Or early. I can’t tell which. At home I can judge the time of night by sounds and sights. TV jabbering in the family room meant it was before midnight. Dad would be sitting up, laptop on his knees, doing paperwork. A soft glow from Harvey’s nightlight shining under my door but a silent house, mea...
CJ screwed up his face. ‘I’m grounded, remember?’ ‘Hasn’t stopped you before.’ ‘This time’s different. Mum took my phone, iPod, computer and Playstation.’ CJ kicked a crumpled Coke can off the footpath. Nic grinned. ‘I forgot.’ Maddie swung her bag from one shoulder to the other. ‘What was your p...
He strained to recognise the footsteps. Taj or Dad? ‘Oi, KD.’ Khaden breathed out. ‘In my bedroom,’ he called, still playing the guitar. Taj stood in the doorway. ‘Sounds good.’ ‘Meh.’ Khaden stopped strumming and rested his chin on his guitar. ‘First time I’ve tried it.’ Taj walked across the ro...
She’d been disappointed when the front rows were filled when they arrived. Huffing, she’d directed Thomas and Eve to a row in the middle. The collar of Thomas’s new shirt chafed his throat. He tugged at it to ease his discomfort. While Mother prayed, head bowed, beside him, Thomas looked around. ...
Aborigines caught shoplifting. Drunk blacks abusing white women outside Hyland’s butcher shop. Women throwing stones at cars that drove past the Tip, the shantytown near the dump. Teenagers lighting bonfires that spread onto farmland. A carload of Aborigine men doing laps of Main Street, terroris...
Bailey, Dylan and Ava cracked up. I smiled and bit into my sandwich. A shudder slithered down my spine at the Vegemite that was layered on as thick and black as road tar. ‘Darcy, that was funny,’ said Laura, frowning. ‘Yeah, but my lunch isn’t.’ I checked Loz out, trying to see her as Misery did....
