Westpoint Tales - The Lost Years, 9

“You’re just in trouble if you say what I think you were going to say!”

He removed the hand and looked into those big, dark, eyes. “All right?” he smiled.

“All right. Thanks, Justin.” A big grin spread across and lit up his face.

“Okay. Now stand up and give me a hug.”

They stood and hugged. Nicholas clung to him tightly and then he started to cry – great big sobs.

“Nicholas? Oh, Nicky! What’s wrong?”

“’I love him. I really, really love Conrad. I love him so much it hurts. Do you think he’ll ever want to hug me?”

“He will. If he doesn’t then he’s the Dummy, and we’ve already agreed that he isn’t.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know.”

“Oi! What’s going on in here then?” Billy marched into the room. “Are you making a move on my Justin, Nicholas Awatere?”

“No!!” Nicholas wailed. He sprang away and his whole body seemed to crumple inward as he stood and cried.

“I didn’t. I couldn’t. I would not do that!”

“Hey! Hey!” Billy said. “It’s okay, Nicholas. It’s okay. I was just joking with you. Sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Justin grabbed and held him again. “It’s okay, Nicky. Billy was just joking. You shouldn’t do that, Sunny. Nicholas takes everything seriously.”

“Yes, so I see! Sorry Nicholas, I was just kidding with you. I won’t do that again. Any time you want to hug Justin, you go ahead and do it. As long as I’m not using him, that is.”

“Okay. Thank you, Billy. Justin is my friend.”

“Yes, he is, and he’s a good one too.”

“He is! Justin is the best friend ever.’

“That he is.”

“Okay, my Friend. Time you were going home, I think. You’ve got school tomorrow. Does your mother know where you are?”

“No. My mother’s not at home. I haven’t seen her, or Jo-Anne, since this morning.”

“Since this morning? Where would they be?”

“Oh, I don’t know – partying somewhere.”

“On a Monday? So, you’re at home alone then?”

“Well, yes. But I’m used to that. I’m always at home alone.”

Always home alone. That’s not good.”

“It’s better than when the party is at our place. Id better go anyway, if she comes home and I’m not there, there will be trouble.”

“We don’t want that then,’ said Billy. “Come with me and I’ll drive you home.”

“Thank you, Billy. I can walk, it’s all right.”

“Nicholas, go with Billy. He doesn’t get the car out anywhere near enough.’

“All right, Superboy.”

“All right, Justin!”

Billy drove the kid home to his empty house. Justin checked on Jeremy. He was already asleep, so he cleared the books and toys from the bed, covered him up and turned out the light. He had a shower and climbed into bed to wait for his mate.

At school next morning, in the, ever-crowded and always chaotic, locker-room, Nicholas stood quietly waiting to get to his locker.

“Nicholas. Hey!”

He turned around and smiled. “Hello Conrad,” he drawled.

“Great! We’re talking then. Why are you just standing here?”

“I’m waiting to get to my locker.”

“Waiting?’

Conrad looked at the three gossiping girls standing, leaning on the locker-doors.

“Come on Girls. You’re holding things up here. Nicholas needs to get to his locker.”

“Hey Conrad. What do you care? Kid’s no friend of yours, is he?”

“Oh, but he is! Be fair, Girls. You can stand somewhere else.”

“Yeah, okay. For you.”

They moved away and one looked back. “Play us a song, Seeker. You owe us one.”

“’Kay, I’ll do that. There you go, Nicholas. That your locker?”

“It is. Thank you, Conrad.”

He opened the door and knelt down.

“You’re welcome, my friend. I’ll see you at lunchtime, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll look forward to that.”

“Yeah, so will I.” Conrad walked away and Nicholas got out his books for the day.

They met again at lunchtime and ate their lunches together, sitting alone out on the grass at the edge of the sportsfield. Nicholas and Conrad only had eyes for each other, but every other eye in the place was on them, even the teachers.

The Seeker and the Dummy having lunch together? Was there ever a more unlikely match? What did Nicholas Awatere have to make the Seeker want to be with him when he never bothered with anyone else?

Nicholas didn’t see the Seeker, he saw Conrad – the boy he adored and always had. He was delighted that Conrad wanted to spend time with him.

Conrad didn’t see a Dummy, he saw a beautiful boy – unassuming, gentle, softly and slowly spoken and very good-looking too. That slow-spreading smile. Those eyes! This kid was gorgeous and a thoroughly nice person too. He liked what he saw – very much.

