lay on some booze. Uncle Len can afford it. What about you, Geek Boy? You gonna come?’
Rusty looked at him, puzzled. ‘Me?’
‘Yes, you.’ Kyle nodded.
Rusty was still confused. ‘You mean come to your party? As a guest?’
‘No, as a waiter, you sherm. Yes, as a guest.’
It took him a little time for the penny to drop. Then his face lit up. ‘I could film it for you,’ he said. ‘You’ll be the stars. And I promise I won’t get in the way.’
‘We’ll let you know if you do.’
‘And I could bring another DVD,’ he said excitedly. ‘Have you seen
Badlands
?’
‘Is it as good as
Picnic at Hanging Rock
?’ asked Adele.
‘You liked that?’ asked Rusty.
‘It was wicked,’ said Kyle. ‘Wondrous.’
‘Pretty good,’ conceded Becky.
Fern looked less certain but nodded in agreement. If Becks liked it, she liked it.
Rusty managed to lift his head towards Adele. Her eyes were still red from the tears. ‘What about you? Ade?’
Adele stared off into the distance. ‘Haunting,’ she said finally.
Rusty smiled and looked briefly at each in turn, before returning his eyes to the floor.
Beckyheld her hands open. ‘Just one thing, Geek Boy. What happened to the three girls in the film?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, where did they go?’
‘They disappeared. They walked up Hanging Rock and were never seen again.’
Becky pulled a face. ‘I know that. But it’s a film – what happened to them in real life?’
‘You’re missing the point, Becks,’ said Kyle.
‘
I’m
missing the point? Cheeky fucker.’
‘But you are,’ said Kyle. ‘See, it doesn’t matter what happened to them.’
‘It matters to me.’
‘Kyle’s right,’ said Adele. ‘What matters is they left of their own accord, on their own terms.’ She looked over at Kyle, who held her gaze for a second.
‘Oh, is that what matters?’ said Becky. ‘Well, that’s not what matters to me, Ade. I want to know if they really died. I mean, they must have found out what happened. Three girls can’t just vanish like that, can they?’
‘One of them was found a week later, remember,’ said Rusty. ‘But she had no memory of what had happened.’
‘D’uh!’ said Becky. ‘I’m not a mong. I saw the film.’
‘Yes, you did. And you should already know the most important thing,’ said Kyle. ‘They left their pain behind them for everyone else to bear.’
‘Yeah, okay, they left their pain behind. Boo hoo! But what
actually
happened to them?’ she insisted. ‘I can’t write a five-hundred-word review on just that. Three girls climb a rock and disappear. End of.’
‘It’s a mystery,’ said Rusty, risking another smile.
‘Stopgrinning at me, Geek Boy, or you’ll be wearing your teeth as a necklace.’
‘He fancies you.’ Fern laughed, leering at her friend. Rusty looked away, suddenly flushed.
Becky sidled round to him and put a hand up to stroke his cleanshaven cheek. ‘Course he does. He’s got eyes, hasn’t he?’ She remembered a line from the film. “Am I your Botticelli Angel?” ’ She giggled at Fern then turned back to Rusty and kissed him on the same cheek. ‘Mmm, you’ve got quite the manly stubble, haven’t you, Geek Boy?’ She laughed.
‘Don’t be dread, Becks,’ said Adele.
‘What?’ Becky held her hands open to underscore her innocence.
Rusty didn’t move, a faint smile fixed on his face. He pulled the camcorder up to hide his reddening features and began filming her.
Becky’s expression betrayed an objection but she didn’t voice it. ‘Stop hiding behind that thing, Geek Boy. Tell me.’ Rusty kept filming so Becky gave in and pouted at the lens, fluffing up her curly blond hair with her hands and striking several poses. ‘I mean, if it’s based on a true story, where did they go?’ she said as she looked at the camera with a startled expression.
