone a bit pale.’

  Ashley wished she wouldn’t talk about it. It was true, her tummy was feeling a bit queasy and she was swallowing a lot.

  ‘Let’s have a chat,’ the woman said, and gave her a kind smile. ‘Where are you from?’

  ‘Five Dock,’ Ashley said, through clenched teeth.

  ‘And what brings you up to the Gold Coast? Are you on holidays?’

  Ashley nodded. ‘I’m going to visit my aunt.’

  ‘That sounds lovely,’ the woman said encouragingly. ‘In the Gold Coast, is she? Well, there’s plenty to do there. Shopping, surfing, theme parks … Once this weather clears up, you’ll have a great time.’

  ‘She’s not on the Gold Coast,’ Ashley said. ‘She lives in some place near Byron Bay.’

  The woman leaned over to the man on the other side of her. ‘Hear that, Ralph? Byron. You’ve been there, haven’t you?’

  He looked up from his newspaper and grunted. ‘Mm. Hippies, the lot of them.’

  ‘Don’t
take any notice of him,’ the woman said. ‘I’m sure it’s a nice place. I just hope you don’t get cut off.’

  ‘Cut off?’ Ashley stared at her.

  ‘There’s been a lot of rain down that way. They’re saying this tropical cyclone’s heading south, and bringing even more. Lots of that area is flooded.’

  ‘Leave the poor kid alone,’ the man said. ‘Cripes, Nancy.’

  The plane seemed to have smoothed out, but Ashley still had a weird feeling in her belly and she knew it wasn’t only from the turbulence. What if they had to move somewhere that she wasn’t allowed to have a dog at all? Not only would she miss out on owning Puppy, but she might never have a dog. They might even be in another suburb altogether. Maybe she’d have to go to a new school! She and Emma had only been at Burwood Girls High for three terms. She didn’t want to leave it already — she’d only just got settled in.

  The loudspeaker came back on. ‘Captain speaking. It’s going to be a bumpy landing, folks, and the visibility is low. We’ll be approaching the runway, but if we don’t get a good-enough view, we will need to lift off again.’

  Well, if anything happens to me, my parents will be really sorry, Ashley thought. It served them right for sending her away when she didn’t want to go. She could see driving rain outside her window, and the cloud was still so dense she couldn’t see through it. The plane was descending, but the gloom outside was so heavy that it felt like it was getting dark, rather than just being lunchtime.

  The engines screamed; the plane lowered and lowered; the rain hitting the windows got even thicker. Ashley clung to her armrests with both hands and shut her eyes. As usual, she thought about Puppy. By this time Emma should have arrived home with Bella, and the thought of it brought a lump to her throat.

  The plane bumped, fell a little and then suddenly bounced on the runway, throwing them around in their seats. A cheer rose up and Ashley opened her eyes. She’d arrived.

  At the bottom of the plane’s steps they had to run through the rain. Ashley was wet by the time they got into the terminal. Her hair was dripping in her eyes, and the crowd of people waiting to get on the plane were all standing in the way, so she had to weave around them. She glanced around for her aunt, but couldn’t see anyone who looked even vaguely familiar. So she followed the stream of passengers out to the baggage area.