Willa and Louie 4 страница

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" Dare. "

" Get the car, and pick me up at seven. "

Louie

" A pub? She lives in a pub? " Susi's eyebrows rose above the stainless steel cooktop. " It doesn't sound very nice. "

" What does 'nice' mean? There's nothing wrong with it. It's just a live-in job, that's all. "

" Her father runs it then, does he? "

Louie leaned on the bench and picked at the grated cheese. " No, her mother does. Her father's dead. "

" Dead? Oh, poor kid. "

" Well, not recently. He died racing trucks, you know, big rigs and that. Years ago. He was American. "

Susi stopped stirring the sauce and looked at Louie for a moment, then resumed. Louie continued talking about Willa, although she was vaguely aware that she was heading towards Burble City.

" Her mother's name's Jolene. She and Willa's dad were country and western singers. Her mum's from Gore, you know, " Louie invented, thinking that her Southland mother would approve of that, but Susi's face didn't alter. Louie tried harder.

" They travelled all around the States singing as Buddy and Jo Apple, " Louie said, filling in the gaps in Willa's story. " Apple wasn't their real name, that was their singing name. Then they came to Dunedin and had two kids and bought a country and western bar. But Buddy crashed the Buffalo, that was his rig, and died. Willa was only eleven years old. She said her mother hardly ever sings now, and she smokes like a train so her voice is probably shot to bits anyway. " Louie paused, remembering Susi hated smokers. " Willa doesn't smoke, " she added.

Susi was unimpressed. " I should hope not. "

" No, she's not what you think, pub and all that. She's really-stylish—she wears amazing clothes, and winds scarves in her hair and stuff. She's much better looking than I am. "

" Is she really. Lou, " she said, turning the gas down, " if you can take your mind off the wonderful Willa for a moment, grate me some more cheese to make up for what you've eaten, will you. "

Louie bit her lip. " It's not the 'wonderful Willa, '" she said, and fossicked in the cupboard for the cheese grater. " She's just an ordinary Willa, as Willas go, although it's not a common name is it... I wonder if it's short for something. God, I hope it's not Wilhemina. " Susi was staring at her. " Um, what was the question? "

" Here, " said her mother, handing her the grater from the bench. " Well, as far as visiting this Willa person goes, you'll have to ask your father. I'm taking my car to Bernadette's for a parish meeting tonight. Surely you can ride your bike that far. "

" No, I can't. It's a pain coming back up the hill at night, and it's got a slow puncture, " she lied.

Her father also objected to the mention of a pub, despite Louie's insistence that they weren't going to be drinking.

" We're not even going to stay there! " Louie blurted out, then rolled her eyes at her stupidity.

" Where are you going then? " demanded her mother.

" I mean, we might not stay there. We might go—I don't know, Willa had some idea, but she didn't tell me. "

" Let's get this straight, " said Tony, looking at her levelly. " You want to borrow my car, you don't know where you might be going, you're meeting at a pub and you're going with a girl we haven't met. "

" Sounds... the tiniest bit flaky, I'll give you that. But Dad, we're probably going to watch television. Honestly, it's no big deal. If we do anything, it'll just be a drive to somewhere nice, you know, with a view or something. "

Tony and Susi looked at her suspiciously.

" A view, " repeated Tony.

" Who is he? " Susi folded her arms.

" What? "

" There's a boy in this. Don't try and pretend there isn't, Louie. You've spent an hour and a half trying on clothes and used just about all the mousse in the house. You don't do that when you go out with a girlfriend. "

Louie closed her eyes. She didn't know whether to laugh or scream.

She screamed.