‘Here’s a theory even somebody shallow and superficial can understand,’ said Adele, an icy edge to
Rusty looked at him, puzzled. ‘Me?’
‘Yes, you.’ Kyle nodded.
Rusty was still confused. ‘You mean come to your party? As a guest?’
‘No, as a waiter, you sherm. Yes, as a guest.’
It took him a little time for the penny to drop. Then his face lit up. ‘I could film it for you,’ he said. ‘You’ll be the stars. And I promise I won’t get in the way.’
‘We’ll let you know if you do.’
‘And I could bring another DVD,’ he said excitedly. ‘Have you seen
Badlands
?’
‘Is it as good as
Picnic at Hanging Rock
?’ asked Adele.
‘You liked that?’ asked Rusty.
‘It was wicked,’ said Kyle. ‘Wondrous.’
‘Pretty good,’ conceded Becky.
Fern looked less certain but nodded in agreement. If Becks liked it, she liked it.
Rusty managed to lift his head towards Adele. Her eyes were still red from the tears. ‘What about you? Ade?’
Adele stared off into the distance. ‘Haunting,’ she said finally.
Rusty smiled and looked briefly at each in turn, before returning his eyes to the floor.
Beckyheld her hands open. ‘Just one thing, Geek Boy. What happened to the three girls in the film?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, where did they go?’
‘They disappeared. They walked up Hanging Rock and were never seen again.’
Becky pulled a face. ‘I know that. But it’s a film – what happened to them in real life?’
‘You’re missing the point, Becks,’ said Kyle.
‘
I’m
missing the point? Cheeky fucker.’
‘But you are,’ said Kyle. ‘See, it doesn’t matter what happened to them.’
‘It matters to me.’
‘Kyle’s right,’ said Adele. ‘What matters is they left of their own accord, on their own terms.’ She looked over at Kyle, who held her gaze for a second.
‘Oh, is that what matters?’ said Becky. ‘Well, that’s not what matters to me, Ade. I want to know if they really died. I mean, they must have found out what happened. Three girls can’t just vanish like that, can they?’
‘One of them was found a week later, remember,’ said Rusty. ‘But she had no memory of what had happened.’
‘D’uh!’ said Becky. ‘I’m not a mong. I saw the film.’
‘Yes, you did. And you should already know the most important thing,’ said Kyle. ‘They left their pain behind them for everyone else to bear.’
‘Yeah, okay, they left their pain behind. Boo hoo! But what
actually
happened to them?’ she insisted. ‘I can’t write a five-hundred-word review on just that. Three girls climb a rock and disappear. End of.’
‘It’s a mystery,’ said Rusty, risking another smile.
‘Stopgrinning at me, Geek Boy, or you’ll be wearing your teeth as a necklace.’
‘He fancies you.’ Fern laughed, leering at her friend. Rusty looked away, suddenly flushed.
Becky sidled round to him and put a hand up to stroke his cleanshaven cheek. ‘Course he does. He’s got eyes, hasn’t he?’ She remembered a line from the film. “Am I your Botticelli Angel?” ’ She giggled at Fern then turned back to Rusty and kissed him on the same cheek. ‘Mmm, you’ve got quite the manly stubble, haven’t you, Geek Boy?’ She laughed.
‘Don’t be dread, Becks,’ said Adele.
‘What?’ Becky held her hands open to underscore her innocence.
Rusty didn’t move, a faint smile fixed on his face. He pulled the camcorder up to hide his reddening features and began filming her.
Becky’s expression betrayed an objection but she didn’t voice it. ‘Stop hiding behind that thing, Geek Boy. Tell me.’ Rusty kept filming so Becky gave in and pouted at the lens, fluffing up her curly blond hair with her hands and striking several poses. ‘I mean, if it’s based on a true story, where did they go?’ she said as she looked at the camera with a startled expression.
‘Here’s a theory even somebody shallow and superficial can understand,’ said Adele, an icy edge to
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