Ross and Robert, sitting in the sun with their girlfriends, smiled at each other as they watched the lonely pair.

“Superboy Rules!” Robert nodded at them.

“He does,” Ross grinned. “Justin can do anything.

“What did Superboy do? Is he here?”

“No, Trina. He’s not here. Eat your lunch.”

Nicholas walked home, alone as always, after school. His head hung low and his books were cradled in his arms as he walked along Derby Street. A car pulled up behind him; he took no notice.

The car tooted, he just kept walking. It wouldn’t be anything to do with him, it never was. It tooted again, but he didn’t even look around. The car moved ahead of him and stopped again. Conrad got out of it.

“Nicholas! Didn’t you hear me? Do you want a ride home?”

“Conrad!” He beamed his lazy smile. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Thinking good things, I hope.”

“Yes, of course I was.”

“That’s good. Do you want a ride or not?”

“In your car?’

No, on the next train that comes up the street. No, sorry. That was not nice. Yes, of course with me. Hop in the car and I’ll take you home.”

“Thank you, Conrad. That’s very nice of you.”

He put his books on the front-floor and got in, carefully buckling the seat-belt before closing the door. “You have to ‘make it click’, in case the car crashes. Most car crashes happen in towns.”

“Yeah, so they say. Don’t worry, we’re not going to crash, I’m a careful driver. Where do you live?”

“In Eastman’s Road, at number 76, with my mother.’

“Eastman’s Road? Damm. That’s not very far. Nowhere is very far in Westpoint. We’ll just have to go very slowly then.”

“That will be nice. Thank you, Conrad. This is great. Is this your car?”

“It’s my car. It’s nothing flash. Just a little, cherry-red, Toyota Starlet. It’s old, but it goes and it’s all mine. Uncle Robbie and Bryce bought it for my 15th birthday.’

“That was good of them.”

“It was good, but not completely selfless. Before I had the car, they had to drive me in and out to the radio station. I can’t walk it and I’m not biking that far at night, especially when it’s raining. So now I’ve got my own wheels and they get to stay at home by the fire and everyone’s happy.”

“That’s good. I’m happy too – very happy.”

“Oh, Nikita! If I can make you happy then I’m happy too.”

“What is Nikita? I’m Nicholas, or Nicky sometimes.’

“Nikita – that’s you. It’s a friendly way of saying Nicholas – Russian, I think. Something like that. It’s all good.”

“It’s very good! Are we friends now?”

“We’re friends, if you want to be.”

“Oh, I do! I really, really, do.”

“Yeah. I really, really do too.”

They exchanged smiles and cruised along, slowly, in silence until he pulled up outside Nicholas’ home. Conrad was delighting in this gentle boy. Nicholas was in heaven, sitting beside the boy he loved.

They sat, quietly, in the car at the side of the street, talking a little and smiling a lot; but, not for long. The banshee was at home and not in a good mood.

Nicholas’ mother came running, and screaming, out of the house. “Nicholas! Nicholas!! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get the fuck out of that car!”

“Mum!”

They both got out and stood by the car.

“Mum, please don’t. This is Conrad. He is my friend.”

“Oh no, he bloody is not! You don’t have friends who drive around in cars. I will put up with Superboy, just. Otherwise, you stick to people your own age! I know what teenagers get up to in cars and it’s not nice. They’re all out for the same thing!”

“Don’t, Mum. Please don’t. This is Conrad. He is my age, he’s 15 the same as me. Look at him, he’s in a school uniform. This is Conrad!”

“I don’t care who the fuck he is!” She screeched and shoved him towards the house. “Get inside! Get in the house, right now! He is not your friend and you stay away from him. I know what he wants. They’re all the same, fucking teenagers in their cars. Horny little bastards! Get in the house, Nicholas!”

“’Goodbye, Conrad. I’m sorry.”

“Shut up. Shut the fuck up! Stop talking to him. Get inside!”

Conrad was not as brave as Superboy, he didn’t even try to talk to her. He just slunk into his car. That didn’t stop her though. Having dealt with Nicholas, she turned on his friend and ripped into him.

“You!! Yes, You! Get the fuck out of here! You stay away from my boy. If you’re at the Highschool then you know bloody well that he is a Dummy!

He is Special Needs and he’s got no money, so there’s only one thing that you’d be after. You stay away from him or I’ll have the law on you. Horny Little Bastard!”

She stormed into the house and slammed the door. Conrad, feeling a bit shell-shocked, started the car and drove, sadly, home.