" Don't you realise this is the first Saturday night I've had free for God knows how long? Every bloody weekend I'm working. Not to mention just about every free evening. And I still manage somehow to get my homework done, to do every assignment and essay they throw at me. You don't have to drop everything and rush into school to see my teachers. You don't have to stand over me to make sure I study for exams like you did with Nic. All I'm asking is that you trust me. Why can't you do that? There is no boy. We're not planning to do anything stupid. I just wanted to go out tonight and take it as it comes, that's all. "

Louie had got the car, along with a lecture about trust. Great, she thought, opening Willa's gate, I'd like to tell them the truth and see how much they trust me then. She hugged her coat closer. She had bought an old suede jacket at an op shop last week, and it was like wearing a saddle. It was warm though, and looked like something she might have thrown on as she went out the door. In fact Louie had tried on absolutely everything she owned to go under it. In the end she'd opted for a dark top and black jeans.

The door opened as she raised her hand. A woman with red hair and a dish of dog food stood there with Judas. Judas immediately barked at Louie, but he was quickly distracted by the food and went back to the woman.

" Hello, a beatnik! " she said. " Calm down, Judas. "

Louie almost looked behind her. The woman laughed a deep, throaty chuckle. " You must be here for Willa. "

Louie nodded, and tried to pat Judas, but he ducked away from her and followed his dish. The woman placed the bowl on the concrete. Then she turned to Louie.

" I'm Jolene, Willa's mum. "

" Louie. Louie Angelo. "

" Come in. " Jolene, who showed no traces of her country and western background in a mohair jersey and polyester slacks, led Louie to the stairs. Through the glass doors off the hall Louie could see and hear the bar and she hoped none of the rugby guys from the other night could see her.

Willa was in the kitchen upstairs. Jolene walked in first, and announced, " There she is. Sixties, " she said, gesturing to Louie, " meet the seventies! " And she shut the door behind her.

Willa was wearing a long, embroidered coat that fell around her ankles, and tooled leather boots. Her hair was loose, with just a brightly-coloured scarf holding it off her face. Louie shook her head, confused.

" What's she on about? Sixties, seventies? And what's a beatnik? "

Willa laughed like her mother and shrugged. " Hey, I love that jacket. And it's perfect for where we're going. "

" Which is? " Louie sat down but stood up again immediately. The argument with her parents was gone; she was suddenly excited.

" Now that would be telling. It's a dare, remember? " Willa smiled at her and stood up too. " You drive and I'll navigate, okay? "

" Deal. "

It was dark and warm, a strange nor'west wind rippling over the hills, as Louie and Willa motored over the open road south of the city. All around was farmland, and the occasional whiff of sheep or silage made them screw up their faces and buzz the windows shut in a hurry. Louie drove fast to please Willa and smooth round the bends, over rises, down dips. " Hang a right, " Willa said at one point, then " left, to the end of the road, " then " right, and right again. " There were no houses where she'd led Louie. There were no lights, just the vacuous black bucket of the sky punctured by sharp white stars. Finally, Willa directed her down a long gravel road and they parked in what appeared to be a patch of farmland in the middle of nowhere.

" What is this? " Louie shook her head, puzzled. " Are we meeting a UFO or what? "

" Something like that. " Willa jumped out of the car. Louie shrugged to herself and followed. To her right she suddenly noticed there were lights—coloured lights.

" Willa, what's...? " They looked familiar. Blue lights, several of them as she looked harder. And further away some red ones and a building. The wind buffeted her off balance for a moment.

" It's the airport, " she said out loud, realising. " It's the airport, isn't it, and that—that's the runway! "

Willa was striding away into the black. " Yep. Come on, over here. "

" I don't believe this. I do not believe it. " Louie broke into a jog and strained her eyes to see where Willa had gone. A few hundred metres across paddocks and over a wire fence, she caught up with her.

" There, " Willa said with satisfaction. " There she is. "

Louie followed her gaze. They stood about a paddock's length away from the end of the runway, staring straight down the two lines of neon blue spots. At the far end of it were the flashing red and white lights of an airplane coasting into position.

" Oh shit. Oh my god. Is that thing going to take off? It is, isn't it? " Louie looked at Willa, her heart already beginning to pump. " You're mad. You're absolutely bloody crazy. This is your idea of fun? "

Willa was transfixed by the sight of the plane. They could hear its engines in the distance—the combination of roar and whine that always thrilled Louie.

" You wait, " Willa whispered, and Louie looked at her for a moment, noting the fix of her eyes, the tension around her jawline and the little vein pulsing at her temple. I am out oj control, she thought. If she asked me to throw myself under a jumbo's wheels I'd say front or back ones?

The plane had come to a halt, facing them. For the first time Louie saw that planes had white headlights shining from their undercarriage. She felt like a possum caught in their light. " Do you think he can see us? " she whispered. " The pilot, I mean? "

Willa didn't answer. The engines whirred ferociously, and the plane began to move forward. At her side, Willa's hand found Louie's, and they stood, frozen to the spot.

At first it seemed incredibly slow, as if it were just rolling towards them, and Louie could make out people in the flight deck, dimly lit. Then suddenly the lights at the end of each wing flashed violently, wider and wider, and Louie could see for the first time the body of the plane, its bulk bearing down on them, rushing at them, huge wings outstretched. The sound was overwhelming, shrieking at them, blaring. Louie wanted to cover her ears, but she didn't want to let go of Willa's hand. She dug in her nails as the plane ate up the runway, murderous. Just as her legs began to dissolve, the white lights at the front lifted, and a blast of hot air and thunderous noise burst from under the aircraft. It screeched above them, its white body burning through the air and the surrounding blackness wobbling in its heat. The smell of burning rubber and exhaust filled Louies nostrils and mouth, which was open and screaming now, screaming for all she was worth.

She was jumping too, jumping up, down and around, and then her arms were around Willa, squeezing her, still yelling and whooping, and Willa was yelling back. They leapt about in a circle for a bit before Louie realised that she actually had her arms round Willa, embracing her, and she decided not to let go.

To let go would mean to wait until she had this good an excuse again, and she didn't know when that might be. Louie couldn't bear it anymore. To hell with it, she thought, to hell with it. They stopped jumping and turning, they stopped yelling, and Louie gripped on to Willa, hugged tighter even, and buried her head in her shoulder. Her heart was still thumping, and she could feel Willa's too, like a bird's belting against her ribcage.

Then Willa's arms moved, and Louie caught her breath in fear, terrified she would pull away. She didn't. Her hand cupped Louie's head, ran down the back of her hair, her neck, and lay cool and gentle under her collar. Her other arm moved lightly up her back and rested there. What a difference, the quality of the touch, the subtle shift in placement, that turned a hug into a hold. Louie wanted to cry, to weep with relief. She relaxed her wrestling grip and leaned into Willa, nuzzled her heavy hair, felt the soft skin under her ear, breathed in her smell.

When Willa turned and kissed her, Louie thought in her head, this is my first kiss. It wasn't, of course, she'd kissed a number of boys, and done more too, but she'd never, ever felt as if she were falling off a cliff. She'd never before felt as if her body were being turned to water from the inside out, or as if they were both whirling through space into an airless black vortex. Louie felt all these things, and above all, a disbelief, a wild, terrifying disbelief that this should be happening—no, not that she was in love with a girl, for it seemed suddenly absolutely natural that she should be in love with this girl—but that, god only knew how, this girl should love her back!

It was Willa who finally pulled away, who said, looking at the ground, " Do I shock you? "

Louie reached and touched her cheek, frowning and smiling together. " No, Willa. You don't shock me. "

Willa turned slightly away and sat on the ground. An icicle slid down Louie's back. Don't turn away, not now, please.

She crouched down beside Willa and looked beyond her into the invisible distance. " I didn't think this could happen. This, " she said, gesturing like her father, palms upward, " —it just blows me away. I didn't dare believe you might be feeling the same. "

" Ohhh, " Willa groaned, and swung back to her. " You didn't guess? God, Louie, I haven't been able to think of anything else since the day I met you. "

" Really? " Louie was delighted. She touched Willa's arm, her shoulder in its embroidered coat. It was so strange, so new to do that, and Louie felt awkward suddenly, as if she didn't know how.

" Louie, " Willa wrapped her arms around her knees and stared back down the empty runway. " There's something I have to tell you. " Her voice was strained, choked. She turned to Louie, who was feeling that same icicle slide down her back. " This isn't the first. I've had a... a relationship before. "

Louie blinked. " With a woman? "

" Her name was Cathy. She was my best friend at Miller Park. It happened in the Christmas holidays. " Willa's arm jerked as she pulled at some grass and Louie heard the tuff, tuff of it coming away. " Neither of us were really sure about it. Well, Cathy got pretty weird, and I tried to end it, then she got more upset. I just didn't know what to do, what she wanted me to do. Does this make any sense? "

Louie nodded.

" I really ended it back in February, but every now and then she'd spin out and I'd get a panic call. She was freaked out by her family. They're fundamentalists, and she was terrified her stepfather would find out. Also she thought God was going to send her to eternal damnation or something. "

Louie snorted a little, then wondered what the Catholic Church's view would be. She had a fair idea.

" One day, a few months ago now, " Willa continued, " I got this phone call from her and I went around. She was in a mess and I was just hugging her, you know, not doing anything, and her weird stepbrother came in. Keith. He was always hanging around. Anyway, he went berserk and started all this arm waving and calling down God and so on, and next thing I know all their family are there, and Cathy's taking their side. They called the school, they called my mother, it was hideous. "

" Oh, Willa. "

She turned to Louie fiercely " I want you to know this. I want you to know everything, and then if you don't want to have anything to do with me, go now. Go now, Louie, because I can't help what I feel. "

This time Louie touched her without awkwardness, she held her close and Willa clung to her. " I'm not afraid, Willa, " she said. " I love you, and I'm not afraid of that. "

Willa

Judas knew about hats too. As soon as she shoved the black hat on her head he began leaping about and sniffing at the door. Willa ignored him. She looked again at the photo Louie had given her. It was a picture of the two of them in a held, an enormous blurred aeroplane behind them. Louie was crouched, laughing, her hands over her ears, and Willa was jumping high, one arm outstretched, the other out of the picture as if she was being snatched away by someone invisible. They'd been back at the airport several times now, and the last time Louie had brought her super-duper automatic everything camera and set it up on a fence post to take photos of them. Willa carefully put it back in her wallet just as the phone rang.

It was Louie.

" When are you coming? " she asked.

" I was just about to leave. "

" Good. "

" Why, am I late? "

" No, no. " Louie lowered her voice. " I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all. Dad's had another argument with Marietta so she'll be grumpy. "

" Oh great. "

" It's all right, no one takes any notice of her. Nic's arrived too. Must have smelt the cooking. Anyway, come soon, please. "

" I'm on my way. "

" Judas? "

" He's coming too. Is that all right? "

" Yep, fine. See you then. "

" See you. " Willa was smiling to herself.

" Bye.

" Au revoir. "

" Louie, this is dumb. I'll be there in ten minutes. " Willa hung up and hustled Judas out the door.

Tony Angelo was in expansive mode. He waved his arms in welcome to Willa, he laughed and seemed delighted by the addition of Judas, he even included them both in an unconventional Grace before the meal. Willa smiled politely but sat through it with her eyes open. Marietta glowered at everyone like a squat little volcano. Nic concentrated on eating as much as possible—his foray into student hatting was a severe disappointment in the food stakes, and next year they'd resolved to get some female—preferably Applied Science female—flatmates. He was delighted to hear that Willa was doing professional cookery. Louie was nervous, Willa could tell, and talked in competition with her father, loudly interrupting his stories to correct or admonish him, capping them with funnier ones of her own. Tony popped open bottles of wine in punctuation to their banter. They did a great double act.

It was Susi who worried Willa. She was the perfect hostess, quietly plying everyone with more food and slipping back and forth from the kitchen with dish after dish of culinary delights. Her cooking was fantastic. Busy though she was, Susi's careful eye was at work continually On several occasions Willa had caught Susi regarding her thoughtfully, and the rest of the time she watched Louie with a mixture of pleasure and concern. As she laughed at Louies ebullience Susi's eyes would flicker about the table, always stopping at Willa two or three times, and Louie herself couldn't glance at Willa without Susi's immediate scrutiny. She knows, Willa thought, somehow she knows.

" This is wonderful, Mrs. Angelo, " Willa volunteered, tasting the dessert. " What's in it? "

Susi smiled glassily at Willa. " Thank you. It's chocolate and Cointreau, with egg and cream, basically. You have to beat the egg whites separately"

" It's wonderfully fluffy. "

" Did you notice it was fluffy, Nic? " Louie asked her brother sweetly.

Nic was already scraping the bottom of his glass with a long spoon. " Hrmphh, " he grunted and gave her a withering look. " Is there any more, Mum? " he asked, and when she nodded, he scrambled up first. " No, it's all right, I'll get it, I'll get it. " He brought back a bowl to the table and offered it first to Willa, with a warm smile.

Nic was taller than his father but similar in looks, as was Louie. Willa found it strange looking at Nic's dark, curly hair, especially his long-lashed brown eyes and seeing parts of Louie. He was slower than she was though—slower in speech and thought, less frenetic, less interesting.

" No thank you, " she said, and Nic helped himself.

" Nic! " cried the others.

" What? What? I offered it to the guest first! "

Louie rolled her eyes. " You're such a charmer. "

" Grazie, Luisa. "

This time she groaned. " Oh god, not the Italian. " She turned to Willa. " Nic flunked six months of Italian in the fourth form and has been trading on grazie and prego ever since. "

" It's more than you know, ignoramus. "

" I know more than anyone, " announced Marietta. " Buona sera. Io sow Marietta. Ne ho dodici. Quanti anni ha? " Marietta recited, posing to an invisible audience.

The others clapped sarcastically, Tony crying " Bravo! Bravissimo! " Louie looked apologetically at Willa.

" So, Willa, " began Tony, and Willa half-choked on a mouthful of Sauvignon. " Gosh, the wine's not that bad is it? Susi—you bought this sav blanc—Willa doesn't like it. "

" No, no, I—" Willa exploded into another bout of coughing. " Please... " Then Nic was beside her with a glass of iced water. " Oh, thank you. " Her throat cleared, Willa took a deep breath.

" All I was going to ask you, " continued Tony, " was whether you spoke any languages, but no, let's not start on that again. What do you think of, let me think, what shall we test her with... "

" Dad, " moaned Louie, " don't be horrible. "

" I'm not being horrible, I'm just... "

" Testing her. On one question, of your choosing. What a Fascist. "

" Fascist? "

" Louie, " frowned Susi, " don't be so dramatic. "

" No, no, even Nic agrees, I'm a Fascist. My customers think I'm nice, you know, " Tony told Willa. " But my children, they think I am a cross between Mussolini and Saddam Hussein. No wonder I spend so much time at work, huh? More wine, Willa? Now, " he turned to his children, " is that the question of a Fascist? "

Marietta, surreptitiously trying to steal Susi's glass of wine, smiled sweetly at her father. Louie said " Yes, " and Nic said " Not if you fill mine at the same time. "

" Now Willa, " Tony began again, " I know, I'll ask you about yourself. That's hardly a Fascist approach, is it? "

" Don't even answer him, " said Louie.

" What do you want to know? " Willa asked, feeling five sets of Angelo eyes zero in on her.

" Hmm. Well, I think one question each is fair and democratic, isn't it? One question from each member of the Angelo family isn't too much to ask in return for dinner and then we'll... mark you out of ten and let you know if you can stay friends with Louie. "

" Oh, for god's sake. "

" Louie, " warned Susi from the kitchen. " Language. "

" My question is... dogs. Easy. Who would you save from in front of a speeding car—Judas, or me? "

There were groans and replies from all round the table. Willa laughed and said, " Judas. " Tony, shocked and delighted, stood up and pretended to order her out of the house. Willa noticed he had very white teeth and smelt of wine, but not unpleasantly so.

" What about me? " asked Marietta, ready to ask her question.

" No, " teased Tony, sitting back down, " anyone would save Judas before you. Now, hang on, I'm not finished. " Tony held up his hand to the protestations. " What about Judas or Nic? Eh? "

Willa caught Lome rolling her eyes. " Judas, " announced Willa again, and Nic tossed his napkin in the air and shrugged.

" Always the same. Nobody cares about poor old Nic. "

" You'd save a hedgehog before Nic. "

" Okay, " Tony's voice carried over the noise, and Willa knew what was coming. " What about Louie, eh? I mean she did invite you here after all, she is meant to be your friend. "

" But she doesn't sit when she's told to, and she's expensive to feed, " said Nic.

" Look who's talking. "

Willa looked at Louie across the table, so uncomfortable, so bristling with mixed messages. " I'd save Louie, " she answered.

There was a moment's pause in which the air tingled but Willa didn't care.

Then Marietta piped up. " My turn. Okay, how come you're wearing different earrings? "

Willa smiled. " I couldn't decide which to wear. "

" You should have worn the paua ones, " Marietta advised.

" My turn. " Nic put one hand over Marietta's mouth.

" Yes? " Willa noticed Susi listening carefully as she came in with a tray of coffee.

" Why'd you leave Miller Park School. Were you expelled? "

Tony snorted. " Nic. "

But Nic's eyes twinkled. " No love lost now. She didn't save me from the speeding car, remember. " He let go the squirming Marietta who leaned forward eagerly to hear the answer.

" This is daft, " said Louie, folding her arms. " Mum, tell them to stop. "

Susi smiled benignly. " No thank you, Lou. I'm rather enjoying it. "

" This is where democracy gets you, " Tony taunted his daughter.

" Well? " Nic was enjoying Willa's discomfort. She tried not to look at Louie this time.

" The principal and I agreed to differ, as they say, eh. I fancied a school in the twentieth century. "

" Well fielded, well done, " clapped Tony. " Spoken like someone heading for a career in the diplomatic service! "

" Louie, your turn, " said Susi.

" No thank you. "

" Go on, Lou, you're never stuck for something to say. "

Louie swung round to her brother. " I prefer to let people tell me what they want when they're ready. That's what people out there in the real world call friendship. "

" Ooo, uppity, uppity. "

" Willa doesn't have to answer anything she doesn't want to, " Susi assured her daughter. " Well, if you don't have a question it's only me left. "

Willa waited, and the dessert did a slow, sickly hip in her stomach.

" I know, " said Susi brightly. " Tell us about your boyfriend. "

Louie's eyes closed and she leaned back in her chair. Willa tried to keep her face utterly expressionless.

" I don't have a boyfriend, " she answered as lightly as she could.

" None at the moment, " Susi corrected her. Nic leaned his head to one side slowly and regarded Willa. " Well, " Susi continued, " tell us about your Ideal Man. " She lifted a glass to her lips and grinned at her husband as if she were being innocently provocative.

We understand each other very well, thought Willa, keeping her eyes on Susi.

" I don't think I have an Ideal Man, either, " she answered very carefully. " I think—I think people just happen, don't they. Love just happens. And then everything is changed, forever. " Willa moved her glance to Louie, who sat stock still, her eyes locked onto Willa's.

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